Reviews (page 3 of 7)
I don't normally like country but this was pretty good. The harmonies are the main attraction and they do sound good together. It's also a sad and emotional set of songs, They weren't lying with the title, that's for sure. I also like the little mandolin licks. It sounds a bit samey eventually but not bad
This feels like one of those albums that is historically important, but dated. I find most mainstream 'beer and trucks' country quite boring - this is much more my vibe, with death and murder and horror, and a great version of 'In the Pines', covered by Nirvana on their unplugged album as 'Where did you sleep last night'. However it IS from the 50s, and so feels a bit clean and wholesome for such lyrics. The kind of album where i'd love to hear the songs covered by someone else. Nick Cave? Billie Eilish? Deftones? An interesting historical document, but a samey listen to modern ears. Let's go with 3.
Lots of great vibes in here.
Good classic country. Pretty much sounds the same to me song to song. Good for when you are in the mood for this.
Good
Made me smile all the way up to the murder. That rather spoilt the mood.
The standard approach is the standard approach because groups had to make it the standard approach. I don’t know enough about Country to tell you whether The Louvin Brothers are genre defining, but there’s no doubt to this inexpert ear that it has never heard this style so naturally adopted. It’s a charming half hour.
Solid 3 for me, nothing to dislike at all
Old time bluegrass
Pretty dark stuff.
Ach ja, Country nh… mein innerer Cowboy erwacht
Konnt man machen, voll entspannt 5/10
I mean, it's just some 50s country. It's simple, it's melancholic, it's mostly just two guys with their acoustic guitar. It's cute, it's likeable.
sad story of these two singer brothers - pretty good music, very yodelly
So so 2.5/5
Not my type of music style
I would give this 3.5 stars, but I just think there are so much better classic country albums, even for the time this album came out, and especially right after. Therefore, I just can't rate this very high. I do understand why someone may think that others should at least hear it before they die, as it did have influence and was popular music for the time, but I don't think it stands up fully today.
Schöner Country und gute Lyrics. Album Titel beschreibt den Inhalt ziemlich perfekt. Leider ist es aber sehr repetitiv und die meisten Lieder klingen gleich P.S.: He did what in Knoxville???? Höhepunkt(e): Kentucky, What Is Home Without Love Tiefpunkt(e): Nichts so wirklich aber trotzdem nichts herrausragendes dabei Rating: 6/10
not bad, very american cowboy vibe
I have recently started loving bluegrass and country music, this is a bit on the sappy side, but I like it
A pleasant album and I like the spoken word aspects. They add an atmosphere that would be otherwise missing.
I do find these old school country albums kind of charming. The harmonizing is good, as is some of the storytelling; the songs range from darkly humorous, to tragic, to sweet, to cloying (the last four religious-themed tracks). Listening once is enough, though. Favorite: In The Pines
#7/1001🇺🇸 The first artist that was entirely new to me but i did know quite a few of the tracks from later artists like Nick Cave, Jonny Cash and Nirvana. At the first track, i thought how am i going to get through this one? I found the brother with the higher end vocals a bit grating. I persevered and found it quite enjoyable, i've often found this with bluegrass records - enjoyable to listen to in the moment but not to go back to again and again. Its essentially a collection of traditional folk songs from the darker end of things, murder ballads and tragic tales and so the brothers didn't write much of it. The version that i listened to had some extra tracks included Satan Lied To Me which i loved but isn't on the original record. Its worth reading up on the history of the brothers, especially Ira - a real tortured soul. Best tracks: In the Pines, Mary of the Wild Moor, Alabama.
I really love this close-harmony country style that seems to have fallen by the wayside over time. As many others (and the title) points out this is much darker and heavier than lyrics typical of this style and I think it works well. However, the nasally high registers are quite fatiguing and a whole album of it is tough to get through.
Overall rating by me: 5/10 Notes: Even though I hadn't really clicked with any of the songs enough to add them to my playlist, I do think that I will listen to this album at least a couple times more in the far future.
I'm afraid I'm too young to understand the noteworthiness of this album. To me it sounds like typical music of that time. It reminded me of the Fallout games. Other than that there's not much I can say. It's not bad. I don't assume I will listen to it again.
3.5
I've only heard Satan is Real before, and I think I like that one better. This is alright though. 3 stars.
3.5
Not tragic at all. Pretty good in fact. Nice O Brother Where Art Thou? vibes. Act would be better if they changed their name to MacLouvin. Solid 3.5.
Pretty decent Bluegrass Country album. 3 stars or C+.
Good harmony. Old school.
It's a little monotonous, but I think all in all it's a pretty pleasant listen
Unexpected but I really liked this. Speaks to the folk that I like and neat to hear some new folk I'm not familiar with.
🌟🌟🌟✨ good, but so old that it's like hearing a bad version of miku singing country music
The body count on this is incredible. Death bed confessions; a brother promising to marry the dying other brother's girl, who turns out to be unfaithful anyway; a seven year old has his heart broken when his girl - his one true love - leaves town; young lovers commit suicide because the girl's parents won't let them marry; a man murders a girl for no discernible reason and throws her body in the river, then regrets it because she was "the gal I loved". I mean... what the actual fark?
Fine enough. Quite religious undertones...and overtones, really. Not motivated to listen to this again.
oddly delightful. if i had a porch and a rocking chair to listen to this on that might bump it up a full letter grade; until then there's a sort of fiction to it that im having trouble connecting to. the charm wears off a little bit the longer you're hearing the same chords and same harmonies. also it's cool hearing In The Pines like this. favorite track is A Tiny Broken Heart or Kentucky
I definitely liked this more than I should have - just a good sound, tight focus, nothing extravagant but also nothing offensive to my ears 6/10
As far as 1950s country goes, I liked this more than the Everly Brothers album we got a while back. Something about the songs just hits more for me. The brothers' excellent high-low close harmonies don't hurt either!
Was a good album. I was busy on the day I listened to it. GEMV
I’m not a fan of country music, whatever age it is, I must say though that this wasn’t as shite as I was expecting. I could probably listen to it again if pushed, doubt I will though…
Quaint, but pretty samey overall. Not as boring as some of the old school country I've heard from this list, but not particularly exciting to me either. Decent harmonies, sounds like something I'd hear on a TV show or movie or something. It's fine I guess.
An unusual entry, but nice enough. Not innovative or genre shaking, but it gives underpinning to a lot of later country.
This was from the '50's, but sounded like it was from the '30's. I enjoyed the old timey sound. Wouldn't listen to this all the time, but it has a niche.
Wow, that was a true gospel album. Like the genre predecessor of country music. Like almost yodeling. Appalachia. Mandolin. I can dig it a little bit.
I know at some point in my life. I’ve heard of the Louvin Brothers. Now re-listening to this, it felt familiar and yet brand new. The harmonies were actually beautiful, especially for two brothers. Kings of Leon and Oasis could’ve learned something from them. Obviously this isn’t my normal modus operandi, however this was a really fun listen. Their sound definitely had a strong Western of feel to it, however, I could hear the influence in bands, like Simon & Garfunkel, The Kingston Trio, and a myriad of other country artists. I think my favorite tracks were Katie Dear, and Satan Lied to Me. Both the stories were very involved, and somewhat rock ‘n’ roll for the time. I could definitely listen to this again.
Random thoughts: * Had no clue what this was. Apparently they are country and harmony pioneers. * In The Pines caught my ear due to the relation to the "Where DidYou Sleep Last Night" from Nirvana cover fame. * What is Home Without Love really made me stop and listen. Not sure why this one grabbed my attention over the others. * Overall, this is not my cup of tea but I can respect the art. I'm a more knowledgable listener now. Thanks 1001.
This is the oldest of old school country and bluegrass I think I have ever heard. Harmonies are on point, and while this music can often be seen as simple, sometimes it's the simple that works better than the overly complicated. Even at 35 minutes it was still a bit long winded.
Just fine 50s country.
Les harmonies sont sympa, mais c’est un peu répétitif. Pas fan de country, de base, mais ça reste sympathique.
Interesante, no había oído algo parecido hace mucho tiempo
Was going to have to go through some country albums, which after getting constant classic, rock albums I've already listened to several times before. The Louvin Brothers were classic (nepo babies) Grand Ole Opry country/folk musicians. One brother known for a violent temper and "womanizing", the other for being not that. At least most of these songs are darker in nature, because it could get worse. There's something to be said about the golden era of vocal harmonies that started around the 50s/60s, and its the strength of this album. Alas it is a old country record back when the music business was just as crooked but also more formal and business-like when it came to creating music (quickly) and releasing singles at incredibly random times. There's a couple songs here I like In The Pines, Katie Dear and Knoxville Girl, but my favorite is the opening track Kentucky, where the strengths of the Louvin Brothers and that close harmony-era is as beautiful as it was the day it was recorded. The flaws? If I wanted that sound I would listen to something more upbeat and good like Motown records. But for the sake of Americana music culture, it would be hard-pressed to skip this album. Not the most iconic country record ever (Louvin Brothers would have a short career together as one of them died from a car accident), so I guess this was 'the one' aside from the memed-upon 'Satan is Real' Gospel record. I'd rather hear country than Gospel, and I haven't come across any Gospel albums yet. Not sure how to end this review, it's more of a historic relic compared to some more exciting 50s records, that are almost all surprisingly jazz and blues related.....
This is truly of another time and place. And it's 70 years old, so that tracks. It has such an old-timey country charm that it's hard not to like. Its simplicity and samesy-ness stops it from breaking 3 territory though. Side note: I got my Spotify Wrapped results yesterday, and my listening age is 74 thanks to albums like this! At least, I hope that's the case. It will be interesting to see how my stats change in 2027, after a full year of the project being over. I listened to 376 genres this year too, also clearly thanks to this project!
Velar mellan en trea och en fyra, men känner att fyrorna generellt talar mer till mig. Det här var dock väldigt mysigt :)
3/5
This was a solid listen, but very much not the type of music that I like/falls on my ears well. It was okay to have playing while I worked, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it.
5 or 6/10 First time I’ve ever listened to the full album and honestly a bit disappointed. Some absolute bangers and some real let downs. ‘Compton N the House’ is a steaming pile of shit
Un peu la flemme de la country, un peu toujours pareil. Petit twist quand même, j'ai ressenti parfois des sonorités un peu cubaines que j'ai bien aimé, mais bon ça reste mid.
De la country Je connaissais « in the pines » qui est très connu (entendu dans des films). C’est sympa hein mais je comprends qu’on tourne en rond
The high, lonesome sound of the Louvins is done in harmonies that could only be born out of blood relations - there’s no comparing this to anyone of the time because the resonance is so unique. And there’s some all time Appalachian murder ballads and tragedies here, even if it does start to run together after a while. It’s not the greatest thing ever but it’s good enough and a stellar example of bluegrass and mountain folk making its way into country music.
mmm harmonies
ersti 3 im laufe glost und sie singed jo chraaaank tight. TOIGHT. sehr klassisch country aber halt guet gspielt und saaauguet gsunge. what is home without love huuuere konservative slop aber country ide 50er halt. in the pines genau gliich. aso bis etz ischs nöd würkli abwechsligsriich defür afoch guet. alabama schöne lied wönder würkli goh?
Satan lied to me!
Being sad is as American as it gets. No matter the genre.
Cute harmonizing blue grass country...but too hillbilly and dated for me to want to hear again
This was closer to the kind of country I can stand (old or outlaw, preferably both), but still not my jam. I did start to enjoy it, but then it all sounded the same.
Yeehaw! About what I expected from a 50's country album.
Pretty good, but I prefer their Satan oriented album.
Pretty, a little samey. But I liked it.
Some really solid, old country music. It was 40 minutes of what sounded like the same song, though.
I’m partial to the twang and musicianship of this. There’s something that just fires neurons in my nascent mind. It’s cultural and something else ephemeral. Like the need to revisit a David Lynch film that adoringly loves the 50s but acknowledges the monsters who live there. Am I going to seek this out again? Probably not. But I enjoyed the listen. 3/5
Gets quite repetitive by the end but still beautiful harmonies to be behold. Favorite track: Kentucky
Interesting encapsulation of the times. A bit too much religious talk for me to connect with but beautiful harmonies and story telling. Time capsule that makes you appreciate what you have.
Country / gospel is usually a recipe for disaster and a straightforward no thanks from me, but this did have some redeeming qualities. The harmonies were great and the voices complement eachother perfectly. The mandolin was fantastic and a lot of the tunes were interesting lyrically. That said, as always with country music, the songs are all one and the same. Different strokes of the same brush. Favourite track - What is a Home Without Love. 6.5/10
I actually quite liked this. Maybe not enough to revisit regularly, but despite the harmonious vocals, there's a real darkness and melancholy throughout this. Feels like an album that was quietly influential on a number of bands that draw from the darker musical tradition of the US like Tom Waits or Nick Cave.
I figured this would be awful, with two ghoul-like figures peering from the album cover, who knew what atrocities awaited. It turned out to be bad, but also comical, not comically bad, but what seemed like dark humour. I quickly forgave the nasal whine of the two brothers, even the fact that every song sounds just about identical. By the end of the album I was almost enjoying this music, so much so that I let the four "bonus" tracks Spotify gave me play through too. I'm going with three stars.
This wasn't completely terrible. I mean, I thought it was the first time around, but on the second time through I was paying enough attention to hear In the Pines, which is great (even though I still like Cobain's version better).
Pretty good! Not my usual schtick but the type of country that I don't really dislike.
I'm okay with this. This isn't music I typically gravitate toward as it has a tinge of frequency that just doesn't mesh well with my ears, but I enjoy the simplistic nature of it. The engineering has a tinny sound to it, and maybe that's what I don't agree with, but the melodies, instrumentation and vocals all blend very nicely together.
Fairly boring folky gospel stuff but not awful either.
ikke første gang jeg siger det: coen bros. soundtrack-core (positivt)
Music from another time and place - pioneering harmonies!
Country old school. De esos super cincuenteros que suenan muy campiranos, con letras románticas, a veces de dolor, pero siempre tomando muy en cuenta el concepto de THE LORD. Está bien, pero prefiero otros countrys más en la onda de Me busca la policía por mis crímenes y me van a colgar, y jamás besaré a mi querida Clementina una vez más
Fantastisk opptak. Låtene er jo litt gammelmodige.
What. The fuck?
3 stars - though the song about beating the woman to death was quite disturbing for an album that has songs designated as having religious overtones.
Excellent, blue grass and country . Also an see where harmonies such as the Everley Brothers came from
Classic country bluegrass with harmonies like Everly Brothers. Some nice guitar but seriously sad songs.
The title didnt lie, it was some tragic songs of life. Good album
Better than Coldplay
Some of the lyrics were a little out there, but musically it was pretty good.
Fav: Let Her Go, God Bless Her Least Fav: Take The News To Mother I was enjoying this…until I realised it’s the same song on repeat. I’m not gonna remember any of this album by tomorrow
Haven't heard of the band before. I will risk a controversial statement: I don't think country music is something important to any place other than the US so I don't think this album is something absolutely everybody should listen to before they die? I did have fun listening to the album though 3/5
A bunch of easy to listen to songs, and yeah, probably the harmonization is the thing to focus on here. Never realized that "Where did you sleep last night" is actually a classic "In The Pines" song before
Perfect example of an album that may not be one of the best-ever made, but certainly deserves a spot on this list. Unless you grew up in this era, music like this is probably nobody's favorite -- but it existed in such a big way, and it influenced so much down the road, that I think it would behoove anyone to give it a shot. It's a super pleasant listen, albeit extraordinarily repetitive (how many songs are we gonna do in 3/4 exactly? About love and loss? With the same parallel harmonies?). Also, I can't say the Alabama and Kentucky love letters have aged particularly well. But, it was unique and I think important. Fave songs: - I'll Be All Smiles Tonight - Let Her Go, God Bless Her - What Is Home Without Love - In The Pines - My Brother's Will
Kind a lot of the same thing but I did enjoy a few of them
Every song sounded the same but it was short lived.
I do really enjoy old bluegrass music and was happy to learn about these guys. They obviously played a big role in the early days of bluegrass / country music. This album was really interesting from that early history perspective but from a pure listening enjoyment perspective it was maybe a little bit too simplistic and a bit too religious.
Some proper old timey country music full of heart break and murder. Definitely not something I would normally listen to, but I actually enjoyed this quite a bit.
Good sound and harmony, some of my favorites. Just too long.
Pretty decent, no clue why is this disliked
Was a favorite of my father's.
Not sure if I’ve ever heard of these guys. Darkly haunting.
Didn't do much for me, though I didn't dislike it. Was an easier listen than the punk albums I've gotten so far. Had a lot of interesting rhythms.
Decent old country album but ultimately pretty forgettable. Decent harmonies. 2.5/5 totally average
Rating: 3.2 Pleasant mix of traditional songs and original ones from the artist. Classic country is perfect background music to help you get stuff done. Judging by how slow all of the songs are on this album they could likely put you to sleep too. Or help you do nothing. Those are the only three scenarios that exist after all.
bad aged
I liked this traditional folk/bluegrass album with the tragic and dark stories and the equally scary looking album cover (remember it's mid-50s where all album covers looked happy). The harmonies are very nice though the music itself is a bit too one-note, there isn't much variety in it. A strong 3.5 star album.
2.5 “I gotta say, this is some of the most fucked up shit.”
What the heck did I just listen to?? The music is generic mid-50s country, bluegrass, gospel. The lyrics are horrifying. Every song is somebody getting murdered for no apparent reason. I think I kinda liked it. I'm not even sure how to rate it.
I really didn’t know what to expect here…early on, I was surprised at how much I was enjoying this record. But by the time it was over, I could hardly stand it anymore. The songs all just sounded too similar. And the lyrics to some of these…geesh. Knoxville Girl immediately comes to mind. I guess I will land on three stars for this one, but it could have just as easily been a two.
Lush harmonies. Almost a precursor for the Everly Brothers. The album title is a bit of a downer, given the uplifting sound. Got a bit repetitive towards the end.
While I'm not a fan of gospel influenced country music, they do it well.
Old school country and Bluegrass. Musically, this is OK, as I like country Music but the Male Country voice, with a few exceptions, does little for me, and this is a duo harmonising with the Country Music vocal twang and drawl in abundance. Musically, the songs are executed in a similar fashion, with 3/4 time being prevalent. Consequently, there's a lack of variety and dynamics, and the songs end up sounding dull rather than tragic. It's an album very much of its time. 3 stars. Would I listen to this album again? No. Would I buy this album? No. 1 - "Kentucky" – 3/5 2 - "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight" – 3/5 3 - "Let Her Go, God Bless Her" – 4/5 4 - "What Is Home Without Love" – 3/5 5 - "A Tiny Broken Heart" – 3/5 6 - "In the Pines" – 4/5 7 - "Alabama" – 3/5 8 - "Katie Dear" – 3/5 9 - "My Brother's Will" – 3/5 10 - "Knoxville Girl" – 3/5 11 - "Take the News to Mother" – 3/5 12 - "Mary of the Wild Moor" – 3/5 Total - 38 Average - 3.17
Good bluegrass plucking; mostly good harmonies. Boilerplate song format could become wearisome with repeat listening. 3.5
It's not my favorite singing style. Hard to take for a whole album. 2.5* rounded up.
Blood Harmony rules. Listen to the Cocaine and Rhinestones podcast about these dudes. Cheers.
This was an enjoyable listen, it’s a bit of a time capsule. Well performed and sung songs with some intriguing guitar playing. It’s dated of course, and isn’t something I’ll listen to every day, but I’m glad it was on the list. This version of In The Pines was especially interesting, a far cry from the Lead Belly and Nirvana versions.
Musically all the tracks sound the same (early country & western) but lyrically they describe bleak Appalachian folk life in a variety of dark ways. So many depressing murder ballads, "Knoxville Girl" chief among them.
58.6K monthly listeners on spotify is probably a new low for this generator. I mean my high school music teacher has 11K for comparison.
country clasico. Me pareció espectacular que en el anteúltimo tema se escucharan los ruidos de la cinta original que se trababa, aceleraba, etc.
Habil country med lite ”kul” texter. Lite tradigt och med för begränsad verkshöjd för att kunna bli mer än en trea dock.
This is like a 3.9 for me. I really like how a lot of the songs sound, but they get pretty repetitive.
The spot where county-western, Appalachian folk, and Gospel meet. The unexpected murder ballad, Knoxville Girl, was a stand out. Fine, but tbh I'd rather listen to The Kingsmen or Marry Robbins
This is a completely fine album - very of its time, and as such very dated, and it’s all a bit samey, but it passed 45 minutes (with the god-bothering extras on the end) painlessly.
Didn't hate it. Not something I'd likely go back to, but it was alright.
The longest train I ever saw was 19 coaches long, the only girl I ever loved is on that train and gone. Nothing like a 50s folk/country album of love and loss and some good ole murder ballads. Favorites: I'll Be All Smiles Tonight, In the Pines, and the dark Knoxville Girl. Note: I listened to the Original 12 track album, not with the extended "Religious Overtones" tracks.
6/10 hey, I’ll take it over contemporary christian pop, but it’s really not that much better
I'm 90% sure my grandpa used to have a record of theirs. Huge fan of the harmonizing vocals. Unfortunately, if you hear one you've heard them all. Very consistently relaxing and easy to listen to. It also a little sleepy and boring.
Old timey country. Pretty good but nothing earth shattering.
Never heard of these brothers. Looking at their discography, they have an album about Satan. very interesting. Not my style of musuic. Very old country.
the lore is 5/5, the music is 2/5 the religious imagery is 6/5
Interesting! As a rap fan I am a sucker for this type of morbid story telling. Songs about honour, god and death. Come to think about it, this could’ve been a rap album. .
Not much to say here. It is exactly what you would expect. Satan fearing bible thumping hillbilly country. Not a bad thing just not my thing.
Earlier this week we had an album by Buck Owens that I called “old-timey country,” and now we have a country album from a full decade earlier, so I think I might have spoke too soon with that description. Nice music. It’s very earnest and pure. At the same time, after a few songs, listening to this starts to feel like homework. It feels more like a historical artifact than something I would put on for fun, but that's just me. Interesting to hear an early version of “In the Pines”!
I'm lovin the Louvin Brothers. Nice Hank Williams-esque honky tonk country. I used to listen to this kind of music every day in the car on the way to high school with my grandfather; it's actually one of my favorite moments of connection I've ever had with him. Loved "In the Pines", because I love Nirvana. I covered this song with my wife on a study abroad trip to Australia, where we had been regaling in the outback about simpler life, simpler times, and the analogous mystery of the outback and the pine barrens back home in New Jersey. We played this around a campfire in the outback and were subsequently asked if we could perform it at an upcoming art exhibition, so we did! The songs are simple, pretty, and bring about a reminder to "take it easy" on this hectic Friday morning where I'm hurrying to drive to the airport at 7:00am.
3.08
All of the songs sounded the same but not bad songs at all
É um tipo de música que mexe diretamente com nossa memória afetiva. Por ser brasileiro, infelizmente fomos muito impactados pela cultura norte-americana, então chegou a nós muitos filmes e músicas nesse ritmo. Gostar ou não, vai de cada um, mas medindo a qualidade do material, surpreende pela década em que foi produzido.
Eh it was okay. Little too Christian at the end and not all that exciting ultimately. Nice enough sound though.
A pleasant and reverent listen, if a bit uniform. The harmonies cut like old wood, and the sorrow feels sacred. ‘In the Pines’ opened a door straight to Lead Belly and Cobain.
Jingle jangle
Well, this is a curveball! I was wondering when/if we were going to get something from before the advent of rock 'n' roll. LOT of local connections to these guys. And Dylan was heavily influenced by them so I have heard some of their music in documentaries about him and heard a lot of covers of their music. And of course I've known the brutal "Knoxville Girl" for years. (There's a marker across the street from my office recognizing that song and the Louvin Brothers that is part of the "Cradle of Country Music Tour" trail downtown.) It is frequently covered by local artists of all genres.
Fun album. I hadn't heard of these guys before but enjoyed it.
boomercore. mid on my opinion, but comfy at the same time.
Fun classic country.
Didn’t love the music, but I respect any duo that can harmonize about heartbreak, hellfire, and homicide.
I enjoy this twangy, old-timey country music style. Album is good but blends together after a bit. Standouts: 'Let her go, God bless her' 'Kentucky'
Not a fan of the vocals, otherwise would rated higher
Needs some banjo to really speak to me. Ok though. 2.5/5
This sounds unlike any country I hear today. Good guitar work but this vocal styling drives me crazy.
I was going to rate this album two stars, but then I re-listened to In The Pines. That song is so good it lifts this album to three stars. I understand that this is an historically significant duo and album, however... it's all just so dated in perspective, sound, and lyrics. Not for me.
A kind of hokey classic country- I heard a couple of songs I had known throughout the years. Pretty decent musicians and enjoyable enough, though not really my cup of tea. Overall- in the 2.5 to 3 range
Love a tragic tale
2.8 2x catch up 3/27 old timey but enjoyable
Never heard of these guys before but I rather enjoyed the listen. On a drizzly Saturday morning, this dash of mournful, depression-era (though I see the record was actually released in the 50s, so was maybe nostalgic even then?) bluegrass seemed to strike the right tone.
Interesting artifact of a long by-gone era. Traditional Appalachian country that evokes a surprising amount of hurt.
Good classic country.
Well, this is kind of a dark album. Especially since a lot of the songs have religious overtones, yet my man over here is bashing his girlfriend's head in. I do not know if I would ever listen to this album again but I did enjoy this rendition of "dark folk" and I know there was a need to have older albums in this book. The songs I liked best are: I'll Be All Smiles Tonight Let Her Go and God Bless Her A Tiny Broken Heart In the Pines Katie Dear (again, very dark) My Brother's Will Knoxville Girl Satan Lied to Me
Nice. But not for me.
Surprisingly not awful. I can dig it.
???
homie on the right is not doin too well kentucky- 5 ill be all smiles tonight love- 7 let her go, god bless her- 5 what is home without love- 4 a tiny broken heart- 5 in the pines- most boring version of this song. 4 or 5 alabama- 4 katie dear- 5 my brothers will- damn. 6 knoxville girl- what the fuck
got boring quick
A tragic brothers story
Unexpected Nirvana :o Nothing out of this world but a nice collection of classic folk songs
I’m (sort of) Louvin’ this! I said before that I wanted more Buster Scruggs ass singing cowboy music & this scratches that itch perfectly. Repetitive in terms of content & sound, I’m just lucky that vocally that sound is exactly what I asked for two weeks ago. Because of the melancholy nature of all of these songs, and the acoustic openings to each song, a lot of these sound almost like Portuguese Fado music at first.
Listened to this at 11pm driving through the rain and gotta say, at least for that, it works. Not particularly adventurous but stays in a decent lane. I'd be bumping this down if there were any bad songs but it's fairly consistent. Shame there aren't really any actually good songs here. I didn't know the name of In The Pines before so it's been cool to spend a lot of the day just listening to variations on the same song. Nothing I've heard has topped Nirvana though, but shout out to the Leadbelly, Smog (or Bill Callahan who I did not know until now is behind Smog), and Norma Tanega versions. Highlight: Let Her Go, God Bless Her
No. 310/1001 Kentucky 3/5 I‘ll Be All Smiles Tonight 2/5 Let Her Go, God Bless Her 3/5 What Is Home Without Love 3/5 A Tiny Broken Heart 3/5 In The Pines 3/5 Alabama 3/5 Katie Dear 3/5 My Brother‘s Will 3/5 Knoxville Girl 3/5 Take The News To Mother 3/5 Mary of the Wild Moor 2/5 Average: 2,83 Bleak in it's lyrics, especially for the time it was released. But musically unremarkably.
These songs pretty much all sound the same.
The harmonies here were very inspiring. This is some very old music
I've despised country for most of my life. I have since come around to the genre, and this era of country, western, and folk songs is typically where I spend most of my time. Despite a lack of musical variety and overabundance of religious content, the Louvin Brothers manage to keep the record feeling fresh and interesting; the musicianship more than makes up for it. The vocal performances are fantastic and the harmonies are divine. The album rushes by on a Kentucky breeze and plays well upon additional listens.
3.5
A slice of Americana. From a pie I do not care for, but understand its value. Simple music with storytelling.
Definitely got a bit samey but the harmonies were great and the songs were fun!
A sweetly narrated Kentucky lullaby I will probably never listen to again. Cool that they’re brothers.
A suprising amount of songs you'll know, and yes they are all quite tragic.
Dang da dang dang dang
I just love folk harmony. It didn’t blow me away but was top tier background reading music.
Yes, it's twangy. No, you don't need to listen to all of it - the songs are all the same.
Generic country album, every song sounds very similar but good for its time
It’s some 1950s country! And yes, that’s all it is. Perhaps issued just before the genre’s ‘golden age’, any historical significance this record has is negligible as, well, it’s 12 similar country songs. And they’re nice songs. But just that; nice. Nothing’s going to jump out at you or be experimental or anything of the sort. And why would it be? It’s not trying to be anything more than a few country songs. That’s all.
Classic old country, whether or not someone likes this really depends on their tolerance for old ass guitar music. I liked it at least.
I get it
Classic old school country from some of the best brothers to do it. Reminded me of getting Flagels with Grampa with the country radio station on.
I'm usually not a big fan of country music, but somehow I enjoyed this. Good stories, the music is OK, the harmonies are great. About halfway in it was too much of the same. Favorite song: in the pines
I liked this. Can't say I listened to all the lyrics of every song but on the whole I thought it was cool. Quite repetitive but still good stuff
Has precisely one sound but it's a good sound. 10/10 mandolin pickin' Hard not to be sentimental coming to the end of this journey (give or take a few months), but after this, the only 50's album I haven't listened to is Miles Davis's Kind of Blue HL: "Alabama", "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight", "Let Her Go, God Bless Her" December 20, 2024
In the pines, in the pines… 3
I don't hate it, in fact it feels familiar. I didn't grow up in the US but the melodies from their singing and their guitars reminds me of these oldies I'd hear in the radio back where I grew up. The sort of male duet playing tremolo style stuff which I would never pay attention to but it became a fixture of what I associate with some old music. Maybe it was country inspired I don't know for sure. I think because of that familiarity the album didn't feel like this alien country thing to me, the total outsider to country but instead something just nice to listen to despite the fact that it is repetitive and mood wise it isn't varied either, but this kinda thing isn't too different to having a Sinatra album in the background for ambiance, so personally I think it's pretty nice
Not bad.
Yeehaw.
I guess they had nothing else to listen to at the time
Surprisingly great! Love those harmonies. Although I can't help remembering their other album Satan Is Real, whose cover art became an obscure internet meme. Key tracks: Kentucky
No nyt on perinteistä kantria. Leppoisaa ja aurinkoista. Kesämusiikkia ehkä enemmän. Parhaat: Kentucky, In The Pines,
Good old country
5/10 Pleasant enough but no variety. I just imagine the brothers swaying back and forth for eternity as the smiles on their face threaten to break their heads in half. 10-30-2024
Ok
The TPAB of Close Harmony. B
Well written alright guitar.meh vocals 6.6/10
Could have made a Fallout soundtrack, Lonely Country vibes
I'm not into Country, but this wasn't too bad. I did a tremendous double take when I read the Knoxville Girl lyrics. Man, that's a really dark song that hasn't aged well. I say it's a dark song, but you certainly wouldn't know it listening to the yearning slow waltz-time music with those sweet harmonies...but these guys would be cancelled so fast if that song was released today.
I understand why it's a good album but I don't like listening to it
Strange record.
These were nice, reminded me of gunfighter ballads but slightly worse. I enjoyed it but am unlikely to revisit. 3.5
The musical equivalent of a slice of white bread. Wholesome but bland as fuck.
So fun! So slay! I love country music
Lol I have no idea why this is rated so low on RYM. Though cliche, it's just a solid list of country songs from the 50s. Obviously many of the themes are stories are ones already explored many times. But they are universal in our lives, and for an album from the 50s, the guitar plucking and harmonies aren't so bad.
I was surprised at how engaged I was, most of these songs were wholesome little short stories. Until of course we get to just straight up murdering a girl in Knoxville. But yeah I surprisingly like the melodies and a Tiny Broken Heart was a sweet song.
Ooh boy, that’s some twang. It grated on me after a while so I couldn’t finish the album in the first sitting. In small bursts, it’s charming. My dad would have loved it.
I am very much appreciative of music created by musicians who can sing, compose, play, and tell a story. This album checks all of those boxes. I am not a fan of much of contemporary country, but have always appreciate bluegrass - a subset of country. I enjoyed the pickin & grinnin in this album.
Nice harmonies, but I felt they didn't put emotion in.
pretty good but not particularly noteworthy
3.5
Wow that was depressing
Very classic old time country/folk, very much sounds true to the era it was recorded in. Not really a genre or a sound that speaks to me but I appreciate the sounds, and here influences in a lot of what was to come in future music.
Good ol’ good ol’ music
please give me an album i have opinions on
p26. 1956. 3 stars. The primeval ancestor of Nick Cave's "Murder Ballads". Most C&W songs are about jail, cars, trains, a dog, your partner cheating on you, or drinking. The only thing missing from this album is a song about a man who breaks out of jail, steals a truck, drives over a railway line, hits his dog on his way home, finds his wife in bed with his brother AND his sister, and then goes to a bar to get shitfaced.
Old timey bluegrass
very samey but just good vibes tbh
Just finished listening to Kendrick Lamar and now this? Wow! Both alien genres to me and again I don't hate it so a cautious *** stars. It's the difference between 1.5 Billion listens and 200,000 but to me it's a case of sheer popularity and not merit.
bello redneck
gets a bit repetitive but its good
This is one of the few albums I've encountered so far where the lyrical content not only surprised me but directly influenced my vote. On its surface, this just seems like a stripped down country album with nice harmonies but very simple instrumentation, and I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But some of the lyrics, in Knoxville Girl in particular, kind of blew me away. I imagine this would have been quite shocking to hear at the time of release.
Weirdly enjoyable
What a strange album. I cant see myself recommending it to anyone, but its interesting as hell. Bluegrass-y songs about tragic failures and death in post-war America. 3/5
Ultimately a rather competent 1950s country album that provides a good listening experience, long as you're actively listening to the lyrics. The instrumentals are bright and cheery and do a good job setting the tone of the Appalachia/blues style of country on the record. But the lyrics ultimately round out the listening experience, and live up to the album's name - "Knoxville Girl" in particular is delightfully morbid.
Good
Charming narrative driven country. Interesting to hear an alternative to in the pines compared to the famous Nirvana version 3.5*
Good but every song sounds the same
Country album from the 50s. The sound quality is excellent and the album contains some famous songs like Knoxville Girl, and I can see why this is a classic in its genre. On the downside, all songs sound more or less the same.
Nice country music without much variation though. I recognized In the pines from the Nirvana Unplugged session. The delivery is flatter here, but ok, it's the fifties and it's hard to top Cobain in that respect.
With a side dish of religious overtones (something they'd revisit, to much infamy, some time later), The Louvin Brothers provide us with these tragic songs of life. And these are songs that are imbued with a lived in quality, as though they've been through the wringer; weary, pining, reflective. And it's all due to the harmonious tones of Ira and Charlie's singing, they make you feel what they feel and vice versa. Although it can sound monotonous on occasion, Tragic Songs of Life often feels like lessons learned over the course of forty plus minutes and there is some things that can be taken from. Favorites: Kentucky, Let Her Go, God Bless Her, What is Home Without Love, A Tiny Broken Heart, In the Pines, My Brother's Will, Mary of the Wild Moor, Satan Lied to Me, Lord, I'm Coming Home.
1. kentucky - 1.5 2. zmilez - 1.5 3. blezz her - 1.5 4. uuithout love - 2 5. broken heart - 1.5 6. pinez - 2 7. alabama - 2 8. katie - 1.5 9. brotherz uuill - 1.5 10. knozville - 1.5 11. mother - 1.5 12. uuild moor - 1.5 13. zatan - 1 14. pray - 1 15. lord - 1.5 16. thankful - 1
Country. Ni fu ni fa.
Country triste años 50's.
Not often that you find a new album where you already know most of the songs on there. Hugely important band, but I’m not that much of a fan of the Louvin Brothers vocal performance.
Interesting but not for me. Then In the Pines grabbed my attention as it was covered by Nirvana on their unplugged in New York show. Kind of a fun little footnote.
Cool tunes. Seems like the basis for old country music
Go down Knoxville girl
Ol' country!
Thoughts before listening: Interesting addition to the list. I half a soft place in my heart for these early folk and country songs, although the recordings can often make them hard to listen to. Looking at the songs on the cover, I do recognize a number of these songs, mostly from covers by more contemporary bands. It will be nice to hear these songs in an earlier form. Review: Well, this definitely sounds better than I thought it would. Maybe I am listening to a remastered version, but its much more crisp than I was anticipating. Other than the clarity of the recording, this reminds me a lot of music that I have heard throughout my life. Being from the south, my family listened to and played old country music very similar to the Louvin Brothers. This album would have been released when my grandparents were in their 20s so perhaps this was something I actually heard them play when I was a kid. I really like some songs and others are a little grating honestly. I'll give it 3-stars.
Kind of a cool document of its time but today it sounds outdated and the religious part then killed the vibe.
Yeehaw, the song about the girl he murders in Knoxville has me fucked up. Pretty easy listening overall
Deeply titled
Now that's country
This is the most deserving of 3 stars I've given an album. Just your standard 50s country album.
Simple folk album. I liked it, thought the brothers harmonized well. Not enough to elevate it for me but still I enjoyed.
I definitely like their style but these songs didn’t really captivate me.
I thought this was ok. There wasn’t anything here that I would go back to but it was fine.
Some mighty fine music ! Yes, mighty fine indeed !
Pretty good old timey stuff. I can only take bluegrass in bits and pieces usually, but I enjoyed this the entire playthrough.
This is fine. C
Very dark lyrics that made the songs interesting to listen to - not usually a fan of country stuff but this was alright
It reminded me of the old country back home. I haven’t even been to America before.
I've often said I don't like country. But I do like old country.
I like bluegrass now and then but typically when it’s live music and fits the feeling I’m ready for. I’ve noticed doing the one album a day, sometimes my mood is mismatched with the music and I try not to let that bias my reviews. With this album, it felt like a lot of the songs blended together and even in the mood for this music, it can be hard to get into when nothing pops out well in the album.
This album fits nicely within the Fallout universe for your Pip-boy.
Tragic Songs of Life I do like country and due to that podcast I do appreciate The Louvin Brothers place in the development of country music and therefore rock music. Their harmonies are excellent, the sounds of their voices intertwining together in a way that only siblings voices can. But there is no disguising that each song is broadly identical in terms of tempo, arrangement, instrumentation and melodic style. I suppose that’s typical of the country music of this era and a lot of country music in general but a lot of the tracks do merge into one, with only Kentucky, In the Pines, Knoxville Girl and Mary of the Wild Moor standing out. I think I liked it most on the first listen, it diminished a little on the 3rd and 4th go round. It’s by no means an unpleasant listen though, it just does lack a bit of variation, even within the structure and harmonics of 50s country. I’m glad it came up though, the vocal harmonies are great and I like it as a document of it’s time and as one of the touchstones for the development of the later music that I love. However I’m probably unlikely to re-visit, I think I got all II can from today’s listens. Pure musical interest wise a 2, but cultural and historical value wise it just pushes up to 3, and I don’t think it’s fair to just dismiss it against what it helped sow the seeds for. ⭐⭐⭐️
Some interesting lyrics on this!!
Murder ballads are less cute when sung by someone as horrific to women as Ira Louvin
Country triste años 50's.
Totally fine 50's country music.
3.25
A record of it's time, rather than aging well it stands as a time capsule for 50s folk and country. The Louvin Brothers have some great harmonies and the guitar work is brilliant too, and the storytelling on display is great, as good folk as music should be.
I’m pretty sure Mark Kermode raves about this lot. And I can see why they are revered. However, this was like a big bowl of soup where it’s tasty and nourishing but each mouthful is exactly the same. I needed more variety and it did seem to drag.
I love the Louvins, though i admit this one is a lot to take in in one setting as the songs, arrangements, and singing are the same from song to song. Each individual song is great. The lyrics are often downright shocking, and the material will leave you scratching your head wondering what exactly is the point of view of the songwriter (though the Louvins wrote none of these songs). Anyway, for an album listening experience, I prefer Satan is Real. It has more variety. I think the Louvins are best served by compilations. I hope this album won't turn people off of them. They are fantastic and they influenced so many musicians, both in and out of country music.
I liked.
Old-timey. My bluegrass friend loved it.
Boy...as advertised! Tragic songs from the hills of Appalachia. Evocative of that simpler time
It was a very... different album. That las song, though :'(
Again as with a previous country album, it just feels like I’ve heard these kind of tunes parodied too much to take them seriously. But I’m not sure there’s anything here I can be too negative about. Simpsons: No
Really like this style of music, but if I fancied it I’d just listen to the O Brother, Where Art Though? soundtrack
Enjoyed this one. Between 3 and 4 stars.
3.5
Very sad country, got a little too jesus-y at the end. Overall enjoyed
"In the Pines" and 10 songs that sound identical to "In the Pines." Excellently crafted though.
Not too long, not too tragic. Pleasant.
Solid harmonies. Rockabilly influence. They have a "sound" and stick to it. The only way to distinguish the songs is by the track number. They all sound essentially the same. Definite tragedy in these mini-novellas. Some were very grim indeed and would have received the parental warning label today. Worth a listen, maybe not more than two.
Old school country. Too bad today’s country artists have diverted from what country music really is. I’d rather listen to this any day.
I guess it’s not bad if you’re into it, but a little too country for me.
This sounds the band they would have been expecting at Bob’s Country Bunker before the Blues Brothers hijacked the gig. I appreciate the style to some degree and this seems like a great representation of the time. I’ll go average here 2.5/5 rounded up.
So I hear a lot of this type of music where I live in the heart of bluegrass. And although I do now have an appreciation for it, the genre is not something that I seek. These brothers are expert harmonizers.
There is better country / bluegrass out there, but this was at least interesting. Reminds me of my wife’s country church and her aunt/uncle singing.
Interesting. A lot of the songs sound the same. For a minute there, I closed my eyes and thought I was at Disney watching Country Bear Jamboree which I don’t hate.
Classic bluegrass album. Really liked the mandolin work. Instrumentation is very sparse, all the songs sounded very similar. Standout song was "in the pines" covered so many times. Hearing a bluegrass version close to the original was interesting
old-timey and super interesting. Very west-coast country. Some of this music is really old and it's neat to have such high quality recordings to bring it to life 100 years later. The close vocal harmonies were pretty impressive actually.
50s harmonic folk that tells stories. It's all fine and good though I would never choose to play it.
Taking a page from the book of Irish/folk tunes of yesteryear, these guys continue the practice of providing happy melodies with words of sadness, loss, tragedy and murder. I mean who doesn’t love a good yodelling murder ballad? A little repetitive sounding all the way through, but enjoyable nonetheless. I almost wanna give them a 4 based solely on their album artwork from 1959’s album Satan is Real.
Well yeehaw! This album makes me feel like taking my betrothed by the hand and do-si-do-ing all over the county fair. Or maybe just pondering all over yonder. A tip of the Stetson to these chaps for what feels like a solid execution of the genre. Can’t help but feel like there’s probably a lot out there pretty similar to this. But def enjoyable
I have a soft spot for this old school Grand Ole Opry stuff. I love the juxtaposition of the upbeat sound with dark lyrics (Knoxville Girl…..SHEEESH ). Influenced by Baptist upbringing, but clearly in Ira’s case did not walk the walk. Do yourself a favor and read up about the guy. I thought this could be a sneaky 4*, but I found the songs to be a bit repetitive. Still very much enjoyed the listen. 3.5/5
Thought it was interesting, not the type of music I listen to but I liked the storytelling. The version of the album I listened to had some religious songs tacked onto the end which I didn't realize and it threw me off a lot. But only taking the original album into account, its pretty decent.
did not expect the country vibe, but kinda liked it, but also it was very religious which is not something i usually like in my music soo... 2.5/5
This music has a time and place. It's a very classic kind of bluegrass/gospel sound that you could see on a TV show or movie. Not something I'd listen to all the time. It has a very earnest quality that comes across as pretty cheesy to me.
Interesting sound, very American, heavy on the religion but generally listenable for its quirkiness.
nothing negative to say. The harmonies are beautiful, the playing is supportive and the stories are lyrical and sympathetic. It's just not the kind of music I enjoy. 3 stars
C+ Kentucky 3 I'll Be All Smiles Tonight 3 Let Her Go, God Bless Her 3 What Is Home Without Love 3 A Tiny Broken Heart 3 In The Pines 3 Alabama 2 Katie Dear 3 My Brother's Will 3 Knoxville Girl 3 Take The News To Mother 2 Mary Of The Wild Moor 3 Surprisingly soothing.l
Old timey folky country gospel.