Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Not a lot of stylistic diversity but they do what they do. Their harmonies unlock a part of my brain that only they have the key to... (4.5)
maybe the Everly Brothers could have rocked if they too were Possessed by a Great Evil music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
Always sounds nice to listen to a couple siblings singin together. Maybe not always, probably some exceptions. This one was nice though.
listened to half and liked but felt more like background but granted i was working
If you focus on the lyrics, a couple of these songs are fun...
ikke første gang jeg siger det: coen bros. soundtrack-core (positivt)
I sandhed one of the albums of all time. Man kan ikke komme udenom at det her er et album der findes.
More well-paced in most Coen brothers movies.... This is just dense and lacks variety.
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
Historic. Beast. Not for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Fantastisk opptak. Låtene er jo litt gammelmodige.
This is fine. Not positive why it is on this list. Not mad about it just didn't seem super interesting. I'll give it a 2.
I'm sure this was great at the time but it's just not the sound for me. I did not manage to finish.
whew I think I can appreciate the talent here but I would rather someone just tell me about it. Somehow I made it through the entire album, but I would have preferred to listen to something else for sure.
Æ e fascinert fra ende til anna over at det her e et av 1001 album æ må høre før æ dør. Men det e jo helt klart veldig av sin tid, og sin epoke, og sin stil, så æ e ikke motstander av at æ nu har hørt det, sjøl om det nok ikke e nokka æ kommer til å lytte til flere ganger. Men tidlig grunnlag for sjangre man like e jo aldri feil å ha et visst forhold til.
What. The fuck?
This is the kind of music I really dislike. I'm not American so I never grew up with much exposure to country music, and it really grates. I don't like the simple story-telling of the lyrics and the same-ness of the songs. I can see that this may have been influential on later harmony singing duets, but still...
Boooooooooooring and also sexist
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.
I guess they’re good at what they do with the harmonies and all but what they do doesn’t do it for me. It’s a very similar and could almost just be one song. Unremarkable
Feels almost too archetypal 50s country
This is not the soundtrack for making curry. I thought I was very close to the end of the album, but I was only halfway through and I couldn’t do another round of songs that really all sound the same. I really felt so immediately compelled by Marty Robbins and did not feel the same here.
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.
On God, my favorite part of this album was when I didn’t have to listen to it anymore. This is one of about 3 or 4 albums that I just could not bear to listen to a second time. So, it’s got that going for it at least. Now, let me tell you, when I say I don’t like Country, this is the shit that I’m talking about. I’ve heard good Country albums on this list. I know they exist. But man, every aspect of this one was just grating with a capital G. Bad bad bad. Tragic even. Wouldn’t surprise me if every 1 star album I end up giving is going to be a Country or Country adjacent album. But hey, I’ve had an entire week of bad music, next week is going to be all 5’s, right?? Right…
Not something I’d necessarily throw on but there’s something about these simple songs that are just easy listening and relaxing. I see the value in this album over some of the other stuff on here that doesn’t have the character this does.
The title didnt lie, it was some tragic songs of life. Good album
This is a very traditional country album. Literally contains all the cliches from the genre. If you’re a fan this will be your bible. I was bored quite quickly after a couple of songs, same way of singing and melodies. The voices harmonisation became a bit irritating after the first 3 songs.
Better than Coldplay
Really? I needed to listen to this before I die? Seriously?
That brother Ira was singing from the heart when he was going on about the devil and temptations.
Some of the lyrics were a little out there, but musically it was pretty good.
Slipping from Sex Pistols "EMI" into Louvin Brothers "Kentucky" is jarring to say the least. My what changes 20 years had brought.
Tragic Songs of Life is a cornerstone of country and folk music, blending raw storytelling with their haunting, perfectly matched harmonies. The album dives into themes of heartbreak, death, and human frailty with an honesty that feels timeless. Songs like Knoxville Girl and Katie Dear showcase their ability to make traditional ballads feel chilling yet deeply moving. This is not just an album—it’s a definitive statement of how powerful stripped-down arrangements and authentic emotion can be.
First 1 star review after 159 albums. I find the music dull. The singing irritates me. For a change I decided to look into the lyrics to see if I was missing something, but it's all prayers to god and beating up women. I will happily never listen to this again.
Kind of sounded like the same song over and over again.
Much like with a lot of old country music, the uptempo songs are all catchy and fun and great to listen to with fun harmonies, but the slower songs just don't have much going for them and follow bland melodic formulas.
Some solid original birth of country. Honestly some really good songs with the harmonies. Very easy listening and I enjoy the feel I get from this music.
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
Beautiful harmonies. Idk why there is a fear of creating simple music like this today. Gets sleepy near the end.
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
Country.
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
Struggled to get through this one, but I did. I can appreciate the craft, but that upper register just grates. Sounds like Ira Louvin was a real piece of shit too. 3+ for the influence, 2 for the experience.
Terrible, couldn’t listen to a whole song
Once again, the author(s) get it right. This album of boring country according to some on this list nails what the birth of modern country music means to modern music. The Louvin Brothers are at the pinnacle of Country - a listen to Type Mahon Coe's podcast will paint them in a light that makes this album more appreciable. 4/5
The Louvin Brothers - Tragic Songs of Life I'm not big fan of a country music so listening to it wasn't something that I wanted to do. But anyway I hear and like some tunes here. Surprisingly it was an easy listen to me although as it goes with country these songs sound the same to me. Let us be honest though - country is a very US genre and for a foreigner like me I find it less interesting to listen. In my country we also have folk songs that are work better for me and country rarely sounds interesting to me. Songs I liked: Let Her Go, God Bless Her, A Tiny Broken Heart Let Her Go, God Bless Her A Tiny Broken Heart 2/5
Siento que toma una clase muy especial de persona para verdaderamente apreciar esta clase de música. Siento que sería el equivalente a escuchar llaneras
Gospel. Bluegrass. Mandolin. The Louvin Brothers. 5 Stars. I only wish this were twice as long.
Ensinnäkin, vihaan sitä "Alabamaan" liittyvää stereotypiaa, johon insesti on tullut läheisesti yhdistetyksi. Suurimman osan historiasta se on ollut läheisesti yhdistetty aateliin. Kiinnostus siitä ei automaattisesti tee kenestäkään idioottia. Jos haluat väittää, että se tekee niin, pyydän sinua googlaamaan, kenen kanssa Albert Einstein oli naimisissa. Luulen, että se on suuri osa siitä, miksi pidän ajatuksesta. Se tuntuu tabulta, mutta ei ällöttävällä tavalla. Enemmänkin siinä mielessä, että vain harvat ja valitut voivat harrastaa sitä ja nauttia siitä. Lähes kuin hienostunut maku. Itse asiassa rakastan ajatusta siitä, että useimmat ihmiset kauhistuisivat minun ryhtyessäni tähän. En oikein osaa selittää miksi, se vain innostaa minua. in the paans
A simpler time, easy and enjoyable listening. Bit repetitive but love the product of its time
This list might have a special sense cause right when I was wanting some country, it delivered. Toe-tapping goodness
Musically important? I guess. Good? No
Поки найгірше, що встиг послухати з цього списку. Цей спів в гармонії на два голоси в якийсь момент почав зводити з розуму
Не моє, соррі.
Kind a lot of the same thing but I did enjoy a few of them
Middle of the road, samey stuff
Both of these guys have annoying voices. And it’s like a folk country sound. Pretty bad. Oh god.
Loved this
Every song sounded the same but it was short lived.
This was pretty trash. "Take the News to Mother" was a cool, historic era piece.
I am now convinced the author of 1001....is doing a psychological experiment to see how much crap people will listen to. TRAGIC is appropriate for this. I think revenge is in order, lock the author in a room, and on full blast play every album I rated a one. See if you still think they deserve a listen, jerk weed!
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.
The prominent country "twang" was something that brought back memories or times I would drive through WV (when radio was the option) and hearing the late night classic stations or the prelude to the religious stations.
come on.... this one felt like a joke. Nothing on here is worth the listen
Back to back 1956 albums. This one is vastly different from Frank though! Classic country that makes me want to sit on the porch and watch the sunset. Couldn't pick out any favorites, but enjoyed it enough that I didn't notice when it had switched over to recommended songs.
Good sound and harmony, some of my favorites. Just too long.
This was actually a lot cooler than I thought it was going to be, though I was thrown off a little bit because one of the brothers sounds like a female. Much has been made about the lyrics and I've gotta say that I didn't pay too close attention to them, though I'm giving it another listen while I'm doing some work. Really cool to hear "In The Pines" which would be most famously performed by Nirvana during their Unplugged show. Holy shit, this Knoxville Girl song is fucking dark. Jesus Christ...prime example of the music not matching the words. I think this is probably something that you really need to dig deep on the lyrics to get the maximum amount of enjoyability on and I've just not been able to do it for each and every song having listened to it while working a couple times. But I first thought this was going to be awful and it's far from that. 4/5
Pretty decent, no clue why is this disliked
I hate country music anyway but it turns out these bros are also violent sexists. Didn't make it past song 3. I'm concerned this list of top albums has now lost it's integrity
An absolute fucking slog
Just when you thought you were finally getting past your WW2 PTSD, someone makes you listen to this fucking dogshit. "Tragic songs to throw yourself into the canal to" more like.
Im afraid the second track killed me off. Can't stand country music for the most part especially when it's this dull and every song feels like it lasts 10 minutes without anything happening. Then the next track comes on and you experience exactly the same except this time as oppose to a past lover they're now singing about the devil. Its shit mate.
I just hope the lyrics were ironic
I really like music and harmonies like this
Well, this is even more remote than hardcore hip-hop. And twice as boring. And... I just can't stand it. Not their fault.
This is like the soundtrack for O' Brother Where Art Thou, but bad.
Was a favorite of my father's.
Tragic Songs of Life by The Louvin Brothers is about as far into country music as I can manage. The album feels very dated, with a heavy reliance on banjo, though there are some nice guitar flourishes — the riff in Let Her Go, God Bless Her being a standout. The storytelling is strong, with each song steeped in themes of loss and heartache, but overall I found the record a little naff and difficult to connect with. Country music simply isn’t for me. Favourite track: In the Pines and Alabama are about as good as it gets. Least favourite track: Kentucky didn’t work for me. Album artwork: A very standard cover for its time.
a dark country album with haunting harmonies and murder ballads. pretty intense for the year 1956, and i am here for it.
Not sure if I’ve ever heard of these guys. Darkly haunting.
Don't really got much to say, but this is some decent classic country/bluegrass. Unfortunately, it's just not for me. It's a little too oldschool for me, and the higher singer is a bit piercing. In the Pines is a pretty solid track though. Reminds me a lot of the Nirvana cover of Leadbelly's Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
snooze fest. when they sing solo you can hear that they are only ok
Окей как фон, песни очень простые, но вместе с тем это звучит вполне себе приятно от начала и до конца. Лучшая песня - Knoxville Girl.
This would be 100% better if it was Aimee-Leigh Gemstone and Baby Billy Freeman singing it. This was truly fine - the religious overtones got a bit too much by the end thkigh.
12 almost identical songs. During the first song I thought that i’d give this a higher rating, but listening to almost the same stuff again and again isn’t really for me(as well as this kind of country music)
Terribly monotonous sad bad
snore
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.
Songs about murder, lost loves, and hell's eternal fire all set to a simple, traditional bluegrass sound. Tragic Songs of Life is powerful stuff with some of the finest harmonies ever recorded if you are only familiar the Louvin Brothers songs through Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton etc. you are long due for a proper introduction to the fine work of Ira and Charlie Louvin and you will get it with Tragic Songs of Life.
Decent old country album but ultimately pretty forgettable. Decent harmonies. 2.5/5 totally average
It was fine, very much of it's era. Made it a little over half way, the songs just all sounded pretty same-y
Good for their type pf music, absolutely not my syle
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.
Заунывно и однообразно. 4 из 10.
No, your player is not on "Repeat", it's just the same song over and over
bad aged
Never heard the Louvin Brothers do bluegrass. Great old school bluegrass harmonies and sound. Classic tracks played in the classic bluegrass style. Right down the middle.
This music makes me nostalgic for a time and place I never existed in
Surprised by this one.
They were prolly racist, idk. Funky ass lyrics couldnt save this one for me
Des harmonies, de la mandoline et la même chanson pendant 47 minutes et 26 secondes : oui, c'est bien de la country des années 50.
Good bluegrass album!!!
Seriously it’s just noise. It’s not ‘groundbreaking’.
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.
um...hill-billy honky tonk....not my style
I made it 31 seconds into this album before I had to go clean my ears with some King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
Very good old country, though the amount of crooner in it doesn't do it any favors.
What a classic mix of country, bluegrass, and Appalachian music. A great time capsule.
2.5 “I gotta say, this is some of the most fucked up shit.”
I did not really enjoy this much. I get that historically it might have a lot of influence, and generally they were performing American folk songs but compared to something like the Muddy Waters album it did not really hold up.
Despite my love of Gunfighter ballads this wasn't for me. (Maybe if they shot a few more people)
Decent music, very fun lyrically
First thing I'm noticing is that the vocal pairing/harmonies are soooo dialed. It sounds cool. I also love the dark lyrics and storytelling.
This is cool. Maybe not my favorite country or bluegrass record, but I love the songwriting. It’s fun to hear old timey songs among the first record to ever really be released. Obviously, the record companies wanted to release something that would resonate with people so music about love, loss, heartbreak, friendship and disappointment works. Especially when these songs are all variations of old times classics. All of that is why I enjoyed this record. However, I have to call out Knoxville Girl.. WTF is this song? I’m feeling all existential about the trajectory and evolution of modern music, and feeling moved that human emotion is the same throughout time. And then… there is this random song about murdering your fiancée?!?!? WTF?! Who is the audience for this song?? This is like horror country or psychobilly. Super weird to have this song on the record. Caught me off guard.
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.
It’s somebody’s thing, but not mine. Their version of In the Pines was solid though.
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.
Worth a listen for Satan Lied To Me alone. However, this album doesn't really speak to me, it must be said. Pleasant, but feels more nostalgic than inspiring.
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.
As every good sub editor knows, we shouldn't ever refer to the subject of an article as being "tragic", it's the events surrounding someone's life, or death, that are tragic - it is usually just not done done to imply a person is intrinsically tragic by nature. In this case, however, I'll let it slide, because the songs are indeed tragic. This particular strand of country music can kindly piss off, and if they are country songs about Jesus, which many of them are, doubly so. Not for me.
3/10
Old timey and formulaic. Modern western music I like; I’ll go as far back as Sun-era Cash, but that’s it. This is irritating.
While I'm not a fan of gospel influenced country music, they do it well.
Not my taste at all. The "Knoxville Girl" lyrics were wild, about killing a girl? Maybe there were other murder ballads on here that I didn't pick up the lyrics for.
This is hard to review. I'm very much not a fan of Country music, even the "classic" stuff like this. However, within the style this is exceedingly well done. Their vocal harmonies are incredibly tight and the guitar and mandolin playing is excellent. Occasionally, it would veer more toward Bluegrass and my interest would be piqued a bit more, but the Country outweighed it throughout. Would I listen to it again? Nope. Subjectively, this is a 2 stars from me. At best. But would someone who has any interest in Country music find something to like here? Yes. So I'll be objective and give it 4 stars.
Another pointless addition to the list.
Not a big fan of old-school redneck fiddling.
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
Just shoot me now, this was awful
Tragic songs of life, nice title hmmm another old country album. Can't 2 stars.
Yayyy more 50s country folk.
This is exactly what I can listen to over and over
This album did little to settle the debate I’ve never had as to whether or not Kentucky or Alabama is the greatest place this side of heaven. It also did little to improve my appreciation of charming harmonies about beating your fiancé to death. In all seriousness, I know this style of music has its place and I can hear its influence on bands I do like such as Old Crow Medicine Show. But in the context of this project, there are albums I know aren’t on this list that I’d much rather have listened to today.
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.
surprisingly into this
17/1001 :: The Louvin Brothers - Tragic Songs of Life Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: 3 Fav Tracks: Knoxville Girl, Kentucky If you’re in West Virginia and you walk into a General Store and this is rattling through the speakers it feels perfect. Some good ole country boys, who love themselves some Jesus just playing some country bluegrass. And they’re quite good at it. Knoxville Girl is dark AF. Makes you wonder did these good ole christian brothers have something to hide? Or just putting it out there in the open?? All that said, while it’s cool to walk around that General Store take in some country tunes, grab a coke, some beef jerky and a turkey sandwich for the road there’s just no way this is interesting enough for me to revisit this whole thing again other than maybe a song or two.
You know how you can look at a dish (say, a dark chocolate lava cake for me), and acknowledge that it is incredibly well made with great artistry, and still have no interest in eating it? That's this album for me. I can tell the craft and care and artistry put into it, but this sort of album just isn't for me.
I will admit that in terms of vocal harmonies, it is absolute perfection. The two brothers had clearly been singing together their whole lives and it shows. Their tones match up perfectly. The guitar is decent too, I guess. That's where the praise ends. I think I zoned out for five or ten minutes and when I snapped back to reality, I could have sworn that the same song was playing in a loop. Nope. Turns out it just all sounds identical. My god it's boring. Thank God for people like Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis injecting a bit of fun, speed and excitement into music at around the same time. To save yourself some time, just pick one song, and you'll have heard the album.
Not really my style at all. Some good singing and mandolin playing but I found most of the songs kind of blurred into one. The only ones that stood out were In the Pines, Alabama, and the harrowing Kentucky Girl.
Blood Harmony rules. Listen to the Cocaine and Rhinestones podcast about these dudes. Cheers.
Too country for my liking
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.
Didn't listen to the full album. First two songs was not my style, they were too nasal and sounded too much like whining. The three more songs I got the time to listen to were better. Still not my thing though.
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.
meh
I could not finish it. Not my vibe.
I feel like I've heard this entire album throughout breaking bad/better call Saul. Not sure if it's accurate but that's the vibe I get. Not my vibe at all. I could see people liking it but not me.
Classic bluegrass
Pretty much all the same music with different lyrics. Same song structure all the way through with very little variation. Not the worst thing I've listened to, but not sure why it's on this list. 2/5
I like the other Louvin Brothers album better. They are some of the best at harmonizing, mandolin, and guitar plucking. But the album got a little redundant and something I likely won’t seek out again.
aand another mid country album
This is goddamn awful, i dont hate country but i really really hate this its intolerable. Boring too.
The sound quality, at least the Spotify version, is terrible. I assumed this was a 1920s recording not 1950s. Beyond that their voices just grated on me. I like some bluegrass, but I'll pass on this one.
50-talls country - et produkt av sin tid. En smule kjedelig og enformig for min del. Utdrag fra annen review som stemmer: "Old, old country. That’s what this is. Sad but happy sounding old time country music. I hate to cut this short but that’s all you need to know. Do you like a drum beat that goes bass, snare, snare? Yea? Well then there you go."
Not for me, too slow and old, not varied enough. All of the songs sound about the same.
Aw, hell no
Less. Banjo.
Didn’t even make it through the album, just awful.
dečki pjevaju kantri, to je to. nije nepodnošljivo, al stvarno ne bih nikad slušao
Old country is not my thing.
Reminds me of the bluegrass family at malakoff diggins. Can't say I will put this one on again. It has the pines as a folk song which is cool, definitely prefer nirvana version tho
Ok 2/5
Meh muy antiguo
Standout songs: Let Her Go, God Bless Her Katie Dear
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.
no country for me, thanks...
liked it
country clasico. Me pareció espectacular que en el anteúltimo tema se escucharan los ruidos de la cinta original que se trababa, aceleraba, etc.
boring classic american shit
Waltzarama! Great beats, fun musicianship
Det är så episkt tråkigt. Samma låt tusen gånger om. Alltså väldigt lite variation. Lite lattjo en gång kanske, men knappt.
Habil country med lite ”kul” texter. Lite tradigt och med för begränsad verkshöjd för att kunna bli mer än en trea dock.
Painful. Just a couple of rungs above worship music on the listenability ladder. At least worship music is ostensibly to help get you into heaven. This is inane and aimless.
The best thing I can say about this album is that I didn’t hate it as much as I expected to. The harmonies are nice, though to call the subject matter “tragedies” is wild by modern standards. These songs serve as snapshots of a simpler time - a much, much simpler time. A worse time. This was awful.
Traditional country music in the purist sense. Not really my thing, even if it is interesting to hear how the style influenced others to come.
Not for me.
Was really vibing with the country harmony, but the middle got boring and the end got preachy
This was fine. Not my jam. Feels like this was cribbed from folks of color.
You have to sing it a bit for sounding dated but technically it’s timeless. If Sturgill or Stapleton or similar did this album song for song people would rave over it. You can hear a lot to come in this.
Average country album
Every song sounds the same, just 50s country stuff not that interesting, I get the significance though
This is like a 3.9 for me. I really like how a lot of the songs sound, but they get pretty repetitive.
Was enjoying until the sermons started
Country, 20eme album => 1/5
nice old country with classic traditional songs and a crazy story involving Ira Louvin's third wife
Yep. Vintage country. Cool texture.
Twangy country just isn’t my thing
Þetta er ansi einfaldur hljóðheimur og eitt lag rennur saman við annað, en það má alveg hlusta á þetta í hófi. Svo er bónus fyndið að lesa um lífshlaup Ira Louvin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Louvin) miðað við hvað allir textarnir eru trúarlegir.
1001 Gen hates me. I'm in a long streak of boring albums that I highly doubt had much impact. There are so many great albums that could be in their places. I'm very close to just deleting this shit. I'm not 80 years old, god damnit! Yeah I'm not finishing this one.
Kinda cool but not my thing at all. 1/5 stars.
Heard it.
Not my genre but interesting. Would be cool to know how this was influential, what did it affect?
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
I really wanted to like Tragic Songs of Life more than I did. I can hear the tight harmonies and the raw emotion in the performances, and I understand why it's seen as an important early country/folk album. But for me, it just didn’t connect. The songs blur together after a while, and the unrelenting sadness, paired with that very traditional twang, starts to wear thin. There’s no denying the Louvin Brothers could sing, and I respect the sincerity behind the storytelling. But I found it more exhausting than moving. I think if I had more of a love for old-school country or gospel-style ballads, I might have gotten more out of it. As it stands, it just didn’t speak to me.
Not really my cup of tea but nice to hear something I would have never selected myself.
Felt like I was teleported to the wild west. I really like the sound, also weirdly could hear an essence of Green Days much older songs in it, particularly Kentucky and and Let her go. Maybe they grew up listening to this album from their parents.
I was ready to rate the album a three for most of it, the songs were enjoyable and the stories were fun. The cadence got quite repetitive after the first few songs though. Individually the brothers had nice voices but I also felt they clashed with eachother. The last 4 songs were hymns and as I'm not religious it meant I couldnt see the meaning in them so they felt like a bit of a chore go get through, which is why I knocked the score down to a 2. I can however fully appreciate how the album is on the list.
Classic one, loved in the pines
I’m not usually a fan of country music but I quite enjoyed this one, another album I’d listen too again
Bit of auditory whiplash after Throbbing Gristle yesterday (an all too rare experience on this list). Some very traditional country, which isn't really my thing. Liking the mandolin, and the harmonies, to a degree, but it's too steady or plodding, and very samey.
enjoyed this much more than i thought i would!
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.
Classic bluegrass is what this album is all about. The musicianship is top notch and the stories here are all about life, love, heartbreak, tragedy, and death. This is the definition of country music songs for many years to come. I love a good story and there are so many here. The melodies of the brothers just add to the beauty of this album. Favorites include “Let Her Go”, “God Bless Her”, “In The Pines” (one of my favorite bluegrass songs), and “Knoxville Girl” (Brutal).
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.
Uff, qué mala pinta. Super triste mezcla entre country y los Panchos con bandurrias, un sonido viejuno. Sin embargo, aquí está " In the pines" una canción tradicional que luego versionó Nirvana en el Unplugged y que allí aparece como "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?". Lo único destacable para mí, aunque supongo que más de un rockero americano los escuchó de niño en el coche con su abuelo o si padre camino de un partido de beisbol.
6/10 hey, I’ll take it over contemporary christian pop, but it’s really not that much better
I'm a sucker for this kind of thing. Folksy, full of feeling, I wish more country today sounded like this.
Ok first of all, badass album name Major mandolin shreddage Good ol'fashioned country music - not sure why they hadn't come up for me before
It was probably groundbreaking back in the day but the droning harmonies are tough to get through.
Some quality, classic country music. I think the songs could have used some change ups with the instruments used, but the songs themselves are all good.
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.
Realistically, the only thing of value on this pretty dreadful record is In The Pines, and the main value in that is that it reminds you of the absolutely superb cover on Nirvana Unplugged. Other than this, it's very bad indeed. It's also the only album on the Proj that I've had to listen to twice purely as part of the process, having been subjected to it on a drive from Shrewsbury to Brighton. It wasn't good then either.
Erstaunlich wie perfekt die Stimmen im Gleichklang sind. Dahinter würde man heute ein Software-Plugin vermuten :) Das ist aber auch das einzig Positive an diesen außerhalb der US-amerikanischen Berge schwer verdaulichen Songs.
This sort of music explains why real men go to church with a semi-automatic under their jacket. Awful!
Super depressing bluegrass, which is just how I like it. -1 for being too preachy tho, even though I understand it's part of the history of the genre. 4/5
God this pisses me off
Yup. Tragic.
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.
So in a parallel universe the opener would be on Spongebob Square Pants as a theme song of a character that misses home. https://youtu.be/FtlFECUUuU8 4/10
the lore is 5/5, the music is 2/5 the religious imagery is 6/5
5/10 I wish these gritty and disturbing songs didn’t sound like they would play at the cleanest barbecue in the south
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.
Hate everything about this album
I think I have nothing positive to say about this. He (a brother) sounded like a muppet the entire time. Lyrics were bad and weird, and the sound was nothing I would ask for again.
Kinda wish we'd had their banger "SATAN IS REAL!" instead of this one. Nice muppet harmonies, mandolins and repetitive 3 chord songs about satan lying to these guys is just not a genre I can get behind or excited about. I'll take one Sabbath Bloody Sabbath instead, please and thanks. 2/10 1 star.
Terrible harmonies. Awful voices even without harmonies. And bad recording makes the mandolin sound more like a bouzouki! After each track I was praying that I'd reached the end. And here we go again with lyrics about men brutally murdering women for looking at other men. This record has absolutely nothing going for it. Fucking dreadful.
This another example of how difficult it is sometimes to rate an album I would not naturally listen to but also know that there must be a background to it which brings it to be included on this list. This is especially so with older recordings. The fact that they are on this list and in this case nearly 70 years old is there some wow factor contained within to account for its longevity and perhaps influenced so many musicians? I ask this question not knowing the answer. Reading Wiki and the 1001 handbook doesn’t really answer the question either. So it’s down to relying upon my ears. My ears are connected to my brain and that immediately tells me that this is just American Country music which I have heard hundreds of times without note other than gaining a dislike of it. 2/5 15/5/25
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.
gawd those harmonies.
thought I remembered liking this. not the case.
This is awful
I’ve heard all the country I ever need to hear in my life
Question, by what metrics are the UK based writers of this list using to determine that an American country act is required listening? While this isn't a bad record, it's absolutely nothing spectacular. The harmonies are solid and very tight but not too exciting. I'd say this is a perfect example of an act who influenced bands/artists that had a wider spread impact that the original artist's music
This sounds like the backdrop to a Cohen brothers movie, one of them with George Clooney, or Billy Bob Thornton. Earnest and unassuming. In a world of its own. It exists here only for others to laugh at.
Even deeper into a genre I can’t get into than yesterday’s Dolly Parton. It’s the vocals. Some of the banjos and other instrumentation is cool, but I can’t tolerate the vocals. The one cool part of “Tragic Songs of Life” was the appearance of “In the Pines,” a traditional folk song dating back to the late 1800s that was famously covered by Nirvana at their MTV Unplugged show.
Got way too preachy on the back half.
The faster tracks with the bluegrass banjo are much more tolerable compared to the slow ballads.
Brings energy!
3.08
Great album! I had never really listened to this kind of old timey country before, but the minimalist sound (one guitar, one mandolin, two singers in harmony) made for a really catchy, beautiful album. The duality of the voices, one twangy and high, the other in a lower key, made for an Appalachia meets Simon and Garfunkel vibe.
I feel like this is the perfect example of what people from the north and other countries think the south is like still. Just banjos and mandolins and songs about murder and jesus. These songs remind me of those drive through cities you passthrough while traveling. Cool in theory, rustic and simple, but if you need to stop for gas, you'll hold out until you reach a more metropolitan city.
Glad I heard this. Fun to hear what Jagger lifted for parts of Beggar's Banquet.
Putting this style of music on just doesn't happen for me. But watching people play this type of country/bluegrass/americana, especially outdoors, it becomes infinitely more interesting to me. Big plus for the mandolin. That's an instrument that I am always happy to hear. This list could probably use a few straight bluegrass albums.
not for me
The music itself was fine even if it wasn't my thing and the harmonies were nice, but I could've done without the religious lyrics.
1/5 Yeah I can't listen to this.
enjoyed it more than i thought, but wont revisit it most likely. didnt actively dislike it. giving it a 2/5. i was impressed by the lyrics and their depth and play of emotions. some darkness to the lyrics that I didn't expect. lyrics great, music itself isn't really my thing. very basic 3/10
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.
lol not my vibe
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.
This is an album that does exactly what it says on the tin. Songs of heartache, sorrow, loneliness, doom, disaster and tragedy, and one song about how great it is to live in Kentucky. The Louvin Brothers sing in glorious close harmony, accompanying some fine music, mostly in a bluegrass style, although there are also a couple of gospel songs added to this album in case y’all could use some churchin’ up. However, it turns out that real life was to tragically imitate the art. Of the brothers, Charlie was the sensible one but apparently Ira was the bad seed, prone to drinking and fits of temper, and after they parted ways in 1963 he died in a car crash a few years later. Sad.
You can feel like you're in the 50s listening to this record. Apart from this time-capsule-quality, nothing really stand out for me and I fail to understand what is so important here that we need to listen to it before we die.
Dark, repetitive, haunting, I'm into that.
Jingle jangle
Seems right at home at any roots/americana show
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.
Finally something to lower my 50s average rating!
Pretty solid. There’s some interesting proto Beatles elements, but I’m unlikely to return to this.
hell no
Not a bad album, definitely feels outdated nowadays but this must've been pretty good in the late 50s. Imagine the Beatles making crazy music 10 years later - no wonder the world enjoyed them so much. But yes, this album is a bit meh, nothing special, the songs are all pretty much the same and they're singing about real-life events, it seems, mainly personal experiences.
Get this off this list
boomercore. mid on my opinion, but comfy at the same time.
Tinha acabado de ouvir um album mórbido e macabro do Swans (por conta própria). Assim que terminei, abri o site e vi esse disco. Tragic Songs of Life. Bora. Entendo muito pouco de música Country, mas sei que as clássicas assim são as que eu gosto. É um genero que eu tenho um respeito imenso. Todo meu conhecimento do gênero vem da K-Rose, do GTA San Andreas... Ah, e do album 12 Golden Country Greats da banda Ween xD Enfim, achei o disco decentemente agradável. Teve momentos que eu comecei a viajar e desviar minha atenção, e eu precisava conscientemente focar na música. A harmonia dos caras é legal, as vozes são viciantes até, e as letras são bem interessantes (Fiquei boquiaberto ouvindo "Katie Dear" e "Knoxville Girl"...) 12 musicas que passam voando. 2/5
Older country music that wasn't really my vibe, pretty inoffensive stuff but not for me.
Fun classic country.
Didn’t love the music, but I respect any duo that can harmonize about heartbreak, hellfire, and homicide.
I've never heard of the Louvin Brothers before, but I do love some old-school melancholy ballads, so this album might be right up my alley! The stock market is crashing, the southern US is being ravaged by springtime storms, and civil liberties are under increasing peril. What better time for some Tragic Songs of Life? I was pretty underwhelmed by this album. Musically, the mandolin and the sibling harmonies were the only bright spots here. The guitar playing felt like background filler, and despite the harmonies, there just wasn't a lot of emotion in the singing of these truly sad songs. The lyrical content of these songs was really good, and it was interesting to hear all of these songs all in one place, but this album was a bit on the dull side when it came to the overall listening experience. This album is a nice concept, but the execution was lacking for me.
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
interesting as a historical piece, but would never choose to listen to this
Not keen
I don't think I'd ever choose to listen to it again but it wasn't bad
Proper shite
Alternate universe where Appalachia is an island off the coast of an Anglo-Pacific Italia.
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 don't hate this (the harmonies are nice) but also... not my thing. okay oof... after 30 minutes of this, I'm actually getting annoyed....
first listen classic
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.
Day449 - it’s gangster rap, it’s grunge, it’s awesome.
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
The most aptly named album in the history of music. These brothers were even more depressed and misogynistic in their kiss-offs than any emo bands ever was, and that’s saying something. What’s worse is that they also might be worse singers. Sure, emo bands used to whine, but their falsettos did take some skill; meanwhile, while the close harmonies of the Louvins give the illusion of competency, the second one of them is left to sing a bar alone, you realize that neither brother has any talent whatsoever. Combine these issues with the fact that these songs feel like cliché country, even for the time, with the 1-23 strumming patterns and yelping singing style, and there’s very little here that warrants any reappraisal, yet alone outright praise. I think there’s maybe 2 songs on here I’d classify as “listenable,” and even that is a low compliment. The songs themselves aren’t bad, but they aren’t special. Meanwhile, the Louvin Brothers actually are bad, and that’s what makes Tragic Songs of Life a real tragedy.
26/03/25 I appreciate this was of the time, but it was terrible.
Provides insight into the origins of modern country & Americana, though i’m not sure this is the best example. The harmonies are great — the folk and gospel influences are clear. Good for studying roots of modern popular music, though, again, I think there are other better examples of the same influences. It’s a 2 or three.
1,5
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.