Tragic Songs of Life

The lyrics tell some pretty morbid tales. This style of country remains to be not for me. Interesting stories in the songs, but the music just does not move me.

Not good. Just country songs about God. Amen

This album felt as old as it could. The songs were twangy and the lyrics were pretty simple. The singing was ok. This felt like an album that was popular for its time and hasn’t had much significance since. It’s not bad. Just doesn’t feel relevant anymore. 4.3/10

Old, very old, country, more my dad's taste than mine. God example of this genre though, and I did enjoy it. Really surprised to find In The Pines, covered by Nirvana as Where did you sleep last night, turn up

This is just brilliant. I love the stories, the singing and the playing. The storytelling is oftentimes edge of your seat stuff - what did happen to Sally? Why did you do what you in Knoxville? If this were rap music, we’d be trying to get these evil criminals banned! Evocative of a time and place, this record fully deserves its place in this list.

Its classic, but I'm not getting much from it. Its well built and has a solid tone, I just don't find it interesting.

Too slow

Proper old country

A couple of country boys and at least one of them walked it like they talked it. A study in old murder ballads - not your typical country album. Best Tracks: In The Pines; Katie Dear; Knoxville Girl

It's music from a different era. It reminds me of my grandparents, who I love, so it gets 2 stars even though I wouldn't choose this music for myself

What in the cousin kissing heck is this?

I don't like country music and this is no exception.

Agradable sorpresa! No he escuchado mucho country con este rollo de dos voces armonizando, pero ha estado guay!

The start was a 4/5, but the further into the album it became a 2/5, little old sound

It's a country music album. From 65 years ago. Listening it in 2021 in Stockport, I'm transported to a time and place where everything was different. I wouldn't listen again though.

Pleasant and tradish country music. It sounds like it could have been recorded at any time between 1950 and yesterday. I suppose that makes it timeless. For what it is, I can't criticise it. 3.5/5.

I'm all for guitars and harmonies but this is just endless.

2 - not for me but doesn't hurt my ears

Not for me, but you have to respect and admire the innocence and romance of music of this era. Super simple but probably hugely popular at the time however, very repetitive and quite frustrating by the end of the album. Amazing to think this was the era my parents were born into albeit into a different culture. Stuff like this always makes me contextualise life so I can’t judge this album on a music basis alone.

72. Desculpa a demora, a vida tem-se metido nos entremeios. Vamos a esse café? Está tudo no sítio. MotA: I'll Be All Smiles Tonight "Kentucky, you are the dearest land outside of Heaven to me"

Not my bag but great harmonies.

TIL what a murder ballad is. 3.5.

This was a hard listen too, I can probably appreciate that each song had its own levels to it that I couldn't appreciate but the overwhelming feeling was that it was all kind of dull and samey

This is most likely the first of many country albums. I disliked this album approximately 10 seconds into the album. The only good thing about this album is that it is only 35 minutes long

A bit of a nostalgic album for me, as I remember some of these songs from visiting my grandma as a kid. Simple, but fantastic songwriting and storytelling.

Naja, nicht mein Ding. Immer gleiches altes Country-Schema...

Not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the interesting slice of history represented by the murder ballads and gospel songs the brothers recorded.

Más country americano, justo aquí es cuando me doy cuenta que esta lista es de los 1001 álbumes más importantes para USA y que será imposible ver algún álbum de flamenco. Una pena. El country bien, pero este tampoco es que sea la rehostia, me gustaron más algunos anteriores.

daora mano, gosti

Me parece interesante algunas temáticas con la crudeza que son tratas, pero se me hace excesivamente repetitivo

Why?? Why is this album included in this list? Undoubtedly, when released it was probably the hottest lp available. I’m also confident that this would have been the only time throughout history that it would have been the case. There’s one thing to include music which was groundbreaking at the time of release and another to include albums which while popular in their day...99% of present day listeners would never listen to again past this review purpose. I mean, why not include the best yodel acts from the 50’s as well? Actually...hold my beer! Track 6 on this album incredibly does includes yodelling! But you get my point. Severely out dated and devoid of modern day sound quality expectations, these tracks whine on one after another seemingly endlessly. Sung by a couple of heartbroken sounding desperados...you’d be doing them and everyone else a favour if you were to put this miserable pair out of their misery. 1 Star!

Oh Brother music, without the laughs

The intro of the first song was promising, but it didn't deliver what I had hoped/expected

Yeehaw! Do-si-do your partner! Well, slap my thigh and call me Dolly! I don't know how I made it through this whole thing, it's terrible!

Not what I was looking for in my musical listening experience at this moment. I'm sure they were very influential to the next generation of country artists. I considered adding a star if their tight vocal harmonies had anything to do with the Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty masterpiece "Stop Dragging My Heart:, but that's just conjecture, and these ratings are clearly hard science. I'll take half the vocalists and twice the soul and call him Hank. D

It’s like Hank Williams/Bluegrass. We’re they the originators of In the Pines? Their yodeling on it is beautiful. A lot of violence against women in this album—I think o heard a podcast about Knoxville Girl. But I think these songs are old Appalachian songs. Eerie to hear them with the dulcet tones of bluegrass and country. Oh, haha, the title is “Tragic Songs of Life” didn’t catch that. Interesting how my mood affects my rating. Given that this is repetitive if’s probably give it a lower score, but I’m really giving with it, sonic going to give it a 4. And in spite of the violence.

Nice background music. Soundtrack for fishing on a summer day. Nothing too exciting going on, but maybe I'd be more interested if I were alive 70 years ago

countryy

I didn't mind this, was nothing to shout about but in the right environment I'd be happy enough to listen to it.

This grated on me something rotten

Nope.

almost slept on this one. There's some real swell harmonies here, and an old-school melancholy that tugs at me heartstrings. 5/5

Couldn’t find on Spotify

This is simply a case of me not liking the type of music. That old country with the twang just isn't my thing. I guess it's good for what it is but I couldn't get through it.

Not my normal "go to band". But didn't hate it.

Bueno en su época

Awesome harmony duo ❤

Classic two handed country

Tym razem maszyna losujaca postanowila zmienic klimat i wylosowalo muzyke country, nie country dylanowe, cashowe czy rokowe, ale jego pradziada, bo albumik z roku 56, wiec granie mocno old skulowe, nazwa bandy wskazuje na to ze jest to duet braterski, ale maja jeszcze dodatkowego grajka gitarkowego, wiec dwie gitary i mandolina, bo mandoliny nie moze zabraknac podczas grania muzyki country, zakladam ze wiekszosc kawalkow to ich kompozycje klasycznych ballad jakie mozna bylo uslyszec w wiejskich barach, jak na swoje lata dobrze albumik sie zestarzal od strony technicznej, bo nie slychac zbyt wielkich baboli muxowania, a co do strony lirycznej owych ballad, to musze przyznac ze tytul plyty jest w punkt, bo chociaz najczestszym motywem jest typowo milosc, ale pojawiaja sie nawet ballady bandyckie o mordach gwaltach i tym podobnych dzialalnosciach, wiec jest dosc roznorodnie, ale jednak samo zycie, na plejke wrzuce wlasnie jeden z takich kawalkow knoxville girl

Duo de country armonico

Satan is real and he plays the mandolin

Murder ballads and close harmony.

No thanks

"Knoxville Girl"/"I Wish It Had Been a Dream

“Tragic Songs of Life” by The Louvin Brothers (1956) Most younger listeners should pass this one by, but there are some notable observations. As a sibling singing duo, The Louvin Brothers provide a good example of perfectly matched diction, a phenomenon rarely found in paired singers who didn’t grow up in the same home. Each vowel is identically mirrored, and the rounding of every diphthong is timed in a perfect match. This contributes to an exquisite tonal blend, and is very pleasing to the ear. As individual voices, however, their tone is sub par, with high throat and nasal whininess that is grating, and a near total lack of sonority. Harmonies lack variety. In terms of composition, there is a heavy reliance on the lilting 3/4 time signatures so popular in early country music, the dancing mood of which is a definite mismatch for serious ballads. I want to laugh and cry at the same time. Mostly laugh. Guitar work is unremarkable, but mandolin is skillfully executed, and likely had a modest influence on subsequent musicians. Let me save y’all some time: listen to one track and move on with the rest of your day. Sad to say, it doesn’t even matter which track you choose. 1/5

Didn't care for it.

This album cover looks like a horror movie poster. I really enjoyed this album. Through no fault of its own, I had a hard time concentrating on it. I mostly associate this kind of music with background music on television and in films. It was lovely to listen to while I worked yesterday, yet I couldn’t tell you anything about any of the songs. One of these brothers sings like a lady though. He harmonized at a very high pitch. Maybe 3 stars isn’t fair, but I have a hard time giving it more.

Просто не люблю такую музыку

Quite fun and super coooountry

Wow! When they said tragic they bloody meant it. It’s a dark humour teamed with some classic country and western close harmony singing. I don’t normally like this style of music but there were so many times that I swore from the shock of the stories that I got to give it a high rating.

Pass.

Tragic is right

See, this is one of those influencer albums that you can have an opinion on, but that opinion will almost certainly be wrong to everyone else. I thought I would like this well enough, and I guess I did, but each song was so similar to the others that I couldn't tell you if one was good in comparison. The only standout was their version of In The Pines, which just made me want to learn more about the song, and the Louvin's version isn't even the best I've heard. Ultimately, this style has been replicated better by newer artists, and I think that is a good thing. Also too much Jesus.

Wild. It was pretty great.

Their voices are annoying and the bonus tracks on spotify are terrifying

Randomness is sending me all countrified lately. Not really my genre. This is good, although a lot of that leans pretty heavy on the traditional and folk music it draws from.

A little stale and dusty

Beautiful harmonies. Not really my jam but I get why it's on here, and nice to hear some country to mix things up. That said, WTF at the murder-y and disturbing Knoxville Girl?!

Wanted to hate it but didn't. Satan Lied To Me is my highlight, I'm a sucker for those spoken word bridges. Still fkn hate the banjo though.

Funny album to have in the list. Christian rockabilly is an interesting genre.

I had heard “Satan Is Real” which is a banger but had not heard this one before. I thought it was much of the same 50’s doo wop country which I really like. I like the stories on this album and a lot of the music they played was traditional tunes that have been around for a long time. Their voices work really well together. Favorite song: Knoxville Girl Least favorite song: Alabama

Great harmonies, they must've influenced Simon and Garfunkel

Heavy album with some wild lyrics, but the music and harmonies were just great

I can understand they change the face of music with some very contreversial songs, sadly they are not on this album.

These boys love singing about murder and I liked it!

NOPE

Not bad, just not my style.

A bit too old school / country for me. I liked "In the Pines" though because of the Nirvana relevance

That ain't it chief

Not really my cup of tea. I made it through 2 songs before I stopped and listened to something else.

Why is this on the list?!

I try so hard with this kind of music, but just can't get into it. Guitars sound abrasive, vocal harmonies are impressive at first but grating after a short while, and I got bored of the general style of songwriting very quickly. Traditional country music just isn't my bag.

Interesting, that's it

Them good ol boys with the golden chords

kind of outdated

Lovely Americana. Great harmonies, love the mandolin. Knew them from "Satan is Real", glad it's a bit less religious. Interesting rendition of "In the Pines" Favorite tracks: "Kentucky", "Knoxville Girl"

Not so much me

Ur-country, and a shining example of what a few voices and instruments can accomplish. Any sameness here exists in terms of tone (which is hardly a bad thing for a record) and in terms of the basic rhythmic structure. But that's what you get for committing popular music to a recording.

It's pre-rockabilly country music, which applies well to a certain slow rockabilly type of mood

suck dick