Live - Alison Krauss + Union Station

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Reviewed by Jennifer Webb

When I first picked up New Favorite it quickly became one of my person favorite albums because of the wonderful musicianship and the rotation of different lead singers. You never know from one song to the next whether you will be getting an instrumental, a song performed by Alison, or even a song or two from Dan Tyminski and this album is no different. Not only do you get little surprises with each tune, but you also get to hear their fans reaction which is always nice.

A song whose video received much airplay on CMT, "Let Me Touch You For Awhile" starts off this live album shortly after the audience stops their welcoming applause. Alison's voice sounds as clear as it ever has as she sings about longing to touch someone who she has grown apart from. She thinks that if she could have one more chance to make things right that their relationship would blossom again into the special relationship they once shared.

One of my favorite instrumentals, "Choctaw Hayride" starts off with a few audience members clapping until they stop to enjoy the upbeat pace and tight musicianship being experienced from each band member. If you close your eyes, you are bound to have images of riding around in a wagon enjoying the journey and scenery all around you.

Dan Tyminski sings solo as the audience claps on another favorite track of mine, "Bright Sunny South," wherein the story is told about a boy in the south that had to grab his musket and depart from the loving arms of his home and family. His father told him to be brave, show mercy, and always remember that he is loved. Carrying a Bible, the boy knows he will find a way to make it through the trials he is about to face as he fights among other young men for his land.

A tale of two little kids that had to be pushed apart because of a move, "Tiny Broken Heart" captures the sweet spirit of childhood when the boy offers to buy the house for his little sweetheart, using the pennies in his piggy bank, so that they could stay together. Alison's sweet voice serves as the background singer and adds to the child-like innocence of the song's sound.

"Stay" slows down the pace of the album to more of a mellow tone as listeners hear about a new day dawning and a hopeful lady that dreams about a man that comes back to her - this time to stay. "Don't doubt your heart can keep us apart," Alison says, before pleadingly asking for a lasting love to sweep off her feet because she is right where he is at this point and there is no turning back.

Once the man is free from all ties to her, the woman in the song wants the man to just "Forget About It," and get her out of his mind in the next song as she reminisces about moments shared by the fire and evenings spent looking up at the sky. Meanwhile, "Faraway Land" closes disc one with Ron Block going solo singing about how hard it is to be gone from the home you have grown to love very much, even if you have faith.

With a long and bluesy bluegrass opening to the beginning of the song, Dan Tyminski sings "The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn," which is about a guy that did not follow the "norm" because he preferred to do whatever he wanted whenever he pleased, even if that meant planting his corn in the month of June. Nobody knew why he did that but they figured he would find out if his ideas were crazy or not when there was a big frost in the month of September and his crops were lost. After the frost he decided to go out and find a wife but she said "No way" to him because "A lazy man [she] won't maintain."

"Don't choose me because I am faithful. Don't choose me because I am kind" is how "Take Me For Longing" starts off. Alison wants a man that will take her, complete with faults and imperfections, because someone who expects everything to be non-stop perfect is only dreaming. If he chooses to be with her, she will be the best companion she can be for him, whether he believes what she is saying or not "Whatever the answer, it's yes that's the question" she also says throughout the song.

You cannot have a live concert with Dan Tyminski around that does not include the ever popular and (still) fun to listen to song "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow." Listen to the crowd cheer when he mentions Kentucky, since Louisville is where the album was recorded.

"Maybe" is a beautiful song no matter if it is Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines or Alison Krauss singing it, but there seems to be a little extra something when the latter is performing it. The soft and angelic voice she possesses seamlessly glides over each and every note and gives you the feeling of floating through the sky because of the light and airy feel to the music and lyrics about wanting to be strong enough to stand alone.

Sure to put the listener in a cheery mood, "We Hide and Seek" provides a break between the singing and focuses solely on the bluegrass sound and instruments for almost a full six minutes before breaking into "But You Know I Love You," which is about a painful breakup that is referred to as "a chain of broken dreams." Despite the hard feelings she reminds him that she will always love him.

This live album captures the purity of everything Alison Krauss + Union Station does and proves that the talent is there without having the pitch corrected or whatever else is usually modified before putting out a release. So now, instead of just listening to New Favorite I can add the Live concert to the mix and hear even more wonderful songs that only this group can produce.

Album cover courtesy of Rounder.

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