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Various Artists - Down From The Mountain
Down From The Mountain is an album with music from the artists you hear on the soundtrack for "O Brother Where Art Thou?" It is a definite old-time Bluegrass collection and the songs aren't sugar coated for modern ears. Many talented people lend their skills to this project. The album is a product of a live concert that was held at the Ryman Auditorium on May 24, 2000. Amazingly enough, the soundtrack to "O Brother Where Art Thou?" went quadruple platinum. This was no thanks to radio, as it received little or no airplay in most markets. Pop stations wouldn't touch it because it was too Country. Ironically, Country stations wouldn't touch it for the same reason. Somehow people found it, and it became wildly popular.
It features songs such as "Po' Lazarus," which is a typical "chain-gang song. It is sung acappella with nothing but softly stamping feet and clapping hands to keep the rhythm. Even the non-believer will understand the meanings threaded into "Big Rock Candy Mountain." The tempo picks up with songs such as "Sandy Land" and "I'll Fly Away." The pure voice of Alison Krauss can be heard in several songs on the album. The song "Wild Bill Jones" not only includes Alison, you can also hear Dan Tyminski. He made "Man of Constant Sorrow" a surprise fan favorite. You can hear good old-fashioned family harmonies as well on two songs performed by the Cox Family.
To listen to this album, you need to have a deep appreciation for where the music comes from. Bluegrass is steeped in a deep religious background from people that worked hard just to stay alive, so almost all of the songs you hear have a praise-filled theme. While I appreciate all different types of music, this type of music is what I grew up with and it is great to hear it more frequently again. Overall, I would recommend this album for the true fan of Bluegrass. The acoustic and vocal nature of the songs may not be for you if you are more into the modern sound. However, with this type of music, what you hear is how it came out. The artist will sound the same on the album or standing in front of you with a guitar, no electronic "fixing" of the soundtrack. It would be a great addition to any Bluegrass collection.
Review by Jolene Downs.
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