Joel and Ethan Coen have long established themselves as film stylists without peer: from Blood Simple to Fargo, their movies have never been less than fascinating, and there has never been any question that their films could not have been made by anyone else. In T-Bone Burnett, the producer of the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, they have finally met their match: Burnett's work in assembling a collection of pieces for the Depression-set film is as skilled and entrancing as the film itself.

Despite the presence of Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss and bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, the stars here are the songs themselves, a host of traditional songs augmented by archival recordings. The collection is also a showcase for a host of lesser known and forgotten bluegrass masters: The Cox Family, collaborators with Krauss; Norman Blake, a sideman for Bob Dylan and June Carter Cash; country gospel group The Whites, who once counted Ricky Skaggs as a member (and who, here, cover the Carter Family); and young bluesman Chris Thomas King among them. All bring life to their songs, and the results are sublime--and, at times (Krauss and a choir's take on "Down To The River to Pray", Blake's instrumental version of the oft-repeated "I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow"), downright entrancing.

Some of these songs can be found on Alan Lomax collections. If you enjoy this album, we also highly recommend the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music and Woody Guthrie's Asch Recordings series. --Randy Silver

Stunning, evocative music., 14 Apr 2008
I'm not from the US, my family hail from Kashmir and I was born in the UK, grew up listening to punk rock but WOW! The soundtrack literally drips with the era and place it hails from; every time I hear a snippet I swear I can feel the heat and smell the wheat - so amazing!

Diverse selection of old-time music, 01 Jul 2005
The music here, like the film it provides the soundtrack for, is presumably intended to take us back to the thirties. Several songs from that era are featured along with traditional material that would have been popular then. Recorded mainly with state-of-the-art technology (except for some old recordings that are included and re-mastered), the sound quality is far superior to anything available in the thirties. Several different types of music can be found here - blues, gospel, country and folk - mainly performed by contemporary artists with a deep respect for tradition. I'll just pick out some of them although there are many excellent songs here.

Even Alison Krauss sticks firmly with tradition here - she often brings contemporary influences into her music these days but not here. Alison can be heard here on Down to the river to pray (as a solo singer), I'll fly away (providing harmony vocals for lead singer Gillian Welch) and Didn't leave nobody but the baby (joining Gillian and Emmylou in three-part harmony).

The inclusion of two Carter Stanley songs on a soundtrack such as this is predictable but welcome, with the Whites performing a superb version of the oft-recorded Keep on the sunny side, while the Peasall children (Hannah singing lead with Sarah and Leah providing harmony vocals) are in great form on In the highways. Children's recordings rarely impress me but this track does.

One song here that surprised me (though perhaps it shouldn't have) is Big rock candy mountain. It can be found on plenty of albums of children's songs, when it is invariably presented as an up-tempo song that children can (if they wish) sing along to. Here we get the original 1928 recording by Harry McLintock, who sings it at a more measured, reflective pace, showing that there is more to this song than I originally thought. I still prefer it as an up-tempo song generally but I'm glad I heard this version. I wonder what the Peasall sisters would have done with this song.

The Coen brothers clearly hoped that this soundtrack would provide a resurgence of interest in traditional music. While this soundtrack was a big commercial success, it seems that the majority of people who bought it (and continue to buy it) regard it as something of a novelty. Nashville record labels signed some traditional singers (Elizabeth Cook, though not featured here, is one that comes to mind) but they didn't get enough airplay on American country radio, so such artists were dropped and Nashville returned to its contemporary format. I'm sure that this soundtrack helped to win some new fans for traditional music, but not as many as the Coen brothers would like.

a lovely mix of traditional music, 04 Nov 2003
Performed by some of today's best singers, this multi-Grammy Award winner is a marvelous addition to any country/folk music collection. Some of these artists are at the top of their field, but some will be "discoveries" for most of us, like the beautiful rendition of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" by Chris Thomas King, a versatile young man who is versed in many styles, and here sings in the old blues tradition and does it brilliantly.

The highlights for me are: The legendary Ralph Stanley, with his plaintive acappella chant of "O Death", which carries with it all the pain and soul of Appalachia, and the purity of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by the Soggy Bottom Boys, who consist of Union Station member Dan Tyminsky on lead vocals and guitar, backed by Harley Allen and Pat Enright. For anyone who likes traditional music, you can't get any better than this.
Another acappella gem is "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby", with Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch harmonizing like an angels from another era. Everything on this disc recalls days gone by; there is a refreshing simplicity, and a lot of the songs are filled with faith.

There is exquisite musicianship on this CD, and it is a nice long one at 60'34 minutes. The booklet insert is something I appreciate too; it is a collage of yellowed stained paper on peeling walls, with a terrific layout, and as it says on one of its pages, "Old-Time Music Is Very Much Alive".

oh brother where art thou, 13 Jul 2002
first class traditional country and a bit of bluegrass. represents excelent value for money. so many good tracks its hard to pick one that shines above the rest.listen to YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE by norman blake if you are not tapping your toes then someone has nailed your feet to the floor.then there's I'm a man of constant sorrow-Soggy bottom boys Wow!then for a real treat try The Stanley Bros. Angel Band Traditional country at its best. many other great tracks from Alison Krauss the queen of country and the Whites with keep on the sunny side,backings are fantastic. This is one CD you won't be dissapointed with

GREAT ALBUM . . . BUT TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, 06 Jun 2002
Let me make one thing clear. "O Brother..." is one of my favourite films of all time. Not only that, but the musical soundtrack is one of its strongest features and stands as a valuable cultural document in its own right. In short, this is an album that anyone who loves country, bluegrass or folk music is likely to want in their collection.

So why, as I write, am I tossing up whether to only give it four stars? The answer is that I'm attempting to review it, not as a collector's item or a socio-historical document but as an album of music for repeated listening in the comfort of your own home. For that reason I'm not going to review the film rather than the album, as some reviewers here have done, because I don't assume that every listener is going to have the movie playing back in their heads as they listen to the music.

Rather, my comments are based on how this album will sound to someone who has picked up on the hearsay, or watched the Grammy ceremony, and is tempted to go out and buy this as a musical compilation. And in that setting, many listeners are going to be disappointed. The fact that a song has integrity, emotion, historical importance or great musicianship doesn't automatically make it great entertainment.

There are some standout contributions: The title song is long-term loveable (although why four different renditions of the tune are needed on the album is a mystery - a couple of the "period" instrumental versions which work well on the movoe soundtrack are somewhat less successful as pure listening music. Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch are as usual faultless. Ralph and the other Stanleys are devastating. But how many times will you want to listen to the 4+ minutes of prison chant that opens the album? Or the squeaky kiddy song (the Peasalls)? Or the ancient ditties like "Big Rock Candy Mountain"? After a couple of spins, you may find yourself reaching for the skip button more than is comfortable.

I'm not really knocking this record - in a sense it's a masterpiece. And it's rightly selling by the millions. But if you haven't seen the film I'd give it a whirl in the listening booth before you part with your cash.

Seasick Steve is Steve Wold, a moustachioed American bluesman who, on Dog House Music, plays American roots music with the tight-belt economy and authentic spirit of the genre's originators (there's a lineage here, too - Steve was taught his first chords by Delta bluesman KC Douglas). A long-term street-dweller, Wold's instrumentation is simplistic in the extreme: a three-stringed trance guitar, a slide instrument known as 'the one-stringed diddy-bo', and the Mississippi Drum Machine, a wooden box that provides the most rudimentary percussion. In the true blues spirit, Seasick Steve sings his life. For an autobiography of sorts, head for 'Dog House Boogie', a phlegmatic timeline that commences at the age of four with his parent's divorce, and rambles off through several decades of vagrant living and downhome manners. 'Hobo Low' is perhaps the sharpest, best distilled take on Steve's drifter philosophy, his voice raising to quivering, booming peaks over sparse stabs of blues guitar. 'Save Me', meanwhile, sees the diddy-bo make an appearance - a taut, trembling twang that resembles an amplified rubber band. If this review makes Dog House Music sound bare-bones, well, it is - but everyone from blues aficionados to White Stripes fans should find something to love here. --Louis Pattison

Stunning, evocative music., 14 Apr 2008
I'm not from the US, my family hail from Kashmir and I was born in the UK, grew up listening to punk rock but WOW! The soundtrack literally drips with the era and place it hails from; every time I hear a snippet I swear I can feel the heat and smell the wheat - so amazing!

Diverse selection of old-time music, 01 Jul 2005
The music here, like the film it provides the soundtrack for, is presumably intended to take us back to the thirties. Several songs from that era are featured along with traditional material that would have been popular then. Recorded mainly with state-of-the-art technology (except for some old recordings that are included and re-mastered), the sound quality is far superior to anything available in the thirties. Several different types of music can be found here - blues, gospel, country and folk - mainly performed by contemporary artists with a deep respect for tradition. I'll just pick out some of them although there are many excellent songs here.

Even Alison Krauss sticks firmly with tradition here - she often brings contemporary influences into her music these days but not here. Alison can be heard here on Down to the river to pray (as a solo singer), I'll fly away (providing harmony vocals for lead singer Gillian Welch) and Didn't leave nobody but the baby (joining Gillian and Emmylou in three-part harmony).

The inclusion of two Carter Stanley songs on a soundtrack such as this is predictable but welcome, with the Whites performing a superb version of the oft-recorded Keep on the sunny side, while the Peasall children (Hannah singing lead with Sarah and Leah providing harmony vocals) are in great form on In the highways. Children's recordings rarely impress me but this track does.

One song here that surprised me (though perhaps it shouldn't have) is Big rock candy mountain. It can be found on plenty of albums of children's songs, when it is invariably presented as an up-tempo song that children can (if they wish) sing along to. Here we get the original 1928 recording by Harry McLintock, who sings it at a more measured, reflective pace, showing that there is more to this song than I originally thought. I still prefer it as an up-tempo song generally but I'm glad I heard this version. I wonder what the Peasall sisters would have done with this song.

The Coen brothers clearly hoped that this soundtrack would provide a resurgence of interest in traditional music. While this soundtrack was a big commercial success, it seems that the majority of people who bought it (and continue to buy it) regard it as something of a novelty. Nashville record labels signed some traditional singers (Elizabeth Cook, though not featured here, is one that comes to mind) but they didn't get enough airplay on American country radio, so such artists were dropped and Nashville returned to its contemporary format. I'm sure that this soundtrack helped to win some new fans for traditional music, but not as many as the Coen brothers would like.

a lovely mix of traditional music, 04 Nov 2003
Performed by some of today's best singers, this multi-Grammy Award winner is a marvelous addition to any country/folk music collection. Some of these artists are at the top of their field, but some will be "discoveries" for most of us, like the beautiful rendition of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" by Chris Thomas King, a versatile young man who is versed in many styles, and here sings in the old blues tradition and does it brilliantly.

The highlights for me are: The legendary Ralph Stanley, with his plaintive acappella chant of "O Death", which carries with it all the pain and soul of Appalachia, and the purity of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by the Soggy Bottom Boys, who consist of Union Station member Dan Tyminsky on lead vocals and guitar, backed by Harley Allen and Pat Enright. For anyone who likes traditional music, you can't get any better than this.
Another acappella gem is "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby", with Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch harmonizing like an angels from another era. Everything on this disc recalls days gone by; there is a refreshing simplicity, and a lot of the songs are filled with faith.

There is exquisite musicianship on this CD, and it is a nice long one at 60'34 minutes. The booklet insert is something I appreciate too; it is a collage of yellowed stained paper on peeling walls, with a terrific layout, and as it says on one of its pages, "Old-Time Music Is Very Much Alive".

oh brother where art thou, 13 Jul 2002
first class traditional country and a bit of bluegrass. represents excelent value for money. so many good tracks its hard to pick one that shines above the rest.listen to YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE by norman blake if you are not tapping your toes then someone has nailed your feet to the floor.then there's I'm a man of constant sorrow-Soggy bottom boys Wow!then for a real treat try The Stanley Bros. Angel Band Traditional country at its best. many other great tracks from Alison Krauss the queen of country and the Whites with keep on the sunny side,backings are fantastic. This is one CD you won't be dissapointed with

GREAT ALBUM . . . BUT TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, 06 Jun 2002
Let me make one thing clear. "O Brother..." is one of my favourite films of all time. Not only that, but the musical soundtrack is one of its strongest features and stands as a valuable cultural document in its own right. In short, this is an album that anyone who loves country, bluegrass or folk music is likely to want in their collection.

So why, as I write, am I tossing up whether to only give it four stars? The answer is that I'm attempting to review it, not as a collector's item or a socio-historical document but as an album of music for repeated listening in the comfort of your own home. For that reason I'm not going to review the film rather than the album, as some reviewers here have done, because I don't assume that every listener is going to have the movie playing back in their heads as they listen to the music.

Rather, my comments are based on how this album will sound to someone who has picked up on the hearsay, or watched the Grammy ceremony, and is tempted to go out and buy this as a musical compilation. And in that setting, many listeners are going to be disappointed. The fact that a song has integrity, emotion, historical importance or great musicianship doesn't automatically make it great entertainment.

There are some standout contributions: The title song is long-term loveable (although why four different renditions of the tune are needed on the album is a mystery - a couple of the "period" instrumental versions which work well on the movoe soundtrack are somewhat less successful as pure listening music. Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch are as usual faultless. Ralph and the other Stanleys are devastating. But how many times will you want to listen to the 4+ minutes of prison chant that opens the album? Or the squeaky kiddy song (the Peasalls)? Or the ancient ditties like "Big Rock Candy Mountain"? After a couple of spins, you may find yourself reaching for the skip button more than is comfortable.

I'm not really knocking this record - in a sense it's a masterpiece. And it's rightly selling by the millions. But if you haven't seen the film I'd give it a whirl in the listening booth before you part with your cash.

Raw, honest, foot-tapping fun, 07 Aug 2008
Like others, I saw the man on Jools Holland. I suppose the romantic in me loved the idea that this guy had experienced the lowest of the lows but had come through it all and was here playing his 3-string geetar live on the JH show. However, I liked what I heard and his enthusiasm for the blues was infectious. Okay, it's not as polished as the great blues musicians and he's not going to outdo Robert Cray for technical ability but just listen to the stories he tells and you'll be tapping your foot along. We all love to see people do well that have faced grim adversity and Seasick Steve provides a soulful, bizarre and honest approach to his version of the blues. So, stop being so cynical and give it a blast.

Modern Music, 25 Jul 2008
Contemporary music troubles me, Ive been listening to blues for years and suddenly someone "new" plays the same stuff thats been around for decades and its "cool."

If you want to listen to this kind of music, listen to delta blues: son house, robert johnson. This is pretty unoriginal...thats not to say he's not talented, but the founders of this music get no recognition but this guy does? it makes no sense.

Thank Heavens for Jules, 23 May 2008
I am another who saw the performance on Jools' show and yet another who was amazed. I am new to the Blues so forgive me if I can't liken it to anything else. As I listened to this I could imagine myself sat on some wooden porch on the edge of a swamp listening to some real homestrung blues. Very raw but very real and all with three strings. Amazing stuff. If you enjoy the blues this is highly recommended - all from such an unimposing figure - he really looks like he just turns up with his geetar, beat box and nothing else.

Stunned!, 13 Feb 2008
I first heard a bit of him on the Jools Holland show and decided to give the album a go. Well, what can I say? Absolutely fantastic! Never a big fan of old time blues but this is something different.

Suprised, 13 Feb 2008
I Picked this album up as a "wonder if this is any good".

Worth a Laugh, Bit Tom Petty Esk, Love it!

Stunning, evocative music., 14 Apr 2008
I'm not from the US, my family hail from Kashmir and I was born in the UK, grew up listening to punk rock but WOW! The soundtrack literally drips with the era and place it hails from; every time I hear a snippet I swear I can feel the heat and smell the wheat - so amazing!

Diverse selection of old-time music, 01 Jul 2005
The music here, like the film it provides the soundtrack for, is presumably intended to take us back to the thirties. Several songs from that era are featured along with traditional material that would have been popular then. Recorded mainly with state-of-the-art technology (except for some old recordings that are included and re-mastered), the sound quality is far superior to anything available in the thirties. Several different types of music can be found here - blues, gospel, country and folk - mainly performed by contemporary artists with a deep respect for tradition. I'll just pick out some of them although there are many excellent songs here.

Even Alison Krauss sticks firmly with tradition here - she often brings contemporary influences into her music these days but not here. Alison can be heard here on Down to the river to pray (as a solo singer), I'll fly away (providing harmony vocals for lead singer Gillian Welch) and Didn't leave nobody but the baby (joining Gillian and Emmylou in three-part harmony).

The inclusion of two Carter Stanley songs on a soundtrack such as this is predictable but welcome, with the Whites performing a superb version of the oft-recorded Keep on the sunny side, while the Peasall children (Hannah singing lead with Sarah and Leah providing harmony vocals) are in great form on In the highways. Children's recordings rarely impress me but this track does.

One song here that surprised me (though perhaps it shouldn't have) is Big rock candy mountain. It can be found on plenty of albums of children's songs, when it is invariably presented as an up-tempo song that children can (if they wish) sing along to. Here we get the original 1928 recording by Harry McLintock, who sings it at a more measured, reflective pace, showing that there is more to this song than I originally thought. I still prefer it as an up-tempo song generally but I'm glad I heard this version. I wonder what the Peasall sisters would have done with this song.

The Coen brothers clearly hoped that this soundtrack would provide a resurgence of interest in traditional music. While this soundtrack was a big commercial success, it seems that the majority of people who bought it (and continue to buy it) regard it as something of a novelty. Nashville record labels signed some traditional singers (Elizabeth Cook, though not featured here, is one that comes to mind) but they didn't get enough airplay on American country radio, so such artists were dropped and Nashville returned to its contemporary format. I'm sure that this soundtrack helped to win some new fans for traditional music, but not as many as the Coen brothers would like.

a lovely mix of traditional music, 04 Nov 2003
Performed by some of today's best singers, this multi-Grammy Award winner is a marvelous addition to any country/folk music collection. Some of these artists are at the top of their field, but some will be "discoveries" for most of us, like the beautiful rendition of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" by Chris Thomas King, a versatile young man who is versed in many styles, and here sings in the old blues tradition and does it brilliantly.

The highlights for me are: The legendary Ralph Stanley, with his plaintive acappella chant of "O Death", which carries with it all the pain and soul of Appalachia, and the purity of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by the Soggy Bottom Boys, who consist of Union Station member Dan Tyminsky on lead vocals and guitar, backed by Harley Allen and Pat Enright. For anyone who likes traditional music, you can't get any better than this.
Another acappella gem is "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby", with Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch harmonizing like an angels from another era. Everything on this disc recalls days gone by; there is a refreshing simplicity, and a lot of the songs are filled with faith.

There is exquisite musicianship on this CD, and it is a nice long one at 60'34 minutes. The booklet insert is something I appreciate too; it is a collage of yellowed stained paper on peeling walls, with a terrific layout, and as it says on one of its pages, "Old-Time Music Is Very Much Alive".

oh brother where art thou, 13 Jul 2002
first class traditional country and a bit of bluegrass. represents excelent value for money. so many good tracks its hard to pick one that shines above the rest.listen to YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE by norman blake if you are not tapping your toes then someone has nailed your feet to the floor.then there's I'm a man of constant sorrow-Soggy bottom boys Wow!then for a real treat try The Stanley Bros. Angel Band Traditional country at its best. many other great tracks from Alison Krauss the queen of country and the Whites with keep on the sunny side,backings are fantastic. This is one CD you won't be dissapointed with

GREAT ALBUM . . . BUT TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, 06 Jun 2002
Let me make one thing clear. "O Brother..." is one of my favourite films of all time. Not only that, but the musical soundtrack is one of its strongest features and stands as a valuable cultural document in its own right. In short, this is an album that anyone who loves country, bluegrass or folk music is likely to want in their collection.

So why, as I write, am I tossing up whether to only give it four stars? The answer is that I'm attempting to review it, not as a collector's item or a socio-historical document but as an album of music for repeated listening in the comfort of your own home. For that reason I'm not going to review the film rather than the album, as some reviewers here have done, because I don't assume that every listener is going to have the movie playing back in their heads as they listen to the music.

Rather, my comments are based on how this album will sound to someone who has picked up on the hearsay, or watched the Grammy ceremony, and is tempted to go out and buy this as a musical compilation. And in that setting, many listeners are going to be disappointed. The fact that a song has integrity, emotion, historical importance or great musicianship doesn't automatically make it great entertainment.

There are some standout contributions: The title song is long-term loveable (although why four different renditions of the tune are needed on the album is a mystery - a couple of the "period" instrumental versions which work well on the movoe soundtrack are somewhat less successful as pure listening music. Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch are as usual faultless. Ralph and the other Stanleys are devastating. But how many times will you want to listen to the 4+ minutes of prison chant that opens the album? Or the squeaky kiddy song (the Peasalls)? Or the ancient ditties like "Big Rock Candy Mountain"? After a couple of spins, you may find yourself reaching for the skip button more than is comfortable.

I'm not really knocking this record - in a sense it's a masterpiece. And it's rightly selling by the millions. But if you haven't seen the film I'd give it a whirl in the listening booth before you part with your cash.

Raw, honest, foot-tapping fun, 07 Aug 2008
Like others, I saw the man on Jools Holland. I suppose the romantic in me loved the idea that this guy had experienced the lowest of the lows but had come through it all and was here playing his 3-string geetar live on the JH show. However, I liked what I heard and his enthusiasm for the blues was infectious. Okay, it's not as polished as the great blues musicians and he's not going to outdo Robert Cray for technical ability but just listen to the stories he tells and you'll be tapping your foot along. We all love to see people do well that have faced grim adversity and Seasick Steve provides a soulful, bizarre and honest approach to his version of the blues. So, stop being so cynical and give it a blast.

Modern Music, 25 Jul 2008
Contemporary music troubles me, Ive been listening to blues for years and suddenly someone "new" plays the same stuff thats been around for decades and its "cool."

If you want to listen to this kind of music, listen to delta blues: son house, robert johnson. This is pretty unoriginal...thats not to say he's not talented, but the founders of this music get no recognition but this guy does? it makes no sense.

Thank Heavens for Jules, 23 May 2008
I am another who saw the performance on Jools' show and yet another who was amazed. I am new to the Blues so forgive me if I can't liken it to anything else. As I listened to this I could imagine myself sat on some wooden porch on the edge of a swamp listening to some real homestrung blues. Very raw but very real and all with three strings. Amazing stuff. If you enjoy the blues this is highly recommended - all from such an unimposing figure - he really looks like he just turns up with his geetar, beat box and nothing else.

Stunned!, 13 Feb 2008
I first heard a bit of him on the Jools Holland show and decided to give the album a go. Well, what can I say? Absolutely fantastic! Never a big fan of old time blues but this is something different.

Suprised, 13 Feb 2008
I Picked this album up as a "wonder if this is any good".

Worth a Laugh, Bit Tom Petty Esk, Love it!

can you imagine..., 02 Mar 2007
I was going to mention Clapton's christening of the Les Paul, Marshall setup, but others have beaten me to it. I liken it's impact to what happened to harp playing when Little Walter and other's deciding to blow through the PA or an early guitar amp. They REDEFINED the sound of the instrument.

So all I'll add is the rhetorical question...can you imagine being a teenage Brit, having been reared on the sounds of the Beatles, Jerry and the Pacemakers, or even the Dave Clark Five, wandering into a London club because someone had recommended the Bluesbreakers, and hearing THIS STUFF? Probably as epiphanic as being a white guy in mid 50's Chicago and having the nerve to wander into the Dew Drop Inn and hearing Muddy, Wolf, or later, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Simply put, a life changing experience.

The most important guitar album of all time!, 09 Feb 2007
The best guitar player of the time on top of his game. Classic tracks. The perfect combination of guitar and amp. Incredible solos... Listening to this album it is easy to see why rock took the directions it did. This is the blueprint for pretty much every rock/blues album that followed, and in my opinion the closest Clapton ever got to this ever again is on Layla... This is Essential.

The album that changed my life., 28 May 2006
On a week's holiday with my parent's in Littlehampton in Sussex during the summer of '66, as ever, I found a record shop. Without much money as I was still at school, (just), I had the choice, in my mind anyway, between two albums; The Mother's Of Invention's 'Freakout,' and 'Bluesbreakers.' Maybe there had been a lot of publicity at the time about 'Freakout,' I can't remember, but for some reason I was torn between which one to buy. Probably the fact that I was a Yardbirds fan and had listened to 'Five Live' a great deal made up my mind, and I plumped for 'Bluesbreakers.' It was to be the wisest move and the best purchase I ever made. As a then, and still now, 'would-be' guitarist, this album, for its time in rock history, had everything you wanted and more, and has pretty much stayed that way over the ensuing years. To play with this degree of skill and feeling at Clapton's age of 21 at the time, was and is incredible. At 15, he was almost an old man to me being 6 years older, yet even so, the bluesmen I had heard were in their 30's and over, (really old men!), and even now this album begs the question "Why was Clapton so great at such a young age?" We will never know, and if put to the question, probably neither would he? It was just something he was drawn to and did, and has had the good fortune to do so for the rest of his life. If you're a guitarist, Clapton fan, blues enthusiast, whatever, and you don't own this album, simply buy it now - it will remain a classic for as long as planet Earth keeps turning.

Life Changing..., 15 Feb 2006
I first listened to this disc as a fifteen year-old and music was never the same thereafter. I started hunting straight away for the original US musicians who had inspired first Mayall and then the unbelievably young Clapton. And I'm still listening to the fruits of that search. Meantime it opened me up to the expanding British Blues scene and subsequently other new British genres, all the way from Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack, to The Groundhogs, Steeleye and Fairport. The music itself is quite simply inspired, mainly by the fusion of the very different talents of the individuals involved. I'm not sure that Mayall ever wrote, sang or played as well again 'though Clapton went on to far greater things. Just listen to Track 5, Double Crossin' Time, written by the both of them, which displays their different talents perfectly. This disc is one of those very rare seminal recordings which brings as much pleasure now as on the day it came off the presses.

sheer tone, 07 Jul 2005
This is the album that launched the Gibson Les Paul + Marshall amp combination that has defined the sound of rock for so long. It is worth buying for that alone. Absolute, pure, smooth but crunchy, toney goodness! Thankfully, the music is top notch, ranging from the energetic opener to the instrumental "Steppin Out", to the drum solo and tribute to the Beatles' "Day Tripper" on "What'd I Say?". Excellent stuff.

Stunning, evocative music., 14 Apr 2008
I'm not from the US, my family hail from Kashmir and I was born in the UK, grew up listening to punk rock but WOW! The soundtrack literally drips with the era and place it hails from; every time I hear a snippet I swear I can feel the heat and smell the wheat - so amazing!

Diverse selection of old-time music, 01 Jul 2005
The music here, like the film it provides the soundtrack for, is presumably intended to take us back to the thirties. Several songs from that era are featured along with traditional material that would have been popular then. Recorded mainly with state-of-the-art technology (except for some old recordings that are included and re-mastered), the sound quality is far superior to anything available in the thirties. Several different types of music can be found here - blues, gospel, country and folk - mainly performed by contemporary artists with a deep respect for tradition. I'll just pick out some of them although there are many excellent songs here.

Even Alison Krauss sticks firmly with tradition here - she often brings contemporary influences into her music these days but not here. Alison can be heard here on Down to the river to pray (as a solo singer), I'll fly away (providing harmony vocals for lead singer Gillian Welch) and Didn't leave nobody but the baby (joining Gillian and Emmylou in three-part harmony).

The inclusion of two Carter Stanley songs on a soundtrack such as this is predictable but welcome, with the Whites performing a superb version of the oft-recorded Keep on the sunny side, while the Peasall children (Hannah singing lead with Sarah and Leah providing harmony vocals) are in great form on In the highways. Children's recordings rarely impress me but this track does.

One song here that surprised me (though perhaps it shouldn't have) is Big rock candy mountain. It can be found on plenty of albums of children's songs, when it is invariably presented as an up-tempo song that children can (if they wish) sing along to. Here we get the original 1928 recording by Harry McLintock, who sings it at a more measured, reflective pace, showing that there is more to this song than I originally thought. I still prefer it as an up-tempo song generally but I'm glad I heard this version. I wonder what the Peasall sisters would have done with this song.

The Coen brothers clearly hoped that this soundtrack would provide a resurgence of interest in traditional music. While this soundtrack was a big commercial success, it seems that the majority of people who bought it (and continue to buy it) regard it as something of a novelty. Nashville record labels signed some traditional singers (Elizabeth Cook, though not featured here, is one that comes to mind) but they didn't get enough airplay on American country radio, so such artists were dropped and Nashville returned to its contemporary format. I'm sure that this soundtrack helped to win some new fans for traditional music, but not as many as the Coen brothers would like.

a lovely mix of traditional music, 04 Nov 2003
Performed by some of today's best singers, this multi-Grammy Award winner is a marvelous addition to any country/folk music collection. Some of these artists are at the top of their field, but some will be "discoveries" for most of us, like the beautiful rendition of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" by Chris Thomas King, a versatile young man who is versed in many styles, and here sings in the old blues tradition and does it brilliantly.

The highlights for me are: The legendary Ralph Stanley, with his plaintive acappella chant of "O Death", which carries with it all the pain and soul of Appalachia, and the purity of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by the Soggy Bottom Boys, who consist of Union Station member Dan Tyminsky on lead vocals and guitar, backed by Harley Allen and Pat Enright. For anyone who likes traditional music, you can't get any better than this.
Another acappella gem is "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby", with Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch harmonizing like an angels from another era. Everything on this disc recalls days gone by; there is a refreshing simplicity, and a lot of the songs are filled with faith.

There is exquisite musicianship on this CD, and it is a nice long one at 60'34 minutes. The booklet insert is something I appreciate too; it is a collage of yellowed stained paper on peeling walls, with a terrific layout, and as it says on one of its pages, "Old-Time Music Is Very Much Alive".

oh brother where art thou, 13 Jul 2002
first class traditional country and a bit of bluegrass. represents excelent value for money. so many good tracks its hard to pick one that shines above the rest.listen to YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE by norman blake if you are not tapping your toes then someone has nailed your feet to the floor.then there's I'm a man of constant sorrow-Soggy bottom boys Wow!then for a real treat try The Stanley Bros. Angel Band Traditional country at its best. many other great tracks from Alison Krauss the queen of country and the Whites with keep on the sunny side,backings are fantastic. This is one CD you won't be dissapointed with

GREAT ALBUM . . . BUT TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, 06 Jun 2002
Let me make one thing clear. "O Brother..." is one of my favourite films of all time. Not only that, but the musical soundtrack is one of its strongest features and stands as a valuable cultural document in its own right. In short, this is an album that anyone who loves country, bluegrass or folk music is likely to want in their collection.

So why, as I write, am I tossing up whether to only give it four stars? The answer is that I'm attempting to review it, not as a collector's item or a socio-historical document but as an album of music for repeated listening in the comfort of your own home. For that reason I'm not going to review the film rather than the album, as some reviewers here have done, because I don't assume that every listener is going to have the movie playing back in their heads as they listen to the music.

Rather, my comments are based on how this album will sound to someone who has picked up on the hearsay, or watched the Grammy ceremony, and is tempted to go out and buy this as a musical compilation. And in that setting, many listeners are going to be disappointed. The fact that a song has integrity, emotion, historical importance or great musicianship doesn't automatically make it great entertainment.

There are some standout contributions: The title song is long-term loveable (although why four different renditions of the tune are needed on the album is a mystery - a couple of the "period" instrumental versions which work well on the movoe soundtrack are somewhat less successful as pure listening music. Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch are as usual faultless. Ralph and the other Stanleys are devastating. But how many times will you want to listen to the 4+ minutes of prison chant that opens the album? Or the squeaky kiddy song (the Peasalls)? Or the ancient ditties like "Big Rock Candy Mountain"? After a couple of spins, you may find yourself reaching for the skip button more than is comfortable.

I'm not really knocking this record - in a sense it's a masterpiece. And it's rightly selling by the millions. But if you haven't seen the film I'd give it a whirl in the listening booth before you part with your cash.

Raw, honest, foot-tapping fun, 07 Aug 2008
Like others, I saw the man on Jools Holland. I suppose the romantic in me loved the idea that this guy had experienced the lowest of the lows but had come through it all and was here playing his 3-string geetar live on the JH show. However, I liked what I heard and his enthusiasm for the blues was infectious. Okay, it's not as polished as the great blues musicians and he's not going to outdo Robert Cray for technical ability but just listen to the stories he tells and you'll be tapping your foot along. We all love to see people do well that have faced grim adversity and Seasick Steve provides a soulful, bizarre and honest approach to his version of the blues. So, stop being so cynical and give it a blast.

Modern Music, 25 Jul 2008
Contemporary music troubles me, Ive been listening to blues for years and suddenly someone "new" plays the same stuff thats been around for decades and its "cool."

If you want to listen to this kind of music, listen to delta blues: son house, robert johnson. This is pretty unoriginal...thats not to say he's not talented, but the founders of this music get no recognition but this guy does? it makes no sense.

Thank Heavens for Jules, 23 May 2008
I am another who saw the performance on Jools' show and yet another who was amazed. I am new to the Blues so forgive me if I can't liken it to anything else. As I listened to this I could imagine myself sat on some wooden porch on the edge of a swamp listening to some real homestrung blues. Very raw but very real and all with three strings. Amazing stuff. If you enjoy the blues this is highly recommended - all from such an unimposing figure - he really looks like he just turns up with his geetar, beat box and nothing else.

Stunned!, 13 Feb 2008
I first heard a bit of him on the Jools Holland show and decided to give the album a go. Well, what can I say? Absolutely fantastic! Never a big fan of old time blues but this is something different.

Suprised, 13 Feb 2008
I Picked this album up as a "wonder if this is any good".

Worth a Laugh, Bit Tom Petty Esk, Love it!

can you imagine..., 02 Mar 2007
I was going to mention Clapton's christening of the Les Paul, Marshall setup, but others have beaten me to it. I liken it's impact to what happened to harp playing when Little Walter and other's deciding to blow through the PA or an early guitar amp. They REDEFINED the sound of the instrument.

So all I'll add is the rhetorical question...can you imagine being a teenage Brit, having been reared on the sounds of the Beatles, Jerry and the Pacemakers, or even the Dave Clark Five, wandering into a London club because someone had recommended the Bluesbreakers, and hearing THIS STUFF? Probably as epiphanic as being a white guy in mid 50's Chicago and having the nerve to wander into the Dew Drop Inn and hearing Muddy, Wolf, or later, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Simply put, a life changing experience.

The most important guitar album of all time!, 09 Feb 2007
The best guitar player of the time on top of his game. Classic tracks. The perfect combination of guitar and amp. Incredible solos... Listening to this album it is easy to see why rock took the directions it did. This is the blueprint for pretty much every rock/blues album that followed, and in my opinion the closest Clapton ever got to this ever again is on Layla... This is Essential.

The album that changed my life., 28 May 2006
On a week's holiday with my parent's in Littlehampton in Sussex during the summer of '66, as ever, I found a record shop. Without much money as I was still at school, (just), I had the choice, in my mind anyway, between two albums; The Mother's Of Invention's 'Freakout,' and 'Bluesbreakers.' Maybe there had been a lot of publicity at the time about 'Freakout,' I can't remember, but for some reason I was torn between which one to buy. Probably the fact that I was a Yardbirds fan and had listened to 'Five Live' a great deal made up my mind, and I plumped for 'Bluesbreakers.' It was to be the wisest move and the best purchase I ever made. As a then, and still now, 'would-be' guitarist, this album, for its time in rock history, had everything you wanted and more, and has pretty much stayed that way over the ensuing years. To play with this degree of skill and feeling at Clapton's age of 21 at the time, was and is incredible. At 15, he was almost an old man to me being 6 years older, yet even so, the bluesmen I had heard were in their 30's and over, (really old men!), and even now this album begs the question "Why was Clapton so great at such a young age?" We will never know, and if put to the question, probably neither would he? It was just something he was drawn to and did, and has had the good fortune to do so for the rest of his life. If you're a guitarist, Clapton fan, blues enthusiast, whatever, and you don't own this album, simply buy it now - it will remain a classic for as long as planet Earth keeps turning.

Life Changing..., 15 Feb 2006
I first listened to this disc as a fifteen year-old and music was never the same thereafter. I started hunting straight away for the original US musicians who had inspired first Mayall and then the unbelievably young Clapton. And I'm still listening to the fruits of that search. Meantime it opened me up to the expanding British Blues scene and subsequently other new British genres, all the way from Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack, to The Groundhogs, Steeleye and Fairport. The music itself is quite simply inspired, mainly by the fusion of the very different talents of the individuals involved. I'm not sure that Mayall ever wrote, sang or played as well again 'though Clapton went on to far greater things. Just listen to Track 5, Double Crossin' Time, written by the both of them, which displays their different talents perfectly. This disc is one of those very rare seminal recordings which brings as much pleasure now as on the day it came off the presses.

sheer tone, 07 Jul 2005
This is the album that launched the Gibson Les Paul + Marshall amp combination that has defined the sound of rock for so long. It is worth buying for that alone. Absolute, pure, smooth but crunchy, toney goodness! Thankfully, the music is top notch, ranging from the energetic opener to the instrumental "Steppin Out", to the drum solo and tribute to the Beatles' "Day Tripper" on "What'd I Say?". Excellent stuff.

Excellent, 18 Jul 2008
This is a truly excellent album. THe acoustic sets are superb and show John Mayer off as the brilliant guitarist that he is. The trio sets and in deed some of the full band songs sound very much like Jimmie Vaughan. It is excellent, the songs are his best, from all previous album, but live. The small twiddly bits between/ leading into songs are very good and original. I would definitely recommend this any day to anyone who like rock, blues or jazz.(I mostly listen to metal by Mayer is the Jazz man that I like, he is a shinning example for all those in his genre) *****. Buy it.

Hyde Park miss, 11 Jul 2008
The rest of my family had a day out in central London and ended up in Hyde Park where the Clapton concert was on with John Mayer playing at the time they were there. Apparently my 8 year old said 'that sounds like daddy playing guitar.' Which proves that even John mayer can have a bad day...
The acoustic songs aren't amazing and the trio stuff, whilst incredibly well played, sounds more like an SRV tribute than an artist with his own voice. Still, all of disk 2 gives you John with his full band and a great live set it is too and its had me thinking about buying the dvd.
The John Mayer back catalogue is quite varied and not all in the vein of the modern blues/rock you get here. Be interesting to see what he does next.


Not just for the blues buff, 07 Jul 2008
This is the first I have heard of John Mayer and I am very impressed indeed. An advantage of such live albums is that you get a sense of immediacy which, with a singer/songwriter working mainly at the blues end of the spectrum, can often be lost in the confines of a studio. In this case Mayer clearly connects well with his audience and by splitting his perfomance into three distinct styles he shows off a wide repertoire of skills.

The first section is solo acoustic, very much in the style of a typical singer songwriter, with songs on the folk/blues borderline typified by a version of Tom Petty's Freefalling which is really rather good. Mayer's husky voice and exemplary guitar playing remind me a bit of Kelly Joe Phelps without the slide guitar.

The second section of disc one is performed as a trio, and allows Mayer to rock out a bit, very much in the style of Hendrix (there are a couple of covers) this is still rooted in the blues with a hint of jazz thrown in.

The whole of the second disc is performed by the John Mayer band and is not the rock wig out I was expecting. Covering a variety of styles and songs my immediate thought was that it was most like John Hiatt overall, with a hint of brass here and there, a mellow fuzzy guitar style and a fair bit of funk and gentle soul. For me the standout track of this disc and indeed the album is Slow dancing in a burning room, which is a Thin Lizzyesque ballad which is ended by a couple of minutes of twin guitar soaring and tumbling, very much in the manner of Gorham and Robertson.

Overall a fine introduction to this artist which has encouraged me to seek out the back catalogue.

Stunning, evocative music., 14 Apr 2008
I'm not from the US, my family hail from Kashmir and I was born in the UK, grew up listening to punk rock but WOW! The soundtrack literally drips with the era and place it hails from; every time I hear a snippet I swear I can feel the heat and smell the wheat - so amazing!

Diverse selection of old-time music, 01 Jul 2005
The music here, like the film it provides the soundtrack for, is presumably intended to take us back to the thirties. Several songs from that era are featured along with traditional material that would have been popular then. Recorded mainly with state-of-the-art technology (except for some old recordings that are included and re-mastered), the sound quality is far superior to anything available in the thirties. Several different types of music can be found here - blues, gospel, country and folk - mainly performed by contemporary artists with a deep respect for tradition. I'll just pick out some of them although there are many excellent songs here.

Even Alison Krauss sticks firmly with tradition here - she often brings contemporary influences into her music these days but not here. Alison can be heard here on Down to the river to pray (as a solo singer), I'll fly away (providing harmony vocals for lead singer Gillian Welch) and Didn't leave nobody but the baby (joining Gillian and Emmylou in three-part harmony).

The inclusion of two Carter Stanley songs on a soundtrack such as this is predictable but welcome, with the Whites performing a superb version of the oft-recorded Keep on the sunny side, while the Peasall children (Hannah singing lead with Sarah and Leah providing harmony vocals) are in great form on In the highways. Children's recordings rarely impress me but this track does.

One song here that surprised me (though perhaps it shouldn't have) is Big rock candy mountain. It can be found on plenty of albums of children's songs, when it is invariably presented as an up-tempo song that children can (if they wish) sing along to. Here we get the original 1928 recording by Harry McLintock, who sings it at a more measured, reflective pace, showing that there is more to this song than I originally thought. I still prefer it as an up-tempo song generally but I'm glad I heard this version. I wonder what the Peasall sisters would have done with this song.

The Coen brothers clearly hoped that this soundtrack would provide a resurgence of interest in traditional music. While this soundtrack was a big commercial success, it seems that the majority of people who bought it (and continue to buy it) regard it as something of a novelty. Nashville record labels signed some traditional singers (Elizabeth Cook, though not featured here, is one that comes to mind) but they didn't get enough airplay on American country radio, so such artists were dropped and Nashville returned to its contemporary format. I'm sure that this soundtrack helped to win some new fans for traditional music, but not as many as the Coen brothers would like.

a lovely mix of traditional music, 04 Nov 2003
Performed by some of today's best singers, this multi-Grammy Award winner is a marvelous addition to any country/folk music collection. Some of these artists are at the top of their field, but some will be "discoveries" for most of us, like the beautiful rendition of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" by Chris Thomas King, a versatile young man who is versed in many styles, and here sings in the old blues tradition and does it brilliantly.

The highlights for me are: The legendary Ralph Stanley, with his plaintive acappella chant of "O Death", which carries with it all the pain and soul of Appalachia, and the purity of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by the Soggy Bottom Boys, who consist of Union Station member Dan Tyminsky on lead vocals and guitar, backed by Harley Allen and Pat Enright. For anyone who likes traditional music, you can't get any better than this.
Another acappella gem is "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby", with Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch harmonizing like an angels from another era. Everything on this disc recalls days gone by; there is a refreshing simplicity, and a lot of the songs are filled with faith.

There is exquisite musicianship on this CD, and it is a nice long one at 60'34 minutes. The booklet insert is something I appreciate too; it is a collage of yellowed stained paper on peeling walls, with a terrific layout, and as it says on one of its pages, "Old-Time Music Is Very Much Alive".

oh brother where art thou, 13 Jul 2002
first class traditional country and a bit of bluegrass. represents excelent value for money. so many good tracks its hard to pick one that shines above the rest.listen to YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE by norman blake if you are not tapping your toes then someone has nailed your feet to the floor.then there's I'm a man of constant sorrow-Soggy bottom boys Wow!then for a real treat try The Stanley Bros. Angel Band Traditional country at its best. many other great tracks from Alison Krauss the queen of country and the Whites with keep on the sunny side,backings are fantastic. This is one CD you won't be dissapointed with

GREAT ALBUM . . . BUT TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, 06 Jun 2002
Let me make one thing clear. "O Brother..." is one of my favourite films of all time. Not only that, but the musical soundtrack is one of its strongest features and stands as a valuable cultural document in its own right. In short, this is an album that anyone who loves country, bluegrass or folk music is likely to want in their collection.

So why, as I write, am I tossing up whether to only give it four stars? The answer is that I'm attempting to review it, not as a collector's item or a socio-historical document but as an album of music for repeated listening in the comfort of your own home. For that reason I'm not going to review the film rather than the album, as some reviewers here have done, because I don't assume that every listener is going to have the movie playing back in their heads as they listen to the music.

Rather, my comments are based on how this album will sound to someone who has picked up on the hearsay, or watched the Grammy ceremony, and is tempted to go out and buy this as a musical compilation. And in that setting, many listeners are going to be disappointed. The fact that a song has integrity, emotion, historical importance or great musicianship doesn't automatically make it great entertainment.

There are some standout contributions: The title song is long-term loveable (although why four different renditions of the tune are needed on the album is a mystery - a couple of the "period" instrumental versions which work well on the movoe soundtrack are somewhat less successful as pure listening music. Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch are as usual faultless. Ralph and the other Stanleys are devastating. But how many times will you want to listen to the 4+ minutes of prison chant that opens the album? Or the squeaky kiddy song (the Peasalls)? Or the ancient ditties like "Big Rock Candy Mountain"? After a couple of spins, you may find yourself reaching for the skip button more than is comfortable.

I'm not really knocking this record - in a sense it's a masterpiece. And it's rightly selling by the millions. But if you haven't seen the film I'd give it a whirl in the listening booth before you part with your cash.

Raw, honest, foot-tapping fun, 07 Aug 2008
Like others, I saw the man on Jools Holland. I suppose the romantic in me loved the idea that this guy had experienced the lowest of the lows but had come through it all and was here playing his 3-string geetar live on the JH show. However, I liked what I heard and his enthusiasm for the blues was infectious. Okay, it's not as polished as the great blues musicians and he's not going to outdo Robert Cray for technical ability but just listen to the stories he tells and you'll be tapping your foot along. We all love to see people do well that have faced grim adversity and Seasick Steve provides a soulful, bizarre and honest approach to his version of the blues. So, stop being so cynical and give it a blast.

Modern Music, 25 Jul 2008
Contemporary music troubles me, Ive been listening to blues for years and suddenly someone "new" plays the same stuff thats been around for decades and its "cool."

If you want to listen to this kind of music, listen to delta blues: son house, robert johnson. This is pretty unoriginal...thats not to say he's not talented, but the founders of this music get no recognition but this guy does? it makes no sense.

Thank Heavens for Jules, 23 May 2008
I am another who saw the performance on Jools' show and yet another who was amazed. I am new to the Blues so forgive me if I can't liken it to anything else. As I listened to this I could imagine myself sat on some wooden porch on the edge of a swamp listening to some real homestrung blues. Very raw but very real and all with three strings. Amazing stuff. If you enjoy the blues this is highly recommended - all from such an unimposing figure - he really looks like he just turns up with his geetar, beat box and nothing else.

Stunned!, 13 Feb 2008
I first heard a bit of him on the Jools Holland show and decided to give the album a go. Well, what can I say? Absolutely fantastic! Never a big fan of old time blues but this is something different.

Suprised, 13 Feb 2008
I Picked this album up as a "wonder if this is any good".

Worth a Laugh, Bit Tom Petty Esk, Love it!

can you imagine..., 02 Mar 2007
I was going to mention Clapton's christening of the Les Paul, Marshall setup, but others have beaten me to it. I liken it's impact to what happened to harp playing when Little Walter and other's deciding to blow through the PA or an early guitar amp. They REDEFINED the sound of the instrument.

So all I'll add is the rhetorical question...can you imagine being a teenage Brit, having been reared on the sounds of the Beatles, Jerry and the Pacemakers, or even the Dave Clark Five, wandering into a London club because someone had recommended the Bluesbreakers, and hearing THIS STUFF? Probably as epiphanic as being a white guy in mid 50's Chicago and having the nerve to wander into the Dew Drop Inn and hearing Muddy, Wolf, or later, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Simply put, a life changing experience.

The most important guitar album of all time!, 09 Feb 2007
The best guitar player of the time on top of his game. Classic tracks. The perfect combination of guitar and amp. Incredible solos... Listening to this album it is easy to see why rock took the directions it did. This is the blueprint for pretty much every rock/blues album that followed, and in my opinion the closest Clapton ever got to this ever again is on Layla... This is Essential.

The album that changed my life., 28 May 2006
On a week's holiday with my parent's in Littlehampton in Sussex during the summer of '66, as ever, I found a record shop. Without much money as I was still at school, (just), I had the choice, in my mind anyway, between two albums; The Mother's Of Invention's 'Freakout,' and 'Bluesbreakers.' Maybe there had been a lot of publicity at the time about 'Freakout,' I can't remember, but for some reason I was torn between which one to buy. Probably the fact that I was a Yardbirds fan and had listened to 'Five Live' a great deal made up my mind, and I plumped for 'Bluesbreakers.' It was to be the wisest move and the best purchase I ever made. As a then, and still now, 'would-be' guitarist, this album, for its time in rock history, had everything you wanted and more, and has pretty much stayed that way over the ensuing years. To play with this degree of skill and feeling at Clapton's age of 21 at the time, was and is incredible. At 15, he was almost an old man to me being 6 years older, yet even so, the bluesmen I had heard were in their 30's and over, (really old men!), and even now this album begs the question "Why was Clapton so great at such a young age?" We will never know, and if put to the question, probably neither would he? It was just something he was drawn to and did, and has had the good fortune to do so for the rest of his life. If you're a guitarist, Clapton fan, blues enthusiast, whatever, and you don't own this album, simply buy it now - it will remain a classic for as long as planet Earth keeps turning.

Life Changing..., 15 Feb 2006
I first listened to this disc as a fifteen year-old and music was never the same thereafter. I started hunting straight away for the original US musicians who had inspired first Mayall and then the unbelievably young Clapton. And I'm still listening to the fruits of that search. Meantime it opened me up to the expanding British Blues scene and subsequently other new British genres, all the way from Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack, to The Groundhogs, Steeleye and Fairport. The music itself is quite simply inspired, mainly by the fusion of the very different talents of the individuals involved. I'm not sure that Mayall ever wrote, sang or played as well again 'though Clapton went on to far greater things. Just listen to Track 5, Double Crossin' Time, written by the both of them, which displays their different talents perfectly. This disc is one of those very rare seminal recordings which brings as much pleasure now as on the day it came off the presses.

sheer tone, 07 Jul 2005
This is the album that launched the Gibson Les Paul + Marshall amp combination that has defined the sound of rock for so long. It is worth buying for that alone. Absolute, pure, smooth but crunchy, toney goodness! Thankfully, the music is top notch, ranging from the energetic opener to the instrumental "Steppin Out", to the drum solo and tribute to the Beatles' "Day Tripper" on "What'd I Say?". Excellent stuff.

Excellent, 18 Jul 2008
This is a truly excellent album. THe acoustic sets are superb and show John Mayer off as the brilliant guitarist that he is. The trio sets and in deed some of the full band songs sound very much like Jimmie Vaughan. It is excellent, the songs are his best, from all previous album, but live. The small twiddly bits between/ leading into songs are very good and original. I would definitely recommend this any day to anyone who like rock, blues or jazz.(I mostly listen to metal by Mayer is the Jazz man that I like, he is a shinning example for all those in his genre) *****. Buy it.

Hyde Park miss, 11 Jul 2008
The rest of my family had a day out in central London and ended up in Hyde Park where the Clapton concert was on with John Mayer playing at the time they were there. Apparently my 8 year old said 'that sounds like daddy playing guitar.' Which proves that even John mayer can have a bad day...
The acoustic songs aren't amazing and the trio stuff, whilst incredibly well played, sounds more like an SRV tribute than an artist with his own voice. Still, all of disk 2 gives you John with his full band and a great live set it is too and its had me thinking about buying the dvd.
The John Mayer back catalogue is quite varied and not all in the vein of the modern blues/rock you get here. Be interesting to see what he does next.


Not just for the blues buff, 07 Jul 2008
This is the first I have heard of John Mayer and I am very impressed indeed. An advantage of such live albums is that you get a sense of immediacy which, with a singer/songwriter working mainly at the blues end of the spectrum, can often be lost in the confines of a studio. In this case Mayer clearly connects well with his audience and by splitting his perfomance into three distinct styles he shows off a wide repertoire of skills.

The first section is solo acoustic, very much in the style of a typical singer songwriter, with songs on the folk/blues borderline typified by a version of Tom Petty's Freefalling which is really rather good. Mayer's husky voice and exemplary guitar playing remind me a bit of Kelly Joe Phelps without the slide guitar.

The second section of disc one is performed as a trio, and allows Mayer to rock out a bit, very much in the style of Hendrix (there are a couple of covers) this is still rooted in the blues with a hint of jazz thrown in.

The whole of the second disc is performed by the John Mayer band and is not the rock wig out I was expecting. Covering a variety of styles and songs my immediate thought was that it was most like John Hiatt overall, with a hint of brass here and there, a mellow fuzzy guitar style and a fair bit of funk and gentle soul. For me the standout track of this disc and indeed the album is Slow dancing in a burning room, which is a Thin Lizzyesque ballad which is ended by a couple of minutes of twin guitar soaring and tumbling, very much in the manner of Gorham and Robertson.

Overall a fine introduction to this artist which has encouraged me to seek out the back catalogue.

Good for starters., 21 Jul 2008
A good album if youre a casual Led Zep fan and are just getting in to them but if you want to hear the great Led Zeppelin you'll have to buy all 3 definitive Led zep cd's.

Great CD, 27 May 2008
I spent my youth in the 70's listening to Abba and Boney M. Now, in my 40's, I buy this excellent CD and realise what I missed. For others like me I recommend this album, 'Hammer of the Gods' by Stephen Davis (which tells their unbelievable story entertainingly), and videos from their gigs in the 70's from youtube.

Splendid! ..And they really do sound GREAT!!!, 27 May 2008
I can't add any more to what's already been said in earlier reviews, but I doubt that just these tracks alone have been "re-remastered". Surely the re mastering engineer will have worked on the entire catalogue, wouldn't he?

It's my hope that one day soon, these definitive 2007 re-remasterings will find their way into the traditional CD/download of the complete albums.

Wonderful TIMELESS music that hasn't really dated at all. This band could play, and play many different styles often in one album, giving real pleasure to the listener - and something to return to over thirty years plus.

Enough of this. if you still doubt that CD can "do it," then buy this and see what can be done to these old recordings.

(An LP issue of this for £70? Do leave off.....;) )

RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!

The same old song, 29 Feb 2008
If you already have Led Zeppelin CD's, especially "Remasters", then this probably is not for you as you will probably have much or all of it already.

If you have none, then this is probably the best buy for you. Two CD's of the best tracks AND a DVD. What a bargain!

I guess a Bargain or Rip-Off depends on your current collection.

DVD wrong region, 10 Jan 2008
Beware when buying this. My first copy of this was returned due to the DVD being region 1 NTSC format, it's replacement was also region 1 NTSC. Unfortuntely my TV does not support NTSC, it has now been returned for a refund.

Stunning, evocative music., 14 Apr 2008
I'm not from the US, my family hail from Kashmir and I was born in the UK, grew up listening to punk rock but WOW! The soundtrack literally drips with the era and place it hails from; every time I hear a snippet I swear I can feel the heat and smell the wheat - so amazing!

Diverse selection of old-time music, 01 Jul 2005
The music here, like the film it provides the soundtrack for, is presumably intended to take us back to the thirties. Several songs from that era are featured along with traditional material that would have been popular then. Recorded mainly with state-of-the-art technology (except for some old recordings that are included and re-mastered), the sound quality is far superior to anything available in the thirties. Several different types of music can be found here - blues, gospel, country and folk - mainly performed by contemporary artists with a deep respect for tradition. I'll just pick out some of them although there are many excellent songs here.

Even Alison Krauss sticks firmly with tradition here - she often brings contemporary influences into her music these days but not here. Alison can be heard here on Down to the river to pray (as a solo singer), I'll fly away (providing harmony vocals for lead singer Gillian Welch) and Didn't leave nobody but the baby (joining Gillian and Emmylou in three-part harmony).

The inclusion of two Carter Stanley songs on a soundtrack such as this is predictable but welcome, with the Whites performing a superb version of the oft-recorded Keep on the sunny side, while the Peasall children (Hannah singing lead with Sarah and Leah providing harmony vocals) are in great form on In the highways. Children's recordings rarely impress me but this track does.

One song here that surprised me (though perhaps it shouldn't have) is Big rock candy mountain. It can be found on plenty of albums of children's songs, when it is invariably presented as an up-tempo song that children can (if they wish) sing along to. Here we get the original 1928 recording by Harry McLintock, who sings it at a more measured, reflective pace, showing that there is more to this song than I originally thought. I still prefer it as an up-tempo song generally but I'm glad I heard this version. I wonder what the Peasall sisters would have done with this song.

The Coen brothers clearly hoped that this soundtrack would provide a resurgence of interest in traditional music. While this soundtrack was a big commercial success, it seems that the majority of people who bought it (and continue to buy it) regard it as something of a novelty. Nashville record labels signed some traditional singers (Elizabeth Cook, though not featured here, is one that comes to mind) but they didn't get enough airplay on American country radio, so such artists were dropped and Nashville returned to its contemporary format. I'm sure that this soundtrack helped to win some new fans for traditional music, but not as many as the Coen brothers would like.

a lovely mix of traditional music, 04 Nov 2003
Performed by some of today's best singers, this multi-Grammy Award winner is a marvelous addition to any country/folk music collection. Some of these artists are at the top of their field, but some will be "discoveries" for most of us, like the beautiful rendition of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" by Chris Thomas King, a versatile young man who is versed in many styles, and here sings in the old blues tradition and does it brilliantly.

The highlights for me are: The legendary Ralph Stanley, with his plaintive acappella chant of "O Death", which carries with it all the pain and soul of Appalachia, and the purity of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by the Soggy Bottom Boys, who consist of Union Station member Dan Tyminsky on lead vocals and guitar, backed by Harley Allen and Pat Enright. For anyone who likes traditional music, you can't get any better than this.
Another acappella gem is "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby", with Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch harmonizing like an angels from another era. Everything on this disc recalls days gone by; there is a refreshing simplicity, and a lot of the songs are filled with faith.

There is exquisite musicianship on this CD, and it is a nice long one at 60'34 minutes. The booklet insert is something I appreciate too; it is a collage of yellowed stained paper on peeling walls, with a terrific layout, and as it says on one of its pages, "Old-Time Music Is Very Much Alive".

oh brother where art thou, 13 Jul 2002
first class traditional country and a bit of bluegrass. represents excelent value for money. so many good tracks its hard to pick one that shines above the rest.listen to YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE by norman blake if you are not tapping your toes then someone has nailed your feet to the floor.then there's I'm a man of constant sorrow-Soggy bottom boys Wow!then for a real treat try The Stanley Bros. Angel Band Traditional country at its best. many other great tracks from Alison Krauss the queen of country and the Whites with keep on the sunny side,backings are fantastic. This is one CD you won't be dissapointed with

GREAT ALBUM . . . BUT TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, 06 Jun 2002
Let me make one thing clear. "O Brother..." is one of my favourite films of all time. Not only that, but the musical soundtrack is one of its strongest features and stands as a valuable cultural document in its own right. In short, this is an album that anyone who loves country, bluegrass or folk music is likely to want in their collection.

So why, as I write, am I tossing up whether to only give it four stars? The answer is that I'm attempting to review it, not as a collector's item or a socio-historical document but as an album of music for repeated listening in the comfort of your own home. For that reason I'm not going to review the film rather than the album, as some reviewers here have done, because I don't assume that every listener is going to have the movie playing back in their heads as they listen to the music.

Rather, my comments are based on how this album will sound to someone who has picked up on the hearsay, or watched the Grammy ceremony, and is tempted to go out and buy this as a musical compilation. And in that setting, many listeners are going to be disappointed. The fact that a song has integrity, emotion, historical importance or great musicianship doesn't automatically make it great entertainment.

There are some standout contributions: The title song is long-term loveable (although why four different renditions of the tune are needed on the album is a mystery - a couple of the "period" instrumental versions which work well on the movoe soundtrack are somewhat less successful as pure listening music. Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch are as usual faultless. Ralph and the other Stanleys are devastating. But how many times will you want to listen to the 4+ minutes of prison chant that opens the album? Or the squeaky kiddy song (the Peasalls)? Or the ancient ditties like "Big Rock Candy Mountain"? After a couple of spins, you may find yourself reaching for the skip button more than is comfortable.

I'm not really knocking this record - in a sense it's a masterpiece. And it's rightly selling by the millions. But if you haven't seen the film I'd give it a whirl in the listening booth before you part with your cash.

Raw, honest, foot-tapping fun, 07 Aug 2008
Like others, I saw the man on Jools Holland. I suppose the romantic in me loved the idea that this guy had experienced the lowest of the lows but had come through it all and was here playing his 3-string geetar live on the JH show. However, I liked what I heard and his enthusiasm for the blues was infectious. Okay, it's not as polished as the great blues musicians and he's not going to outdo Robert Cray for technical ability but just listen to the stories he tells and you'll be tapping your foot along. We all love to see people do well that have faced grim adversity and Seasick Steve provides a soulful, bizarre and honest approach to his version of the blues. So, stop being so cynical and give it a blast.

Modern Music, 25 Jul 2008
Contemporary music troubles me, Ive been listening to blues for years and suddenly someone "new" plays the same stuff thats been around for decades and its "cool."

If you want to listen to this kind of music, listen to delta blues: son house, robert johnson. This is pretty unoriginal...thats not to say he's not talented, but the founders of this music get no recognition but this guy does? it makes no sense.

Thank Heavens for Jules, 23 May 2008
I am another who saw the performance on Jools' show and yet another who was amazed. I am new to the Blues so forgive me if I can't liken it to anything else. As I listened to this I could imagine myself sat on some wooden porch on the edge of a swamp listening to some real homestrung blues. Very raw but very real and all with three strings. Amazing stuff. If you enjoy the blues this is highly recommended - all from such an unimposing figure - he really looks like he just turns up with his geetar, beat box and nothing else.

Stunned!, 13 Feb 2008
I first heard a bit of him on the Jools Holland show and decided to give the album a go. Well, what can I say? Absolutely fantastic! Never a big fan of old time blues but this is something different.

Suprised, 13 Feb 2008
I Picked this album up as a "wonder if this is any good".

Worth a Laugh, Bit Tom Petty Esk, Love it!

can you imagine..., 02 Mar 2007
I was going to mention Clapton's christening of the Les Paul, Marshall setup, but others have beaten me to it. I liken it's impact to what happened to harp playing when Little Walter and other's deciding to blow through the PA or an early guitar amp. They REDEFINED the sound of the instrument.

So all I'll add is the rhetorical question...can you imagine being a teenage Brit, having been reared on the sounds of the Beatles, Jerry and the Pacemakers, or even the Dave Clark Five, wandering into a London club because someone had recommended the Bluesbreakers, and hearing THIS STUFF? Probably as epiphanic as being a white guy in mid 50's Chicago and having the nerve to wander into the Dew Drop Inn and hearing Muddy, Wolf, or later, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Simply put, a life changing experience.

The most important guitar album of all time!, 09 Feb 2007
The best guitar player of the time on top of his game. Classic tracks. The perfect combination of guitar and amp. Incredible solos... Listening to this album it is easy to see why rock took the directions it did. This is the blueprint for pretty much every rock/blues album that followed, and in my opinion the closest Clapton ever got to this ever again is on Layla... This is Essential.

The album that changed my life., 28 May 2006
On a week's holiday with my parent's in Littlehampton in Sussex during the summer of '66, as ever, I found a record shop. Without much money as I was still at school, (just), I had the choice, in my mind anyway, between two albums; The Mother's Of Invention's 'Freakout,' and 'Bluesbreakers.' Maybe there had been a lot of publicity at the time about 'Freakout,' I can't remember, but for some reason I was torn between which one to buy. Probably the fact that I was a Yardbirds fan and had listened to 'Five Live' a great deal made up my mind, and I plumped for 'Bluesbreakers.' It was to be the wisest move and the best purchase I ever made. As a then, and still now, 'would-be' guitarist, this album, for its time in rock history, had everything you wanted and more, and has pretty much stayed that way over the ensuing years. To play with this degree of skill and feeling at Clapton's age of 21 at the time, was and is incredible. At 15, he was almost an old man to me being 6 years older, yet even so, the bluesmen I had heard were in their 30's and over, (really old men!), and even now this album begs the question "Why was Clapton so great at such a young age?" We will never know, and if put to the question, probably neither would he? It was just something he was drawn to and did, and has had the good fortune to do so for the rest of his life. If you're a guitarist, Clapton fan, blues enthusiast, whatever, and you don't own this album, simply buy it now - it will remain a classic for as long as planet Earth keeps turning.

Life Changing..., 15 Feb 2006
I first listened to this disc as a fifteen year-old and music was never the same thereafter. I started hunting straight away for the original US musicians who had inspired first Mayall and then the unbelievably young Clapton. And I'm still listening to the fruits of that search. Meantime it opened me up to the expanding British Blues scene and subsequently other new British genres, all the way from Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack, to The Groundhogs, Steeleye and Fairport. The music itself is quite simply inspired, mainly by the fusion of the very different talents of the individuals involved. I'm not sure that Mayall ever wrote, sang or played as well again 'though Clapton went on to far greater things. Just listen to Track 5, Double Crossin' Time, written by the both of them, which displays their different talents perfectly. This disc is one of those very rare seminal recordings which brings as much pleasure now as on the day it came off the presses.

sheer tone, 07 Jul 2005
This is the album that launched the Gibson Les Paul + Marshall amp combination that has defined the sound of rock for so long. It is worth buying for that alone. Absolute, pure, smooth but crunchy, toney goodness! Thankfully, the music is top notch, ranging from the energetic opener to the instrumental "Steppin Out", to the drum solo and tribute to the Beatles' "Day Tripper" on "What'd I Say?". Excellent stuff.

Excellent, 18 Jul 2008
This is a truly excellent album. THe acoustic sets are superb and show John Mayer off as the brilliant guitarist that he is. The trio sets and in deed some of the full band songs sound very much like Jimmie Vaughan. It is excellent, the songs are his best, from all previous album, but live. The small twiddly bits between/ leading into songs are very good and original. I would definitely recommend this any day to anyone who like rock, blues or jazz.(I mostly listen to metal by Mayer is the Jazz man that I like, he is a shinning example for all those in his genre) *****. Buy it.

Hyde Park miss, 11 Jul 2008
The rest of my family had a day out in central London and ended up in Hyde Park where the Clapton concert was on with John Mayer playing at the time they were there. Apparently my 8 year old said 'that sounds like daddy playing guitar.' Which proves that even John mayer can have a bad day...
The acoustic songs aren't amazing and the trio stuff, whilst incredibly well played, sounds more like an SRV tribute than an artist with his own voice. Still, all of disk 2 gives you John with his full band and a great live set it is too and its had me thinking about buying the dvd.
The John Mayer back catalogue is quite varied and not all in the vein of the modern blues/rock you get here. Be interesting to see what he does next.


Not just for the blues buff, 07 Jul 2008
This is the first I have heard of John Mayer and I am very impressed indeed. An advantage of such live albums is that you get a sense of immediacy which, with a singer/songwriter working mainly at the blues end of the spectrum, can often be lost in the confines of a studio. In this case Mayer clearly connects well with his audience and by splitting his perfomance into three distinct styles he shows off a wide repertoire of skills.

The first section is solo acoustic, very much in the style of a typical singer songwriter, with songs on the folk/blues borderline typified by a version of Tom Petty's Freefalling which is really rather good. Mayer's husky voice and exemplary guitar playing remind me a bit of Kelly Joe Phelps without the slide guitar.

The second section of disc one is performed as a trio, and allows Mayer to rock out a bit, very much in the style of Hendrix (there are a couple of covers) this is still rooted in the blues with a hint of jazz thrown in.

The whole of the second disc is performed by the John Mayer band and is not the rock wig out I was expecting. Covering a variety of styles and songs my immediate thought was that it was most like John Hiatt overall, with a hint of brass here and there, a mellow fuzzy guitar style and a fair bit of funk and gentle soul. For me the standout track of this disc and indeed the album is Slow dancing in a burning room, which is a Thin Lizzyesque ballad which is ended by a couple of minutes of twin guitar soaring and tumbling, very much in the manner of Gorham and Robertson.

Overall a fine introduction to this artist which has encouraged me to seek out the back catalogue.

Good for starters., 21 Jul 2008
A good album if youre a casual Led Zep fan and are just getting in to them but if you want to hear the great Led Zeppelin you'll have to buy all 3 definitive Led zep cd's.

Great CD, 27 May 2008
I spent my youth in the 70's listening to Abba and Boney M. Now, in my 40's, I buy this excellent CD and realise what I missed. For others like me I recommend this album, 'Hammer of the Gods' by Stephen Davis (which tells their unbelievable story entertainingly), and videos from their gigs in the 70's from youtube.

Splendid! ..And they really do sound GREAT!!!, 27 May 2008
I can't add any more to what's already been said in earlier reviews, but I doubt that just these tracks alone have been "re-remastered". Surely the re mastering engineer will have worked on the entire catalogue, wouldn't he?

It's my hope that one day soon, these definitive 2007 re-remasterings will find their way into the traditional CD/download of the complete albums.

Wonderful TIMELESS music that hasn't really dated at all. This band could play, and play many different styles often in one album, giving real pleasure to the listener - and something to return to over thirty years plus.

Enough of this. if you still doubt that CD can "do it," then buy this and see what can be done to these old recordings.

(An LP issue of this for £70? Do leave off.....;) )

RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!

The same old song, 29 Feb 2008
If you already have Led Zeppelin CD's, especially "Remasters", then this probably is not for you as you will probably have much or all of it already.

If you have none, then this is probably the best buy for you. Two CD's of the best tracks AND a DVD. What a bargain!

I guess a Bargain or Rip-Off depends on your current collection.

DVD wrong region, 10 Jan 2008
Beware when buying this. My first copy of this was returned due to the DVD being region 1 NTSC format, it's replacement was also region 1 NTSC. Unfortuntely my TV does not support NTSC, it has now been returned for a refund.

Outstanding value, 12 Feb 2008
I'm not particularly a Stones fan, but this is a suberb collection...... just about the whole album is quality, a must for any music lover.

A Suggestion, 10 Jan 2008
This is great, yeah! Five Stars for the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world, ever. The repackaging is great, an improvement on that awful vinyl cover, the extra tracks, CD notes in gold, sound quality, fantastic. All we need now is a compilation CD of all those early Jagger/Richard numbers from the early albums, up to Aftermath, so we don't have to wade through all of those RnB covers. Sacrilege, I know, but what a great CD that would be, eh?

brilliant collection, 29 Dec 2007
although there is some overlap with 40 Licks, this 2 disc collection is superb and an essential purchase. I just wish they had added some of the early EP tracks instead of the well known hits that all fans will already have. I particularly wanted You Better Move On, which had a lot of TV and radio promotion back in the day and is hard to find now. Still, at 72 mins and 75 mins respectively this is superb VFM and remastered too. Fantastic price at the moment from Amazon as well at £8.95.

Pure Gold, 07 Dec 2007
I was born at a time when this was new and significant in the musical world. Guess what? It still is!

The Stones had a peak period from mid 60s to early 70s, in my opinion; Exile on Main Street was their last great hurrah. However this collection is absolutely wonderful.

Apart from the ground breaking impact they had on the culture of the day, people sometimes overlook just how versatile they were in creating original material and playing it live.

All the killer hooks are here on everything from "Jumping" to "Last Time" to "Brown Sugar". Massive singles that still define the Stones to today. But don't forget how talented they were when putting together some incredibly beautiful Melodies. "We Love You", "Ruby Tuesday" & "Lady Jane" to name just a few. In fact, I could spend an afternoon writing about each track, but why bother, go buy it and listen yourself. Next to the Beatles, they must have one of the most impressive back catalogues of anyone from that era.

This is so rich in quality; it should be in everybody's collection.


About time too!, 24 Nov 2007
I have to disagree with SOG "SOG". Finally fans (well UK fans anyway) are given a proper Stones compilation, not the badly compiled Hot Rocks which was pretty US-centric and should never IMNSHO have been released in the UK. We had Rolled Gold (OK we had to wait till 75 but you see where I'm coming from). The original Rolled Gold had all the UK hits plus at least one track from each of the eight Decca studio albums. With other classics like Play With Fire, Mother's Little Helper and No Expectations added, it's great to have Rolled Gold back - this is long overdue!

Alright then ABKCO when do we get the first two UK albums?

Stunning, evocative music., 14 Apr 2008
I'm not from the US, my family hail from Kashmir and I was born in the UK, grew up listening to punk rock but WOW! The soundtrack literally drips with the era and place it hails from; every time I hear a snippet I swear I can feel the heat and smell the wheat - so amazing!

Diverse selection of old-time music, 01 Jul 2005
The music here, like the film it provides the soundtrack for, is presumably intended to take us back to the thirties. Several songs from that era are featured along with traditional material that would have been popular then. Recorded mainly with state-of-the-art technology (except for some old recordings that are included and re-mastered), the sound quality is far superior to anything available in the thirties. Several different types of music can be found here - blues, gospel, country and folk - mainly performed by contemporary artists with a deep respect for tradition. I'll just pick out some of them although there are many excellent songs here.

Even Alison Krauss sticks firmly with tradition here - she often brings contemporary influences into her music these days but not here. Alison can be heard here on Down to the river to pray (as a solo singer), I'll fly away (providing harmony vocals for lead singer Gillian Welch) and Didn't leave nobody but the baby (joining Gillian and Emmylou in three-part harmony).

The inclusion of two Carter Stanley songs on a soundtrack such as this is predictable but welcome, with the Whites pe