Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers CD

Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers album for sale Alison Krauss & Union Station: Alison Krauss; Ron Block (vocals); Barry Bales (bass instrument, background vocals); Dan Tyminski, Jerry Douglas . In a world where popular country music has lost much of its roots, Alison Krauss stands out among the pack because she remains true to the bluegrass traditions of Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, and others. However, more than just a revivalist, Krauss also has an unerring ear for elegant pop music. LONELY RUNS BOTH WAYS features, essentially, two types of music--burning-hot bluegrass compositions and delicate, heartrending country ballads. On the latter, Krauss's gossamer voice sears with deep emotion and lyrical clarity. For example, the last song on the album, "A Living Prayer," is a gospel lullaby featuring Krauss belting out long, legato notes over austere acoustic guitar accompaniment. In contrast, the instrumental piece "Unionhouse Branch" explores traditional Americana. Each Union Station member is featured on this track, and the level of technical skill displayed by these musicians (particularly by dobro player Jerry Douglas) is truly astounding. In many ways, this band represents a pinnacle in modern bluegrass. As for Krauss, her fiddle playing is understated on this release, but her beautifully penetrating voice more than makes up for it. Personnel: Alison Krauss (vocals, fiddle, viola); Dan Tyminski (vocals, baritone, guitar, mandolin); Barry Bales (tenor, bass voice); Ron Block (guitar, slide guitar, banjo); ...

Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers buy CD music FAIR & SQUARE's release was highly anticipated by John Prine fans, as the veteran singer/songwriter hadn't recorded an album of new songs in 10 years (the preceding IN SPITE OF OURSELVES was mostly cover tunes). Happily for both Prine and his contingent, FAIR & SQUARE represents that most coveted of phenomena, the Return to Form. Though 1995's LOST DOGS & MIXED BLESSINGS was not without its virtues, some tracks were marred by overproduction. Here, though, the arrangements are scaled back down to Prine's comfort zone, appropriately rootsy to accommodate both the down-home amiability of his tone and the endlessly intriguing twists and turns of his unique lyrical style. While he's not untouched by contemporary events (references to the White House and the war in Iraq crop up), most of the tunes here are the sort of classic Prine material that made the songwriter a cult hero in the '70s. Equally important, the likes of "Crazy as a Loon" and "Some Humans Ain't Human" show that he still has his unique knack for making penetrating observations while maintaining his trademark wry humor. Live Recording Recording information: Minutia (10/16/2004); Ryman Auditorium (10/16/2004); Seventeen Grand recording (10/16/2004); The Butcher Shop (10/16/2004). Personnel: John Prine (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); John Prine; Mindy Smith (vocals, background vocals); Dan Tyminski, Alison Krauss (vocals); Pat McLaughlin (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, Wurlitzer organ, background vocals); Shawn Camp (electric guitar); John Wilkes Booth (mandolin); Phil Parlapiano (accordion); David Jacques (bass guitar); Kenny Malone (percussion); Dan Dugmore (steel guitar); Paul Griffith (drums); Jerry Douglas . Audio Mixer: Gary Paczosa.

Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers songs Not since Prince released the three-hour, three-CD set EMANCIPATION in 1996 or the Magnetic Fields took a similar number of discs for the sprawling 69 LOVE SONGS in 1999 has an artist attempted something as expansive as Vince Gill's THESE DAYS. A four-disc box set of all new material, nearly all of it Gill originals, THESE DAYS is possibly the widest-ranging country album of the modern era. The four discs are thematically and stylistically arranged. Disc one, WORKIN' ON A BIG CHILL, is a 1960s-flavored rock-and-roll album that recalls Bob Dylan's late '60s work with the Band and features Bonnie Bramlett's vocals on several songs. Disc two, THE REASON WHY, is a modern pop record in the style of Shania Twain's international releases, with several duet partners including Sheryl Crow and Leann Rimes. Disc three, SOME THINGS NEVER GET OLD, is straight honky-tonk in the Ray Price and Lefty Frizzell tradition. Finally, disc four, LITTLE BROTHER, is a strictly acoustic bluegrass and folk album that cuts Gill's writing and singing to its most elemental. Taken together, the four albums reveal Vince Gill to be one of modern country's most impressive performers. Liner Note Author: Jay Orr. Recording information: Blackbird "F", Nashville, TN; Blackbird Studio, Nashville, TN; Emerald Sound Studios, Nashville, TN; Masterfonics, Nashville, TN; OceanWay, Nashville, TN; Sound Kitchen, Nashville, TN. Photographer: Señor McGuire. Personnel: Vince Gill (baritone, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, resonator guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Vince Gill (vocals); Diana Krall (vocals, piano); Guy Clark, John Anderson, Rodney Crowell (vocals); Jeff White (tenor, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Sonya Issacs (tenor); Tom Britt (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, gut-string guitar); Billy Joe Walker, Jr., Steuart Smith (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); John Hughey, Buddy Emmons (steel guitar); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Rob McCoury, Charlie Cushman (banjo); Ronnie McCoury (mandolin); Stuart Duncan (fiddle); The Nashville String Machine (strings); Jim Hoke (harmonica); Mark Douthit (tenor saxophone); Doug Moffet (baritone saxophone); Mike Haynes (trumpet); Barry Green (trombone); Jim Horn (horns); Pete Wasner (piano, electric piano, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer); Eric Darken (vibraphone, tambourine, percussion, bells, chimes); Michael Rhodes (bass instrument, upright bass); Mike Bub (upright bass); Eddie Bayers, Billy Thomas (drums); William Owsley III, Gene Miller, Lisa Cochran (background vocals); Del McCoury (vocals, tenor, acoustic guitar); Bekka Bramlett (vocals, background vocals); Dan Tyminski, Emmylou Harris, Gretchen Wilson, Jenny Gill, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack, Alison Krauss, Michael McDonald , Amy Grant, Patty Loveless, Phil Everly, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Trisha Yearwood, Sheryl Crow, Katrina Elam, Bonnie Raitt (vocals); Tom Bukovac (electric guitar); John Hobbs (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer organ); Chad Cromwell (drums, tambourine); The Del McCoury Band. Audio Mixers: Justin Niebank; Neal Cappellino.

Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers CD music WORLD WITHOUT TEARS was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. "Righteously" was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Though it's ultimately a less balladic, more stylistically varied album than its dreamy predecessor ESSENCE, WORLD WITHOUT TEARS starts out with a slow-burning, reverb-drenched ballad, but then takes a sharp turn into sensual lyricism, pounding drums, and churning guitar on "Righteously." For some time, the dominant topic of Lucinda Williams albums has been the edgy appeal of dangerous, often doomed men, and true to form there are plenty of those on WORLD WITHOUT TEARS. Witness the tragic anti-hero of "Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings," the troubled guy with the "sexy crooked teeth" in "Overtime," or the psychologically damaged character whose "Sweet Side" still calls out to the singer. That's not the whole story, of course; there's also the raw, stomping blues of "Atonement," where Lucinda comes off like a frenzied hellfire-and-brimstone Old Testament preacher, and the hip-hop/Americana collision of the socially conscious "American Dream." Whether she's spitting fire or crooning sweet messages of solace, though, Williams is a strikingly communicative singer, and the mere sound of her voice lends an instant weight to whatever song it graces. Recorded at Real Music Studios Incorporated, Los Angeles, California. Personnel: Lucinda Williams (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Doug Pettibone (electric guitar, mandolin); Jim Christie (Wurlitzer organ, drums). Audio Mixer: Mark Howard. Recording information: Real Music Studio, Inc., Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Danny Clinch. Arrangers: Doug Pettibone; Taras Prodaniuk; Jim Christie. Personnel: Lucinda Williams (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Doug Pettibone (electric guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Jim Christie (Wurlitzer piano, organ, drums); Taras Prodaniuk (bass).

Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers buy CD music A genuine supergroup that only became regarded as such years after the fact, the Cherry Bombs were a Nashville ensemble led by future stars Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell early in their respective careers. The band also included legendary producer and label executive Tony Brown, as well as several of Music City's future first-call session men. The group never recorded a proper album during its heyday, so, not surprisingly, its legend grew to epic proportions. Amazingly, in 2004, the musicians decided to give it another go, and THE NOTORIOUS CHERRY BOMBS is the result. Sounding like a slightly twangier version of the Traveling Wilburys or 1990s-era Nick Lowe, the disc is a seamless blend of country and roots-rock of the sort not heard since the glory days of the Blasters. This is the kind of music that confounds critics looking for easy adjectives; a glorious melting-pot of American styles played with flair, heart, and tasteful chops, THE NOTORIOUS CHERRY BOMBS is not only worth the wait--it ranks with the best recordings of any of the artists involved. Audio Mixer: Steve Marcantonio. The Notorious Cherry Bombs: Vince Gill (guitar); Richard Bennett (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, cavaquinho, bass instrument); Rodney Crowell (electric guitar); Michael Rhodes (bass instrument); Hank DeVito, John Hobbs, Eddie Bayers. Personnel: Vince Gill (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro, banjo, mandolin); Rodney Crowell (vocals, acoustic guitar, steel guitar); Jenny Gill (vocals); Hank DeVito (acoustic guitar, steel guitar, dobro, background vocals); Jim Horn (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Steve Herman (trumpet); John Hobbs (piano, organ, keyboards, background vocals); Eddie Bayers (drums, percussion, background vocals); Larrie Londin (drums); Mike Porter (tambourine); Michael Rhodes (background vocals). Additional personnel: Larrie Londin.

Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers songs RULES OF TRAVEL was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Rosanne Cash started out at the vanguard of progressive country in the late '70s, but although you can't have deeper roots in country music than Johnny Cash's eldest child, she always had a broader vision in mind. Her definitive farewell to country came with 1993's THE WHEEL and she hasn't looked back since. Only one more album popped out in the 10 years between that career milestone and RULES OF TRAVEL, but it sounds like it was time well spent. With country ever further behind her, Cash goes down a deep, dark, introspective singer/songwriter path via dusky songs simmering with hurt, regret, and hard lessons learned. Cash's artful-but-not-pretentious lyrics are expertly framed by husband/producer/multi-instrumentalist John Leventhal, who plays the lion's share of the instruments and leads his wife toward a sonic state not dissimilar to that of his cohort Shawn Colvin (a crisp folk/rock/pop amalgam). Guest appearances by the likes of Steve Earle and Big Daddy Cash himself make for some variety, but it's Ms. Cash's trenchant, concise songwriting that's the star of this show. Recorded at 12th Street Studio, Sear Sound, and New York Noise, New York, New York; Cash Cabin Studio, Hendersonville, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee. Personnel: Rosanne Cash (vocals, guitar); Johnny Cash, Steve Earle (vocals); John Leventhal (guitar, Wurlitzer organ, keyboards, percussion); Tony Kadleck (flugelhorn); Larry Farrell (trombone); Doug Petty, Danny Louis (organ); Zev Katz (upright bass); Dennis McDermott, Shawn Pelton (drums, percussion); Catherine Russell (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Roger Moutenot. Recording information: 12th Street Studio; Johnny Cash Cabin Studio, Hendersonville, TN; New York Noise, New York, NY; Sear Sound Studios, New York, NY. Guests:Johnny Cash,Sheryl Crow ,Steve Earle,Teddy Thompson. Personnel: Rosanne Cash (vocals, guitar); Sheryl Crow, Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Teddy Thompson (vocals); John Leventhal (guitar, Wurlitzer piano, keyboards, bass, percussion); Rick Depofi (tenor saxophone); Tony Kadler (flugelhorn); Larry Farrell (trombone); Doug Petty (organ); Zev Katz (bass, upright bass); Michael Rhodes (bass); Dennis McDermott, Shawn Pelton (drums, percussion); Matt Keeler (drums); Catherine Russell (background vocals).