Dolly Parton - Those Were the Days CD

Those Were the Days buy CD music Those who find the pairing of '70s rock god Robert Plant with contemporary bluegrass queen Alison Krauss unlikely have probably not been paying attention to Plant's latter-day work, which is full of intimate, acoustic-flavored balladry. While the organic-sounding, low-key Plant/Krauss collaboration, RAISING SAND, is a far cry from Led Zeppelin's stadium rock, it offers up some hauntingly moody textures that should appeal to "Battle of Evermore" admirers. Consisting mostly of sagely chosen cover tunes, the album finds Plant and Krauss bringing their warm-but-eerie harmonies to everything from Townes Van Zandt's nihilistic folk poetry ("Nothin'") to the crumbled beauty of latter-day Tom Waits ("Trampled Rose"). Determined not to rest on their laurels or cater to expectations, the 59-year-old icon and his junior partner craft a subtle and intriguing sound built on their shared love of folk forms and gift for interpretation, bringing to light esoteric gems by late Byrds visionary Gene Clark and the Everly Brothers along the way as well.

Those Were the Days CD music Country purists may take offense at finding American Idol winner Carrie Underwood's debut album in the country section. An unabashedly manufactured commercial product, SOME HEARTS is the sound of mainstream country in the 2000s heavily steeped in glossy pop. There's nothing downhome or roots-conscious about Underwood's voice or looks: she's the pretty blonde next door with a fine singing voice, but the powers that be have made her a country artist, and that's what the public gets. None of this is to say that SOME HEARTS is not a good pop album. The combination of Underwood's considerable gift and the slick, spot-on production of Dan Huff and Mark Bright makes for a fine package. Even on somewhat by-the-numbers tunes (like her smash hit "Inside Your Heaven"), Underwood sings with conviction, and she does well with both the ballads and the uptempo tracks. Idol viewers and fans of artists like Faith Hill and Shania Twain will want to check this out. Carrie Underwood: Dann Huff (electric guitar); Mike Johnson (steel guitar); Daniel Smith (cello); Jimmie Lee Sloas (bass instrument); Chris McHugh, Alyssa Park, Eric Darken, Julian Hallmark, Matthew Funes, Hillary Lindsey, Joel Derouin, Adam Steffey, Lonnie Wilson, Matt Rollings, Paul Franklin , Sid Page, Suzie Katayama, Wes Hightower, Roberto Cani, Larry Corbett, Biff Watson, J.T. Corenflos, Steve Nathan, Jonathan Yudkin, Tom Bukovac, Jim VanCleve, Steve Richards , Perry Coleman, Michael Markman, Josefina Vergara, Michele Richards, Susan Chatman, Bryan Sutton, Morgane Hayes, Charles Judge, Mario Diaz de Leon, Endre Granat, Tereza Stanislav, Denyse Buffum, Andrew Duckles, Shanti Randall. Personnel: Carrie Underwood (background vocals); Biff Watson, Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar); Dan Huff, J.T. Corenflos, Tom Bukovac (electric guitar); Gary Morse, Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Jonathan Yudkin (dobro, banjo, mandolin, violin, fiddle, viola, cello, strings); Adam Steffey (mandolin); Alyssa Park, Julian Hallmark, Matthew Funes, Joel Derouin, Sid Page, Roberto Cani, Michael Markman, Josefina Vergara, Michele Richards, Susan Chatman, Mario Diaz de Leon, Endre Granat, Tereza Stanislav, Denyse Buffum, Andrew Duckles, Shanti Randall (violin); Jim VanCleve (fiddle); Suzie Katayama, Larry Corbett, Steve Richards (cello); Matt Rollings (piano); Charles Judge (keyboards, programming); Steve Nathan (keyboards); Chris McHugh, Lonnie Wilson, Shannon Forrest (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); Hillary Lindsey, Lisa Cochran, Neil Thrasher, Wes Hightower, Perry Coleman, Morgane Hayes (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Derek Bason; Justin Niebank; Serban Ghenea. Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Electrokitty Recording, Seattle, WA; Sound Stage Studios, Nashville, TN; Starstruck, Nashville, TN; The Gentlemen's Club; The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, CA; The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA; The Sound Kitchen, Nashville, TN; The Village, Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Andrew Southam. Arranger: Harry "Slick" Sommerdahl.

Those Were the Days songs Although the subtitle suggests that A HUNDRED MILES OR MORE is just a standard greatest hits set, this anthology is actually something far more useful. The career-spanning 16-track set gathers nearly all of Alison Krauss's soundtrack appearances, guest shots on other folks' albums, tribute songs, and a handful of other rarities. By gathering all this material in one place, it's a hugely useful album for fans, but on its own musical merits, A HUNDRED MILES OR MORE contains some of Alison Krauss's best work. Highlights include "Down to the River to Pray," her haunting a cappella addition to the Grammy winning O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU soundtrack, and her version of Elvis Costello's "The Scarlet Tide" from the soundtrack to the Civil War romance COLD MOUNTAIN. Audio Remixer: Gary Paczosa. Liner Note Author: Jim Bessman. Recording information: Blackbird, Nashville, TN; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Emerald Studio A, Nashville, TN; Ocean Way, Nashville, TN; Seventeen Grand, Nashville, TN; Sound Emporium, Nashville, TN; Steerpike Studio; The Brown Cloud, Nashville, TN; The Castle, Franklin, TN. Photographers: Gary Paczosa; Pamela Springsteen; Robert Alford; Russ Harrington; Michael Wilson ; Randee Saint Nicholas; Matt Barnes. Arrangers: Paddy Moloney; Gordie Sampson. Personnel: Alison Krauss (vocals, fiddle, viola); Alison Krauss (background vocals); John Waite (vocals, bass instrument); James Taylor Jr., James Taylor (vocals); Tom Bukovac (guitar, guitars); Ron Block (guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Steve Buckingham (dulcimer); Sam Bush (mandolin, background vocals); Matt Rollins, Keith Ciancia, Matt Rollins, Keefus Ciancia (piano); Jim Cox (Hammond b-3 organ); Viktor Krauss, Dennis Crouch (bass instrument); Harry Stinson (drum set); Cheryl White, Sting (background vocals); Brad Paisley (vocals, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar); Stuart Duncan (guitar, baritone ukulele, violin, fiddle); Gordie Sampson, Tony Rice (guitar); Carl Jackson (acoustic guitar, gut-string guitar); Dan Tyminski (acoustic guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Jeff White, Michael Spriggs, B. James Lowry (acoustic guitar); Mike Johnson (steel guitar); Jerry Douglas (lap steel guitar, dobro); Bill Piburn (classical guitar); Béla Fleck (banjo); David Schnaufer (dulcimer); Adam Steffey (mandola); Bryan Sutton (mandolin); Chris Carmichael (violin, viola, cello); Natalie MacMaster, Justin Williamson (fiddle); Martin Tillman (cello); The Nashville String Machine (strings); Gordon Mote (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Catherine Marx (piano); Patrick Warren (harmonium); Scott Baggett (keyboards); Kevin Grantt (bass instrument, upright bass); Abraham Laboriel, Sr. (bass instrument, drums); Barry Bales (acoustic bass, electric bass); Shannon Forrest (drums, percussion); Greg Morrow, Larry Atamanuik, Tony Creasman, Andy Peake, Ben Sesar (drums); Eric Darken, Kenny Malone (percussion); David Rawlings, Porter McLister, First Baptist Church Choir of White House, TN, Dub Cornett, Gillian Welch, Kenny Lewis, Maura O'Connell, Norman Blake, Sam Phillips , Tim O'Brien, Pat Enright (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Paddy Moloney; Jeff Wolpert; Justin Niebank; Mike Piersante; Mike Shipley; Brian Masterson.

Those Were the Days album for sale By the early 2000s Linda Ronstadt was galaxies away from the '70s soft rock on which she made her name. On a journey that led her deeper and deeper into American roots music she began working with traditional Cajun artist Ann Savoy (of the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band), and the results of the collaboration can be found on 2006's graceful and beautifully measured ADIEU, FALSE HEART. The material is deep-roots folk with a strong Cajun flavor, and with top session players like mandolinist Sam Bush on board, the execution and playing is never less than flawless. Yet the arrangements and approach transcend any sort of genre exercise: Ronstadt and Savoy sing as though they are spirits resting between the past and the future, giving this mixture of originals, covers, and traditional songs a beautiful, timeless quality.

Those Were the Days CD music Such a perfect title for a George Strait album it's a wonder it hasn't been used before, IT JUST COMES NATURAL showcases one of the all-time great Nashville country singers in his natural habitat. Surrounded by fiddles, steel guitars, mandolins, and other signifiers of the new traditionalist country sound that he remains loyal to more than a quarter-century into his career, Strait delivers 15 wry breakup songs (first single, "Give it Away"), heartbroken ballads ("I Ain't Her Cowboy Anymore"), and audience-pleasing sing-alongs ("How 'Bout Them Cowgirls"). Strait even finds room to resurrect a minor classic of the Texas alt-country scene of the 1970s, Guy Clark's "Texas Cooking," a should-be standard of which Strait gives a respectful, cozy reading. Still one of the finest country singers of his own or any generation, Strait is in excellent voice throughout. Recording information: Shrimpboat Sound, Key West, FL; Starstruck, Nashville, TN; The Compound, Nashville, TN. Photographer: Sid Farbstein. Personnel: Steve Gibson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, gut-string guitar); Mac McAnally (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar, gut-string guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Stuart Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); The Nashville String Machine (strings); Jeff Taylor (accordion); Matt Rollings (piano, synthesizer); Steve Nathan (organ, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer); Glenn Worf (upright bass); Eddie Bayers (drums); Tony Brown , Wes Hightower, Marty Slayton (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Chuck Ainlay.

Those Were the Days buy CD music