Vince Gill - These Days CD

These Days songs 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.

These Days CD music 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); Jerry Douglas (lap steel guitar, dobro). Audio Mixer: Gary Paczosa. Recording information: 17 Grand Recording, Nashville, TN; Blackbrid Studio; Minutia Recording Studio. Photographer: Norman Jean Roy.

These Days buy CD music 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.

These Days album for sale 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.

These Days CD music In a way, Dwight Yoakam had been working up to DWIGHT SINGS BUCK for his whole career. Buck Owens's '60s Bakersfield honky-tonk sound was the primary influence on Yoakam's career, and the latter emerged in the '80s as the proud bearer of the Bakersfield torch. One of Yoakam's earliest hits was in fact a duet with Owens. So it's only natural that in the wake of Buck's passing, his disciple should honor him with a tribute album. Yoakam tackles both classic Owens tunes, such as the evergreen "Act Naturally" and "Crying Time," and more esoteric fare. Often he plays it straight, sticking close to his hero's template, but even when he takes a few liberties with the material, it remains clear just how much of a formative effect this music has had on Yoakam, and how deeply it's ingrained in his own musical makeup. Recording information: Track Record Studios, North Hollywood, CA. Photographer: Cambria Lyn Harkey. Arranger: Dwight Yoakam. Personnel: Dwight Yoakam (vocals, acoustic guitar); Eddie "Scarlito" Perez (electric guitar, electric sitar); Joshua Grange (piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ, keyboards); Skip Edwards (piano); Kevin C. Smith, Jonathan Clark (bass guitar); Mitch Marine (drums); Bobbye Hall (congas, maracas, shaker, tambourine, percussion). Audio Mixer: David Leonard .

These Days buy 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.