Customer Reviews

Back Porch Bluegrass/ Live!!! Almost!!!

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For all those nostalgic fans of "The Andy Griffith Show" who have long clamored for a collection of the Darling boys' best, here 'tis. Well, not exactly. Actually, it's The Dillards' first two Elektra albums from 1963 and 1964, a time when they were perfecting their taciturn alter egos on TV and forcing critics and audiences to broaden their definition of "hillbilly music." With The Dillards at the top of their art as a strictly bluegrass band, this CD is likely as close as you're ever going to get to a Darling record. The pickin' and grinnin' is mighty darn good, and if you close your eyes, it's easy to imagine yourself settin' a spell in Briscoe Darling's cabin as the boys make the windows rattle.

At the time of its release, "Back Porch Bluegrass" had indignant critics, convinced nobody could play a banjo or mandolin that fast with such precision, accusing Elektra of speeding up some of the tracks. They hadn't reckoned on Douglas Dillard and Dean Webb, whose virtuosity didn't need no stinkin' studio trickery. "Hickory Hollow," in particular, sounds like the Darlings jamming after partaking of some extra potent rabbit tobacco. The album is teeming with neglected gems, like the Andy Griffith-named "Doug's Tune" (heard on the show), a wildly infectious ditty featuring some tasty interplay between banjo Wunderkind Douglas and little brother Rodney on guitar. The icing on the cake is "Duelin' Banjo," a breakneck romp for banjo and mandolin that should make anybody with ears forget that Hollywood-ized "Deliverance" stuff.

Recorded at L.A.'s Mecca club, "Live!!! Almost!!!" finds The Dillards in top-notch form and points up the importance of Mitch Jayne to the group's success. The first to admit his humble musical gifts, Jayne was a former schoolteacher and disk jockey who only learned bass in order to join the band. He proved to be a crackerjack lyricist, however, and his self-styled role as a jaunty raconteur of rustic humor lent the act extra dimension and appeal. The Mecca audience ate up Jayne's country schtick, much of it decidedly politically incorrect, with a spoon. The best bit, by far, is his set-up of "Old Blue," a routine that neatly spoofs privies, poodles and Joan Baez, at the time a sacred cow of the burgeoning folk scene. Jayne's all too willing foil in the proceedings is young Rodney, apparently playing an even broader version of his slack-jawed Darling character. (Too bad there's not a video!)

A German import (The Dillards are revered in Europe and rightly regarded there as the true daddies of country rock), the packaging is quite nice, featuring a keepsake booklet with reproductions of the original album covers and liner notes. The outer box, though, shows a photo of Rodney, Dean and Mitch with future Dillard Herb Pedersen, who "replaced" Douglas. Oops!

this is truly the best of the darlin boys. these 2 tracks are every piece played on the andy griffith show and this website is the only place u can find this i have looked everywhere. u buy these 2 tracks together it is a nonstop listening pleasure for any one who likes the dillards this is a must have. if u think when u bought 'there is a time'63-70 and u got all there songs from these 2 albums your wrong. there are many classics missed from that album that are in these 2 tracks. also if anyone who reads this has the pickin and fiddlin album tell me how it is it is the only album i do not own of the dillards.

This album is by far the best bluegrass recording I have ever heard. Combining old standards with incredible originals, the dillards race through each track at a breakneck speed. Some fine tracks include 'Dooley' (heard on the Andy Griffith show) 'Ground Hog' and 'Deulin' Banjo.'

If you like the kind of bluegrass that was featured on the Andy Griffith Show, you will like this cd. It has the same crisp sound and vocals. However, the young lady that accompanied them on the show does not sing on this album. Two favorites from Mayberry are on it-Tom Dooley and There was a time. There is a little humor between some of the songs (remember, it's almost live).

The Dillards ARE the Darlings of the Andy Griffith Shows. The first 2 albums have songs and tunes that were used in the Andy Griffith Shows. Charlene does not sing and Brisco does not jug in the original albums. Backporch Bluegrass album is a studio recording and the Live Almost! album is a live recording with clean decent humor thrown in. The sounds on these first 2 albums is excellent... can't get any better than this. There are websites with info and pictures of the Dillards. As far as I know, they are all still alive and kickin' as of this time.

This music cd is by far describes the roots in which most of us started from.Many of us don't know that.If your looking for top notch banjo and mandolin stranging,look no more.THIS IS IT.Back porch Bluegrass, by the Dillard's.It will make you yearn for the Good Ol,Days..Im from Texas& Im a Hillbilly,and Damn Proud of it.

This makes a great road trip record! Back Porch Bluegrass from 1963 and Live!!! Almost!!! from 1964. Allowances have got to be made for the sonic conditions of those times, but I had no trouble enjoying the heck out of it. In fact, bringing my Dartmouth graduate daughter back home we played it twice. Wonderful songs, fabulous playing and harmonies and with Live!!! Almost!!! their continual good time silliness. If you're in any kind of 21st century funk this will lift you up and out of it pronto. Better than any costly drug empire cure. You'll be smiling like you have "a mouthful of bees."

I love the Dillards, Mitch Jayne, especially. I bought this album for a friend who is an Andy Griffith fan. I am so glad I opened and listened to it before giving it to her. The audio quality was horrible! Static almost completely over powered the songs. I tried returning it and re-ordering. Same problem. Tried another seller, and still, very bad sound quality. Customer service was excellent, however, with both sellers. I finally downloaded Back Porch Bluegrass from Amazon and got the sound quality expected. But, I still don't have Live!! Almost!!

I am hoping it was just a bad batch of CD's.

These guys became friends of mine in LA in the late 60's, about 6 years after their first two Elektra LPs were recorded, which are both in this CD. I had learned all the banjo riffs off these records by then, using the old tried and true method of slowing the 33 1/3 rpm vinyl to 16 rpm so you could figure out what the picking pattern was. Douglas Dillard played scorchingly fast, and no one else played like him then. He also played a Gibson banjo with a "raised" head, which had a brighter sound than the "flat-head" models favored by most bluegrass players (Ralph Stanley also played a raised head model).

Lots of the original songs here are still heard in picking parties around the country, and younger players like Sam Bush and New Grass Revival know and have played these songs. Especially on the west coast, banjo players wanted to play just like Doug, and after sleeping on his couch for a year in 1968, I could come pretty close. Anyway, this is seminal stuff, and I agree these guys had quite a bit to do with the formation of country rock.

If you want lightning fast, pure, unadulterated bluegrass fun, this is it. This is absolutely my favorite Dillards collection and one of the best bluegrass compilations around.

My family is from the Ozarks and has known the group members for years. Back in the 60's, those hillbillies thought these boys were out of their minds to take the show with THEIR music to exotic locales. Who on earth would appreciate hill music besides the natives? Thank goodness so many people from so many walks of life recognize the beauty of the music and the genius and talent of The Dillards.

This really should be a must for any well-rounded music collection.