Blue Grass Music from the Appalachian Mountains

Bluegrass Music (Artist), Eric Darling (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 30, 1993)
• Label: Delta
• ASIN: B000001V3Z
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,797 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #97 in Music > World Music > North America > Appalachian

Track Listings

1. Cripple Creek

2. Pateroller Song

3. One Dime Blues

4. Sourwood Mountain

5. Goin Down Road Feelin' Bad

6. Amazing Grace

7. Girl I Left Behind Me

8. Marching Jaybird

9. John Brown's Dream

10. Sally Goodin

11. Railroad Bill

12. Soldier's Joy

13. Molly Brooks

14. Pretty Polly

15. Johnson Boys

16. John Henry

17. Drunken Hiccups

18. Shady Grove

19. Bully Of The Town

20. Skip To My Lou

See all 30 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Same album different name, December 2, 2009

By 

N. Seggerman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Grass Music (Audio CD)

When I first saw this album in the early nineties or late eighties--whenever I first started to buy CD's--it looked familiar. I felt sure it was the same as a vinyl album I had of Southern Appalachian music. I bought it as it was extremely cheap, and because I was trying to find albums I wanted to have forever on CD. Well, it was the same album I had at home except for a different name and an added band on the album. The original album is Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians, which was put out by a label called Tradition Records--an Everest Records Production. All of the songs which are just one instrument --the first 20 songs on the disc--were collected in 1956 by Diane Hamilton, Liam Clancy, and Paul Clayton. The back of the album has extensive notes and the solos were played by several different musicians, none of whom are Eric Darling. I don't know why it says that Eric Darling played all those instruments unless he plays all the instruments in the second part of the album. I have always been bothered by the lack of credit given to performers on this album. We do not really know the name of the bluegrass band included on this disc except that it sounds like a 70's band. It is definitely not a field recording from 1956 as the instrumental songs are.

You can find information about the album on line, I am sure because I found images of the cover by putting in the title. There is another version of this CD that uses the title of the original album and has a different cover. It still claims to be Eric Darling I believe.

None of the musicians on the first part of the album had ever been recorded before with the exception of Hobart Smith who had been recorded by the Library of Congress. Hobart Smith plays fiddle on Cripple Creek, John Brown's Dream, Pretty Polly, and Drunken Hiccups and he plays fretless banjo on Pateroller Song. He has more tracks than anyone else. There are two women players included here, one on guitar, one on dulcimer.

As for Alison Krauss, she probably never heard of whoever was singing I'll Fly Away on this CD. We own the CD and we don't even know who she was. My notes do not give any information on the band or the singer just some misleading notes to make you think they have the first songs legitimately. But they talk in general terms about collecting old time music and don't say who actually recorded this collection. Also just who is Eric Darling? Does he play all the instruments in the sets with the singer? That means it wasn't even a performing band. Most of the songs performed by the band are traditional. Why is no name of the band included? Did Laserlight just come into possession of these recordings? Back in the period when I bought this I was just glad to get it on disc as I figured it would be forever before anyone made a CD of this album.

I always thought Laserlight was a company that put out discs of music they did not have to pay royalties on. They released a lot of old stuff and their cd's were half the price of all the other cd's out there. All of mine were just 5$ when there weren't many bargains. I also bought Nat King Cole and Les Paul in Laserlight releases. The Nat King Cole was a collection from his radio show.

Anyway, I love this music, it is history but I felt that someone should make the connection to the original album. By the way, most of the instrumentals were recorded in North Carolina except for Hobart Smith who was in Virginia.

Oh, and the band has grown on me, it is nice to hear different versions of these songs but at first was just annoyed they were on the disc adding to the confusion of what the disc is.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful cd, wish it had artist information for the tracks, October 4, 2009

By 

Blue (Tulsa, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Grass Music from the Appalachian Mountains (Audio CD)

This is a wonderful cd; a great example of traditional bluegrass music. I wish that the first 20 tracks had vocals, only because I'm used to hearing Shady Grove, Amazing Grace etc. with lyrics. Note that only tracks 21-30 have vocals. I also wish that the artist's information were included, either on the back of the cd or in the booklet. Otherwise, anyone who appreciates traditional bluegrass music (particularly with female singers) will love this cd.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'll Fly Away - on this CD, August 13, 2007

By 

Vickie Engel "Vick" (Cinci, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Grass Music (Audio CD)

The song "I'll Fly Away" on this CD is the actual song used in the movie - Oh Brother Where Art Thou. If you buy the soundtrack, you won't get this version of the song. You get a version by Alison Krauss! I don't see any indication anywhere that tells you, but this is definately the exact song played in the movie.