Customer Reviews

Bona Fide

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great CD. These guys manage to write material that respects (and reeks of) traditional bluegrass, without falling into tired cliches or simple, cheesy lyrics. No lazy writing here. Great picking and singing too. Very impressive.

I love listening to traditional bluegrass, whether Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Stanleys, or their modern interpreters. But I also love listening to absolutely new, stunning music that breathes new life into the old styles. This album is a necessity for any acoustic music lover. Each song is a gem, exquisitely crafted, sung by these amazing voices, and best of all, doesn't sound like any other album that you've bought this year. Additionally, every time I play the album, I pick a *different* song as being the greatest one on the set! They are all that good.

...but now I love it. First time I listened to the CD, I hated it and wondered what the heck I'd bought. I must not have been paying attention! Really a pleasing group with good harmonies and pickers.

Their sister joins them on one song 'The Lighthouse' prominently and I believe it's her in the background on others. A fair singer herself, she fits in the 'allowed to waver and warble a bit' category of bluegrass singers. Which is JUST fine!

While perhaps not to the caliber of some other bluegrass musicians, this album contains some really enjoyable original and traditional melodies. 'Norma', 'Beautiful Brown Eyes', and 'Vern's Guitar' are my favorites. 'Vern's Guitar gets me crying each and every time. *dabs eyes*

It's worth checking out, definetly.

Bona fide is exactly what this album is folks. Wonderful harmonies, interesting and engaging instrumentals, fabulous lyrics. "Arleigh" makes me cry nearly every time as it calls to mind memories of my own Grandfather from the same town in which these boys (and gal) were raised. Since getting this album a few months ago, I have listened to it several times a week and often multiple times in a day. "Vern's Guitar" is palpable. "Beautiful Brown Eyes" is a wonderful romp. I can't help but sing along every time I listen and I'm still hearing different things in this music every day. Love this album and sincerely appreciate all the musicians who make it so wonderful.

These guys have got the Bluegrass thing down. They are the best sound in Bluegrass and great entertainers. If you ver get to meet them you'll find they're 2 real great guys to know. This is a GREAT ALBUM.

If you like bluegrass music,you'll love the Gibson Brothers. If you don't like bluegrass music, there is a good chance you will like these guys. Beautiful execution of the music, great choice of songs, great songwriting: what more can you ask. They have three albums on Sugar Hill Records. All are excellent. Give them a listen!

About seven years ago, Eric and Leigh Gibson were telling me about their brand of bluegrass which emphasized the old theory that "less is more." They described it as bluegrass with control in which the instruments don't crowd the singer or other instruments. In other words, they believed in letting their music breathe. At the time, the Gibson Brothers weren't including a fiddle and mandolin in their lineup either. Leigh played guitar, and Eric picked banjo. In 1994, they released their first album on the Big Elm label, then they signed with the Hay Holler label. After winning the 1998 IBMA Emerging Artist Award, the group contracted with Ceili Records. Now, the two brothers who were raised on a dairy farm in upstate New York have joined the roster of one of bluegrass' most renown labels, Sugar Hill. Mike Barber has reunited with the brothers on upright bass. Their band sound is fuller with the likes of Marc MacClashan picking mandolin, and Jason Carter or Luke Bulla playing fiddle on this album. Sam Zucchini and Jeff Taylor also add bodhran and accordion, respectively, to one song apiece. Erin Gibson's singing on "Beautiful Brown Eyes" and "The Lighthouse" is a welcome treat. The Gibsons still emphasize two-part brother harmony, and it might be nice on future releases to hear more trios from the band, with little sis singing lead or harmony. The brothers' repertoire has always been characterized by strong original material, and this project offers nine songs written or co-written by one or both of the Gibsons. Standouts include those that tell hard-hitting stories (Railroad Line, Vern's Guitar, Where Nobody Knows My Name) or paint vivid portraits of people (Arleigh, Ragged Man, Norma). Also, their newgrassy "That Bluegrass Music" is a testament to their love for the genre. This album screams when "Shucking the Corn" spins, and Tom T. Hall's "Don't Forget the Coffee, Billy Joe" (complete with Tom T.'s cameo line "now pay attention, son") seems a tongue-in-cheek statement regarding misplaced priorities in a troubled world. The Gibson Brothers now offer a fuller and more visceral brand of bluegrass than they did a decade ago. Bona Fide, is a top-notch album, and as the title claims, the Gibson Brothers' bluegrass is sincere, authentic and genuine. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

This is the Gibson Brother's fourth CD and they just keep getting better. I have the entire collection and listen to them daily, over and over. The harmony between Eric and Leigh is beautiful. I like the fact that the music is not heavy bluegrass but instead focuses on the vocals. Less instuments do make a significant difference. I have also had the opportunity to catch these guys in live concert and they put on an excellent show.

This CD is what bluegrass is all about-serious picking,
beautiful harmonies.It will quickly become one of your
favorites.

Listening to radio via the internet, I was made aware of the Gibson Brothers and looked up on Amazon and played the samples and I was hooked. Bought the CD from Amazon and not disapointed at all. Good mixture and great musician-ship.