Customer Reviews

Breakdown

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Many folks are initially suspect of Old & In the Way's authenticity considering the group includes Jerry Garcia. Let there be no doubts of Garcia's bluegrass integrity (personally, I think he should have played more bluegrass.) Garcia introduced a whole new generation of folks to bluegrass...and most of them probably would not have heard it otherwise. That being said...onto the music review.

This is truly an all-star lineup: Vassar Clements! David Grisman, Peter Rowan & John Kahn round out the lineup. This amazing set of 19 tunes includes many classics like Bill Monroe's "Pig in a Pen," "Workin' On a Building." It includes the Rolling Stones "Wild Horses," which the group makes sound like a true bluegrass tune (this is no gimmick.) The playing is clean and tight. Also, this is the way bluegrass should be heard...LIVE! This music is ultimately learned in an oral tradition and from watching and jamming with others. Sure you can learn from books, but that strips the soul out of the tunes. Plus many songs are anonymous and there are many versions of the same tune passed down through the generations.

Peter Rowan's voice is splendid and is one of the best in the business. From breakneck speed banjo pickin' to soft country ballads, this disc has them all. This good 'ol string band music is a great way to enter the wide world of bluegrass (which has many sub-genres.)

I guess I was always aware of Bluegrass growing up, as my grandparents would always gather round the TV to watch Bill Monroe wail away on his mandolin but it wasn't until I started to explore Jerry Garcia's side projects that I realized how intricate and complex this music is, not to mention how talented the musicians are. From the opening introduction by Pete Rowan through old classics like the signature Panama Red, Working On A Building, and Pig in a Pen to an amazing rendition of the Rolling Stones' Wild Horses this album is a winner. As you listen to it you can't help but think that these guys are sitting on your portch in rocking chairs. It is an excellent recording that captures the essence of the work of this excursion in the mid seventies. If I could urge every Deadhead out there to learn one more thing about Jerry Garcia, it would be to appreciate his love for Bluegrass and Folk music. He has certainly done me a favour by introducing it to me. Also, check out Old & In The Way as well as That High Lonesome Sound, as both are equally superb. Thanks again Jerry, fare thee well.

Pianist Bruce Hornsby once asserted that his favorite musics were bluegrass and jazz. Asked if that seemed like a disparate pair of choices, he commented that both emphasize precision musicianship and tight ensemble play. This bluegrass leans a bit toward the jazz side of the fence. A superficial listening might lead you to believe this is straight bluegrass, but start concentrating on the individual musicians, and there is a lot more going on than first meets the ears. The real star here is fiddle player Vassar Clements, who magically embellishes mightily on the melodic line without seeming to do so. Like the best jazz, the more carefully you listen, the more that is revealed. Just gets better with repeat play. Desert island CD for sure. Better sound quality and better and more material than either the companion "High Lonesome Sound" or the Rycodisk distillation of the two.

Old and in the way, exellent bluegrass from an exellent band and a legendary artist, the late Great Jerome John Garcia (1942-1995)This is just perfect bluegrass. It's not that country pop garbage. No "Redneck Woman" sh*t here. My idol will live on

In short, this is one immensely satisfying bluegrass album. The three soloists (Garcia, Clements, and Grisman) are excellent, and Clements' fiddling is jaw-dropping. Grisman, as usual, displays a keen sense of phrasing and a still-astonishing speed. Garcia can actually play the banjo with some ability, though his solo breaks are usually restricted to the melody or some spruced-up chord progression. It's interesting that after almost every solo, Jerry gets some cheers--from G.D. fans, I imagine--while Grisman and Clements (both of whom are vastly superior to Garcia in bluegrass terms) rarely get much individual applause.
I'm not trying to disparage Garcia's playing--he definitely holds it together, and considering his G.D. history, I was surprised by his abilities.
The group excells at making the songs accessible, both in the choice of songs and in the playing.

Some particularly enjoyable songs:
Kissimmee Kid (Clements and Grisman shine)
Wild Horses
Midnight Moonlight
The Hobo Song

Buy this album immediately. It's certainly worth it; when I first bought it, it didn't leave my car stereo for about 2 weeks.

This recording, which might be the final of the Acoustic Archive Series, is a truly amazing one. If you are not familiar with the Old and in the Way project, then maybe you should first purchase the original "Old and in the Way" before this one. Breakdown is a 19 song marathon that features everything from slow tight ballads, to fast banjo reeling "Breakdowns" Highlights? Theyre all highlights! May I suggest the "Hobo Song" "Blue Mule" & "Till the End of the World Rolls Round". This collaboration was all too brief, and we should be grateful that some of it was captured in its purest form..... LIVE!!!!!!

This album is not just a bunch of hippies playing around with a different style of music. This is pure, traditional Bluegrass that rivals anything put out by Monroe or Lester and Earl.

It has 19 tunes while the original disc only has 10. The versions of the tunes on this one are, I think, superior to those on the first disc. It doesn't really matter, though. It's just plain great music.

I agree wholeheartedly with reviewer Cox here. Most will come for Garcia, but will stay for Vassar. The group playing is a little ragged here and there (a live performance, after all), but so much is first rate bluegrass, and I've never heard Vassar Clements so fiery--more daring than on his work with Nitty Gritty DB (which is also splendid), Bela Fleck, or even on his solo albums. Grisman is a delight as always, bur VC steals the show. Sorry to say, I just read Vassar's obit in the NYTimes yesterday. Alas. But this CD is a reminder of his great talent.

I will never get tired of hearing these guys play. I put this CD on and I forget everything else. Bluegrass? Country? I call it Excellent.