Customer Reviews

Cold Hard Facts

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Now in his seventies, Del McCoury is one of the few surviving traditionalists from the Bill Monroe school of bluegrass featuring the trademark high lonesome vocal sound. In fact, in the mid-Sixties, McCoury served a stint with the father of bluegrass music as guitar player and lead vocalist in Monroe's Bluegrass Boys.

While McCoury takes a traditionalist's approach to bluegrass, his song selection certainly steps outside the box as shown by his covers of Robert Cray's "Smoking Gun" and Tom Petty's "Love Is a Long Road."

And you won't find a better collection of musicians in bluegrass music. Del's band includes sons Rob (banjo) and Ronnie (possibly the best mandolin player around), Jason Carter (fiddle), Mike Bub (bass) and the best Dobro player on the planet, Jerry Douglas. They all get a chance to shine on Ronnie's instrumental "Baltimore Jonny."

This is hard-driving bluegrass with standout tracks like "Hard on My Heart" and "Snake in the House" and will make a fine addition to your collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

What is it about family singing and performing together? There is a spirit that enters the performance and pure joy and happiness comes rolling out of the speakers. That's what I feel when I listen to Del,Ronnie, and Rob and the rest of the band. The timing is perfect, the love of performing is very evident and it's evident why this band is the very best Bluegrass Band performing today! You can feel the emotion in each song especially the dark emotion of Henry Walker and Blackjack County Chains and the fun and excitement of Snake In The House. Every song tells a story in such a way you can see and feel every word and note. As you can see, I'm blown away by this band. Go buy it and you will be too.

With the watered-down pop-slick music that's labeled "country" these days, what a joy it is to hear The Del McCoury Band. The musicianship is absolutely astoundingly jaw-dropping good in its perfection, with raw emotion and soul pouring out of each song.

Del's voice, with that "high & lonesome" sometimes raspy sound, has a terrific range of feeling...listen to "Smoking Gun", and another favorite, "Blackjack County Chains", with its weeping fiddle and guitar work, and marvelous melody.

Sadly, the booklet insert doesn't include the lyrics. As Robert Oermann says in it: "Del is particularly noted for choosing dark, almost morbid lyrics and dramatic story songs"...and the songs in this CD have a "bite" and a lot of humor nestled between the hard-luck and "cold hard facts" of life stories.

This CD is true blue Americana art at its finest, and if you like bluegrass, it's a must to own.

I find myself humming the tunes on this CD all the time.

This is the CD that introduced me to Del McCoury, recently, even though Gov. Zell Miller of Georgia proclaimed a Del McCoury day, some years ago, for Del's enormous contribution to bluegrass music.

Unfortunately for me, a buddy of mine has borrowed this CD from me and keeps "forgetting" return it. He's not forgetting, he loves the CD as I do and is just too cheap to buy one of his own.

I absolutely LOVE this album. Del McCoury has a high,distinct voice that lends itself perfectly to bluegrass. Top that with flawless musical ability and a great selection of songs and you'll see why this album such a great achievement. My favorites include Snake in the House, Blackjack County Chains, and Love is a long Road (also covered by Tom Petty on his Full Moon Fever Album). Even so, there is not a single poor track on this album. If you enjoy bluegrass, you will Love this album.

This is a "pretty good" collection of music .. I'm one of Del McCoury's biggest fans and there are albums that will become "Must Have" classics before this .. Good but, not my favorite.

With all of the PG (Post Garth) country music that comes out of Nashville, it is extremely fulfilling to here a group that stays true to its roots and true to what it is that still makes bluegrass the center of white soul. As many have said before, Del is the epitomy of white soul.

ive been a del mccoury fan for a few years . . . and this is is best work. what a voice! and great lyrics and musicianship. del picks great tunes with a real story, usually grim or ironic, and sings it wich bluegrass purity. buy it, you'll love it.

gary e.

Hum (see above review), Hell!, I'm DANCIN'!! Can't wait to get home (I'm listening at work)and get my ol'man's Ovation out and pick along - well, I'll coerce HIM to pick along! Warm's up a cold Minnesota winter. Not recommended for the faint of (hillbilly) heart. YEEHAWWW