Down South

Doc and Merle Watson, Doc Watson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 16, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sugarhill
• ASIN: B000000EZG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,143 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #18 in Music > Indie Music > Country > Traditional Country
  • #23 in Music > Indie Music > Folk > Traditional Folk
  • #39 in Music > Country > Classic Country > Old-Time Country

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doc's Finest, April 9, 2003

By 

Ken Roberts "social historian" (Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Down South (Audio CD)

This is such a phenomenal album! Doc Watson and his son, Merle (with help from some friends), recorded what I would consider to be the ultimate southern roots album. The tunes on this collection span well over a hundred years, from the Civil War ("Bright Sunny South") to the 1930's ("Hello Stranger") to somewhat contemporary ("Solid Gone") to country gospel ("What A Friend We Have In Jesus"), it's all here. There's a consistency about this album that, although recorded in the early '80's, it has a very old-timey feel to it. Is it folk? Definitely! Is it country? Could be, although country radio stayed away from it. Is it traditional? Absolutely! One of the most traditional back porch albums I've ever heard! There is nothing contemporary in the feeling of this CD. And every note sung and played comes straight from the heart.
'Down South' is the perfect title for this album, because it is truly a regional recording, and it's the one record I can turn to that will give me a 'south of the mason-dixon' feel. It sounds like what you might hear at a southern family reunion. Another of my 'desert island discs.' Coming from someone who lives nowhere near the Bright Sunny South (unless southern Michigan counts), well, that's a pretty high compliment!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Really Essential Doc Watson, June 13, 2001

By 

Jerome Langguth (Erlanger, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Down South (Audio CD)

This is one of my favorite Doc Watson albums. It is a well chosen selection of songs, performed brilliantly by Doc and his son Merle. One of the nicest things about it is that it highlights Doc's ability to transform songs from all over the musical map into Doc Watson music. There's the blues of Mississippi John Hurt, fiddle tunes, Gospel, bluegrass, and old-time country. All in less than an hour.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars monster from the south, July 10, 2010

By 

osapientia (Carson, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Down South (Audio CD)

doc watson is an american treasure for good reason. his ability to transform traditional tunes is uncanny. cotton eyed joe is an excellent example of doc's mastery of the genre (whatever it may be) and picking up where it left off. there is also the issue of his guitar which is absolutely stunning. most people are left in dust sounding like a rip off of eric clapton or joan baez. doc takes picking to a new level of speed and clarity that is almost unmatched- true shredding. most musicians would be able to appreciate doc's handiwork and folkies can also learn a trick or two about delivery. this is not today's country music. it is the timeless music of yesterday and should rattle the cage of any traditional musician looking for true inspiration.