Customer Reviews

Earl Scruggs And Friends

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I had a pretty unusual upbringing. I spent a lot of time on my grandfather's ranch when I was a kid and he listened to a lot of Lester and Earl, Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams. At home, my parents were more into the likes of Creedence, Skynrd, Aerosmith, The Doors, The Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. Well, I'm quite a bit older now and I still get strange looks from the record store clerks for some of the things I buy there. I mean, I doubt if there are many other twenty year olds out there who are going to buy this cd. (there may be a few, let's hope). This puppy really shines. There are quite a few on here that you would expect to show up (Marty Stuart, Travis Tritt, Vince Gill) and there are even a few suprises (Elton John, Melissa Etheridge, Sting, and John Fogerty). Perhaps the biggest suprise of all is Billy Bob Thornton's rockin' cover of "Ring of Fire". I mean, wow. It's the old Cash favorite like you've never heard it before. Disregard what Rich Kienzle says in his review about the rock singers being "out of their element". They're paying homage to one of their heros here, not trying to outshine him. Earl himself, was there for the recording and I'm quite sure that if he thought that "their overwhelming performances relegated him to the back", then it wouldn't sound the way it does. Besides, it would be pretty boring if they didn't use their own style wouldn't it? I found this cd to be well worth the cash. It's an eclectic mix of down home twang brought to you by an extremely wide range of some of today's greats. Mr. Earl's picking has never sounded better (God, what I'd do to play that good). This cd is not just for Scruggs fans. If you've never been familiar with his stuff, this is a great place for newbies to get started. It will also be quite popular among Billy Bob Thornton fans. He has a very smooth and deep voice. The hip-hop, beat, Earl's banjo picking, and Thornton's voice give the classic "ring of fire" a whole new dimension. Check out his studio album when it comes out next month.

First, my tastes: I'm a bluegrass fan, a jazz fan and a rock fan. Springsteen, U2, Miles Davis and Earl Scruggs are my favorite artists. I don't care for contemporary country music at all. As for Earle, I have only listened to his Flatt & Scruggs work to date.

Now that you know where I'm coming from... this is a great CD. The amazon review blasts the billy bob thorton song, which isn't my favorite, but it isn't that bad. And the Sting song had to grow on me. On first listening, I thought it was corny. And you might think (as the amazon reviewer says) that the Foggy Mountain Breakdown instrumental would "break down" under the weight of 10 artists. It might have, if they hadn't done a great job in the liner notes of clarifying who is playing each solo. This makes it pure fun, to sit back and visualize Steve Martin, Albert Lee and the rest having their turn.

Earl show tremendous taste on this CD. He can obviously still cut loose when its called for, but its the subtle, understated fills and backup, and the incredible banjo tone, that make so many of these songs beautiful. The tones of the banjo heard on this CD are as defining as any banjo recording I've heard (and I'm a banjo player). Its not a case of Earl being overwhelmed or outshined... its Earl doing what the song calls for. Sometimes, less is more, even when its your own tribute collection.

It is wonderful that Earl Scruggs is performing new music. He is at the top, top level of musicians and has inspired banjo performers for the past fifty years. Unfortunately, this CD is a bit of a disappointment. It is nice that he tries to play with other musicians and tries to mix a variety of styles. The problem is in the choice of those musicians. Elton John's early work was ok, but for the last twenty-five years he has been the king of vanilla pop and is about the last choice for an album like this. He delivers a sterile and flowery performance that does not fit with Earl's playing. Sting, Don Henley and some of the other performers fall into much the same category. There are some positive standouts. John Fogerty meshes with Earl in a great performance that really captures that country-bluegrass feel. As another reviewer wrote, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Earl's trademark song, is a little overblown with ten musicians each performing a break on it. A more stripped-down version would have been far better. An interesting and ironic standout is Steve Martin's break on this song (the man really can play!). He plays it using a frailing style which really gives it a unique sound- much closer to the freshness and energy of the definitive Mercury recording of forty years ago. All in all a mediocre album with a few standouts. I look forward to Earl's next work instead.

Earl Scruggs stated he wanted to do new things musically and not feel he was in a rut. Every song on this CD is a collaboration with artists he respects. If you look at the credits, the other artists may have written or arranged the songs. So this is not a traditional bluegrass work but a delightful melding of unlikely styles and talents. The first time I heard it I was taken by the thought, "This is not my Father's bluegrass!". But I cannot get enough of this work and I highly recommend it to anyone. My Father takes a tape of it to listen to on his walks every morning.

Many different stars display their varied musical talent. Even if you don't like bluegrass/country this CD is sure to please. Musical quality is outstanding.

Several of these reviewers dis the "Ring of Fire" cover by Scruggs and Billy Bob Thornton. I heard the song on the Oxford American's annual music sampler, and it was so good it made me track down this album. The song is unique, but sooooo cool. Since when is sounding like nothing else a BAD thing?

The rest of the album is great, too.

If you like banjo playing, or bluegrass music at all, then you'll love this CD. It is packed full of great songs, and great collaborations with various "Allstar", Steller Artists. The songs and artists are as follows: (Earl plays banjo on all songs):

1.Country Comfort - with Elton John
2.Borrowed Love - with Dwight Yoakam
3.Ring of Fire - Billy Bob Thornton
4.True Love Never Dies - Gary Scruggs & Travis Tritt
5.The Angels - Melissa Etheridge
6.Fill Her Up - Sting
7.Foggy Mountain Breakdown - Glen Duncan, Randy Scruggs, Steve Martin (yes the one on TV, originally from Saturday Night Live), Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Gary Scruggs, Albert Lee, Paul Shaffer, Jerry Douglas, & Leon Russell.
8.Somethin' Just Ain't Right - Randy Scruggs
9.I Found Love - Vince Gill & Rosanne Cash
10.Blue Ridge Mountain Blues - John Fogerty
11.Passin' Thru - Don Henley & Johnny Cash
12.Foggy Mountain Rock/Foggy Mountain Special - Marty Stuart

This cd is "Awesome", and I highly recommend it. This is some great, joyful, important, American Music. Thanks!!!!

Okay, this album is incredible, as much for the celebrity participation as the quality. The celebrities add their own touches to Earl's Superlative work. However, the most interesting celebrity participant isn't even mentioned on the album, Steve Martin. He plays a signficant part on Track 7, Foggy Mountain Breakdown. The song went on to win a Grammy.

Maybe they didn't mention him on the album since people would expect a comedy routine, but give a listen to Track 7 to gain a broader appreciation for one of our nation's formost novelists, essayists, actors, comedians, banjo artists and all-around brilliant guys-- STEVE MARTIN!

PS
Since I wrote this review 2 CDs that feature Steve's Banjo music have become available.They are The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo and The Steve Martin Brothers. They are wonderful.

I have listened to all of the artists on this CD at one time or another. I have to admit I was skeptical before giving it a listen. I couldn't see how the different genres represented by these artists could possibly blend into the absolute delight that it is. Scruggs is,of course, the mainstay on all these pieces. Fill 'Er Up with Sting provided the kind of energy that experiments such as this rarely produce. I applaud all the musicians here for trying a new thing--and I hope we hear more of this sort from the King of banjo.

Whoa...finally another great Earl Scruggs collection of works! After defining bluegrass banjo, then abandoning it to a style of Rock-N-Roll which was unsuitable for his banjo talent, Earl seems to have finally found a great musical balance which showcases how flexable and creative his talent really is. This is a departure from his "Earl Scruggs Revew" sound which I found to be an unsuitable context for his talents as well as a departure from his old school bluegrass style. It is a great sounding mix of rock, modern country, and a sprinkling of bluegrass in which that amazing Scruggs 5-string is the common thread weaving these diverse songs and artists together into an amazing vibe. Ok, maybe some hardcore bluegrass pureists may be critical of the rock/modern country flavor of this collection, but each song is really awesome and the work of every artist present really does shine when Earl's banjo is used as a backdrop. You really owe it to yourself to check this one out.