Face a Frowning World: An E.C. Ball Memorial Album

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 8, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Tompkins Square
• ASIN: B002UOKXU6
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #269,955 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

E.C. Ball of Rugby, Virginia and his wife Orna made some of the most joyful, eerie, affecting, and enduring traditional country music of their era. First recorded by John A. Lomax for the Library of Congress in 1937, they sang ballads, comic songs, and mountain gospel music on records and the radio in a style entirely their own. "Face A Frowning World" is a tribute to the music of E.C. and Orna Ball, and a thirty-year memorial to E.C., who died in 1978. Played by the Health & Happiness Family Gospel Band of Louisville, Kentucky, and many others, including Michael Hurley, Jolie Holland, The Handsome Family, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Take a listen first, December 26, 2009

By 

JerryWithaJ (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Face a Frowning World: An E.C. Ball Memorial Album (Audio CD)

Tribute albums are labors of love, so it's hard to give them negative reviews. The problem I have with this album is that so many of the songs are highly electrified country rock versions of songs that were at one time recorded by EC & Orna Ball. They are so far removed from the way EC & Orna sounded that they can only disappoint those seeking the feeling and mood of the original recordings. Dave Bird's "He's My God" (which starts things off; you never get a second chance to make a first impression!) and Catherine Bird's "Cabin On the Hill" were enough to get me running from the room screaming and back to the originals to flush out my ears. Don't even *think* of listening to Jon Langford's interpretation of "When I Get Home I'm Gonna Be Satisfied" without steeling yourself first and having a finger poised over the Stop button! It's rare that a single rendition of a song can ruin it entirely and forever, but this came close to doing for me. A much better tribute would have been songs done in the style of EC & Orna, since it's their approach that made them so endearing.

However, there are some gems, too, including the Bell, Harmon, Parton "Fathers Have a Home Sweet Home" (which actually has me saying something nice about songs that merely substitute Father/Mother/Sister/Brother as they move from verse to verse), the Handsome Family's "Jenny Jenkins", and Reyna Gellert's "Lord, I Want More Religion".

If I had to come down yea or nay, my vote would be nay. You'd be MUCH better off with the original recordings (E.C. Ball, with Orna Ball). However, this is the 21-st century, so you can decide for yourself by listening to some clips at sites that have them such as emusic and buying mp3s of the tracks that appeal.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exclusive Handsome Family Track!, December 16, 2009

By 

P. Braen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Face a Frowning World: An E.C. Ball Memorial Album (Audio CD)

Don't know about the rest of the album, but the Handsome Family track makes it worth the price all by itself. What a fantastic band!