Customer Reviews

The Famous Lefty Flynn's

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

 

 

This is the fourth album of this much celebrated Bluegrass group, as they grow into their ever evolving sound. Not traditional in sound, but traditional in spirit with a modern sound to the Sweet recording in the twelve great songs featured here.

Whether they are cooking on a fast song or harmonizing on a slow ballad, The Grascals have a sound that is theirs. New to this CD is the award winning young Kristen Scott Benson, who adds her highly Skilled Banjo playing to the mix. This gal has two CDs of her own, before joining up with The Grascals, great fit.

I reviewed their last disc "Keep Walking On" and I find a much more empowered group here. Everything fits together well in a great mix. They start out doing a fast driving bluegrass version of "Last Train To Clarksville", originally recorded by the Monkees.
A song written by Jamie Johnson of the group "My Baby's waiting On The Other Side" really takes off, nice lyrics and some great banjo and mandolin.

A song by Steve Earle "My Old Friend, The Blues" has an old time country side to it with some pedal steel by Lloyd Green. A very good version with lots of emotion.

Another midtempo song "Up This Hill and Down" has some great hooks, just love Kristen's banjo interplay with the mandolin. They play together like they have been playing for years together.

Similar to this is "I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome" (Monroe, Williams) A classic old time country song done with a bluegrass twist.

The Twelveth song is a beautiful (public domain) gospel song. "Give Me Jesus" The instruments are more in the background on this track, while the sweet vocals take the front of the mix. Both country music and Bluegrass fans should love this great effort.


(...)

I really liked most of the songs on this cd. My 4-year old daughter really likes it. It is one of the few cd's we listen to in the car straight through. The third song, Satan and Grandma, is my favorite.

Now days when you say The Grascals and Bluegrass, you have said a mouth full... buy this and you will get an ear full. I did!

Lets get this straight, I am not what you would consider a bluegrass fan or even enthusiast by any means. I am an alt-country type predominantly by following down the Avette Bros, Chatham County Line, and Trampled by Turtles route... and somehow got the Grascals either suggested to me by someone or on Pandora. Either way, I bumped into this album as my first taste of the Grascals and OMFG, it was fantastic.

I swear it probably frustrated the bejeesus out of my neighbor here in the office as I was tapping my feet incessantly. Nice traditional feel to a very contemporary bluegrass album. I cannot pick a favorite song, although I cannot seem to shake the song "Everytime" out of my brain or stop singing it. I felt the song 'Satan and Grandma' was a little forced... it probably would have found a better home on a Rascal Flatts album. Don't get me wrong, its not a terrible song, but for me is a bit of a head scratcher structurally for this album.

The mandolin and banjo interplay on this album are almost poetic and so CLEAN. The vocal harmonies sounded just right. Something about this album just fit, it was arranged and produced beautifully and I just purchased my second Grascals album as a result.

This is a really good CD, but that's not all this group has done. They recently created a music video with Dolly Parton and the children at St. Jude Hospital in Memphis. The song in the video is "I am strong" and that song alone caused me to order one of their CD's. These are good folks.

That is what this reviewer is hoping.

One senses a return to the time when this band was trying to find its niche. "Satan and Grandma", "Out Comes the Sun", and "Give Me Jesus" are the closest remnants to what exists on prior releases. With these you can sense that raw hunger to leave marks in people's minds, and leave marks it does.

The others? Eh, they are OK, but they just don't quite make it to Grade A. Maybe it's a loss of feel due to overdubbing? Maybe a lack of time was available for 100% devotion to the project? Maybe it's the compression I am hearing. Maybe it's all of above. I don't know exactly, but the Wow-Factor is difficult to find.

Instrumentally the picking does not seem to mesh with the singing as well when compared to their prior endeavors (although exceptions are present). Too, it would be nice to give the newest member, Kristin Scott Benson, a better grade of meat to sink her teeth into so her full gifts can be revealed to us fans. "Blue Rock Slide" and "Give Me Jesus" (especially this one) is on its way there, but unfortunately, it is the final track!

The continued presence of covers on their releases, especially the Osborne Brothers' better known songs is a severe distraction to this reviewer's ears (here the always-heard Monkees hit occupies track 1 and the first of *two* Osborne Brothers' songs resides at track 2) It is a lovely tribute, but what is the point exactly? Life is too short and projects too few to spend time recording karaoke grade knock-offs. Might I propose a compromise? On the next album, knock us out with your best renditions of "Rocky Top" and "Ruby" and in return, give us no more of them on your major releases.

I must admit that "I'm Blue I'm Lonesome" (with Hank Jr.) was by far my favorite track in the whole collection. This is the MINIMUM level of energy that the Grascals should be producing, not the highest. Here's hoping that their next release will be that good.

This young bluegrass band continues to grow.. especially with latest additions

This fourth album by the band continues their growth as a band and this time out they've added two new members who really add to their performance. Fiddler Jeremy Abshire has the style of the old but with a bit of the new millennium in his playing. But it's award winning (2 times!) banjo picker Kristin Scott Benson who really fills out the group. Both get to show their talents on the longest track on this CD - the instrumental "Blue Rock Slide".

The vocals are here from the longer term members and both "Satan and Grandma" and the traditional hymn "Give Me Jesus" are standouts in harmony backing the lead vocal.

Like a bride's wedding gown the song selection has some thing old, something, new, something borrowed and something blue. First there are two songs which were hits by the Osborne Brothers (old). Then comes the title track, composed by band member Jamie Johnson (new), a song co written by Hank Williams and Bill Monroe (with Hank Jr. as a guest vocalist!) provides the something borrowed. And the previously mentions "Blue Rock Slide" fills in for - what else? - something blue.

While the fans seem to like the cover of the old Monkee's hit "Last Train To Clarksville", I found it the weakest track as it sounded like every young bluegrass band out there. It's when you get past that opening track that the band really shines, in my opinion.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

Man, being a mandolin player, I know the Grascals get a lot of press but I wish I liked them better. I keep trying, so know this review is my own bias. I have everything they've ever put out and I think they are a really good band but for some reason they just don't hook me the way other bands do. I'm not sure why-they are very good and this CD really is quite tasty, but it for me isn't a sit up and notice tasty. For some reason they just seem to fall flat in that "broadcasting chemistry to their recorded audience" category. Maybe if I saw them live I would change my mind. Having said that, this still is a really good CD and it's worth having in your collection if you are into bluegrass-not much to complain about here (other than my own bias!).