Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival

New Grass Revival | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 21, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B0009ML1RK
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,191 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Great Balls of Fire

2. Prince of Peace

3. Casey Jones [#]

4. The Dancer [#]

5. Doin' My Time [#]

6. All Night Train

7. Vamp in the Middle

8. Spring Peepers

9. Lee Highway Blues

10. Souvenir Bottles

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. One More Love Song

2. On the Boulevard

3. One Love/People Get Ready

4. Seven by Seven

5. In the Middle of the Night

6. Sweet Release

7. Metric Lips

8. Unconditional Love

9. Looking Past You

10. Revival [Live]

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

If Cream and Led Zeppelin were the supergroups of classic rock, New Grass Revival is the supergroup of bluegrass. Formed in 1972, NGR helped define "newgrass" by rearranging traditional bluegrass standards with electrified style. Fronted by lead singer John Cowan and featuring the virtuoso and improvisational playing of Sam Bush (mandolin) and Béla Fleck (banjo), NGR helped launch the jam-band scene long before the Bonaroo Festival. NGR disbanded in 1990, but their legacy laid the foundation for the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Nickel Creek, and the String Cheese Incident. Includes 2 CDs, 35 tracks (7 previously unreleased)--all 24-bit digitally remastered.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Career-Spanning Retrospective, November 28, 2005

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival (Audio CD)

With tracks from their King Records debut, their stints with Flying Fish, Rounder and Capitol, as well as previously unissued live and studio tracks, this is THE definitive anthology from one of the most influential bands of the progressive bluegrass genre.

Over the course of nearly two and a half hours of music and 35 tracks, GRASS ROOTS covers New Grass Revival's history from their 1972 debut through their 1989 New Year's Eve farewell show.

"Great Balls of Fire," the first of two tracks from their debut, is a no-holds-barred romp with Sam Bush on Mandolin and lead vocal and the banjo pyrotechnics provided by Courtney Johnson. The second track is the Leon Russell-penned "Prince of Peace."

Not only did Russell take NGR as his opening act in 1973, he let them record at his Shelter studios at the end of the tour. These three tracks from 1974 are all previously unreleased. For these sessions, NGR added a drummer which further alienated them from the bluegrass community. "Casey Jones," an instrumental, and "The Dancer" are fairly typical bluegrass numbers (except for the drums); but "Doin' My Time" with its extended instrumental breaks goes on for more than six and a half minutes. [It's easy to see where bands like the String Cheese Incident and Yonder Mountain String Band were influenced by NGR.]

By 1975's FLY THROUGH THE COUNTRY, the band's lineup solidified to include Bush, Johnson and bassist/vocalist John Cowan and guitarist Curtis Burch. This version of the band would stay in tact through their 1981 LP COMMONWEALTH.

NGR Mach II would emerge in 1983 (and stay together until the band dissolved) with Pat Flynn replacing Burch and Bela Fleck replacing Johnson. Two previously unreleased tracks from an Austin City Limits appearance, "When the Storm Is Over" and "You Don't Knock," showcase the new lineup.

"Seven By Seven," from their self-titled Capitol debut, showed the bluegrass/jazz path Fleck would latter follow with the Flecktones. "In the Middle of the Night" (from the same album) illustrated that Flynn was not only a gifted singer and guitarist, but the band's best songwriter.

Two other previously unreleased tracks are from a 1987 Austin City Limits appearance. The first is a funky version of "Revival." The other is a terrific version of "Ain't That Peculiar."

The final three unreleased tracks are from their Oakland Coliseum New Year's Eve show. They include "Do What You Gotta Do," a stunning 11-minute rendition of "Singing the Blues," and "Can't Stop Now." As the applause erupts, someone in the band responds, "Thanks so much! It's been wonderful!" It certainly has been, and this two-disc set captures many of the highlights of this amazing band. [Running time - Disc 1, 74:53; Disc-2, 74:15] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Ground-Breaking (almost) as Bill Monroe!, July 3, 2005

By 

'The Virginiaprograsser' "Always Have a Song ... (Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival (Audio CD)

Bluegrass pureists, don't get out your poison pens yet! Nobody is more important to the overall genre than 'Big Mon'. HOWEVER, as Pat Flyn says in 'Grass Roots' liner notes: "He would never say it himself, so I'll say it for him: Sam Bush founded a whole new form of music." says (group member from 1981-1989) guitarist/songwriter Pat Flynn.

This 2 CD collection is as fitting and long overdue a tribute to one of the most powerful and creative bands to ever have graced the American music landscape. Yes, the thriving jamgrass/jamband scene today would not be where it is without the Grateful Dead, but that scene also draws heavily on the trail blazed by the pioneers of NGR.

Even for the ardent fan/collector like myself who owns all of NGR's individual albums/CDs, this collection is a 'must have.' There are many hitherto unheard live and unreleased tracks that both the fanatic and the freshman will enjoy immensely.

A 'strong' 5-Star Rating!

:)Steve Sikes-Nova
'The Virginiaprograsser'
Tidewater, Virginia, USA

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Collection from a Genre-Changing Group, June 21, 2005

By 

It's Me, "Really" (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grass Roots: The Best of New Grass Revival (Audio CD)

New Grass Revival emerged from being Bluegrass pariahs to being the virtual creators (along with Tony Rice, David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, etc.) of the thriving Newgrass movement today. This is the best collection of their music to hit the market in one package, and it is the first to feature material from early era, the Flying Fish years, and the Capitol years. Sound quality on the older releases gets an upgrade, and the previously unreleased live and studio (with Butch!) tracks are absolutely crucial. The only thing missing now are complete live shows on CD and a DVD release of the two Austin City Limits performances. Are you reading, Sam?