High Country Snows

Dan Fogelberg

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 1, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sbme Special Mkts.
• ASIN: B0012GMXR4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,711 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock star delivers brilliant traditional country, August 8, 2003

By	Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: High Country Snows (Audio CD)

When singers record an album in a different style of music to what is normal for them, the results are not always great. A closer analysis shows that those doing it for artistic reasons are much more successful than those doing it for commercial or egotistical reasons. Dan recorded this album for artistic reasons. He always loved traditional music and he'd written some songs that didn't fit his normal pop-rock style, so the time came to make an acoustic country album. Nobody could accuse Dan of doing it for commercial reasons - I understand that this was the least successful album he ever recorded. Well, I did my bit, as I bought it on vinyl and again on CD.

Dan obtained the services of the best musicians around at the time - Herb Pedersen (banjo, harmony vocals), Ricky Skaggs (harmony vocals), David Grisman (mandolin, mandola), Chris Hillman (mandolins, harmony vocals), Al Perkins (pedal steel guitar), Charlie McCoy (harmonica), Russ Kunkel (drums), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Emory Gordy (bass), Jim Buchanan (fiddle), David Briggs (piano), Vince Gill (harmony vocals), Michael Hanna (synthesiser) and Doc Watson (acoustic guitar). Of course, some of these appear on many tracks, while some only appear once, but fans of bluegrass and country music who take an interest in the musicians will recognize many of these names.

Dan wrote most of the songs - and they are brilliant, but among the covers are Down the road (Flatt and Scruggs) and Think of what you've done (Carter Stanley). I cannot speak for Dan's regular fans (who should hear some of it before buying), but I can say that this is an album that will be appreciated by fans of traditional country music.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Minus a star for some lyrics, but..., January 13, 2005

By	Solomon Kane (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: High Country Snows (Audio CD)

My favorite Dan Fogelberg album (followed by "Phoenix") for several reasons:
1) Kudos to Dan for having the "stones" to follow his heart and record an album that had NO chance whatsoever of ever becoming popular or producing even the approximation of a "hit single".
2) An absolutely crack ensemble of bluegrass/traditional players (folks like Jerry Douglas, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, David Grisman, Herb Pedersen, Chris Hillman, etc.)... WOW!
3) A whole lot less of the saccharine ballads that Dan has become famous for.
I had to subtract a star for some really dopey lyrics (Dan's known for that). An example (from one of the best songs on the album: "Sutter's Mill") would be "...So they came, like herds of locusts"{???!!!} Uhh Dan, what in the righteous Hell are "herds" of locusts??
The nice thing is that many of these songs are traditional... his version of "Wandering Shepherd" is just great... so the usual drawbacks to a Fogelberg album aren't there.
In all, highly recommended, but be prepared, this is not a "pop" album! If you like country/bluegrass (lite), I think you'll really enjoy this one.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars bravo, October 23, 2000

By	homefree (Mass) - See all my reviews

This review is from: High Country Snows (Audio CD)

This album is a one off recording of bluegrass tunes recorded by Dan and some of his friends (David Grisman, and Doc Watson) to name a few. I remember getting this album and wanting to stick my thumb out and hitch a ride to the Telluride bluegrass festival the first time I heard it. I was never much of a bluegrass fan, but after this I realized that I had been missing something big.

I do not have the room to write about every track here, but I will say that `Sutters Mill', `Go down easy', and the title track are the best of a pretty good bunch of songs. If you are looking for an album to get aquainted with Fogelberg with, I recommend Home free. But once you familiarize yourself with his sound, give this a listen. It will blow your socks off.