Lonely Runs Both Ways

Alison Krauss and Union Station

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 23, 2004)
• Original Release Date: November 23, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder Records Corp.
• ASIN: B000645UPA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #939 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Nobody makes somber sound more exquisite than Alison Krauss. She's come an awfully long way from her days as a teenage fiddle prodigy, as her glamour gown on this CD's cover suggests and the bittersweet maturity of the music confirms. Krauss exchanges her bluegrass fiddle for the chamber strains of viola on much of the material, including four songs by Robert Lee Castleman (whose "The Lucky One," "Let Me Touch You for Awhile," and "Forget About It" were previously popularized by Krauss). Castleman's compositions showcase the emotional intimacy and interpretive subtlety of her breathy trill. The yearning harmonies on "Wouldn't Be So Bad" (written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings) and "Borderline" (written by Sidney and Suzanne Cox) reinforce the album's restless spirit of quiet desperation. Change-of-pace contributions by Krauss's bandmates are more deeply rooted in the bluegrass/folk tradition, with Dan Tyminski renewing Del McCoury's "Rain Please Go Away" and Woody Guthrie's populist anthem "Pastures of Plenty"; Dobro master Jerry Douglas leads the charge on his instrumental "Unionhouse Branch." Few bands in bluegrass can match the virtuosity of Union Station's interplay, but the artistry of Alison Krauss transcends genre. --Don McLeese

Recommended Alison Krauss & Union Station Discography

Now That I've Found You: A Collection	Two Highways	I've Got That Old Feeling
Live	Forget About It	So Long So Wrong

Product Description
GRAMMY WINNER FOR BEST COUNTRY ALBUM, BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP, AND BEST COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE.

Lonely Runs Both Ways is the highly anticipated new studio album from the world’s finest purveyors of Bluegrass, Alison Krauss and Union Station. Featuring instant classics such as "Wouldn’t Be So Bad," "Goodbye Is All We Have," and the lead single, "Restless," Lonely Runs Both Ways is another unforgettable collection of songs from this multiple Grammy-winning act.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great effort from Alison and the Station, February 3, 2005

By	James E. Bagley "Jim Bagley" (Sanatoga, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

At age 33, Alison Krauss has more Grammies - 17 - than any other woman performer (even Aretha Franklin), while her previous studio CD, 2001's New Favorite, is approaching platinum sales levels. These are especially impressive feats considering how true bluegrass lingers far from mainstream country and pop, and how steadfast Krauss's dedication to bluegrass has been.


With her ace band Union Station, Krauss's forte has been a surprising but effective combination of crackling neotrad country and quiet pop. On Lonely Runs Both Ways, she again turns repeatedly to Robert Lee Castleman's intelligent writing along with a Gillian Welch/David Rawlings composition they themselves haven't recorded ("Wouldn't Be So Bad").

Woody Guthrie's "Pastures Of Plenty" gets a brooding interpretation from Union Station's deep-voiced guitarist Dan Tyminski (who sang George Clooney's numbers in O Brother, Where Art Thou?). Tyminski and hard-driving banjoist Ron Block's occasional lead vocals give the CD balance and weight, bringing it back down to earth after Krauss's cerebral singing.

Krauss, who began her recording career as a teen-aged fiddle prodigy, here gives her bowing dark, primeval tones in contrast to her light-as-a-feather vocals. Jerry Douglas plays dobro as imaginatively as ever as Krauss and Union Station transport serious bluegrass into the present without removing it from its past.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this for "A Living Prayer", February 4, 2005

By	Rick Cornell "RC" (Reno, Nv USA) - See all my reviews

Greetings, bluegrass fans. I'm not among you. This is my 84th review for Ammy, and the first of a bluegrass, folk or country album. I review albums of singers, and generally, that's jazz singers. In fact, of the prior 83, 80 are of jazz singers, while three are of pop singers (Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Kate Bush).

My attention to this album was drawn by "Down Beat", the Bible of jazz. They gave a good rating to this, and one critic there gave it 5 stars. "Down Beat" rarely gives 5 stars to singers, so I knew I had to check it out.

I'm glad I did. Alison Krauss has a beautiful, pure voice. Her voice reminds me of Sinead O'Connor (pop) or Luciana Souza or Tierney Sutton (jazz)--one of those strong voices that doesn't strain, crack or pop no matter where she is in either of her second soprano ranges. The Union Station gives her solid backup support throughout.

Through the first 14 cuts, I was on the fence as to whether to give this 4 or 5 stars, which was tempered by the fact that my knowledge of bluegrass isn't anywhere near as complete as it is of jazz. Then I got to the last cut, "A Living Prayer", done by Ms. Krauss alone on guitar. Wow! This is one of the most spiritual songs done in recent years in any genre. It is a "pull your car over to the side of the road and listen to this now!" type of song. To say the least, it is worth the price of the album, and makes it one highly recommended. RC

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quality Runs Both Ways, January 1, 2005

By	Danny G. Fulks (West Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This new cd by Alison and her band is uncommonly good. Here, the lady who brought bluegrass from outdoor festivals and small venues to big theaters and arenas, again, shines like the star she is. When the history of acoustic music is written let it be said that Alison bridged the gap to the 21st Century with music whose tones and styles go back to the Carter Family and earlier. Jerry Douglas highlights the instrumentation with the dobro, writing Unionhouse Branch, filling, introducing selected tunes. Dan, Ron, Barry, Larry do heavy lifting on their voices and instruments. New harmonies emerge, new voice bends, new rhythms come across. My favorite, Crazy As Me. Ron's new song, A Living Prayer is worth the price of the cd; Gravity, Restless--have twists and turns coming from writer Castleman. Even the pictures are delightful.