Lonesome Pine

Blue Highway | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 25, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rebel Records
• ASIN: B000F1HG2O
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,063 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good sampler & great introduction to some of their best music previously released from 1995-98, May 15, 2006

By 

J. Ross "a-music_fan" (Roseburg, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonesome Pine (Audio CD)

Playing Time - 43:30

SONGS - In The Gravel Yard, Lonesome Pine, He Walked All The Way Home, Blue Ridge Mountain Girl, Some Day, Cold Frosty Morn,Before The Cold Wind Blows, The Rounder, Between The Rows, Flannery's Dream, Last Dollar Blues, Two Coats, It's A Long, Long Road

"Lonesome Pine" is a collection of 3-5 cuts apiece from three Blue Highway albums on the Rebel label: It's A Long, Long Road (1995), Wind To The West (1996), Midnight Storm (1998). So this compilation of previously released material is a fine "Best of" retrospective for the band from Johnson City, Tennessee that performed its first gig on New Year's Eve in 1994. It's great to see internationally-renowned bluegrass groups as prolific as Blue Highway releasing projects with their best hits. Blue Highway's original lineup included Tim Stafford (guitar), Wayne Taylor (bass), Shawn Lane (mandolin/fiddle), Tony Brown (banjo/fiddle), and Rob Ickes (dobro). Brown doesn't appear on this album, as Jason Burleson took his place and plays banjo or mandolin on these cuts. In 1996, Blue Highway won IBMA awards for "Emerging Artist of the Year" and "Album of the Year" (for "It's a Long Long Road"). In 1997, they won the IBMA award for "Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year" for the song "God Moves in a Windstorm." I wish that song would've been included in this set of hits. In 1998, Burleson left the band and was replaced by Tom Adams who also doesn't appear in any of these cuts. Burleson returned to the band two years later.

Over the years, Blue Highway has carved out their own niche in bluegrass. Their musical vision has always incorporated accessible melodies, bright lyricism, and interesting dynamics. They can't go wrong with songs like "Blue Ridge Mountain Girl." Taylor's, Stafford's and Lane's songwriting abilities are showcased. Ickes and Burleson have also penned some groovy instrumentals, but none are included in this set. Instead, they choose the old-time "Cold Frost Morn" and rootsy "Flannery's Dream" for the instrumental offerings here. The band has a side with considerable emotional depth, with moving songs like "Some Day" and "Before the Cold Wind Blows." The former, arranged a cappella, shows clearly how splendid their vocalizing can be. The latter, along with the title cut, are both Wayne Taylor originals and are among the band's most requested numbers. Since this CD features previously released material, I wish that the producers would have given us just a bit more than a 43-minute set. I would have lobbied for inclusion of some other originals such as Taylor's "Keen Mountain Prison" and Stafford's "Find Me Out on a Mountain Top." Being from Oregon, I've always liked Stafford's song called "Clear Cut," another hit that isn't included here. Jack Tottle has contributed a fair amount of material to Blue Highway's repertoire, and I was glad that they included one of his to close the album.

No slouches on their instruments, the guys in the band are award winners. All told, they've released 6 albums, been nominated for a Grammy, topped the Bluegrass Unlimited chart, won a Dove Award and 11 IBMA awards (either as a band or individually). Blue Highway boasts an impressive track record as a contemporary bluegrass band. "Lonesome Pine" only tells part of the story with its documentation of the wave they rode in that time period from 1995-1998. All three of the individual albums sampled were given my highest marks in the past. However, being a compilation, I'm giving this CD a "B+" only because I simply think it should have included about 17 more minutes of their fine music. "Lonesome Pine" is a very good sampler and great introduction to their music. This 13-track reasonably-priced sampler could very well lead you to purchase all three of the albums from which the cuts are taken. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blue Highway, January 26, 2007

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonesome Pine (Audio CD)

This is a terrific compilation of sides recorded by Blue Highway that appeared on 3 previous Rebel CDs (IT'S A LONG, LONG ROAD; MIDNIGHT STORM; and WIND TO THE WEST), all from the mid-late 1990s. Shawn Lane and Wayne Taylor share vocal leads, and their high-pitched stylings are attractive though not particularly powerful. The groups material is very appealing: songs such as HE WALKED ALL THE WAY HOME (inspired by the book/movie COLD MOUNTAIN perhaps?) and BEFORE THE COLD WIND BLOWS are interesting ballads that tell compelling stories. THE ROUNDER is about Jesse James and it and BETWEEN THE ROWS end abruptly with starltling (and good) effect. LONESOME PINE has a beautiful and haunting minor C section that is a highlight of the CD. There are also a couple of instrumentals included which reflect older mountain string band influences. This is a most enjoyable CD that makes this listener eager to check out the group's earlier releases in full.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Bluegrass Music, October 3, 2009

By 

Patricia H. Clark "nana c and sew" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonesome Pine (Audio CD)

This is a great group. Love their music. Would recommend to anyone who likes Bluegrass.