Customer Reviews

Mountain Tracks 3

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a long time fan of bluegrass music, from Bill Monroe to such genre-bending artists as Bela Fleck, David Grisman and more recently Chris Thile. After taking a recent detour to pick up a few String Cheese Incident live albums, I stumbled across the Yonder Mountain String Band. What a delightful surprise! This band certainly has the bluegrass chops. Whether they're covering other artists' material like John Hartford's "Coo Coo's Nest," Monroe's "Kentucky Mandolin" or their own original material, this four-piece group (augmented on this live set by fiddler Darol Anger) picks the hell out of their respective instruments.

Their are a couple of hidden bonus tracks at the end of side one. The first is a a rousing version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" followed by a 30-second snippet of the "Three's Company" Theme.

All told, this is a delightful album and the live setting is the next best thing to being there. Very Enjoyable. [Running Time - 55:30/65:56] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Playing Time - 55:25 (disc 1); 65:47 (disc 2)-- A large contingent of Yonder Mountain String Band fans were out in full force at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado in September 2003 for the live recording of this 23-track album at Kinfolk Celebration 2003. The band's distinctive jamgrass sound is supplemented with the expert fiddling of Darol Anger. Four tracks at the end of the 2-CD album also include Rashad Eggleston and Brittany Haas. Regular band members Jeff Austin (mandolin), Dave Johnston (banjo), Adam Aijala (guitar), and Ben Kaufmann (bass) all contribute original material to the band's spirited repertoire. Besides material from Willie Nelson, John Hartford, and Bill Monroe, the band also covers four songs penned by songwriter Benny "Burl" Galloway. The lyrical messages of their original material are interesting. Their material is well-rehearsed and arranged. Not sticking to straight three-chord traditional progressions, YMSB punctuates and accentuates their music with a lot of excitement. The fun they have energizes their audiences.

While quite a few of their songs fit the standard 3-4 minute timeframe ideal for radio airplay, it's interesting to note that they also serve up eight songs that span anywhere from 6 to 10.5 minutes. Spread throughout their sets, these improvisational adventures take us on journeys that ebb and flow like an ocean's tide. In fact, four songs on disc 1 (their first set) progress effortlessly as a medley that spans over 26 minutes. The crowd is left in a wild frenzy. The encore is John Hartford's "Holding," introduced with the advice, "if you're holding, then don't hold out" and accentuated with Anger's pizzicato fiddle. Liner notes are remiss in not identifying who is singing on each song.

Since day one, YMSB has held that their fans, the Kinfolk, are the cornerstone to their success. "Mountain Tracks: Volume 3" is a testament to their ability to incite a crowd to riotous support of acoustic jamgrass music. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

You might call me a biased jamband fan, but YMSB's music cannot be denied. YMSB is a some sort of offspring of bluegrass, and their hard hitting lyrics and perfect delivery mesh well. They play with so much passion and energy, and they are a just plain fun to listen to. This a four member band headed by a mandolin(Jeff Austin), stand up bass(Ben Kaufman), Banjo(Dave Johnston), and acoustic guitar(Adam Aijala). They also had a special guest David Anger on the fiddle which added a nice touch to the band. This cd is massive and includes 23 tracks, with many of them spanning over 7 minutes. YMSB isn't a band that takes itself too seriously and throughout the cd they joke around and are hilarious. These songs are the best songs on the cd in order of importance.

1)Traffic Jam- catchy, contaigious, and fast paced. A slow build up to about 1 1/2 minutes then they really do some heavy jamming, and don't stop for the rest of the song. Great fiddling and banjo work throughout. Superb! Great JAM!

2) Peace of Mind- a little slow to get to the jam but well worth it. Intersting fiidle work to start it out and then it blossoms into a nice groove that flows perfectly into Snow on the Pines.

3) Snow on the Pines- great build up and rhythm. Some of my favorite lyrics in the cd. EXCELLENT mandolin pickin. So catchy i got to put this song on now.

4) Kentucky Mandolin- great fiddle/mandolin tune. Great bass solo near the end that has this funky groove carring on, very chill. At the end of the song YMSB are just plain hilarious, and every time I hear their dog hollars I crack up.

5) Bloody Mary Morning- I love this cover, nough said. All YMSB really were on.

6) Left Me In a Hole-straight up bluegrass, and is a very fun and happy tune.

7) Little Rabbit- Again this song is just appealing, more blugrass-esque but has a long extended jam. Dave Johnston carries the tune along with the banjo and never lets up.

I wish i had the patience to write a review on every song, but believe every song is worth while. Luckily I got see YMSB at the FoX theatre, and they are amazing live. They offer alot of crownd interaction unlike many big name jambands. If your into SCI, Phish, Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams, or whatever just check these guys out.

This CD did not disappoint. This band has matured so much since some of the earlier recordings. The individual instrumentation has improved, and the group has matured as a whole. The songs are more elaborate and you can discern their fantastic stage presence just by listening. I love the joke about whiskey when Adam says, "It's like a sweater you wear on the inside," and Jeff replies, "A drunk sweater!" If you like bluegrass, imporvisational music (jam bands) and just plain great musical prowess, listen to this CD.

you have not heard ymsb untill you have seen or heard them live. they take there cds to the next level when they are played live.
i have seen them 2 times one in ohio and the other in michigan both time they were amazing. if you like bluegrass music go buy this you will not be dissipointed

Just about everything they do is worth buying and listening to. An excellent album for a new fan or seasoned veteran.

This was the first Yonder album I ever actually purchased, though I had heard some of their music through friends of mine that would let me borrow their albums. I have to say that I wasn't THAT big a fan of bluegrass "per say", but if you're considering getting this album, and merely HOPING that it could possibly be a good investment to your collection, PLEASE hear me when I tell you that IF you know how to appreciate talent when it's BLATANTLY displayed in front of you, then this album is an obvious GREAT pick ! HANDS DOWN ! The vocal harmonies on this album are solid, and the jamming, and musical conversations that take place between these guys is something to witness ! They sound SO fun on this album, and it's all LIVE ! It's the album that made me fall in love with this band, and the album that has finally ( to my surprise ) warmed me up to bluegrass music. They play traditional, and non-traditional bluegrass, with reggae/psychedelic/jammy influences to give you sounds that your mind will melt over. Do yourself a favor, and get this album ! > I HAVE SPOKEN !
( this is a payed for advertisement by Y.M.S.B. )
Just kidding !Mountain Tracks, Vol. 3

Somehow knowledge of this band escaped this major fan of folk and traditional music. Luckily I heard a few tracks on WXPR's Bluegrass Saturday. I called Harold immediately and asked him who they were. Within seconds I had ordered the album. Loved it, love them, one of my favorite albums. I now know what jamgrass means.

Another Yonder Mountain String Band classic. Once again YMSB has proven why they are the greatest Bluegrass / Jamgrass band on the planet. Complex, and Magnificently performed This two disk masterpiece is great for the bluegrass newcomer and veteran alike. Cheers!

This is seriously one of the best albums the band has put out yet. It is completely live, and really fun and upbeat to listen too. If you know love YMSB then you will love this album.