Customer Reviews

In the Mud

5 star:		(6)
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Split Lip Rayfield shares members with Scroat Belly ~ another Kansas favorite. We ain't talking about your standard bluegrass here, though. They say that if you curled up all the corners of the US, the freaks roll down to Kansas. While there, they learn punk, they learn country, and they drink. And we all thank god for the musicians, for they keep our Kansas souls alive.

In Split Lip, we have the privilege of listening to an acoustic bass made out of a Ford Gas Tank and a 2x4. Add a guitar, a mandolin, and a banjo and out comes the sweetest sounds you'll ever drink whisky to.

See them live, and buy their CDs. They got kids to feed.

A very nice secretary recommended Split Lip Rayfield to me several years ago, knowing as she did that I loved Irish and Cajun music, and then compounded her mistake by lending me her CD. She didn't get it back for two whole months, and the Greek Titans couldn't have beat it from me for love or money, not at least until I got my own copy delivered to my greedy, clasping hands from Amazon. The CD went straight into my car stereo and did not leave once, not once, for those two entire months. I simply listened to this one over and over and over again. For Christmas that year I bought many of my friends copies of this album, "In the Mud". That's how good this album is!!!! NO, you may not borrow my copy, I know I'll never get it back, but do buy it, buy it, you'll LOVE it. The sound is fresh, exciting, toe-tapping, heel-stomping and the lyrics are outrageously good, covering everything from welfare checks to murder in alternating hysterically funny to mesmerizingly grim songs that just make you hit replay for months and months. I can't recommend this one enough. It's five years later and I still have this CD in my six disc carousel (an upgrade from my one CD slot player) and I play it at least twice a month still.

This sure ain`t your Pappy`s bluegrass music! That is, unless your Pappy is a one-eyed, twelve-toed, moonshine-drinkin`, mountain oyster-eatin`, inbred goat farmer from Eastern Kentucky. Manure-fueled grassabilly that takes old-fashioned tradition out behind the barn for a drink of rotgut liquor and a playful spank on the ass. Can`t beat this stuff with a stick! Even if you could, it would get right back up and beat`cha back! Excellent musicianship. Great wordplay. For fans of the Bad Livers, Foddershock, and the Drive-By-Truckers. Hell, I`d say it`s for fans of roots music in general, as long as they have an open mind and an open beer. Suggested listening environment: intermission music at a cockfight that has unlimited access to pork rinds, PBR, and horny no-teeth women (is there any other type of cockfight?).

I borrowed this CD from a friend, on his reccomendation, and am just amazed.

Traditional-ish sound and melodies, fast and furious, humorous lyrics, just a heck of a lot of fun. You would be hard put to keep still when listening to this one!

Kinda a cross of the Freight Hoppers (or other 1920's-ish bluegrass or pre-'grass) crossed with the Kruger Bros. and a little of Marley's Ghost, maybe. Lots of fun!

A must-have album/group!

This is a amazing follow up to the kansas natives debut self titled release, which is also a must have any any originality buff's collection. The songs move from ballads to good time strumming. Even some darkness thrown in. When you got a guy playing a ford gas tank strung with weedeater strings you cant go wrong.

This is the second studio album by the amazing band Split Lip Rayfield. This is also the first album to feature mandolin master Wayne Gottstine making it the first album with the full line up. I can't say enough good things about this album. Every single song is a masterpiece. There's a huge variety of styles and sounds on this album as you move from track to track. Fast, slow, funny, serious, technical, emotional... this album has it all. I've been a musician my entire life (including playing guitar for the last 20 years) and this is one of my favorite albums in the history of music. This album is perfect and anybody who enjoys country, bluegrass, folk or any type of acoustic music should own it. On a recent car trip I listened to this album 3 times in a row before I even considered switching CDs. Incredible band, incredible album, buy it right now!!!