Customer Reviews

Original Band

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Doyle Lawson formed his own band, Quicksilver, after a seven year stint as a member of the Country Gentlemen - another excellent band who's music is worth listening to if you're a bluegrass fan. As the title implies, the two albums which make up this CD were recorded with the original lineup of Quicksilver.

This is classic bluegrass - the only instruments used are mandolin, banjo, guitar, bass, dobro and fiddle. The songs have been well chosen. Some songs are covers of bluegrass originals, like Thinking about you (Flatt and Scruggs), On and On (Bill Monroe) and The lonesome river (Carter Stanley) while others are less obvious. Yellow river (the 1970 pop classic by Christie) and the opening Mighty Mississippi (an early New Christy Minstrels song) are not obvious choces for a bluegrass album, but they work extremely well, as does 'Til the rivers all run dry, originally a seventies country classic by Don Williams.

Whether you are just getting into bluegrass or have a sizeable collection, you will enjoy this.

This CD is one of the best bluegrass albums ever released. Compiling two CDs, a listener is treated to 22 tracks, all of which are astounding both vocally and instrumentally. A key ingredient to the success and popularity of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver (no matter who joins or leaves the band) is Mr. Lawson's intrepid ability to choose songs and arrange them beautifully, without regard to genre. The exceptional redition of "Yellow River", originally recorded and released by the '70's rock band Christie, stands as a prime example. But regardless of which genre they sample from, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver remain true bluegrass artists, deftly making use of both delicate harmonies and really fast pickin'! A standout album!

This is an outstanding collection, two early 80s albums on one disc. The playing is traditional bluegrass, a banjo lover's feast. You will find subtlety in the instrumental arrangements, but even more in the vocal harmonies, with the several voices effectively playing off one another. What I like best, however, is the exuberant and almost brave mix between secular and gospel, a strong belief in the religious cornerstone to life side-by-side with odes to ramblers, be they people or rivers, and child brides. The song selection on the latter half of the second album is a little weaker overall, especially Yellow River, insipid as a pop tune, insipid as a bluegrass tune. But that quibble is more than overwhelmed by such wonders as How Long Have I Been Waiting, Happy on My Way, He Put A Rainbow in the Clouds for Me, A Touch of Pennsylvania, Georgia Girl, Til the Rivers All Run Dry, and Poet with Wings.