Customer Reviews

Retrograss

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

John Hartford is his usual whimsical self, a grin is mandatory when listening to his vocals on "Hound Dog," "Rocky Top," and "Dock of the Bay." After the initial delight with the surface inventiveness, one begins to hear the deeper layers of genius from the harmonies of Mike Seeger and David Grisman and the wonderful musical grace notes from all three. Even the liner notes are great. I'm so glad these three got together.

My father listened to "Retrograss" and commented that the music sounds like the songs he heard on his father's first radio back in the 1920's. It's impressive that Grisman, Hartford, and Seeger manage to transform a work like Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" into something that echos a world 75 years ago. This is a most remarkable CD that simple grows on you everytime you hear it.

A wonderful collection....a little strange at first listening, perhaps, but entertaining. Then it grows on you, and you begin to feel the genius behind it. It's a quirky concept, but flawlessly executed with lots of humor and warmth. A wonderful addition to any collection.

It is hard to describe the combined work of three such eclectic artists. One listen to their version of Rocky Top will define it all in two words - WONDERFULLY MELODIC. Grass - blue, new or retro - never has sounded better.

So just when you think you've heard it all--a retro jug band cover of Otis Redding's Sittin' by the Dock of the Bay. Indescribably cool. And there's lots of other surreal, great stuff where that came from. Go buy a hundred copies and give them to eveyone you know. In an ideal republic, this one would be on the radio.

The idea of covering folk/country/bluegrass standards and classic rock-era songs, using vintage string instruments and a free-form approach, is an excellent one. Regrettably, Messrs. Grisman, Hartford and Seeger don't quite pull it off. As you'd expect, the musicianship is beyond reproach, but the guys are guilty of straining their artistic license to the max.

The trio fares best with reverent versions of "Uncle Pen," "Windy Mountain" and "Blue Ridge Cabin Home," among others. It's when they put their tongues in their cheeks that the trouble begins. I love John Hartford, but I'm sorry, his eccentric phrasing and vocalizing on "Memphis" and "Maybelline" is hard to take. Chuck Berry is rolling over, and he ain't even dead. And what Hartford does to the sacrosanct bluegrass anthem "Rocky Top" is nothing short of criminal.

There are some outstanding tracks, notably Mike Seeger's stark vocal/banjo arrangement of Dylan's "Maggie's Farm," which Seeger sings like an angry, desperate man with no hope left. He is utterly convincing, also, on the Ralph Stanley mainstay "Room at the Top of the Stairs."

Caveat emptor - I b'lieve you must love old-timey music to love this CD. It's very low-key and almost lackadaisical in execution. No hot solos, no impassioned singing so country or bluegrass only fans should steer clear. That said, it has much charm and humor. My favorite: Seeger's version of Dylan's "Maggie's Farm."

Grisman and Hartford are old favorites of us "Smothers Brothers"-era folk but this album is so 'retro' it is almost a musical joke. John Hartford always had severe limitations as a vocalist and someone on this album is even worse! This harks back to the days when mountain folk were either "pickers" or "singers" but rarely both. "Memphis" and "Maybelline" have vocals so primitive in style and so limited in vocal range as to be amusing rarities. I had hoped this talented group would start with great Chuck Berry material and give it scorching bluegrass picking. The treatment here is bare bones and the high point of "Maybelline" is a jaws harp twang. If this album isn't just self-indulgent, it is mainly for musicians and insiders in the genre.

Long time Grisman fan, not a fan of this recording. I got excited when I saw the track list but it just didn't live up my expectations. The vocals are poor. If you like old-time music this is your thing!