Customer Reviews

Stealing Second

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw Chris Thile at Winterhawk '99 with David Grisman, and while the old master was no slouch, it was clear who was taking over the reigns of the title: greatest mandolin player on the planet (although Sam Bush and Mike Marshall are still neck and neck with him). As has been said, the great thing about this album is not that someone so young can play so well, but that anyone, regardless of age, can compose such sophisticated, soulful, beautiful music! Although I play the mandolin, I listen to this album for the melodies, not just for the hotlicks -- and that's probably the greatest compliment you can give to an album of instrumental bluegrass music!

A little historical perspective. Chris had won the national mandolin championship at 12, followed by the recording Leading Off...,"Stealing Second" was recorded at about age 17, very soon before the earth-shaking Nickel Creek debut CD.

On his first CD, "Leading Off", Chris worked with fine musicians and allowed himself to be mentored a little by Pete Wernick, mixing a few self-written ditties with several "parking lot favorites". On "Stealing Second" everything gets ratcheted up a notch. Chris writes ALL the tunes himself. The accompanying musicians are no less than Stuart Duncan on Fiddle and Jerry Douglas on Dobro. Now master David Grier takes on guitar work and Scott Vestal brings his 5-string wizardry to the project.

The results are, frankly, electrifying. Chris mixes in light, airy reels like "Ah, Spring" and "Hop the Fence" with serious barn-burning breakdowns like "Clear the Tracks". (One of the "hottest" bluegrass recordings in history.)

For anyone with any interest in Chris Thile, Bluegrass, Irish or Mandolin music, "Stealing Second" is required listening. Get it.

After surviving my own personal intoxication with Thile's masterwork, "Not all who wander are lost" (probably 150 listens), I needed a new addiction. And while I had listened to "Stealing Second" before, I now turned my full attention to it. To my delight, both Stuart Duncan (fiddle) and Jerry Douglas (dobro) are here to accompany the great mando playing of Chris Thile. As others have commented, his composing skills are as sublime as his playing. This record has variety, beauty and a lot of just plain fun. Plenty of reels, airs and harmonies from some of the best players on the planet!

I bought this album because I heard that Chris Thile is an unbelievable mandolin player and is only 18 yrs old. He made this album when he was 16, and yes, he is amazing. Not just for a kid, but for anyone. And you can hear that on his first album "Leading Off" which he recorded at 13. But the most amazing thing about the album, though, is that the music, which is all written by Chris, is really, really goooood. I love this album. It's not just great because he's young; it's just great. And when you think about how young he is, it blows your mind. Any newgrass or bluegrass fan will dig this album, especially if you are a picker yourself.

This album gives new meaning to the term "child star." Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile, who is one of the most creative talents in everything from Bluegrass to Newgrass to alternative music, recorded this set of original tunes (yep, he wrote 'em!) when he was but a wee teen. What a talent he was even then! Any Thile fans (or any mandolin enthusiasts for that matter) will want to hear this album, with its catchy tunes that point so clearly at where this star was headed. The only missing piece: No Chris singing, as we have on The Little Cowpoke album from his childhood. Must have been that his voice was changing. Thoroughly enjoyable!

I had never heard of Chris Thile before I went to MerleFest '99, but I immediately bought this disk during the show. It is absolutely fabulous. For such a young man, Chris displays an incredible amount of maturity. He is a gifted musician and song-writer, demonstrating a wide range of abilities on all 14 of these wonderful tracks. Sam Bush should be proud to have produced this, and pleased to know that there is a bright future in blue grass mandolin music.

I'm not that into bluegrass. This recording transcends the genre and can appeal to music-lovers of any stripe.

The tune "Stealing Second" is genuine brilliance. It alone justified the price of the CD. perfect.

This is a fantastic cd, and track #4 is an incredible piece of music. Particularly for bluegrass fans, and cloggers. It's become my favorite bluegrass cd.

Before buying this CD, I thought "do I really want to listen
to 45 minutes of mandolin music". After listening to it the
first time, I thought "I will have to play it again right away".
This is just plain great music, played by a musical genius. I
work to it, I relax to it, and I will most certainly be
buying more CDs by Chris Thile!!

Amazing that someone this young could compose and perform this music. The playing is first-rate and the sonics are very good. Great backing musicians. While not up to the standard set by his much later effort (Not all who wander...), it is still a very listenable album, worth many repeat plays.

Enjoy!