Customer Reviews

Too Late to Turn Back Now

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The New Grass Revival is extraordinary "live" and this recording exemplifies the group's ability to step-it-up when in "festival" mode. The recording's quality has a very "live" sound as well, particularly evidenced in the upper instrumental ranges of Courtney Johnson's banjo and Sam Bush's fiddle. "Raindow Bridge" is one of the group's rare recorded pieces featuring the dobro, adeptly played by Curtis Birch. John Cowan's voice excites in the numbers that follow, "Watermelon Man" and "Fly Through The Country", the latter, probably better than the studio version from the album of the same name. The set hits its pitch with the concluding number, "Red Man Blues", where Bush takes the lead on fiddle and rips it up at breakneck speed. Eventhough the band has two live albums to their credit, this being the first, any committed New Grass fan should have both since they were recorded with different lineups.

This is the kind of music that makes the traditional grasser cringe and the bluegrass adventurist thankful for the find. John Cowan's vocals are anything but traditional bluegrass, but they are oso good. John's electric bass and slide mandolin of Sam Bush are far removed from your daddy's bluegrass as well. If you like your bluegrass on the cutting edge you'll enjoy this album.

Includes a few great tunes never featured in other albums.
Lots of improvisation and energy.
One of my favorite live albums of all time with a great lineup. Sam, Courtney, Curtis and John. Yeah!