Going Driftless: An Artist's Tribute to Greg Brown

Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 10, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Red House
• ASIN: B00006EXK6
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #75,677 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Lately - Lucinda Williams

2. The Poet Game - Ani DiFranco

3. The Train Carrying Jimmie Rodgers Home - Iris Dement

4. Where is Maria - Ferron

5. Sleeper - Eliza Gilkyson

6. Ella Mae - Pieta, Zoe and Constie Brown

7. Summer Evening - Gillian Welch

8. Small Dark Movie - Lucy Kaplansky

9. Spring & All - Mary Chapin Carpenter

10. Say a Little Prayer - Shawn Colvin

11. Early - Victoria Williams

12. Two Little Feet - Karen Savoca

13. Hey Baby Hey - Robin Lee Berry

14. Wash My Eyes - Leandra Peak

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Twenty years prior to the release of Going Driftless, Greg Brown sang about being a dad. "I'm a man who's rich in daughters," he boasted, tenderly. It's appropriate, then, that the most affecting song on this tribute album is a hushed, heartfelt reading of Brown's early rarity "Ella Mae," played and sung here by his three girls, Pieta, Zoe, and Constie. And while theirs is the disc's single best performance, there's much more here to recommend. Lucinda Williams (who opens the album with "Lately") and Iris DeMent ("The Train Carrying Jimmie Rodgers Home") are, like Brown, raw, emotive singers steeped in the blues, and their covers ooze with longing and ache. Ani DiFranco's jazzy "Poet Game" and Victoria Williams's playful "Early" offer new perspectives on familiar Brown songs. And while the likes of Eliza Gilkyson ("Sleeper") and Shawn Colvin ("Say a Little Prayer") come off a little too polished, each earns points for reviving terrific tunes from deep in Brown's catalog. One note: Royalties from this album go to the Breast Cancer Fund. --Anders Smith Lindall

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting and fun, February 17, 2003

By	K. Parsons "Hailing from the mountaintop!" (Idyllwild, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had never heard of Greg Brown before I recieved this CD as a gift. I love roots music, and am a fan of several of the artists on this CD, so I thought it would be a good collection. It turned out to be a great collection. Each artist featured has her own definitive style, but the common thread of Brown's songwriting knits this diverse group of talents into a cohesive, dynamic whole. I was particularly pleased to see Ferron included. Her style is so unique, so different, so... well, harsh in places, that she gives the entire CD a baseline or a foundation. Coming right after Ani DeFranco's rendition of "The Poet Game", "Where's Maria" sets up a true "roots" feeling for the rest of the CD. Speaking of Ani, well, her song on this collection is worth buying the CD for all by itself. Beautiful, intense, daring in some ways... it is a great cut.

I enjoy this CD. I love Brown's daughters' "Ella Mae" and the wonderful strains of Mary Chapin Carpenter's voice... reminiscent of her masterful "10,000 Miles" of several years ago... in short, "Going Driftless" is a great piece of mood music.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars put off at first, November 18, 2002

By	JesseT (Oldsmar, Fl. U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

At first listen I was very disappointed. I ordered from the catalog and in the waiting had conjured up thoughts of what this recording would offer. There are probably a lot of G. Brown fans that fall into this same category but don't let that first listen fool you. This is not a cover album, it is each artist's personal interpretation and it is a remarkable project. Read the liner notes to get a feel for each performer. Most of you probably know these artist's for their own work and this comes through on this C.D.. This is great music done by a collection of great performers, including a very sweet and touching take on "Ella Mae" by Greg's three daughters. On top of all this the proceeds go to a worthwhile cause. You can't go wrong. It's a keeper, but catch and release to your friends.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the perfect tribute, October 20, 2002

By	"boy_howdy" (Northfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews

After several weeks of constant play, "Driftless" wins my appreciation for both its celebration of Greg Brown's work and for its craftmanship. This well-chosen selection of expertly rendered songs shows a depth of appreciation and tribute to a fine singer-songwriter who has influenced a whole generation of contemporary folk musicians. Each woman on this disk reinterprets Brown in her own heartfelt way, some (of course) subjectively better than others -- I do think the Colvin piece is strong; I especially like Ani's "Poet Game," Karen Savoca's excellent piece, Kaplansky, Welch, Gilkyson, and of course Brown's daughter's "Ella May." But I like all the songs on this album. Unlike the vast majority of tribute albums out there, we can feel the love of the song in each performance, making for an album with no true weak spots.

The overall effect is a disk which offers excellent performances, each an intimate introduction or reintroduction to some fine songs, and, through these, a celebration of the poet who crafted them. It's sure to please fans of Greg Brown and the artists represented, and bring joy to those of us who love both. For myself, the more I listen to and enjoy this disk, the more I appreciate the genius of Greg Brown himself -- if that isn't the mark of a great tribute album, I don't know what is.