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Gillian Welch — Caleb Meyer
Album: Hell Among The Yearlings
Avg rating:
7.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1106









Released: 2001
Length: 2:53
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Caleb Meyer, he lived alone
In them hollarin' pines
He made a little whiskey for himself
Said it helped to pass the time

On one evening in back of my house,
Caleb came around
And he called my name 'til I came out
with no one else around

Caleb Meyer, your ghost is gonna
wear them rattlin' chains.
but when I go to sleep at night,
Don't you call my name

Where's your husband, Nellie Kane
Where's your darling gone?
Did he go on down the mountain side
and leave you all alone?

Yes, my husband's gone to Bowlin' Green
to do some business there.
Then Caleb threw that bottle down
and grabbed me by my hair.

Caleb Meyer, your ghost is gonna
wear them rattlin' chains.
but when I go to sleep at night,
Don't you call my name

He threw me on the needle bed,
and on my dress he lay
he held my hands above my head
and I commenced to pray.

I cried My God, I am your child
send your angels down
Then feelin' with my fingertips,
the bottle neck I found

I pulled that glass across his neck
as fine as any blade,
and I felt his blood run fast and hot
around me where I laid.

Caleb Meyer, your ghost is gonna
wear them rattlin' chains.
But when I go to sleep at night,
Don't you call my name

Caleb Meyer, your ghost is gonna
wear them rattlin' chains.
But when I go to sleep at night,
Don't you call my name
Comments (111)add comment
I've always loved the timber of her voice, plus the story telling in her songs.  What a God given talent...
Lyrical imagery at its finest. 
larkness115 wrote:
My kind of murder ballad.

 sqqqrly wrote:

This was not about murder.

Because self-defense is not murder?
 larkness115 wrote:

My kind of murder ballad.


This was not about murder.
 ubuntourist wrote:
I prefer the Joan Baez version... Her rendition has a lot more raw emotion to it than this version.  This version could be played at a square dance and few would notice.  There are a few different recordings of Joan doing it.  I can't find the one I especially like, but this isn't too bad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yankfKvrTkE

Also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmMSEPdz0TU

For the version I'm thinking of, I believe she was a wee bit younger, angrier and edgier.
 
I agree - to paraphrase Arlo Guthrie 'now with four part harmony and feeling'! The rendition dynamics seem disconnected from the lyric content. 
 woodchuk wrote:
Thanks Bill.  Gillian Welch is great..and removes the bad taste of the preceding Miley Cyrus cover. ;-)
 
If Gillian Welch did a Miley Cyrus cover, it would be amazing.
 WonderLizard wrote:
dpjag wrote:
What's really cools is that this station will follow it with Sonic Youth.
...or Edgar Varese. Or Miles. But why no Monkees?
 

2nd the vote for some Monkees!! Lol
Thanks Bill.  Gillian Welch is great..and removes the bad taste of the preceding Miley Cyrus cover. ;-)
 larkness115 wrote:
My kind of murder ballad.
 
My thought exactly. Scumbag gets what's what.
c.
Love Gillian, RP rocks!!
My kind of murder ballad.
Break out the jug it's time to PARTY!  
Gillian's voice is fabulous  : )
Reminds me of Tonya
 Businessgypsy wrote:
ubuntourist wrote:
This version could be played at a square dance and few would notice.
Only in a world where the Necronomicon could be read at a Methodist Baptism and few would notice.
 
{#Roflol}
 {#Daisy}oldfart48 wrote:{#Daisy}
{#Sunny}

 


very nice music
way too many caleb mayer tipes in this world. they all need to become ghosts................
{#Sunny}
Nice hearing a new (to me) Gillian Welch song.  Great not hearing the same song over and over again.
 WonderLizard wrote:

Nicely put. Gillian gets a lot of undeserved brickbats for her measured delivery. No mistaking the quality of her voice or her commitment to the music.

 

"brickbats fly at my fireplce...upside down i see them in the fire.... they squeak and roast there" 

David Rawlings and Gillian Welch have amazing musical chemistry.



Solomon Burke with Gillian Welch: Valley of Tears, Live
Mr. Soul & Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings.

Much better live: 

https://youtu.be/nugXkgd_-84

 

 Businessgypsy wrote:
Gillian Welch is an L.A. girl. I guess this is her version of ValleySpeak (Tennessee Valley). I have to admit, as a Southerner to the bone, I really like Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings' music and they put on a damn fine live show. She would be a very good novelist had she not been swayed towards music. I'll take my roots folk in both flavors (like I do my blues) - authentic and well-reproduced.

 
Nicely put. Gillian gets a lot of undeserved brickbats for her measured delivery. No mistaking the quality of her voice or her commitment to the music.

ubuntourist wrote:
This version could be played at a square dance and few would notice.
Only in a world where the Necronomicon could be read at a Methodist Baptism and few would notice.

I prefer the Joan Baez version... Her rendition has a lot more raw emotion to it than this version.  This version could be played at a square dance and few would notice.  There are a few different recordings of Joan doing it.  I can't find the one I especially like, but this isn't too bad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yankfKvrTkE

Also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmMSEPdz0TU

For the version I'm thinking of, I believe she was a wee bit younger, angrier and edgier.

Gillian Welch -Newport Folk by ~JohannaStudios
Kieran John Delaney ©2008-2010 ~JohannaStudios

08.03.08 @ The Newport Folk Festival



Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - "Caleb Meyer" Live London (2004)  

Caleb Meyer, he lived alone
In them hollarin' pines
And he made a little whiskey for himself
Said it helped to pass the time

Long one evening in back of my house,
Caleb came around
And he called my name 'til I came out
with no one else around

Caleb Meyer, your ghost is gonna
wear them rattlin' chains.
but when I go to sleep at night,
Don't you call my name

Where's your husband, Nellie Kane
Where's your darlin gone?
Did he go down off the mountain side
and leave you all alone?

Yes, my husband's gone to Bowlin' Green
to do some business there.
Then Caleb threw that bottle down
and grabbed me by my hair.

Caleb Meyer, your ghost is gonna
wear them rattlin' chains.
but when I go to sleep at night,
Don't you call my name
He threw me in the needle bed,
across my dress he lay
he held my hands above my head
and I commenced to pray.

I cried My God, I am your child
send your angels down
Then feelin' with my fingertips,
the bottle neck I found

I drew that glass across his neck
as fine as any blade,
and I felt his blood pour fast and hot
around me where I laid.

Caleb Meyer, your ghost is gonna
wear them rattlin' chains.
But when I go to sleep at night,
Don't you call my name

Caleb Meyer, your ghost is gonna
wear them rattlin' chains.
But when I go to sleep at night,
Don't you call my name

i say: Great!  Ms.Gillian Welch!



Gatlinburger wrote:
Thanx Calypsus (sp?) for posting the lyrics. I'm a yankee {#Rolleyes} and even though I've been in the South for almost 15 years now, I still have trouble understanding sometimes...
Gillian Welch is an L.A. girl. I guess this is her version of ValleySpeak (Tennessee Valley). I have to admit, as a Southerner to the bone, I really like Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings' music and they put on a damn fine live show. She would be a very good novelist had she not been swayed towards music. I'll take my roots folk in both flavors (like I do my blues) - authentic and well-reproduced.

Good schhtuff!{#Cowboy}
My large chihuahua was dancing with me to this song. It almost seems as though I was sort of clogless clogging? Or jigging?
Love this song! Was just listening to this CD last night.
Well all the replies on my comment were very interesting.

First off, yes, I know the difference between Country (wide category) and Folk (sub category).   Everyone listening to this station knows the quality and diversity of music played here.  That is why we listen.

Its not that I don't think this artist is a talented singer.....and I have said before Bill does a great job at really playing a wide variety of great artists. My comment expressed that too much of this genre of music is played on RP.  I think what I said was a fair comment of my opinion, NOT of the artist.

There is so much more good music out there, and Bill is a master at finding it. 

Enough said.
 
Thanx Calypsus (sp?) for posting the lyrics.  I'm a yankee {#Rolleyes} and even though I've been in the South for almost 15 years now, I still have trouble understanding sometimes...  and this song would be a perfect example...  Great song though, even better knowing the words!  Thanx again.


 blackridge wrote:
If you ever have a chance to see Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlins — drive the 500 miles to get there.  The two of them put out an amazing amount of music for two people and two guitars.  Anyone with an appreciation for lyrics, melody, and harmony can't help but love their music.

 
I was just going to write a very similar comment. I have been a fan for years, but I saw them at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 7 last year (2007), and they were among the best live acts I have ever seen. Emmylou Harris came onstage with them and sang "Go To Sleep Little Baby" from "Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?"!

blackridge is right. Drive a long way to see them. Here's a link to an excellent video of them playing with John Paul Jones at Bonnaroo 2007, doing "Miss Ohio" and "Wayside". Too cool!

If you ever have a chance to see Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlins — drive the 500 miles to get there.  The two of them put out an amazing amount of music for two people and two guitars.  Anyone with an appreciation for lyrics, melody, and harmony can't help but love their music.

 WonderLizard wrote:
Hmm. I'm going to stay out of the slugfest with shesdifferent with whom I disagree. However, this comment raises a different issue. Why is it that so many singers have different singing and speaking voices? Examples abound. Here are two. John Fogerty was from El Cerrito, CA, just outside of Berkeley fercryinoutloud, but to hear him twang delta diphthongs ("choich," "woik"), one would think he really was from Mississippi. Ditto Jagger, whose pedigree (London School of Economics) places him even further away from Highway 61, but whose blues growl rang with authenticity. I don't know why their voices change. My guess is that they're so enamored of and committed to the art form they've synthesized, that choosing to sing with the accent, no matter how affected ("PHONY!"), is really no choice at all. Instead of questioning their motives, I suggest we applaud their interpretation and their art.
 
Indeed, there should be a country song called "Delta Dipthong."  (Great coinage, Wonder.)  The most egregious example of the phenomenon you note might have been Jim Nabors, who really did talk like that, and really did sing like that.  I think that for many people, the act of singing isn't just adding a musicality to your speaking voice; it's speaking a different language altogether (or even different conduct altogether), with a different voice, inflection, diaphragm, pitch, and so forth.  There's probably other examples of special voices used in conduct.  Auctioneers definitely.  ("Hey, that guy selling antiques is pretending to be a stutterer — what a PHONY!")  Umpires maybe.  I have to agree that this is a stylizing of the voice, and not a half-baked or "phony" effort to pretend that one has roots that one doesn't actually have.

Love Ms. Welch and this song. Reminds me of a story one of my ex's co-workers told her years ago. The co-worker was a great guy but his wife was very shy, painfully so. Well, turns out there was a reason:

Her first marriage was to an abusive drunk: no details required there, suffice to say it was nightmarish. She finally mustered the courage to leave him one night while he was out drinking. When he got home in the wee hours, she was gone. He flew in to a rage, and in his haste to track her down and beat the daylights out of her, he neglected to open the sliding glass door. Smashed through it and bled to death on the spot.

It's nice to know karma works sometimes. Ol' Caleb gettin' his jugular sliced open falls somewhere near that category...

c.
 rvontha wrote:
Gillian Welch's stuff is just fantastic. Having her come on right after the Waifs is just BRILLIANT! Bravo Bill!
 

{#Clap}
A Ralph Stanley kind of vocal quality.
strick wrote:
Count me in her corner... I am certianly not against most folk music at all, but the phony, twangy, nasal assault of 90% of country music is unbelievably offensive. It is especially irritating when the artists (I don't know if this is true in this case) sound like perfectly normal, English-speaking people until they start singing & then that grating, Deliverence-esque twang takes over... PHONY, PHONY, PHONY!!!!!
Hmm. I'm going to stay out of the slugfest with shesdifferent with whom I disagree. However, this comment raises a different issue. Why is it that so many singers have different singing and speaking voices? Examples abound. Here are two. John Fogerty was from El Cerrito, CA, just outside of Berkeley fercryinoutloud, but to hear him twang delta diphthongs ("choich," "woik"), one would think he really was from Mississippi. Ditto Jagger, whose pedigree (London School of Economics) places him even further away from Highway 61, but whose blues growl rang with authenticity. I don't know why their voices change. My guess is that they're so enamored of and committed to the art form they've synthesized, that choosing to sing with the accent, no matter how affected ("PHONY!"), is really no choice at all. Instead of questioning their motives, I suggest we applaud their interpretation and their art.
Antigone wrote:
Would this be the best cd of hers to get? Recommendations anyone?
As someone has said, "Revival" is a great CD and very similar to this. After that, "Hell Among the Yearlings" and "Time (The Revalator)" are both very good. "Soul Journey" had some good tracks, but not as good as her previous albums.
Gillian Welch's stuff is just fantastic. Having her come on right after the Waifs is just BRILLIANT! Bravo Bill!
PurplePrincess wrote:
I notice that your comment has inspired many replies and I must add mine. I love Gillian Welch and this genre of folk music, I love many kinds of music. Is it your opinion that Bill should only play what YOU like to hear and ignore his own tastes as well as those of us who love her and music like this? And BTW, this is not country hick music, it is authenic sounding American Folk music, what a snotty comment.
I agree , ya suppose it will come as a shock when he finds out the universe does not spin around him?
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
I notice that your comment has inspired many replies and I must add mine. I love Gillian Welch and this genre of folk music, I love many kinds of music. Is it your opinion that Bill should only play what YOU like to hear and ignore his own tastes as well as those of us who love her and music like this? And BTW, this is not country hick music, it is authenic sounding American Folk music, what a snotty comment.
Antigone wrote:
Would this be the best cd of hers to get? Recommendations anyone?
My input is limited by owning only this CD. However, I think it is very much worth having. Caleb Meyer was what got me to consider buying it. The CD conveys the general tenor of this song. It speaks of a hard life in the mountains, much different than what most Americans today see as modern life. The playing is consistently beautiful.
Antigone wrote:
Would this be the best cd of hers to get? Recommendations anyone?
I'd start with her first, Revival.
Love it. Thanks Bill!
Would this be the best cd of hers to get? Recommendations anyone?
Gillian!
I like this for a change, my toes are tapping....
keller1 wrote:
You think too much. A good tune is a good tune, and this is, well, a good tune.
well said
C57BL6 wrote:
lastly, and then i'll shut up, the whole genre-smashing thing is itself fallacious. i for one cannot stand allsion krauss, despite knowing full well her musical prowess. she just doesnt convey ideas with the sorts of emotional resonance that gillian welch and dave rawlings do; she is soft and cuddly and linear, they are narrative-providers into angst and hardship from times past. likewise, jerry douglas is the baddest ass when in a conventional newgrass (ha) format like DGQ for example, but with the krauss group, his playing is reduced to the telegraphed gratuitous i-can-play solo. so, it's all in the group, not the genre, i guess, is the point. imho
You think too much. A good tune is a good tune, and this is, well, a good tune.
Love, love, love this song! I must look into buying some of her CDs.
lastly, and then i'll shut up, the whole genre-smashing thing is itself fallacious. i for one cannot stand allsion krauss, despite knowing full well her musical prowess. she just doesnt convey ideas with the sorts of emotional resonance that gillian welch and dave rawlings do; she is soft and cuddly and linear, they are narrative-providers into angst and hardship from times past. likewise, jerry douglas is the baddest ass when in a conventional newgrass (ha) format like DGQ for example, but with the krauss group, his playing is reduced to the telegraphed gratuitous i-can-play solo. so, it's all in the group, not the genre, i guess, is the point. imho
not normally MOVED to breathlessness by live music but the punctuated sound and silence between them, in an outdoor venue like Merlefest, is awesome indeed. sounds like they are coming straight out of time
i can see the murder and the trembling-shaking and the dilated eyes.. fever pitch. awesome album, incredible musicians.
i bet you wouldn't speak poorly of her if you saw her play live. Her and David Rawlings are electrifying!
Disliking artists or songs is one thing, but labelling something "drivel" and other demonstrably ridiculous statements is kind of beyond the pale. If you don't like it fine, you don't need to make insulting derogatory comments simply to justify the fact that it doesn't appeal to you. There's a reason the music T Bone Burnett selected and produced for the soundtrack of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou received such a strong and positive response from such a broad audience a couple of years ago: Down in the marrow, it's quality music, and the musicians like Gillian, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley et al. appreciate and love performing what you call "hick" music. They know good songs when they hear them. Maybe someday you will, too.
Wow, the posts on this song are hot! Gillian Welch seems quite authentic to me. People who dislike American folk music can simply switch over to some Brittany-pop during these amazing selections from Bill and the uploaders! I love the folk-bent of this station and would never be a subscriber were it not there. As far as sounding like Deliverance, that's so absurd!
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
You may be different, but on this issue we have the same view. I don't need an encyclopedia to tell me what I should or should not like, and whether this is acid-house speed country or urban hip-hop country, its still dire. Only gets a one as there is no opportunity to give it a lower score. I accept the argument about eclecticism, and ultimately it is Bill's radio station and he can play whatever he chooses! I have been turned on to so many artistes through RP that listening to the genres which grate with me is a small price to pay for the musical education. Disliking this track is not a matter of classification or of ignorance of the importance of folk music in societal development; I think it is simply musically unappealing. My challenge is to understand how Bill can play such great music and then pepper the playlist with abject drivel like this. Maybe we don't share the same taste?
If you "don't know", then stop making baseless judgements that are simply ignorant. You damn sure are against most folk music, and also have a narrow and blindingly inaccurate view of how language works. Accents and affectations vary all the time according to all sorts of social contexts. Why can't musicians tune their vocals to fit a style and approach just like they tune their instruments? strick wrote:
Count me in her corner... I am certianly not against most folk music at all, but the phony, twangy, nasal assault of 90% of country music is unbelievably offensive. It is especially irritating when the artists (I don't know if this is true in this case) sound like perfectly normal, English-speaking people until they start singing & then that grating, Deliverence-esque twang takes over... PHONY, PHONY, PHONY!!!!!
ekeyte wrote:
Shut up.
Now that was unnecessary! Just because there is nothing I like about this song or the talented performer doesn't mean I cannot express my distaste.
music_man wrote:
Call it americana, country, folk...hell, I don't care what you call it. What I call it is just plain GOOD!
Took a bit of scrollin' but I found a positive rap for Gillian which is just plain GOOD!
music_man wrote:
Call it americana, country, folk...hell, I don't care what you call it. What I call it is just plain GOOD!
I'm with Music_Man on this one
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
Shut up.
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
Count me in her corner... I am certianly not against most folk music at all, but the phony, twangy, nasal assault of 90% of country music is unbelievably offensive. It is especially irritating when the artists (I don't know if this is true in this case) sound like perfectly normal, English-speaking people until they start singing & then that grating, Deliverence-esque twang takes over... PHONY, PHONY, PHONY!!!!!
I mostly agree with Wally here, so-so much about the artist credentials/talent. But it's a shame to read such un-smart comments like those of Shesdifferent (Shesnotyouknow)! There are some listeners who don't seem to get what eclectic set programming means. There may be quite a lot of this kind of music, but not disproportionately so. There's quite lot of all sorts of music at RP. Isn't that the point And the hick comment makes Shesdifferent sound like a bigot !! Yeah, try another radio station!!! wally42 wrote:
Sorry you feel this way. Your loss. Gillian and David are amazing performers and she is a stunning songwriter. You should hear thier version of White Rabbit. chillllsss Besides, If you don't like the ratio of Gillian's style of music to the other, find another radio station.
Shesdifferent wrote: Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
Can never get too much Gillian and David - they really are amazing and great in concert to boot! This isn't even one of their best. Ck out Revelator - a fantastic album (or should I say cd)!
Oh so sweet, so nice to hear people rely on their own vocal power/talent to make a song beautiful instead of all the refurbished computer enhanced voices out there.
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
Sorry you feel this way. Your loss. Gillian and David are amazing performers and she is a stunning songwriter. You should hear thier version of White Rabbit. chillllsss Besides, If you don't like the ratio of Gillian's style of music to the other, find another radio station.
WonderLizard wrote:
...or Edgar Varese. Or Miles. But why no Monkees?
Good question. Gotta draw the line somewhere, I guess.
music_man wrote:
Call it americana, country, folk...hell, I don't care what you call it. What I call it is just plain GOOD!
Yep, good stuff, play some more!
Cracking set - can we have Country Death Song by the Violent Femmes to round things off?
Call it americana, country, folk...hell, I don't care what you call it. What I call it is just plain GOOD!
dpjag wrote:
What's really cools is that this station will follow it with Sonic Youth.
...or Edgar Varese. Or Miles. But why no Monkees?
AlienRelic wrote:
Well, I really like the trippy-dippy techno drivel myself, and a lot of the country hick music too. A lot of the suicidally depressing "I'm twenty years old, life sucks, and I don't know how to play a guitar" stuff bugs me, but hey, different strokes....
Frankly, this is all why RP is such an incredible station; not only are they commercial free, but they are obviously carefully devoted to their musical selection and choose only music that is GOOD. The question is what is "GOOD"? For each of us, that's going to be different, however when songs that fall into the genres we enjoy the most, RP seems to always hit the mark. We don't always have to enjoy every single song that RP plays, but the amazing thing is that RP is able to always play music that appeals to someone on a deep level. How RP is able to consistently identify moving and unique music across SO many genres, is what makes this station truly a blessing, and why all of us are listening, despite it not being a limited genre station. My hat is off to RP...
Love the name of this album...chilly
See, this is why I listen to RP almost exclusively. I've never heard of this artist and really enjoyed this song. (Can't imagine ever hearing of half the artists RP plays on the commercial stations in this area.) Thanks RP for turning me onto yet another new talent.
xkolibuul wrote:
Yes? Well hon, I think RP plays too much trippy-dippy techno drivel for my taste, but I'm still here listening, and its still the best radio to be found anywhere. So what is your point?
Well, I really like the trippy-dippy techno drivel myself, and a lot of the country hick music too. A lot of the suicidally depressing "I'm twenty years old, life sucks, and I don't know how to play a guitar" stuff bugs me, but hey, different strokes....
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
What's really cools is that this station will follow it with Sonic Youth.
This is great. Gives me chills.
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
Yes? Well hon, I think RP plays too much trippy-dippy techno drivel for my taste, but I'm still here listening, and its still the best radio to be found anywhere. So what is your point?
Gosh, I would've thought that Shawn Mullins' Cold Black Heart would follow this one...Nice set!
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
Play some more country hick style music and a little Rockabilly(white trash) music....yeehaw
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
I agree.
Shesdifferent wrote:
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
Actually, this is FOLK music (click here for the Amazon.com-listed genre for Folk Music) not COUNTRY music (click here for the Amazon.com-listed genre for Country Music). Even if you don't find country music palatable (and I count myself as one such a person, barring contemporary country which, to my ears, sounds more like pop music than country) give a listen to some true folk music. And I can't commend better than the mastery of Alison Krauss and Union Station as seen on of their latest album Lonely Runs Both Ways .
Amazon.com Review Nobody makes somber sound more exquisite than Alison Krauss. She's come an awfully long way from her days as a teenage fiddle prodigy, as her glamour gown on this CD's cover suggests and the bittersweet maturity of the music confirms. Krauss exchanges her bluegrass fiddle for the chamber strains of viola on much of the material, including four songs by Robert Lee Castleman (whose "The Lucky One," "Let Me Touch You for Awhile," and "Forget About It" were previously popularized by Krauss). Castleman's compositions showcase the emotional intimacy and interpretive subtlety of her breathy trill. The yearning harmonies on "Wouldn't Be So Bad" (written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings) and "Borderline" (written by Sidney and Suzanne Cox) reinforce the album's restless spirit of quiet desperation. Change-of-pace contributions by Krauss's bandmates are more deeply rooted in the bluegrass/folk tradition, with Dan Tyminski renewing Del McCoury's "Rain Please Go Away" and Woody Guthrie's populist anthem "Pastures of Plenty"; Dobro master Jerry Douglas leads the charge on his instrumental "Unionhouse Branch." Few bands in bluegrass can match the virtuosity of Union Station's interplay, but the artistry of Alison Krauss transcends genre.
Additionally, give a listen to the beautiful harmonies of The Wailin' Jennys and, particularly, their great album 40 Days .
Amazon.com Review What is it about Canada providing such fertile ground for great female singer/songwriters? From the peerless Joni Mitchell to the irresistible Lynn Miles (a new album is coming soon!!), there's also been such wonderful work from Susie Ungerleider (Oh Susanna), the Be Good Tanyas, the recent cd from the Duhks and, of course, the Wailin' Jennys. Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta, and Cara Luft-three Canadian singer/songwriters--have produced the harmony album of the year. Each has a distinctive voice and song writing tone. But, their affinity for each other, vocally, is amazing. A brilliant and lovely opening song, "One Voice" sets the perfect mood. Mostly excellent originals, they also perform several covers: a great version of Neil Young's "Old Man" which called to mind the harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash and a lovely take on John Hiatt's romantic "Take it Down." A couple of traditional tunes, as well, including a beautiful closing "The Parting Glass." Don't miss this one.
Note: Most of what we class as true Celtic-Irish-Scottish music (not Enya who does more new-age/Celtic, nor The Corrs, who do pop/Celtic, nor Loreena McKennitt who does more medieval/Celtic) is folk music too (though under a different genre label) and the fiddle playing in folk music sounds very similar to Celtic fiddle music. And, in fact, Amazon.com places an entry for Celtic music right under their Folk music main page (listed as "Traditional British & Celtic"). (Admittedly, Amazon.com also has separate entries for Celtic under their International heading and also under their New Age heading.)
Once again, I think RP plays way too much of this country hick style of music.... despite the wonderful reviews of the singer.
Dirktooth wrote:
The calm notes of her singing is one of the chillingest aspects of this song. The murder ballads are probably the more overlooked aspects of American roots music...it's good to see someone picking up them so well, even if the lyrics raise the hairs on the back of my neck.
What you said. And same for Snakefarm
This preceeded by Banks of the Ohio - a couple of good killin' in the name of love tunes. I almost think I might listen to some more murkan folk.
This disc was one of my favorite acquisitions of the past few months. She's just delightful!
thanks bill, this was a nice surprise this am
I seem to remember her name on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? CD. Nice voice.
Gillian opened for John Prine here. Had never heard of her, but grew to love her.
The calm notes of her singing is one of the chillingest aspects of this song. The murder ballads are probably the more overlooked aspects of American roots music...it's good to see someone picking up them so well, even if the lyrics raise the hairs on the back of my neck.
Never tire of Gillian....more please....
Used to be...I couldn't understand what the fascination was for Gillian...but I get it now...the more I hear the more I like.
Never heard of her....have now
i was lucky enough to get to see gillian and david rawlings in a VERY small room several years ago, only about 90 people there...it was incredible...they had the undivided attention of EVERYONE in the room...you could hear them BREATHING... a very intese experience... I so love gillian, and david's guitar is just stunning MORE PLEASE!
I saw her at the Austin City Limits Music Festival about a month ago. It was just her and another guitarist/mandolin? player on this huge stage. They looked so tiny up there but totally blew me away!
Originally Posted by haoleboy: Nice, Bill. Very brave choice - this belongs under eclectic for sure. I love her sound, but how'd she get that accent growing up in LA and going to school in UC Santa Cruz?
I am from California and lived in VA for a couple of years...I think the accent kinda grows on you! I came back to CA and my family had a hard time figuring out what I was saying! :p
Nice, Bill. Very brave choice - this belongs under eclectic for sure. I love her sound, but how\'d she get that accent growing up in LA and going to school in UC Santa Cruz?