Like many Rhino compilations, this is geared more to the novice or the casual fan than the aficionado, but that's not a criticism. If someone wants a basic primer of the bluegrass sound past and present that manages to be accessible and avoid unduly clichéd track selection, this 18-song compilation fits the bill well. Most of the biggest names are ...
Twenty-nine tracks drawn from the Dillards' first five albums (originally on Elektra), which are otherwise unavailable. The CD is assembled not in chronological order, but with musical coherence as the main determining factor, so tracks from different albums get juxtaposed together. From Back Porch Bluegrass we get five songs, including "Banjo in ...
It never got any better than this. In 1968, as the Byrds were making valiant (if unappreciated) efforts to bring rock and country music closer together, the Dillards were trying to do some of the same for bluegrass and rock. The result was 13 all-but-perfect tracks mixing some pretty laid-back topicality ("Hey Boys") and humor ("The Biggest ...
The Dillards' second album with rock-influenced arrangements was not as barrier-busting as 1968's Wheatstraw Suite, and further removed from their bluegrass roots. However, it was a similarly eclectic and, for the most part, joyous romp through a fusion of bluegrass, rock, folk, and country, with a bit of pop and orchestration along the ride, and ...
The Dillards' Rodney Dillard/Dean Webb/Mitch Jayne/Steve Cooley lineup recorded two albums for Vanguard in the early '90s. While 1990's excellent Let It Fly was primarily a country-rock effort, their next album, Take Me Along for the Ride, had more of a folk-rock outlook. That isn't to say that everything on this CD falls into the folk-rock ...
In the early 1960s, the Dillards were one of the first bluegrass acts to try to move the music out of the traditional confines of its Southern roots and into something closer to the mainstream, and Live!!! Almost!!!, recorded at an L.A. nightclub in 1964, plays like a clever and quite successful attempt to introduce bluegrass to the upscale folk ...
After leaving Elektra Records in the early '70s, but before signing with Flying Fish, the Dillards released two albums, Roots and Branches and Tribute to the American Duck, on independent labels. Neither was particularly remarkable, but they're of interest to hardcore fans. Beat Goes On reissued the pair on one CD in 1996. ~ Stephen Thomas ...
This album, which features the work of such artists as Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, the Dillards, and the Greenbriar Boys, was recorded at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963-1965. ~ All Music Guide, All Music Guide
Over the years, the Dillards have had their share of personnel changes. When they recorded Let It Fly for Vanguard in 1990, the main participants were founding member Rodney Dillard (lead vocals), Steve Cooley (acoustic guitar, banjo), Dean Webb (mandolin), and Mitch Jayne (who co-wrote a few of the tunes). Produced by the Desert Rose Band's Herb ...
Legacy's The Greatest Stars of Folk Music collects 19 samples from the late-'50s/early-'60s folk revival, almost none of which are the versions that listeners are familiar with. For example, instead of the Clancy Brothers doing "The Risin' of the Moon," you get actor/singer Theodore Bikel; Judy Collins, not A.L. Lloyd, gives listeners the ...
This double-CD set from WEA International contains three albums by the Dillards -- Pickin' and Fiddlin', Wheatstraw Suite, and Copperfields -- that are all regarded as classics in their respective musical subgenres. So on its face, this is an extraordinarily attractive set, with great sound and full annotation. Indeed, the only thing that would ...
This four-CD set isn't quite as comprehensive as it might have been. All of the major bases are covered, from Paul Robeson, the Weavers, and Count Basie to Alison Brown and John McEuen, and even Circus Maximus ("Oops -- I Can Dance") is here, with cuts by the Frost ("Sweet Lady Love") and the Third Power ("Gettin' Together"). But there's no Sandy ...
@Raven's excellent multi-label anthology of the Dillards is required listening for fans of late-'60s/early-'70s country-rock. Considering the group released material on Elektra, Capitol, White Whale, Anthem, Poppy, and Flying Fish, it's a wonder that Best of the Dillards 1963-79: Let the Music Flow is available at all, and with over 78 minutes of ...
A long-winded title for what is essentially a trawl through the back catalog of EMI's folk-rock, country-rock, and singer-songwriters, from the '60s through the '80s (emphasis on the '60s). It's a not-bad mix of the renowned (Gordon Lightfoot, Leon Russell, Don McLean, Townes Van Zandt, Stone Poneys, Joe South), the less celebrated (the Dillards, ...
Picking up where its 1998 predecessor left off, Bluegrass Essentials, Vol. 2 presents a condensed history of modern bluegrass, at least in terms of featured artists. There are hints of traditional bluegrass throughout the album -- primarily in the form of such artists as Bill Monroe, Rose Maddox, Reno & Smily, the Stanley Brothers, and the Osborne ...
According to Mitch Jayne's brief liner notes, this was the Dillards' very first concert, from the summer of 1962 (although the wording is such that it's a little vague). If this was their first concert, it's an amazingly accomplished outing for a debut. The playing and harmonies are tight and exuberant, and the repertoire diverse, from familiar ...
Varese's First Time Live compiles 16 live performances recorded in 1962 by the original lineup of the seminal bluegrass band. As should be expected, this is a gem in the rough, capturing the band as they're finding their distinctive voice. Even though this music was recorded within the band's first year of existence, the band is still surprisingly ...
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
Portions of content provided by All Music Guide or All Movie Guide. © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide and All Movie Guide are registered Trademarks of All Media Guide, LLC.