Conference cookie::folk_music

    Alison Krauss and Union Station's new album ("So Long, So Gone") will be
    released March 25.  So I guess it's spring '97, not spring '96 like I
    reported in .34.  Anyone heard anything on what took so long?  My guess
    is that sales of "Now That I found You" were still strong enough that
    Rounder was reluctant to release a "competing" album.
    
    Jim

    I hope she stays close to her bluegrass, gospel routes this time.  I
    haven't been able to bring myself to by the album where she does
    Beatles and pop songs.  I just bought an album that she did with
    the Cox family which is pretty good.
    
    Bruce

    re: I hope she stays close to her bluegrass, gospel routes this time. 
        I haven't been able to bring myself to by the album where she does
        Beatles and pop songs. 
    
    Actually, "Now That I've Found You" is a retrospective.  It includes
    cuts from her four previous albums as well as songs she recorded with
    other artists.  Of the three new songs, two are pop songs (the title
    cut-- a wonderful remake (IMO) of a Motown classic, and a spririted
    acoustic take of a song by Bad Company (!)), the third was written by
    two members of the Cox family.  It is not just an album of "Beatles and 
    pop songs,"  although, in fairness, it does tend to highlight some of her
    more accessible (for lack of a better word) material.  FWIW, the
    Beatles song ("I Will") and that was originally recorded on an album 
    by banjo player Tony Futado.
    
    Anyway, the liner notes for the new album are available under
    www.rounder.com.  For all you purists out there, you'll be pleased to
    know that no guest musicians appear (so no drums), Barry Bales plays
    almost exclusively acoustic bass, and 7 of 14 tracks have banjo.  I
    don't recognize any of the titles as remakes of pop songs, but one cut
    *is* by a Michael McDonald ("I Can Let Go Now")-- don't know if it is
    *that* Michael McDonald though (as in formerly of the Doobie Bros). 
    Two cuts are public domain (including Little Liza Jane, an instrumental), 
    and two cuts are by Ron Block (the banjo player).  
    
    
        Jim

>    Anyone heard anything on what took so long?  My guess
>    is that sales of "Now That I found You" were still strong enough that
>    Rounder was reluctant to release a "competing" album.

  I suspect you're exactly right about the retrospective's success delaying
  the new album.

  And I agree that the retrospective did not signal any change of direction
  for Ms. Krauss -- just an attempt to appeal to a wider audience.
  
  I'll go further and opine that the retrospective is not as high quality an
  "album" (integrated collection of songs) as many of the albums from which
  it was drawn -- e.g., "I've Got That Old Feeling".  IMO half of its
  selections were not even among the top 4 or 5 cuts from their respective
  source albums.

  So I welcome a return to the flow of fresh material.

  I will say that, for me, one cut I discovered on "Now That I've Found You"
  made it all worthwhile -- the cut from the Jerry Douglas album "Slide
  Rule".  As I replay it in my mind I can't make out the refrain ("I don't
  believe you've met my..."?  Baby?).  First time I heard that, I must've
  played it 20 times in a row...  - Jay

>  I will say that, for me, one cut I discovered on "Now That I've Found You"
>  made it all worthwhile -- the cut from the Jerry Douglas album "Slide
>  Rule".  As I replay it in my mind I can't make out the refrain ("I don't
>  believe you've met my..."?  Baby?).  First time I heard that, I must've
>  played it 20 times in a row...  - Jay
    
    I'm listening to that cut on the Jerry Douglas album right now (no
    coincidence beyond that the CD was sitting on my desk when I hit
    this note) -- in addition to Alison's vocals, the eerie sound of the
    Weissenborn guitar Jerry's playing really makes the song.
    
    It _is_ "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby".

    One song that I expected to see on the new album that isn't is
    "I'm Just a Ghost in this House."  I've heard AK&US perform it live
    and it was one of the songs they did on Austin City Limits.  Great
    song-- I thought for sure it would be on the next album.
    
    Jim

    I bought "So Long, So Wrong" yesterday.  I listened to it once, took
    it home, and my wife (a major AK fan) promptly took posession.
    
    My initial reaction:
    
    Well...  much of it is not really what I'd call bluegrass.  On the 
    other hand, those folks who were worried that AK was going to "sell 
    out" need not worry-- this record was definitely not made with the 
    intent of getting airplay on country.  In trying to describe the
    overall sound of the CD, words like "quiet," "layed-back," "haunting" and
    "subdued" come to mind.  Even the up-tempo songs somehow seem relaxed
    (OK, the instrumental version of 'Liza Jane isn't exactly relaxed, but
    it doesn't feel pushed either).  But if I were to pick a single word to
    describe the record, it would be "beautiful."
    
    As far as performance info, everything is just AKUS-- no guests-- and
    all acoustic. If I remember right, Dan Timinski takes lead vocals on
    two cuts, and Adam Steffey and Ron Block each have the lead on one. 
    Alison takes the rest (sans "Liza Jane").
    
    Great vocals, great playing, great songs.

    Yep, I bought it the other day, too.  Certainly there's no better
    bunch of musicians anywhere (no, not even Blue Highway; they're about
    equal), but I think I've just about had it with Alison's voice.  When
    she was younger, she had edge.  When she hooked up with the Coxes, it
    got softer, and now it's just about all breath.  Olivia Newton-John
    has more edge.  Sounds like she's singing right into my ear, which
    normally would be a GOOD thing, but in this case, it's just
    annoying...

    Certainly they can play - "Liza Jane" just absolutely smokes, as do
    several of the more edgy tunes (pretty much all sung by the guys).

    To their credit, Rounder's included a bonus CD (at least with mine)
    called "Bluegrass Today" or some such - has five cuts, by folks like
    Del McCoury, the Johnson Mtn. Boys, Tony Rice, Laurie Lewis, etc. 
    It's good.

    No, I'm not saying AKUS isn't great.  I'm just saying that they don't
    fit my taste like they used to.

    I'm tellin' ya, Blue Highway is THE band.  They have a sound like
    Alison's (not coincidental--Tim Stafford founded BH), but with edge,
    drive, and very polished.  

    Charlie

    After listening to the the new CD a few more times,  I still think 
    it has a beautiful sound, but, as -.1 implied, it sure would have 
    been nice for Alison to sing something other than slower stuff.   
    
    The general reaction has been lukewarm by the more died-in-the-wool
    bluegrassers and very favorable by the more "folk" inclined.
    
    RE: Blue Rodeo.  I've been meaning to pick up one of their CDs (They
    have two out now, don't they?).  Did anyone else catch Stafford's
    letter to Acoustic Guitar magazine.  They had done a brief article on
    him in an earlier issue, where they quoted him as saying "AKUS was
    clearly Alison's band."  They had taken the quote somewhat out of
    context, and he wanted to make sure that everyone knew how Alison
    had gone out of her way (in spite of her fame) to make it a band and
    to involve US in things that were clearly meant more for her.  Anyway,
    I was impressed that he took the time to write the letter-- it's not
    like the original article really implied anything negative about
    Alison.  He obviously still has a lot of respect for her.
    
    Jim

    Agreed; the whole ensemble does get a beautiful sound.  They are
    polished without giving up any hot licks.  Each one of the players,
    but Adam Steffey in particular, set a new standard for their
    individual instruments.  If Stuart Duncan weren't around, Alison would
    be the best, including most soulful and inventive, fiddler in the
    world.  IMHO.

    Jim, do you have a date on that Acoustic Guitar magazine article on
    Stafford?  Don't know if it says anything there about his rhythm
    playing, but his great solo playing aside, he really has redefined
    rhythm guitar playing for a bluegrass band. He's not just the
    "chick" in the "boom-chick"; he plays where it makes the most
    percussive and rhythmic sense.
                   
    If I were going to pick up one of Blue Highway's CDs, I'd get the
    first one - "It's a Long, Long Road".  Both albums are great, but the
    first is still my favorite.

    Charlie

    Agreed on Adam Steffey-- he's a monster.  Ron Block has really grown on
    me, too (on both guitar and banjo).  He's not real flashy, so he doesn't
    wow you the way a Bela Fleck or Tony Rice does.  But he just nails the
    groove and never plays a bad note.
    
    I think the AG magazine with the (short) article to Tim Stafford
    was around November or December of '96-- I'll try to check.
    
    Jim

    A quick check on AltaVista indicates that the article was in the
    December '96 issue.
    
    The article was a 1-pager. Tim quit AKUS to avoid travelling after
    becoming a father and planned to go back to being a history professor. 
    He didn't find a good permanent teaching position, and Blue Highway
    kind of happened by a happy accident.  He is currently teaching one day
    a week, but is teaching bluegrass guitar at a university in KY or TN.
    
    Jim