Love ya Del, but...
jk | San Luis Obispo, CA | 05/20/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"These 50 songs would fit on 2 cds. Making a "box set" out of it is a little weak. Sure, everyone likes the little booklets, but other than that this seems just wasteful and overpriced."
Great, Quasi-Anthology Project
Todd A. Gracyk | Petaluma, CA USA | 05/29/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great, quasi-anthology project with nice graphics, many photos and extensive liner notes. It features 50 songs on 5 discs; just over 2 and half hours of music. One customer review notes that the 50 tracks could be squeezed onto less discs, but given the relative affordability, 5 discs isn't a problem (there is a theme here, with each disc representing roughly one decade of work as a band leader).
Most bluegrass fans are familiar with Del McCoury's legacy, so I won't go into all those details here. But for those new to the music, I will say that there is no finer bluegrass band than McCoury's, musically speaking. His lead singing is high and lonesome; McCoury is simply one of the greatest bluegrass lead vocalists of all time (right up there with Carter Stanley, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Martin, Charlie Moore, Red Allen, Larry Sparks and Dudley Connell). McCoury has performed traditional bluegrass music since the late 1950s; early in his career was a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and began fronting his own band in the late 1960s (initially named the Dixie Pals). Since the mid 1990s McCoury has delved heavily into contemporary material, collaborating with Steve Earle and covering songs by Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Richard Thompson, among others (McCoury's contemporary direction is reflected on the last 2 discs of this box set).
This box set features the Del McCoury Band on 30 newly recorded versions of songs that McCoury has recorded in the past, 2 previously unreleased tracks recorded in 2004 (Wiseman's "Remembering" and "You're The Girl Of My Dreams"), and 18 cuts from 4 albums released between 1999 and 2005 (the albums "The Family," "Del & The Boys", "The Company We Keep" and "It's Just The Night").
3 songs NOT included that arguably should have been are "This Kind Of Life," "Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On" and "Get Down On Your Knees And Pray." Regrettably, there is not a sacred song or instrumental in this box set. Having said that, fine remakes of almost all my other McCoury favorites are here, including "The Bluest Man In Town," "Are You Teasing Me," "High On A Mountain," "Rain And Snow," "A Good Man Like Me," "Don't Stop The Music," "Rain Please Go Away," "I've Endured," "Over Yonder In The Graveyard," "Don't You Call My Name," "Loneliness And Desperation," "Beauty Of My Dreams," and "I Feel The Blues Moving In." Crisp remakes of the evergreens "I Wonder Where You Are Tonight," "White House Blues," "Dark Hollow," and "The Prisoner's Song" are also included.
Great overview of a great career (so far)."
Del deserves better...
1969mets | New York, NY | 06/10/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The collection gets fives stars for the wonderful, impeccable musicianship of the boys and the remarkable singing of the man. I love Del McCoury.
As a consumer product, however, it's a big disappointment. The execution of the package doesn't come close to the quality product that is contained within. As for 2 1/2 hours on 5 CDs, what can one say? There's really no excuse for that nearly a decade into the 21st Century. Del deserves better."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1