Search - Yonder Mountain String Band :: Old Hands

Yonder: from jamgrass to traditional bliss

Colorado Pablo | Boulder County, Colorado, USA | 06/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yonder Mountain is to Jamgrass what the Rolling Stones are to Rock and Roll. That being said, they have stepped out of their comfort zone to create a record that is sure to become a classic. Here they have proven that they are very capable of a traditional bluegrass-country album that will undoubtedly turn the heads of the more true-blue critics who have had trouble with the long jams and themes of previous efforts, which didn't quite fit the mold of the traditionalists.

Yonder got together with soulful songwriter (and self described butcher plumber, music lover and fly fishing junkie) Benny "Burl" Galloway and recorded a masterpiece composed entirely of tunes written by Burl. We picked up the album at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival last week and didn't have a chance to listen to it until the ride home. We listened to it all the way through three times over on our eight-hour drive. It's a bluegrass-country album that is pure and beautiful. It portrays the content maturity and beauty one would expect in an Alison Kraus album, and an authentic old time sound that is unmistakable and connected to the roots of yesteryear.

The Songs:

The Pride of Alabama is a good old-fashioned country train song featuring Darol Anger on fiddle, painting the picture of an Alabama girl named Dixie who took the train to Denver now longing for Alabama again. Hill Country Girl features Jerry Douglas on Dobro and is another traditional look at the music by the boys who have reinvented jamgrass. It is most impressive to hear them hold back on the jam and show us what they can really do - sometimes less really is more. Big lights features Benny Galloway on vocals and Dirk Powell on accordion. Galloway's is one of those voices that is unmistakably his. It is rich and full of character and his tone paints a picture clear and unforgettable. Deep Pockets is a country song co-written by Galloway and Dave Johnston. It is graced with the fiddle and vocal stylings of Tim O'Brien and the Dobro God Jerry Douglas. Johnston's voice is classic country, and his banjo playing superb. Sleepy Cowboy is a western lullaby sung by Burl with Sally Van Meter on slide guitar and Adam Aijala on guitar. Train Bound for Gloryland is a sweet old-fashioned gospel bluegrass number, which includes Darol Anger on fiddle. The Wind Thru the Willows is a country-bluegrass number with lyrics that paints a picture of a love out of reach. This song features Sally Van Meter on resophonic guitar. Not Far Away is a mining song with more incredible lyrics and a driving beat which features Casey Driessen on Fiddle and Tim O'Brien on vocals. And Goin' Away (For Betty) is a missin'-my-love song with Sally on Resophonic Guitar and Burl on vocals; Alone And Blue follows it: a sweet bluegrass number featuring the vocal soulfulness of Yonder's Ben Kaufmann. Burl sings another with Everytime, offering some more soon to be classic lyrics of country roads, cotton, and country breezes. Winds of Wyoming is a cowboy song with Galloway on guitar followed by Behold the Rock of Ages (do I need to say this is a gospel song?) which is haunting and I would have expected it found in an old hymnal if I didn't know it was a Galloway original.

Just knowing Sally Van Meter, Jerry Douglas, Darol Anger, Tim O'Brien, Dirk Powell, and Casey Driessen have all blessed this album should be enough to make the most skeptical true-blue traditionalist take notice. The words of Benny Galloway all could have been written a hundred years ago - and had they been we would all know them now. In the years to come these songs are destined to become classics. I can't wait to hear the next project by the Yonder Mountain String Band - but even more than that I look forward to hearing more from Burl. A shining diamond has just been brought into the sun thanks to the Yonder boys; and Burl has given them the opportunity to create an album that will stand the test of time."

Another Great Yonder CD

Colorado Pablo | 07/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an incredible CD though I think it falls short of my expectations after Town by Town. Benny Galloway is an incredible songwriter and Yonder does an excellent job of performing his songs. The guests on the album are fitting as well, especially Sally Van Meter. Anyways, if you want to get a feel for this band go see them live, they put on one of the best bluegrass shows if youre a fan of the jamband circuit.
peace."

An Anomaly

Craig Fisher | USA | 07/21/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Old Hands is somewhat of an oddity in the young YMSB catalog that I just cannot get into. Understand, I love this band, have their other discs and see them every time they come through town, but them covering a dozen or so Benny Galloway tunes doesn't feel like (or at times sound like) a YMSB disc. The disc gets off to a good start with the Dixie-infused "Pride of Alabama" and "Hill Country Girl," but things take a turn south on "Big Lights" (which features Galloway) and the irritating "Deep Pockets." The remainder of the disc is pretty much hit-or-miss: if you like that classic YMSB sound you'll enjoy "Train Bound for Glory Land" and "Wind Thru the Willows," but the numerous Galloway-sung tunes may give you pause. Overall, the pairing of YMSB and Benny Galloway has a few bright spots, but rarely, if ever, finds its way into my CD player."