Given that bluegrass is basically a live musical form, the differences between studio and live albums are heard mostly in the feedback between band and audience, the flashes of energy this injects into the performance, and the arc of the set list. Playing tight is a bluegrass band's bread-and-butter, and something they hone year round at shows and festivals, so it's no surprise that Mountain Heart's jazz-and-jam take on bluegrass and string band sounds is both sharp as a tack and free enough to swing on stage.

The instrumentalists hot-pick their way through both "Road That Never Ends" and "I'm Just Here to Ride the Train," barreling along with all signals green, and the crowd roaring their approval as the flat-picks fly on mandolin and guitar. The track rhythms are reprised for the a capella gospel "The Gospel Train," with vocal percussion that harkens back to The Persuasions. Mountain Heart sings of men on the edge, on the lam and running headlong into dead ends, but even though they sing high and lonesome, the relentless energy of their playing keeps their songs from descending into truly desolate or sorrowful terrain.

The newest member of Mountain Heart, guitarist/pianist Josh Shilling slows things down for the moving country weeper "Who's the Fool Now," and comes to the fore again for his acoustic blues, "It Works Both Ways." Most impressive of all is his scat-jazz piano-solo take on the Allman Brothers classic "Whipping Post," though at 5'38 there's barely time for the audience to warm up their lighters. A pair of instrumentals, "#6 Barn Dance" and "Devil's Courthouse" further illuminate the band's chops, with the latter's interplay of fiddle and mandolin shining especially bright. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

The 1966 passing of Ralph Stanley's older brother Carter ended their 20-plus year reign as a major force in mountain music, and briefly sidelined the younger Carter with grief. The following year Ralph Stanley rededicated himself to carrying on the tradition, and in doing so, created a solo career as a bandleader and songwriter that's outlasted the duo's time by two decades. His first work as the solo leader of the Clinch Mountain Boys included three albums for King that are excerpted here: 1967's "Brand New Country Songs," 1968's "Over the Sunset Hill," and 1969's tribute to his late brother, "Hills of Home."

Unsurprisingly, Stanley's initial outpouring of music carried on the sounds and themes of the Stanley Brothers, offering hill-bred string-band music that had the high-and-lonesome vocals of bluegrass but without the devotion to hot picking of his contemporaries. With guitarist Larry Sparks stepping up to the microphone, Stanley found another compelling duet partner to provide the high harmony for his songs of God, love, death, family and hard times. Everyone's in top-form throughout, praising Jesus, exploring the god-fearing side of Jesse James, and pining for a mean hill-country. There's fractured families, shattered love, and dissolute poverty, leavened only briefly by the comic joys of "Let's Go to the Fair.". Jimmy Martin adds a guest vocal to the love song, "Darling Brown Eyes," and fiddler Curley Ray Cline is showcased on the instrumental "Lost Train."

Stanley speaks directly to his departed brother on "Hills of Home" and contemplates his own impending passing on "I Wanna Go Home." It's not "O Death," or "Man of Constant Sorrow," but it's in the same patch. Those who want to hear it all can find the entirety of all three albums on the box set "Poor Rambler," but as a single disc, this is a superb sampler. It'd be nice to have personnel and session data, but that's a quibble given the uniformly high quality of the music. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

The Sadies "New Seasons" (Yep Roc)

The Sadies newest amalgam of Americana sounds is simply breathtaking. They careen through hot-picked bluegrass, grungy post-punk garage psych, firebrand electric country-rock, badlands western and drag-and-surf with impressive instrumental chops and a master's disregard for coloring across the lines. Especially impressive is that they never sound like dilettantish genre-hoppers; segueing from the Shadows of Knight meets Gun Club grunge of "The First Inquistion (Part 4)" to the Clarence White styled guitar picking sparks of "What's Left Behind" they're completely fluid, with the difference in the songs' sonic temperaments overruled by matching moods of urgency.

Several musical threads bind the band's influences together. Extended codas bring several songs to rest, with a waltz-time restatement ending "Anna Leigh" and an extended fusillade of guitars taking "The Trial" into a blurred sunset dissolve. The cinematic nature of that western imagery is repeated in the surf-meets-Morricone instrumental that closes the album, "The Last Inquisition (Part 5)," and the rolling rhythms of "Yours to Discover" and "The Trial" are equal parts dusty trail and '60s folk, with the former sung hushed and low, the latter Leonard Cohen bitter. Several songs would have sounded at home in the early '80s Paisley Underground revival. "My Heart of Wood" has a diffused guitar line that brings to mind The Dream Syndicate, "A Simple Aspiration" takes the psych and garage sounds onto the terrain of The Leaving Trains or Droogs, and The Byrdsian "The Land Between" could have turned up in the catalog of The Long Ryders. None are derivative, but the Good brothers have clearly been drinking from the same musical spring as these predecessors.

The lyrical mood is often dissolute, turning nearly suicidal on "Sunset to Dawn." There's a strain of fatalism that opens "The Trial" with the lyric "I wish that I could be the way that I once was / But God's got other plans for me," and preordination marks the protagonists of both "Yours to Discover" and "Anna Leigh." The dark themes are echoed in the band's music, with atmospheric, low-stringed guitar solos and rhythms that canter like a chasing posse. These songs are remarkably complete works, with lyrics that are both allusive and concrete, and instrumental backings that offer both the foreground joys of fleet string picking and the superbly anchoring rhythm work of drummer Mike Belitsky and bassist Sean Dean. The few tracks that aren't blindingly impressive only pale in comparison to the brilliance of the opening and closing salvos. This is a disc that will stick in your CD player for days at a time and have you hitting the repeat button to hear individual tracks over again. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours "Traileracana" (DPR)

The Kentucky bred McClain has made a career out of this trailer-park upbringing, blending clever humor and wry social observations with enticing country soul music. There's a hint of Rodney Crowell's wordiness in these sixteen tracks that combines nicely with a touch of Kinky Friedman's irreverence. McClain's satire can be both whimsical and poignant, which might suggest country antecedents like Sheb Wooley or Cledus T. Judd, but he's more of a humorous musician than a musical humorist, clever like Ben Vaughn and Barnaked ladies, with a fine voice filled with the sly good times of Charlie Robison and Jimmy Buffett.

The rocking opener "Living in Aluminum" states McClain's case for contentment without resorting to materialism, "I don't need a house of vinyl / I don't need a house of wood / There ain't no better way to test your mettle / Than in a semi-precious metal neighborhood." McClain expands on personal responsibility in "The Devil Gets More Credit Than He Deserves" (with guest Lindsey Buckingham providing electric guitar) and considers religious hypocrisy in the true-life folk-gospel "I Was Just Flipped Off by a Silver Haired Old Lady With a 'Honk If You Love Jesus' Sticker on the Bumper of Her Car."

McClain sings of escaping into the perfect world of a billboard, the dire consequences of PMS, and the torment of a post-breakup stay at KOA. His sedated "Prozac Made Me Stay" features a guest appearance from Tommy Smothers, and "Full Moon in Pine View Heights" recalls characters from his childhood, including a date who "had eyebrows plucked thinner than a razor's edge / She smelled like popcorn, Quaker State and Lemon Pledge." His ode to "Ron Howard's Brother" returns to the theme of finding satisfaction in one's circumstance, and plays it straight for the album's closer, an evocative poem of America and young love.

This is a surprisingly sophisticated independent release featuring sixteen originals, self-produced with original artwork and graphic design by the singer himself. McClain is an accomplished songwriter whose work should find favor with both country and pop audiences, reviving the storytelling Jim Croce brought to the top of the charts in the 1970s. His band is powerful and plays country-folk-soul with funky touches of horns, organ and electric slide guitar. Someone in the record industry ought to wake up and sign this guy! [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Buy the Album: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000PLXFJC/ecnadmedia-20

Daniel Lee Martin "On My Way to You" (ChinMusic)

This former Florida advertising exec''s second release continues to swim in the same mainstream country sounds as his 2003 debut. What saves this from sounding like Nashville product is Martin himself; he''s likable in the manner of George Strait, and though the songs, arrangements and production aren''t particularly different than that being offered by the majors, the end result is substantially more charming than CMT''s flavor of the day.

The generous sixteen song track list, composed mainly by Nashville writers, is filled with sensitive ballads and introspective mid-tempo rockers. The romantic upbeat opener shows off Martin''s charms, with an easy vocal buoyed by a driving drum beat, electric guitars and plenty of fiddle. It''s may be nothing new, but it has good hooks and will play well on country dance floors. Martin''s sole original, "Moonshine Momma," adds a clever twist to the home-brew genre by turning the moonshiner into an object of lust.

A pair of covers finds Martin to be a thoughtful interpreter. His slow rendition of John Denver''s "Take Me Home, Country Roads" builds from guitar and mandolin to a full band arrangement, with a vocal that builds from initial reserve to an emotional finish. He revitalizes the Georgia Satellites "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" as a swampy blues, with a vocal assist from World Series champion pitcher (and record label partner) Bronson Arroyo; this is a fan concert favorite brought powerfully to disc.

Throughout the disc, Martin''s defining characteristic is earnestness. Singing a sly country blues like "Just What You Did," or crooning more gentle for the fingerpicked "Through and Through," you can sense his commitment. Martin kickstarted his indie career with a relentless Wal-Mart tour, and followed up with endless road gigs, a divorce, and rounds of gathering material, musicians and funding for CD releases. Whether or not this adds up to national success, Martin''s clearly happy just playing music for a living. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Big & Rich - Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace
By: Christie Bohorfoush - AngryCountry Senior Staff Writer

For this writer, the wonderful thing about a new Big and Rich album is that each new album just gets better and better. I could not help but compare Big Kenny and John's new album BETWEEN RAISING HELL AND AMAZING GRACE to that of the Beatles SGT. PEPPER'S album. Here you will find what was once the gold grown that defined the songwriting team of Lennon and McCartney, unique and powerful lyrics coupled with extraordinary musical performances. I have said this before in my reviews of Big and Rich, but it demands repeating; John Rich is by far one of Nashville's greatest songwriters. Add to this a powerful message of life, love, and religious belief from Big Kenny and this duo's music is simply, in a word, ELECTIC! This is an album that is destined for acclaim!

Click "Read More" below, for a track by track review.

Dolly Parton "My Tennessee Mountain Home" (RCA/Legacy)

This 1973 entry in Parton's catalog has previously been available as part of an import two-fer (winningly paired with the following year's "Jolene"), but this is the first domestic reissue. Parton was a star on the Porter Wagoner show in the early '70s, but solo recognition was arriving more grudgingly. Her chafing under Wagoner's contractual control didn't help, and her songwriting exhibited a streak of homesickness, starting with the spoken word opener on this LP.

Parton sings lovingly of her parents ("I Remember" "Daddy’s Working Boots"), home ("Old Black Kettle" "My Tennessee Mountain Home" "Back Home"), and remarkable neighbors ("Dr. Robert F. Thomas" – the man who brought Parton into this world). The album's homespun sounds form a bookend with 1998's "Hungry Again," particularly in the traditional, acoustic backings. The album's title track is a perfect example of Parton's craft, evoking images so real that you can feel yourself longing for a return to Smoky Mountains you may never before have visited.

The remainder of the album failed to catch on the charts, but Parton's nostalgic and wistful songs are quite charming. The story of her arrival in Nashville, "Down on Music Row," is a a great example (along with the title track and career standouts like "Coat of Many Colors") of how Parton could turn her personal history into memorable, engaging songs. The lone bonus track on this reissue, "Sacred Memories," was recorded during the album's sessions, issued as a B-side, and reappeared on the LP "Love is Like a Butterfly."

Legacy's reissue (along with accompanying versions of "Jolene" and "Coat of Many Colors") fills out the packaging with newly struck liner notes by Chet Flippo and chart and session information. Aside from the title track, this is a more subdued and subtle entry in Parton's catalog and its lack of previous domestic reissue leaves it fresh to many fan's ears. Most of Parton's albums of this era are essential, and this one's no exception. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Southern Culture on the Skids "Countrypolitan Favorites" (Yep Roc)

After releasing a live album in 2006, this all-covers album could be a sign of creative roadblock. Instead it's a novel way for Southern Culture on the Skids to display their musical ethos and capture the zeitgeist of the times from which it sprung. The band's rockabilly, pop, country, blues, surf, swamp rock and roadhouse roots are served up here in both song selection and style, revealing something much deeper than a mere collection of songs from their record collections. Listening to cross-pollinations of The Kinks and Sir Douglas or Creedence and the Allman Brothers reveals how the band's influences grew into an overall musical approach, and at reinvents many of the classic songs they cover.

This is a really fun album, from the rockabilly twang given to Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" and Spanish touches on Wanda Jackson's "Funnel of Love" to the raucous bar-rock take on Onie Wheeler's (by way of George Jones') ode to partner swapping, "Let's Invite Them Over." Guitars dominate on rock tunes from T. Rex's ("Life's a Gas") and The Byrds ("Have You Seen Her Face"), but not as you'd expect. The former is shoe-gazery, while the latter substitutes reverb for 12-string Rickenbacker. And though you might expect guitars on The Who's "Happy Jack," what you get is a superb banjo-and-fiddle hoedown. Throughout the album, the rhythm section kills, from the Creedence-styled workout of "Tobacco Road" to the driving rockabilly-countrypolitan arrangement of Roger Miller's "Engine Engine #9."

The song list is anchored by several true countrypolitan gems, but the album's theme – as was countrypolitan's – is about the merging of cultures, high and low, town and country, and so on. The band's deep investment in the music, playing and production makes this anything but a novelty; it's a tribute to their heroes and a reflection of their deepest musical selves. The effortlessness with which they expound upon this vision is breathtaking, and the cohesiveness of the album is impressive. The greatest compliment I can give these CD is that the covers are interesting enough to keep me from reaching for the originals. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Dolly Parton "Jolene" (RCA/Legacy)

By the mid-70s, Parton had emerged from Porter Wagoner's shadow to redefine herself as a powerhouse solo artist. This 1974 release, her first solo LP to crack the top-10, includes the chart-topping title track, as well as the original version of Parton's farewell to Porter Wagoner, "I Will Always Love You." The title track, covered by others (including a superb bluegrass version by Rhonda Vincent), is best heard in this original form.

"I Will Always Love You" is closely associated among film viewers and MTV watchers with Whitney Houston, but Parton’s original, aching with conflicting strength, vulnerability, fragility and resolution outstrips both Houston's remake, and Parton's own reworking for the film "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." The song was so strong that all three versions – Houston's and two from Parton – topped the charts!

Dolly Parton "Coat of Many Colors" (RCA/Legacy)

For an artist of Parton''s stature, it''s incredible that her towering early achievements are so spottily available on CD. Many of her brilliant solo albums of the ''70s - the sides waxed before crossing over to pop stardom – have been left unreissued. The few that have seen CD, such as this classic 1971 release, have moved in and out of print. Buddha provided a straight-up reissue in 1999, and an imported two-fer on BMG paired this title with Parton''s "Joshua" LP. The domestic Buddha release is now replaced by this bonus-track augmented Legacy reissue, but fans that want the extra tracks here and "Joshua" on the import will buy themselves some duplication.

Parton''s early years under the tutelage of Porter Wagoner were rich in material and performances, and "Coat of Many Colors" contains some of her best. The title track weaves biography, bible verse and gospel soul into one of Parton''s most heart-rending compositions. Her words capture the emotional turmoil of childhood through the discovery of an adult''s nostalgic memory, and her voice holds both a little girl''s confusion and a women''s knowingness. It’s breathtaking to hear songwriting, singing and production mesh so fully.

The unrivaled quality of Parton''s voice is heard on the bluegrass-harmony backed "My Blue Tears" and the forthright "She Never Met a Man (She Didn''t Like)." Parton''s sassy comedic edge, which would carry her into the mainstream, is heard on "Traveling Man," and the outré "If I Lose My Mind" must have shocked a few country listeners in 1971. The backings include fiddle, steel, twangy guitar, funky swamp beats and even a touch of ''70s soul, and it''s a testament to Parton''s artistic gravity that it meshes so well into an album.

The reissue''s four bonus tracks include three cast-offs from the original 1971 sessions, and the a superb acoustic demo of "My Blue Tears." Parton rerecorded her own "My Heart Started Breaking" for her 1975 "Dolly" LP, but this 1971 version''s never been heard before. Her "Just as Good as Gone" was left to the songbook, and her rendition of Porter Wagoner''s "The Tender Touch of Love" now joins the previously released edition by Jim Ed Brown. All three of the studio-produced bonuses fit the sound and feel of the album, but it''s the voice-and-guitar demo of "My Blue Tears" that catapults this disc past earlier reissues.

Legacy''s reissue (along with accompanying volumes of "My Tennessee Mountain Home" and "Jolene") fills out the packaging with newly struck liner notes by Chet Flippo and chart and session information that was missing from the earlier Buddha edition. The running time is still short (thirty-eight minutes, instead of the original LP''s twenty-seven), but it''s a great place to start a Dolly Parton collection; those who own the earlier CD reissue should consider upgrading for the bonus tracks and new booklet. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]