Track Listing

1. Po Lazarus - Fairfield Four
2. Big Rock Candy Mountain - John Hartford
3. Wild Bill Jones - D. Tyminski/Alison Krauss
4. Blue & Lonesome - Alison Krauss
5. I Am Weary - Cox Family
6. Will There Be Any Stars - Cox Family
7. My Dear Someone - Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
8. I Want To Sing That... - Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
9. Sandy Land - The Whites
10. John Law Burned... - CT King/C. Linden
11. Green Pastures - E. Harris
12. I'll Fly Away - Gillian Welch & Alison Krauss

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44597 in Music
• Released on: 2001-07-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Live, Soundtrack
• Original language: English

Amazon.com
Country music reclaimed its traditional soul with the chart-topping triumph of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. This concert sequel, recorded (and filmed) at Nashville's venerable Ryman Auditorium, reunites Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss and Union Station, and other O Brother standouts. With little duplication, the selection extends the movie's revival of acoustic spirituals and Appalachian balladry, though the performances and pacing of the concert aren't quite as consistently compelling as the studio soundtrack. Among the highlights are a pair of originals by Welch and David Rawlings, the bluesy "Dear Someone" and the Everlyesque "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll." Where O Brother interspersed archival recordings among the contemporary artistry, the concert finds Nashville gospel's Fairfield Four harmonizing on the chain-gang chant of "Po' Lazarus," while the late John Hartford (in one of his final performances) renews the deadpan whimsy of "Big Rock Candy Mountain." --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Not as good as the soundtrack, but still worth the money!
After three years of being dominated by mediocre, middle of the road pop singers with only marginal talent, country music was finally given a wakeup call with the unexpected success of the O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU soundtrack. The double platinum soundtrack has become one of the most successful albums of the year, and has proved to Nashville that the roots of country music are still thriving.

DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN is the companion to the hugely popular soundtrack. Recorded live in Nashville in May, 2000, the album features several of the songs made popular by O BROTHER, as well as many songs recorded by the artists from the soundtrack. While it lacks the variety of the first CD, DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN sports several songs that make it a fine album to own, regardless of whether they were on the O BROTHER album or not. Standouts include the Cox Family's "Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown," Emmylou Harris's "Green Pastures," Gillian Welch's "I Want To Sing That Rock and Roll," and the Whites' "Sandy Land." DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN closes with Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss's duet of "I'll Fly Away." One of the album's best and most bittersweet moments is the late John Hartford's performance of "Big Rock Candy Mountain." Hartford died at age sixty three just a year after the recording was made.

While it isn't as long or enjoyable as the O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU soundtrack, DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN is an excellent companion to its prequel. If you enjoyed the soundtrack, you will love this album. Hopefully, DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN, which has already appeared on the country album charts, will do its share in the quest to repopularize bluegrass and traditional country music.

As good as the original soundtrack--highly recommend!
Before "O Brother Where Art Thou?", my exposure to bluegrass music was limited to an occasional trip through Branson, Missouri. But since the film, which led to buying the soundtrack, I'm hooked.

Yet, I was skeptical when I stumbled across this CD, Down from the Mountain. I thought one bluegrass CD was pushing it. Furthermore, I saw a few "repeats" on this CD.

However, my fears were unfounded--this is a great CD. Even the few "repeats" sound like different songs, as the artists add twists and perform them differently.

Most of the CD is pure bluegrass, but there a couple that contrast. "My Dear Someone" and "I Want to Sing that Rock and Roll" add a different element to the concert, and while they complement the others, they are in a league of their own.

In short, there's not a dud in the bunch. I highly recommend this CD. If you aren't a bluegrass fan before you listen to this, I think you soon will be afterward.

Better than O Brother itself!
I purchased this album the first week it was released becuase it featured three of my favorite artists, The Whites, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss and I have found this album to be even BETTER than the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack! Emmylou Harris offers a fantastic version of 'Green Pastures' with Gillian Welch on harmony. The Whites perform an old tune 'Sandy Land' with Sharon White's amazing vocals on lead! Alison Kraus & Union station have two songs on the album, the first is 'Wild Bill Jones' with Krauss's band member Dan Tyminski on lead vocals, the second tune from Alison is her fantastic 'Blue & Lonesome'. Gillian Welch also presents two of her own tunes, with 'I Wanna Sing That Rock & Roll' being the better of the two. The album closes with Gillian & Alison's IBMA award winning 'I'll Fly Away'. The only disappointment on this album is the exclusion of bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, who performed on the concert, and is on the video release of the concert. But all in all, this a fantastic album for the bluegrass lover!