Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Take Me In Your Lifeboat (feat. Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury & Robbie McCoury)
2. Milk Cow Blues (feat. Doc Watson, Richard Watson & Josh Graves)
3. I Find Jesus
4. Hold Whatcha Got (feat. Jimmy Martin)
5. Mama's Opry (feat. Iris DeMent)
6. Diamonds In The Rough (feat. June Carter Cash & Earl Scruggs)
7. Lonesome River (feat. Sam Bush)
8. Some Dark Holler (feat. Dwight Yoakam)
9. The Lowlands (feat. Jaime Hanna & Jonathan McEuen)
10. Love, Please Come Home (feat. Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury & Robbie McCoury)
11. Goodnight Irene (feat. Willie Nelson & Tom Petty)
12. I Know What I Means To Be Lonesome (feat. The Nashville Bluegrass Band)
13. I'll Be Faithful To You (feat. Emmylou Harris)
14. Tears In The Holston River (feat. Johnny Cash)

Disc 2:

1. Fishin' Blues (feat. Taj Mahal & Vassar Clements)
2. Save It, Save It (feat. Jimmy Martin)
3. Wheels (feat. Dwight Yoakam)
4. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms (feat. Willie Nelson)
5. Oh Cumberland (feat. Matraca Berg & Emmylou Harris)
6. I Am A Pilgrim (feat. Doc Watson & Richard Watson)
7. Sallie Ann (feat. Earl Scruggs)
8. Catfish John (feat. Alison Krauss)
9. Roll The Stone Away
10. All Prayed Up (feat. Vince Gill)
11. Return To Dismal Swamp II (feat. Jerry Douglas, Glen Duncan, Ronnie McCoury & Tony Rice)
12. There Is A Time (feat. Rodney Dillard & Ricky Skaggs)
13. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Glory, Glory) (feat. Taj Mahal, Alison Krauss & Doc Watson)
14. Farther Along 1:30 (feat. Randy Scruggs)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48223 in Music
• Released on: 2002-10-01
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Enhanced
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Amazon.com
In the early '70s, the original Circle teamed the Dirt Band, a group of longhaired young country-rockers, with several country and bluegrass legends. In an era of polarization between young and old, it introduced countless baby boomers to that music, paving the way for the recent triumph of the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. This time, the Dirt Band reunites with Jimmy Martin, Earl Scruggs, and Doc Watson, veterans of the first Circle, and adds a host of other country, folk, and bluegrass greats. Despite several stellar performances, among them Del McCoury's bracing "Take Me in Your Lifeboat" and Martin's snappy re-creation of his 1950s favorite "Save It, Save It," most of what's here is merely pleasant. Attempts to replicate the feel of the original, complete with copious between-take studio chitchat and an acoustic guitar coda by Randy Scruggs, come off a bit self-conscious and forced. The original Circle remains a landmark, but in a time when cameo appearances and cross-generation collaborations are so common--Nashville calls them Vocal Events--what was once a unique concept often seems anticlimactic and mundane. --Rich Kienzle

Customer Reviews

Another fine volume of roots and guests
While this third volume couldn't possibly be the ground-breaking release that was 1972's initial "Circle," it wears the legacy well. Thirty years down-the-line, the Dirt Band are no longer the eager young turks of 1972, nor is this sort of inter-generational tribute to roots a new concept. In the decades since the first "Circle," what was once novel is now more commonplace, and though the familiarity doesn't lessen the quality or value of the music, it does lessen its impact.

In addition to the Dirt Band, the first "Circle" is reprised in the playing and singing of Jimmy Martin, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Vassar Clements. Notably missing are Roy Acuff, Merle Travis and Mother Maybelle, though the latter two are celebrated in song -- Travis by Doc Watson's recitation of "I Am a Pilgrim," and Carter by Johnny Cash's newly-penned "Tears in the Holston River."

The historical resonance that's been lost to the passing of legends is renewed by several family gatherings, including performances from Del, Robbie and Ronnie McCoury, Doc and Richard Watson, John and Jonathan McCuen (the former of whom only recently returned after an extended absence from the Dirt Band's lineup), Jeff and Jaime Hanna, and Jimmy and Ray Martin. The passing of the torch, first from Nashville's pioneers to a new generation, and now from that generation to it's children, shows the Circle to really be a link in a chain.

The "new blood" on this volume features established stars like Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Dwight Yoakam and Tom Petty. A few lesser-known (but no less talented) artists, Iris Dement and songwriter Matraca Berg, are joined by legends Taj Mahal, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. It's a fine lineup of talent, but their careers (often built directly in opposition to the Nashvillization of country music), not to mention their familiarity with the first two "Circle" volumes, lend this set a somewhat self-conscious air.

Dwight Yoakam's tilled similar soil on his solo albums, consequently his contributions sound as much like Dwight Yoakam as they do back-to-the-roots "Circle" inventions (not that this is a bad thing, of course). Petty is mostly superfluous duetting with Willie Nelson on "Goodnight Irene," but Berg, who's best known for her songwriting (e.g., Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine), gets a chance to show off a rootsy side that's only sporadically made it onto her solo efforts. Her duet with Emmylou Harris (on Berg's own "Oh Cumberland") is a highlight, as are Vince Gill's gospel "All Prayed Up" and Taj Mahal's "Fishin' Blues."

In a year that's seen a deluxe reissue of the first "Circle" album, volume three can't help but pale slightly in comparison. But taken on its own, this is a fine album of singing and song, one that heeds (if not really expands upon) the first set's principles.

NGDB Circle III, This years country music must.
If you like NGDB's first Circle album, you'll love this one. Yes, the current "in crowd" of country music muscle all makes an appearance from Allison Krause to Vince Gill, as well as the varied talents of Taj Mahal, Tom Petty, Iris DeMent and Dwight Yoakam. Circle I and III are also bridged by repeat performers Randy and Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, and Vassar Clements. Bluegrass titans Del McCoury, Tony Rice and Sam Bush also lend their talents to this project. But this album is so much more than great singers, pickers, and legends getting together to collaborate on a few songs. It is truly the best of Americana, roots and acoustic music. It is soul music. It is music from the front porch, and from your living room.

This is without a doubt the best album to come out of Nashville this year. This is not the slick, polished, over produced dribble that permeates country radio and that makes one song almost indistinguishable from the next. This is music played and sung from the heart. Thanks to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for once again bringing music back to it's roots and heritage, for reminding us to take a look in the rearview mirror to see where we came from, and for single handedly making the musical past relevant to the musical future. This is the "must have" album for 2002...and beyond. (And there's a hidden track!)

Amazon.com review misses the boat.....
It's easy to criticize WTCBU 3 as paling versus the original, but that's kind of like some old-fart neighbor telling a teenage grandson "You ain't the man your grandpa was...". It's pretentious to make that kind of comparison.....this album is more like a brand new BMW versus a 30-year-old classic. Can you look at it and see the purity of the bloodline? In this case, you bet your rear you can....
This album has in spades what both prior Circles were known for: an informal jam atmosphere, hot licks and tight harmonies, and super-clean recording acoustics. In the process, it also throws in countless subtle details to support the "bloodline" analogy. Johnny Cash singing his own ballad about Mother Maybelle...the matriarch and his mother-in-law. The late June Carter Cash dueting with Earl Scruggs. The sons of Jeff Hanna and John McEuen dueting with their fathers on supporting strings, Doc Watson digging deep into the folk archive with his grandson Richard, versus 30 years ago when he was playing with his son, the late Merle Watson. Taj Mahal, bringing a previously unrepresented view of The South into this history book.

Sure you can dis it for following the same formula as the prior two Circles. But fact is, that's not a bad formula to follow. This is a great album of American Music, made by American musicians. Buy It.