Bluegrass Music

[readyeddy?]

Sigh, putting threads up here is feeling akin to trying to explain to your grandmother what was fun about Cheech & Chong, a fruitless endeavor.

But I'm going to give it another shot.

Bluegrass music is a lot of fun, a nice little country offshoot that feels like it's a lot older musical style then it actually is. Now don't mistake me for an expert, because I'm a long ways from being that but I do know a little about it.

the biggest name in Bluegrass would probably be Earl Scruggs, you probably know him best from all the times you watched The Beverly Hillbillies. He and his partner, the late Lester Flatts, performed that great theme song. Wooo doggie. By the way, that songs official name is "The Ballad of Jed Clampett". One of my favorites by him is "Foggy Mountain Breakdown".

Another very famous example of bluegrass would be "Dueling Banjos" from the film "Deliverance".

If your a fan of Ricky Scaggs, he started in bluegrass though I'm personally unfamiliar with his work other then some collaborations he's done with Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson. (Doc Watson is a blind musician who's very good.)

A good place to start if you're interested, would be with Alison Krause and Union Station. She's bringing bluegrass into the 21st century and she's very talented. I'm especially looking forward to her upcoming collaboration with Robert Plant. That's going to be very interesting.

For a kick there are bluegrass cover versions of music from famous rock artists. I have CDs for Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty and Neil Young. I'm sure there are others out there.

Y'all come back now, hear?

[AlienFlanders]

Does Rockgrass come under this thread?

I am a fan of Hayseed Dixie, they have a new release out now/soon.

[readyeddy?]

Does Rockgrass come under this thread?

I am a fan of Hayseed Dixie, they have a new release out now/soon.
I guess it could. I'm unfamiliar with Hayseed Dixie. how do they sound? Interesting name though.

[AlienFlanders]

Here are some links

Highway to Hell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mU2lJKkQ04)

Holiday (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xchVEK86i1U)

Ace of Spades (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp0TYNgWyKE)

Hayseed Dixie Website (http://www.hayseed-dixie.com/)

They cover rock songs but in a bluegrass way. They started with AC/DC and have gone on from there, from what I can find out, they are John Wheeler, Dale Reno, Don Wayne Reno? and a floating bass man. As an aside, the Reno's father wrote/recorded Duelling Banjos.

[charlesx]

O Brothers, where art thou????

[VelvetGuru9]

worst Bluegrass roots CD ever - Strummin' with the Devil - A Bluegrass Tribute to Van Halen.

Dennis Caplinger is a great player and his rendition of Eruption on Banjo is fun, but David Lee Roth singing Jump and Jamie's Crying in bluegrass style...someone should have told Roth he'd embarrassed himself enough with California Girls

[AlienFlanders]

David Lee Roth singing Jump and Jamie's Crying in bluegrass style...someone should have told Roth he'd embarrassed himself enough with California Girls

Yes I'll agree with you on that, I have seen the video. I wonder if the Van Halen reunion is going to be a parody as well.

[readyeddy?]

Here are some links

Highway to Hell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mU2lJKkQ04)

Holiday (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xchVEK86i1U)

Ace of Spades (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp0TYNgWyKE)

Hayseed Dixie Website (http://www.hayseed-dixie.com/)

They cover rock songs but in a bluegrass way. They started with AC/DC and have gone on from there, from what I can find out, they are John Wheeler, Dale Reno, Don Wayne Reno? and a floating bass man. As an aside, the Reno's father wrote/recorded Duelling Banjos.
I can't listen to these now, but I'll listen to them later today.

[VelvetGuru9]

Yes I'll agree with you on that, I have seen the video. I wonder if the Van Halen reunion is going to be a parody as well.
As long as Roth is in it, I'm sure it will be. And I'm more of a fan of Van Rothera than Van Hagar, but he's just become so weird caricature of himself...oh wait, this is a bluegrass toc :laugh:

[readyeddy?]

Here are some links

Highway to Hell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mU2lJKkQ04)

Holiday (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xchVEK86i1U)

Ace of Spades (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp0TYNgWyKE)

Hayseed Dixie Website (http://www.hayseed-dixie.com/)

They cover rock songs but in a bluegrass way. They started with AC/DC and have gone on from there, from what I can find out, they are John Wheeler, Dale Reno, Don Wayne Reno? and a floating bass man. As an aside, the Reno's father wrote/recorded Duelling Banjos.
Well, they're interesting I'll give you that. The cover CDs I have are all instrumentals.
These guys kind of remind me of Dread Zeppelin, a band that did a weird mix of Led Zeppelin and Elvis. The lead singer made himself up like fat Elvis.
An example would be their song "You ain't nothin' but a black Dog". I first became aware of them after hearing them being discussed in a radio interview with Robert Plant. I bought a cassette of them while I was on temporary duty in the UAE for Desert Storm. I've lost track of it though.

[AlienFlanders]

Hayseed Dixie have a concert out on DVD - No Sleep til Liverpool, done in 2005, it is a good mixture of their first 3 releases.

I would be interested to know if their song "Kirby Hill" and Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" are related.


I have a couple of Dread Zeppelin's cds, their videos were pretty funny, Tortelvis was great.

[VelvetGuru9]

Hayseed Dixie have a concert out on DVD - No Sleep til Liverpool, done in 2005, it is a good mixture of their first 3 releases.

I would be interested to know if their song "Kirby Hill" and Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" are related.


I have a couple of Dread Zeppelin's cds, their videos were pretty funny, Tortelvis was great.
Damn, we are sooo far off topic here, but has anyone heard of the Red Elvises?

[readyeddy?]

Hayseed Dixie have a concert out on DVD - No Sleep til Liverpool, done in 2005, it is a good mixture of their first 3 releases.

I would be interested to know if their song "Kirby Hill" and Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" are related.


I have a couple of Dread Zeppelin's cds, their videos were pretty funny, Tortelvis was great.

Steve Earle huh? Have you listened to him much? He's pretty good. I was surprised to see that he's done some acting. He had a role in at least the first season of HBO's the Wire. Copperhead Road is a good song but the song I like best by him is a song that was on an alternative country collection I bought called Telephone Road. I have not found the cd that was taken from.

VelvetGuru9 I have not heard of the Red Elvises. Are they good? funny?

I'll get this thread back on track after I look closer at my bluegrass collection.

[AlienFlanders]

I only have Copperhead Road.
I have heard other Steve Earle, but it didn't grab me.

[VelvetGuru9]

We publish Steve Earle here. He's a damn good artist who doesn't get the accolades he deserves. I haven't listened to it in a while, so I don't know if he's still doing it, but he used to be a dj on a radio program on Air America and he played the coolest protest/political songs. I'll need to google that to see if he's still doing it.

[VelvetGuru9]

VelvetGuru9 I have not heard of the Red Elvises. Are they good? funny?
The Red Elvises are a band from Russia that play Roots Rock and Roll. I'd heard of them one time when they came down to Miami/Fort Laderdale area to play a gig. Then I was watching a movie this weekend called Six-String Samurai and they were in it, so they were on my mind. They're big fans of Elvis and of course Russia's flag is Red, hence the Red Elvises. The songs are done in English and honestly, I don't think of them as a novelty act. Their songs are originals and interestingly enough, quite good.

The Red Elvises website (http://www.redelvises.com/bio.htm)

[readyeddy?]

The Red Elvises are a band from Russia that play Roots Rock and Roll. I'd heard of them one time when they came down to Miami/Fort Laderdale area to play a gig. Then I was watching a movie this weekend called Six-String Samurai and they were in it, so they were on my mind. They're big fans of Elvis and of course Russia's flag is Red, hence the Red Elvises. The songs are done in English and honestly, I don't think of them as a novelty act. Their songs are originals and interestingly enough, quite good.

The Red Elvises website (http://www.redelvises.com/bio.htm)
Interesting. They deserve a thread of their own, perhaps.

[BudPalmer]

Jerry Garcia & David Grisman did a bluegrass thing.

[readyeddy?]

Jerry Garcia & David Grisman did a bluegrass thing.
I heard about that, I haven't heard any of it though. One thing I like about musicians is that just because they're known for one style of music, they're usually open to a variety of musical styles. I have a jazz collection CD that features Slash on one song. Unfortunately the general public has trouble letting them change hats.

[BudPalmer]

Shady Grove is my favorite Garcia/Grisman album.

[hail_eris]

I *heartily* recommend The Wilders. They're old time country, but I usually see them categorized as "bluegrass," and old time country is a pretty niche genre. You can check out two entire concerts at their Web site (http://www.wilderscountry.com/listen.asp) (full disclosure - that second show is at my venue and my wife is a friend of the band).

[readyeddy?]

Two people I consider to be superstars of bluegrass are Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson.

Earl Scruggs has had a long and storied career. He started off as a member of Bill Monroe's band in the forties before he and Lester Flatts broke away to do their own thing. When Lester Flatts passed away in the Sixties he put together The Earl Scruggs Revue with his son and put out some pretty good country rock in the Seventies. Memorable to me was a tribute song to Mohammed Ali.
He is highly regarded in the entire music community.

Doc Watson has been around for about as long as Earl Scruggs. Like Ray Charles he's been blind since he was a baby. I discovered him from a soundtrack album I bought in the Seventies called "Banjo Man". (I wish I could get that on CD. It had the best version of "T for Texas, T for Tennessee" I ever heard.)
He contributed to some of the NRPS "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" CDs. Good stuff.
Doc worked with his son Merle a lot until Merle died tragically in the Eighties. He now works with his grandson.
His true name is Arthel but while he was on a live radio show the host commented that Arthel was an odd name and he needed a nickname. Someone from the audience shouted "Call him Doc" and that's how he's been known ever since.

They're both worth checking out.

[VelvetGuru9]

Here's an Earl Scruggs story. I met his granddaughter a few years back on a trip to Nashville at one of our conventions. She wanted me to give her some free stuff and we used to publish the Earl Scruggs Banjo book so I bartered with her and asked her to get Earl's autograph for me on his book. She did, and I gave her product and then forgot that Scruggs had signed the book and I sold it to someone :cry:

[VelvetGuru9]

I *heartily* recommend The Wilders. They're old time country, but I usually see them categorized as "bluegrass," and old time country is a pretty niche genre. You can check out two entire concerts at their Web site (http://www.wilderscountry.com/listen.asp) (full disclosure - that second show is at my venue and my wife is a friend of the band).
I'm sure you know this CD set already, or maybe you know the one released by Universal, but this is my favorite boxed set of this style music: Anthology of American Folk Music (Edited by Harry Smith) For anyone interested in hearing how american music developed over the years, this is the collection to start with.

[readyeddy?]

Here's an Earl Scruggs story. I met his granddaughter a few years back on a trip to Nashville at one of our conventions. She wanted me to give her some free stuff and we used to publish the Earl Scruggs Banjo book so I bartered with her and asked her to get Earl's autograph for me on his book. She did, and I gave her product and then forgot that Scruggs had signed the book and I sold it to someone :cry:
Ouch. I feel your pain.

[AlienFlanders]

I'm sure you know this CD set already, or maybe you know the one released by Universal, but this is my favorite boxed set of this style music: Anthology of American Folk Music (Edited by Harry Smith) For anyone interested in hearing how american music developed over the years, this is the collection to start with.

I have heard portions of that anthology it is really interesting.

I also have a documentary called Desperate Man Blues, which follows Joe Bussard who collects small pressings from the early days up to the sixties
Desperate Man Blues Website (http://www.desperatemanblues.com.au/) well worth watching.

[VelvetGuru9]

I have heard portions of that anthology it is really interesting.

I also have a documentary called Desperate Man Blues, which follows Joe Bussard who collects small pressings from the early days up to the sixties
Desperate Man Blues Website (http://www.desperatemanblues.com.au/) well worth watching.
I checked some of those song links - good stuff.

[readyeddy?]

I'm having some success so let's try these:

Foggy Mountain Breakdown (w/ Steve Martin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrlqQ1_vZVE

Rollin' in my Sweet Baby's Arms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH7Dz6mBjO8

John Hardy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSnaDIXcsZ8

Lonesome Rubin and T for Texas (The Earl Scruggs Revue)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kzsJ7n7jxg

Ballad of Jed Clampett
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBxSsNxnkD8

[readyeddy?]

Here's more Doc Watson:

Doc & Merle Watson - Black MountainRag & Freight Train Boogie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq-I2tIkztY

Deep River Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFRNMTxvt08

Tennessee Stud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0yYcUrKwJw

Doc & Merle - Tom Dooley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfMuizPuaTw

Chet Atkins & Doc Watson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mzGrpNZsGA&mode=relatedsearch=

Leo Kottke & Doc Watson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= OR63Y5LIQDI

[VelvetGuru9]

Doc Watson is a great guitarist.

Here's one of America's favorite roots singers. He's played with the Carter Family; Jimmie Rodgers. You'll recognize the yodeling part from many cartoons, comedic movies, and such.

Jimmie Rodgers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIBmGZxAhg)

[readyeddy?]

Doc Watson is a great guitarist.

Here's one of America's favorite roots singers. He's played with the Carter Family; Jimmie Rodgers. You'll recognize the yodeling part from many cartoons, comedic movies, and such.

Jimmie Rodgers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEIBmGZxAhg)
Nice link.
I've never heard a cover of "T for Texas" I didn't like. It's nice to hear the original. I have a CD of various country stars covering Jimmie Rodgers tunes, but I've never heard the man himself.

[VelvetGuru9]

Nice link.
I've never heard a cover of "T for Texas" I didn't like. It's nice to hear the original. I have a CD of various country stars covering Jimmie Rodgers tunes, but I've never heard the man himself.
Jimmie Rodgers was an american music icon...not to be confused with the rockabilly singer by the same name - That Jimmie Rodgers had a 50s hit with Honeycomb (Won't you be my baby). The first Jimmie was also known as the Singing Brakeman and died in 1933.

[readyeddy?]

The CD I have is called "The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers a Tribute".
The photos look like the man from your link. The song list is this:

1. Dreaming With Tears In My Eyes --- Bono

2. Any Old Time ---- Alison Krause & Union Station

3. Waiting for a Train ----- Dickey Betts

4. Somewhere Down Below the Mason Dixon Line ---- Mary Chapin Carpenter

5. Miss The Mississippi and You ---- David Ball

6. My Blue Eyed Jane ----- Bob Dylan

7. Peach Pickin' Time Down in Georgia ---- Willie Nelson

8. In the Jailhouse Now ----- Steve Earle & the V-Rays

9. Blue Yodel #9 ---- Jerry Garcia, David Grisman & John Kahn

10. Hobo bill's Last Ride ----- Iris DeMent

11. Gambling Bar Room Blues ---- John Mellencamp

12. Mule Skinner Blues ---- Van Morrison

13. Why Should I be Lonely ---- Aaron Neville

14. T For Texas ---- Dwight Yoakam

[VelvetGuru9]

That's the Jimmie Rodgers who came first. That CD looks like a great collection of artists who are keeping his name alive. It has a couple of my favorites on it too: Van Morrison, Dylan , Steve Earle...

[readyeddy?]

O Brothers, where art thou????
Gimme some feedback on you so I can think of a cool way to assign you to my royal court.

[Maniac_nmt]

the biggest name in Bluegrass would probably be Earl Scruggs, you probably know him best from all the times you watched The Beverly Hillbillies. He and his partner, the late Lester Flatts, performed that great theme song. Wooo doggie. By the way, that songs official name is "The Ballad of Jed Clampett". One of my favorites by him is "Foggy Mountain Breakdown".

Another very famous example of bluegrass would be "Dueling Banjos" from the film "Deliverance".

A good place to start if you're interested, would be with Alison Krause and Union Station. She's bringing bluegrass into the 21st century and she's very talented. I'm especially looking forward to her upcoming collaboration with Robert Plant. That's going to be very interesting.


Alison Krauss is a great place to start. She's one of the few female vocalists I can really enjoy listening to.

Another famous bluegrass artist would be Grandpa Jones. He used to be a regular on Hee-haw! His music is light and fun, and his pickin' is always excellent.

I can recommend 'The Essential Blue Grass' four disc set. It has lots of bands and songs from different eras. Really good if you are looking for a nice mix.

Some of my favorite songs:

Intoxicated Rat
Fox on the Run - by the Country Gentlemen
Goin' up Cripple Creek - Flatt&Scruggs
Rocky Top
Palms of Victory


By and large it's good music, but can be strange if you've never listened to it. There are a lot of gospel overtones (even in non gospel related songs), and some truly bizarre songs. On the Bank of the Ohio is about how a guy's brother drowns his fiance because she won't marry him. I've also heard ones where when you really listen they talk about cutting up someone's body and hiding it in the hills.

Overall though, it's very enjoyable music. It's easy on the ears, can be fast or slow, and anyone can hum or sing along with the music. You'll rarely wonder what the heck the guy just said because you can't understand him/her.

[readyeddy?]

Oops I see I misspelled Krauss earlier.
Finding CDs of Grandpa Jones won't be easy. Roy Clark was also talented in bluegrass.
Every so often I'll look around in the casino I work at and wonder if they're having a Junior Samples lookalike contest somewhere.

The weirdest thing about bluegrass is it sounds like it's old but is actually a relatively new genre of music.

[AlienFlanders]

Finding CDs of Grandpa Jones won't be easy.

Amazon have one.

[readyeddy?]

I'm only comfortable with going through paypal when I order online. Plus; unfortunately, my eyes are bigger then my wallet when it comes to music anyway. This is why it may be awhile before I'll satisfy my newly discovered Townes Van Zandt Jones that you sir, engendered.

Also I do believe that this is the first post by Maniac nmt on any of the country threads. Finding new people interested in anything country on the Realms seems almost like trying to catch fish in a bathtub.

Welcome sir! Please allow me to induct you into the King's court by providing me a little feedback about you so I can dream up a cool royal moniker for you.

[AlienFlanders]

Cduniverse have the same cd and they take paypal, I suspect some smaller stores might get it in.

[readyeddy?]

Cduniverse have the same cd and they take paypal, I suspect some smaller stores might get it in.
Why do I get the feeling we're in a bullring and you're a matador to my bull?

[Maniac_nmt]

Hrm...my C&W music tastes...

I like mostly older country, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., and so forth. Although my favorite artist is Dwight Yokam.

I also listen to Bluegrass (as mentioned).

Plus Western, Michael Martin Murphy and Marty Robins being the best. Although my favorite western song is Jimmy Wakely's 'Along the Santa Fe Trail'. Some of Tex Ritter's stuff is good, and so is some of Roy Rodgers. Heck, I even like some Slim Whitman ;)

I really don't care for groups like Rascal Flats and the like. I think the last 'modern' group I really liked was Lonestar, and they sang a song about 'When Cowboys didn't dance'.

[readyeddy?]

Just came across this by accident on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6uNSR4f4DQ
Haven't had time to check out her other links but I will have to investigate further.

[readyeddy?]

I'm currently listening to Pickin' on Led Zeppelin Vol. One as I put it in my iTunes library.
There are no vocals and it's performed by a band called Old School Freight Train. The only reason I'm able to tell the band's name is BECAUSE I'm downloading it to iTunes. The band members do get individual credit for the instruments they play though on the liner notes.
Kind of weird listening to Rock And Roll as Bluegrass.
I also have Vol. Two and Pickin' On CDs for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty and Neil Young. I'm sure there are others out there but those are the only ones I've found.

Vol. Two has an original song called Jed Zeppelin. I haven't heard it yet but I'm betting there will be something about it that will remind me of the Beverly Hillbillies.

[VelvetGuru9]

I'm currently listening to Pickin' on Led Zeppelin Vol. One as I put it in my iTunes library.
There are no vocals and it's performed by a band called Old School Freight Train. The only reason I'm able to tell the band's name is BECAUSE I'm downloading it to iTunes. The band members do get individual credit for the instruments they play though on the liner notes.
Kind of weird listening to Rock And Roll as Bluegrass.
I also have Vol. Two and Pickin' On CDs for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty and Neil Young. I'm sure there are others out there but those are the only ones I've found.

Vol. Two has an original song called Jed Zeppelin. I haven't heard it yet but I'm betting there will be something about it that will remind me of the Beverly Hillbillies.
I finally found some time to write in the music forums again. Have you checked out the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss collaboration. You're gonna love it. It's much better than that Van Halen thing that was released last year.

[readyeddy?]

I finally found some time to write in the music forums again. Have you checked out the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss collaboration. You're gonna love it. It's much better than that Van Halen thing that was released last year.
Got it, love it, going to see them in concert in St. Louis with my daughter June 19th.
I don't let anything that involves Robert Plant slip by me if I can help it.

[VelvetGuru9]

Got it, love it, going to see them in concert in St. Louis with my daughter June 19th.
I don't let anything that involves Robert Plant slip by me if I can help it.
That sounds like a fun show. Wish I were there for it.

[readyeddy?]

I just finished downloading Pickin' on Crosby Stills Nash & Young to iTunes.

These bluegrass tributes are fun. Sometimes you can barely recognize the songs though.