Patty Loveless-Mountain Soul

“Oh, Brother, not another roots, bluegrass, old-time collection." Seems like everybody and his dog is trying to sell some traditional discs.

Yep, but I think this one is good. I’ve had this CD for many months now, so some of the shine has worn, but I still find it creeping onto the player periodically. Although some performers on the mountain music bandwagon have to stretch their resumes a bit (and like a Faith Hill hair-job, the roots eventually show), Patty Loveless has bluegrass blue-bloodlines. She grew up in the coal mine areas of east Kentucky, and has always had a bit of that hard honesty in her commercial country releases. Like Dolly Parton’s two recent bluegrass efforts, this recording is truly soul music from the mountains.

The backing is pure front porch country – guitar, mandolin, dobro, fiddle – all well played by the studio hands and with some guest shots from Ricky Skaggs and Earl Scruggs. You can’t have good bluegrass without duets, and one provided by Jon Randall is a beautiful version of the old classic “Someone I Used to Know”, while two with Travis Tritt somehow don’t quite fit the mold of the rest of the album, but are still listenable.

The harmonies shine most of the time, as they should on mountain music. It is that “high lonesome” wail where it almost sounds like multiple voices coming from one person. They are especially strong on spiritual songs like Ralph Stanley’s “Daniel Prayed” and “Rise Up, Lazarus”, credited to Patty Loveless and her husband Emory Gordy, Jr.

The material is a very pleasant mix of old mountain songs, classic country, and some new numbers written in mountain music style. All are very well produced by Gordy, with the blend of strings and voices always just right. One of the more moving moments is a six minute plus reading of Darrell Scott’s “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive”.

“Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you’re drinking
And you spend your life digging coal from the bottom of your grave”

I, for one. am glad that the popularity of “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” and “Songcatcher” has given the general public a chance to hear this kind of music again. Best of all it has allowed folks like Patty and Dolly to make music close to their soul and hopefully have someone actually hear it and appreciate it.

Odie

P.S. Both "Mountain Soul" and Dolly’s "Little Sparrow" have received Grammy nominations for Best Bluegrass Album.

Written by James Odom, February 2002

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