Good old boys sound like fresh new men on a mission...
10/22/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"From the album I have already made an assumption. John Hartford has done himself again! This time with Mark Schatz killin' it on the bass,Mike compton tearin' it up on the mando,and Carlin's quirky banjo style, He has almost created a style of his own....I love the stories of Bill Monroe with hartford's "perfect" radio voice telling them...who else plays the fiddle like he does? No One!!!!!!!!!One of the greatest songwriters across the genres!!!John hartford!!"
A National Treasure
Sherry C. Williams | Paris, Kentucky | 04/19/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sometimes John Hartford can play a 3-second riff on the banjo that is more delicious than chocolate. And since his style is minimalist, his moments of flash are the more to be savored. His 30-second banjo break on "Billy the Kid" on this cd is the epitome of Hartford's whimsical genius. And the long fiddle intro to "Good Old Boys" reminds me of nothing so much as the clarinet ride at the beginning of "Rhapsody in Blue." Mike Compton's mandolin style is like fast water running over a riffle - something I could listen to all day. His high lonesome harmonies are just the thing to offset Hartford's baritone. This cd offers a bluegrass mix without the mechanistic shrillness. Obviously I'm a fan, but this cd is the best thing I've bought since Retrograss."
Excellent if a little indulgent
Sherry C. Williams | 12/14/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Not Hartford's best by any means....but that makes it only three light years better than the competition, not the usual seven. He has an excellent new band, that I hope we hear more of. But sometimes, the music just gets a little quirky. Great moments include the title track, "The Cross-eyed Child," and "Watching the River": all three classic Hartford. In short, a must for established Hartford fans, but there are better introductions to his work."