Absorbing 1997 Bluegrass Album Remastered from Original Master Tapes
Call it bluegrass or call it acoustic pop, either way Alison Krauss & Union Station have created an incredible montage of music. As usual, it is Alison's beautiful vocals that gives it that "high, lonesome sound." The best songs, the best playing, the best singing and the best sound! This must have 2-LP set gets more addictive with every play.
There are thirteen vocal songs and one instrumental on this two-record set. Krauss is the lead vocalist on eight of the songs and Union Station members share the other lead vocals. The virtuoso musicians comprising the group are Barry Bales (acoustic bass), Ron Block (banjo, guitar), Adam Steffey (mandolin), and Dan Tyminski (guitar). Of course Krauss started her career as a violinist (fiddler to the bluegrass world) and she doesn't leave that instrument out either. Due to the unmatched resolution of the Gain 2 Ultra Analog cutting system, all the acoustic instruments and voices on the record are reproduced with an exceptional sense of space and clarity.
The tunes are mostly new material and alternate from bluegrass to acoustic pop. The standouts on the album are Alison's numbers: "It Doesn't Matter," "Looking In The Eyes Of Love," and the gospel "There Is A Reason." These are all quiet, reflective pieces with the haunting, almost angelic quality of Krauss' voice demonstrated to its fullest. The harmony singing on every cut shows off the vocal prowess of the entire ensemble. The title track in particular stands out for its use of harmony and incredible accurate presentation of acoustic instruments. The male vocalists are superb in their own right and each of the band members has the spotlight somewhere on the album.
