Various Artists: O Brother, Where Art Thou (Original Soundtrack) CD Track Listing

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Various Artists O Brother, Where Art Thou (Original Soundtrack) (2000)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Music From A Film By Joel & Ethan Coen\n2000 UMG Recordings, Inc.\n\nOriginally Released December 5, 2000\nSACD Edition Released January 14, 2003\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: The critical consensus at the end of 2000 was that it had been one of the weakest film years in recent memory. Which may have been true, despite O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers' delightfully warm and weird Depression-era re-telling of Homer's Odyssey. But for music lovers, 2000 was an amazing year at the movies, and it produced several excellent soundtrack compilations including Almost Famous, Dancer in the Dark, Wonder Boys, and High Fidelity. Even with such steep competition, the soundtrack album for O Brother, Where Art Thou? may be the best of the year. In order to capture the sound of Mississippi circa 1932, the Coens commissioned T-Bone Burnett, a masterful producer whose work with artists like Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, Joseph Arthur, and Counting Crows has earned him a special place in the folk-rock hall of fame, to research and re-create the country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and blues of the era. The Coens were so taken with Burnett's discoveries that the film became a unique sort of musical revue. There are no original compositions here (though Burnett is given a "music by" credit usually reserved for composers), and the characters do not generally break into stylized song and dance numbers (as they do in, say, Everyone Says I Love You). But nearly every scene in O Brother is set to a period song, and the music frequently drives and defines the action. With two exceptions -- a stunning 1955 Alan Lomax recording of a black prison chain gang singing "Po Lazarus", and Harry McClintock's "Big Rock Candy Mountain" -- every song was recorded for the film by an impressive assembly of old-time country veterans. These recordings, which were made without the meddling clarity of digital technology, give the film much of its power and authenticity. A significant segment of the plot hinges on the (utterly plausible) notion that Dan Tyminksi's ebullient rendition of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" could be a runaway hit. A memorable sequence involving three riverside sirens centers around an eerie version of "Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby." And Stanley's a cappella performance of "O Death" sets a chilling tone for a climactic struggle at a Ku Klux Klan rally. Throughout, Burnett's steady guiding hand is evident. This soundtrack is a powerful tribute not only to the time-honored but commercially ignored genres of bluegrass and mountain music but also to Burnett's remarkable skills as a producer. -- Evan Cater\n\nAmazon.com's Best of 2001\nThe best soundtracks are like movies for the ears, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? joins the likes of Saturday Night Fever and The Harder They Come as cinematic pinnacles of song. The music from the Coen brothers' Depression-era film taps into the source from which the purest strains of country, blues, bluegrass, folk, and gospel music flow. Producer T Bone Burnett enlists the voices of Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, and kindred spirits for performances of traditional material, in arrangements that are either a cappella or feature bare-bones accompaniment. Highlights range from the aching purity of Krauss's "Down to the River to Pray" to the plainspoken faith of the Whites' "Keep on the Sunny Side" to Stanley's chillingly plaintive "O Death." The album's spiritual centerpiece finds Krauss, Welch, and Harris harmonizing on "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby," a gospel lullaby that sounds like a chorus of Appalachian angels.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA fantastic soundtrack from a fantastic movie, May 11, 2001 \nReviewer: Scott Johnson from Lauderdale, Minnesota USA \nThe Coen brothers have worked their magic again with their excellent film "O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?" The unique vision and perspective of the film is rivaled only by the excellence of its soundtrack, which might just be the best movie soundtrack I've heard.\n\nQuite simply, there is not one weak track on this CD, period. Not one. There are highlights, to be sure, but the greatest aspect of this soundtrack might be that the diverse array of recordings and styles presents the listener with something new to appreciate every time they play the CD. \n\nSome tracks deserve special mention, however. Ralph Stanley's "O Death" is a haunting, passionate song , especially if one recalls the scene in which it appears during the movie. "Down In The River To Pray" by Alison Krauss is another excellent track; when my friend heard the the harmonies of this song, so wonderfully ethereal and poignant, she simply said: "that's beautiful." And the Peasall Sisters are outstanding on "In The Highways," singing with the innocence of children but harmonizing like adults as well.\n\nIn my opinion, however, the true gems of this soundtrack are the recordings by the Soggy Bottom Boys, featuring Tim Blake Nelson and Dan Tyminski. "In The Jailhouse Now" is just fun to listen to, and knowing that Tim Blake Nelson and John Tuturro actually sang their parts for the movie rather than lip-synching adds an authenticity that is hard to get from Hollywood these days. \n\n"I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow" is, however, the spiritual center of the movie and the most outstanding part of the soundtrack. In the movie, George Clooney did such an excellent job lip-synching that moviegoers swore he was really singing the tune. It was actually the work of Dan Tyminski, though Tim Blake Nelson and John Tuturro again sang their own parts. This song simply sticks in your head and stays there, and for once that's a good thing. Tyminski's vocals are outstanding, and the two recordings are distinctive enough that one appreciates both versions being included on the soundtrack.\n\nAnother noteworthy aspect of this CD is the liner notes by the Coen brothers, who unabashedly lament the disappearance of this style of music from Nashville in favor of 'modern country music.' It is an interesting perspective from two filmmakers who always seem to have something important to say through their art. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nProof that REAL music by REAL talent is NOT extinct !!!, January 10, 2003 \nReviewer: S. A. Thompson from Brady, TX USA \n.\nThis is a terriffic CD loaded with real Americana that touches the soul. I grew up with this kind of music in the 1930's. \n\nI gave this CD five stars because I couldn't rate it with four and a half. At the risk of sounding like a "dog in the manger" I was slightly disappointed that, great as it is, it is not quite up to the aesthetic quality of the film tract. To me it seemed a bit too slick and "overproduced." \n\nMuch of the problem probably occurred in the recording studio, where everyone wanted to improve on an already near perfect product. If it ain't broke, why try to fix it? In the CD the sirens were hauntingly seductive, but not quite as seductive as those in the movie. This lessening of sensuality was not due to the lack of accompanying video. I think the degradation is the result of inadequate aesthetic sensitivity in the mixing. It's hard to describe so I'll just say the CD sounds too accoustically perfect and somewhat plastic, in the Garth Brooks mode.\n\nThe chain gang recording, though incredibly good, could have been even better if the sledge hammer blows could have been toned down a bit in volume so as not to overpower the emotion of the soulful chanting of the prisoners. \n\nPrevious viewers have voiced these same criticisms. Other than for these minor impressions I found this CD to be among the all-time best of sound tracts. Don't let my comments deter you from getting this CD. These songs just get better with each listening. The words alone to IN THE JAILHOUSE NOW, BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN, YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, and the other great songs make this sound tract worth having. The slightly off-key music sung by the little girls is an especially enjoyable experience. This is pure imagination and auditory candy.\n\nVotes on the "helpfulness" of reviews seem to reflect the voter's agreement or disagreement with the reviewer's likes or dislikes of the CD rather than the objectivity of the reviewer's comments. I therefore expect to get very few positive votes because just about everybody loves this CD. But rather than unreservedly joining the approving crowd, I want my review to be helpful in alerting a prospective buyer to what I see as its minor shortcomings so there won't be any surprises.\n\nIn summary, You absolutely CAN'T go wrong with this CD. The entire family will enjoy it, especially the kids and older folks, and it will never get boring or out of date.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nO Brother, what happened here?, March 10, 2002 \nReviewer: Lee Hartsfeld from Heath, OH United States \nThe idea is certainly an interesting one: A soundtrack featuring contemporary artists in authentic, "old-timey" renditions of old country and blues. It's a fascinating idea, to be sure. Someone should try it sometime.\n\nUntil this happens, we have the soundtrack CD to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" which features mostly composed songs, from the Civil War period ("Angel Band") to 1940's "You Are My Sunshine." This collection has gotten an enormous amount of hype in the media, yet it's hard to take it very seriously. The barely-legible, aged-yellow-background liner notes, for example, claim that country music "first flowered during the Depression," which is quite untrue. By the most conservative estimate, country music appeared on sound recordings (and was selling well) as early as 1921. Country fiddle recordings, in fact, were being made as early as 1910. And the performances on this CD are anything but the authentic, period-sound renditions they are being touted as. Alison Krauss, in particular, strays from any sound remotely associated with the Carter Family, or numerous other country duos, trios and quartets from the late 1920s through the 1940s. Where, for example, comes the tradition of harmonizing a fourth below the tonic in two-part singing ("Down To the River To Pray")? And the first-inversion tonic heard on The Whites' "Keep on the Sunny Side," to say nothing of the Countrypolitan slickness of the overall vocal sound, is one of many unauthenticities. Third-above, second-tenor, songbook-style singing was the norm for the period this music purports to represent, and countless period recordings attest to this. Lest these technical points seem fussy, believe me when I say they are essential to the overall sound. The music contained herein conforms to a modern concept of "old-timey," but, for the most part, the sound is more Nashville than North Carolina.\n\nAnd what is going on with the composer credits? Jefferson Hascall and European-trained William B. Bradbury's 1860 classic "The Land of Beulah" is credited to "Traditional" under the title "Angel Band." Bradbury, who wrote the music, is best-known for the tune material to "Jesus Loves Me" and "The Solid Rock," among other classics. And we witness Ada Blenkhorn and Howard Entwisle's 1899 "Keep on the Sunny Side of Life" being credited to A.P. Carter. Certainly, the idea that "America's music" comes from the hills, that it is passed down through the oral tradition by banjo-playing relatives is more romantic than the reality of professionally composed tunes copyrighted in songbooks and hymnals. But most of the songs here are not "folk" in any sense of the word.\n\nI am an enormous fan of genuine "old-timey" music but have little love for whatever this is. It is well done, and it has every right to be what it is. But it is not, to use the lamentable term, "roots music."\n\nHalf.com Album Credits\nT Bone Burnett (Compilation), Producer\n\nAlbum Notes\nThis is an Enhanced audio CD which contains regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.Includes a 24-page booklet with liner notes by Robert K. Oermann.\n\nO BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year and for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.. \n\n"O Death" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. \n\n"Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby" and "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow" were nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals.\n\nThose kings of cinematic quirkiness, the Coen brothers, fashioned their film O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? as a contemporary adaption of Homer's Odyssey, centering around a group of American chain-gang prisoners. The film's earthy Southern setting makes it a natural for a bluegrass-oriented soundtrack, for which producer T-Bone Burnett picked the cream of the country crop. "Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby," for example, is a summit meeting of some of the finest contemporary female country vocalists (Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss). The old school isn't forgotten either, as evidenced by a chilling a cappella rendering of "O Death," courtesy of Ralph Stanley, and by the closing cut, where the Stanley Brothers issue an elegant plea to heaven with "Angel Band."\n\nRolling Stone (01/03/2002)\nRanked #9 in Rolling Stone's Top 10 2001.\n\nEntertainment Weekly (10/12/01, p.38) - Ranked #56 in EW's 100 Best Movie Soundtracks - ...An unlikely hillbilly smash making 1930s-style string-band music the 1st trend of the 21st-century...\n\nMojo (1/02, p.70) - Ranked #3 in Mojo's Best [10] Box Sets & Compilations of 2001.\n\nRolling Stone (1/18/01, pp.56-7) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - ...A collection of folk, bluegrass, gospel and hobo country so true to the music's down-home, egalitarian roots that it's hard to distinguish the old tracks from the new and the folk heroes from screen actors...\n\nQ Magazine (12/00, p.139) - 4 stars out of 5 - ...Mostly traditional spirituals and bluegrass numbers....richly evocative of its time and place, and educational too...\n\nNo Depression (1-2/01, p.90) - ...The rarest of contemporary soundtracks: good (old) music, coherently programmed, and masterfully perfromed....an exceptional album...\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW (3.5 Stars)\nCountry's origins as white man's soul music may have been refined away by Nashville, but they've been resurrected with care for the soundtrack of the latest by Joel and Ethan Coen. You'd expect Fargo's creators to wrap the backwoods sound of the Depression in layers of irony. But the Coen brothers, together with producer T Bone Burnett, have assembled a collection of folk, bluegrass, gospel and hobo country so true to the music's down-home, egalitarian roots that it's hard to distinguish the old tracks from the new and the folk heroes from screen actors. United by unadorned arrangements and earnest performances, mainstream singers such as Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris sit comfortably beside Alan Lomax field recordings and vintage tracks by early country-bluegrass legends Harry McClintock and the Stanley Brothers. There are also new performances by longtime roots practitioners Ralph Stanley and the Fairfield Four, younger cult acts like Gillian Welch and Chris Thomas King, and even the Soggy Bottom Boys, who include George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson, the stars of the film. It's odd but fitting that an independent film could help bring the rustic back to country. (RS 860) -- BARRY WALTERS
This soundtrack cd contains 19 tracks and runs 60min 37sec.
Freedb: fc0e3313
Buy: from Amazon.com

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