Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 08/08/2006
Fiddler and banjoist
Riley Baugus traffics in
old-timey music, a genre older, and some say, purer, than
bluegrass.
Long Steel Rail, then, is an album filled with
traditional songs performed and sung in a
traditional manner.
Baugus' vocals carry an old
country flavor that makes him a worthy interpreter of old warhorses like
"Sail Away Ladies" and the title track, while the stripped-down arrangements complement the material. The only criticism one might offer of
Long Steel Rail is that the production is a bit smooth for
old-timey, meaning that the album has a lot more ambience (and a little less authenticity) than one might find on a
Jean Ritchie album. Be that as it may, only hardcore enthusiasts will notice. Two names that show up again and again on the album's credits are
Tim O'Brien and
Dirk Powell, and one gains the impression that the project meant a lot to both performers.
Long Steel Rail, in fact, isn't unlike a
Dirk Powell album, though
Baugus' rougher vocal style seems to have been drawn deeper from the well of tradition. One imagines that there isn't a big audience for
old-timey music, say, compared to
contemporary bluegrass, so it's nice that labels like
Sugar Hill remain dedicated to a variety of
traditional music styles.
Baugus'
Long Steel Rail will be warmly embraced by
old-timey fans.
~Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
;)
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