Search - Dillards :: Wheatstraw Suite

The Groundwork For Today's Country-Pop

AudioObscurica | United States | 06/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to this album, from today's stand-point, you might say, "well it's country with some bluegrass", but in 1968, it was much bigger than that. Although history doesn't let it on, The Dillards had been expirementing for some time before they released this album, Rodney & Douglas Dillard, Dean Webb and Mitch Jayne made up one of America's premier bluegrass groups and by 1965, certain members began exploring other ideas. In 1965, they released an instrumental album featuring prominent fiddle, and was problem the released Elektra showed them the door. Later that year, banjo-playing Doug picked up a 12-string, Dean and Mitch electric mandolins and basses respectively, and a drummer, future Buffalo Springfield-er Dewey Martin came aboard. The group released two singles for Capitol, and made recordings with Jim Dickson in all their electric glory. Doug, who wanted to maintain more of a bluegrass heritage backed out, and by 1968 they weren't strictly a bluegrass band (Clarence White was even briefly a member). Herb Pedersen filled the banjo position, and they cut "Wheatstraw Suite". This album is the blueprint for the music that has been called country music all these years. All I can say for the songs is that they all come together to form the masterpiece. Take a listen."

The Dillards create a classic

B B McGuire | Montrose, CA | 11/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Dillards were always alot of fun from their early days on the Andy Griffith Show to their acoustic folk club appearances and they sure could play and sing, but I wasn't prepared for an album like this. I was in a record store in the late sixties and this album was playing and I was amazed when I was told it was the Dillards. Maybe it was the addition of Herb Pedersen that really made the group gel, but whatever it was they somehow combined their bluegrass roots with country and rock and created a masterpiece that sounds as fresh today as it did back then."

A desert island album

William Miller | Kirkwood, MO USA | 06/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My kids,who grew up listing to music like this, often ask me what my favorite album of all time is, and it is this.First, understand that I am from Missouri and there is a fair amount of inside humor (The Dent County Tick and Snake Market Report, for example). But more than that, these young men, then in their twenties, wrote songs that are as enduring today as back then> It is filled with wry humor, deep understandingg of the cycle of life, and love of the land. I like it better on CD and on vinyl, the integration of the sequence is clearer. I don't know how many of these I gave away in vinyl, but I've already give close to a dozen CDs to others. It's that good."