The first-ever collection of classic tracks by the artist who has helped define the last two decades of American roots songwriting! The CD disc includes over 70 minutes of music REMASTERED from the original master tapes. T... more »he Limited Edition DVD disc features the documentary film "Hacklebarney Tunes?The Music of Greg Brown?46 minutes of interviews, jams and live concert footage. Filmed in 1996 (to coincide with the years of this retrospective), it follows Brown through the little towns and countryside of his home country, the Hacklenbarney district of southern Iowa. Included are interviews and recollections with his parents, kinfolk and friends, old colleagues like BO RAMSEY, DAVE MOORE and GARRISON KEILLOR and music critics who have followed him over the years. Essential for Brown fans and a superb introduction to his music!« less
The first-ever collection of classic tracks by the artist who has helped define the last two decades of American roots songwriting! The CD disc includes over 70 minutes of music REMASTERED from the original master tapes. The Limited Edition DVD disc features the documentary film "Hacklebarney Tunes?The Music of Greg Brown?46 minutes of interviews, jams and live concert footage. Filmed in 1996 (to coincide with the years of this retrospective), it follows Brown through the little towns and countryside of his home country, the Hacklenbarney district of southern Iowa. Included are interviews and recollections with his parents, kinfolk and friends, old colleagues like BO RAMSEY, DAVE MOORE and GARRISON KEILLOR and music critics who have followed him over the years. Essential for Brown fans and a superb introduction to his music!
"Living as I do in the UK, I've never had the chance to see Greg Brown 'live', so I was keen to get this DVD and CD combination. The DVD is very interesting. Greg, who comes across as very warm and intelligent, is interviewed throughout, and there are 'live' performances and nice scenes with Greg's folks back in his home town of Hacklebarney. You really get a feel for where 'Greg Brown' came from, and where he still is in a way, something that must be the key to his success and longevity as an artist. He's unspoiled.
The CD is crammed full of some of Greg's greatest songs from the past few years. They need a bit of listening to before you realise just how good they are, but instantly obvious is Greg's unique style and the humour in his unique voice. What's interesting, seeing the background in the DVD, is how he has kept to his roots while at the same time creating music that's universal and whose themes go beyond the 'down home'. This is really well worth getting."
Excellent Retrospective
James D. DeWitt | Fairbanks, AK United States | 01/22/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"You can't call the songs "greatest hits;" Greg Brown isn't the kind of artist who has had or even wants pop hits. You can't call them his "best songs;" there's no agreement on what song is best, other than perhaps the last song you heard him perform. So I will settle for calling this a retrospective, a look backwards across twenty plus albums over twenty plus years. It's imprecise, but close.It's equally hard to characterize Brown's song writing. There are elements of gospel - he's the son of a fundamentalist minister - and blues, a lot of traditional American folk music, but the mix is peculiarly Brown's own. The style has evolved over the years, as this album demonstrates. What's consistent is the use of specific images, sometimes apparently unrelated images, to make broader, allusive messages. His music is deceptively simple, even catchy, but it never leaves you feeling manipulated.His musicianship is fine, but there are lots of fine musicians. What sets Greg Brown apart as a performer is his voice, which ranges from a baritone to a gravelly bass. There are very few folk artists who can use their voice as the bass line in their songs. His voice is remarkable, and he uses it intelligently, adding layers of meaning to songs. If you are new to Greg Brown, this is a terrific introduction. If you are already a fan, you may still want this album: some of the older songs benefit greatly from remastering, and sound much better here than they do on their original albums.Strongly recommended."
Greg Brown - If I Had Known (CD & DVD Combo)
Eric Lillyblad | Forest Lake, MN USA | 07/30/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Simple, honest music. This is a perfect CD/DVD to purchase to get to know Greg Brown and his music. The CD provides a nice variety of songs taken from some of his numerous albums. The DVD gives great background of his life, including interviews with friends and family members. The DVD also has some nice concert footage and reveals the nature of the man and his earthy, somewhat mischeivous background and outlook on life."
A Bookend for Iowa Mood Music
Joseph R. Bachman | 05/19/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"To those of you not in the know (and there are far more than there should be), roots legend Greg Brown popped out of the Iowa cornfields in the early eighties. Raised on roots music, Brown cut his teeth on the ecclectic scenes of Greenwich Village and Minneapolis before releasing a remarkable string of independent albums that continues, unbroken, to this day.
"If I Had Known" is not a summary of Brown's career. Indeed, it neglects his past six years of recording which were easily as fruitful as any other such period of his career. Instead,it is an attempt to bring the listener up to speed by exposing, as close as is possible, the incredibly diverse songwriting that Brown has contributed over the years.
From quirky bohemian rave-ups (Good Morning Coffee) to stark, Sprinsteenesque political-ballads (Our Little Town), "If I Had Known" is a primer on the Brown catalogue. But what this album does so nicely is what most greatest hits packages fail to do. It emphasizes what really matters in Brown's music: Love, humanity, family and a connection to "home"- whatever that means to you.
Between the cracks are songs of enormous heart and nostalgia "The Poet Game", "Hey Baby Hey," "Worrisome Years," and one of the best love songs of the last fifteen years "Spring Wind," to name a few.
This album is a rare treat: an overview of a widely overlooked and diverse artist to say the least, but more importantly, a collection of songs that will become like old friends: inspiring and affecting you in a way that will be undeniably your own."
New to Greg
Randy Osborn | W. Hollywood, CA United States | 06/05/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"An amazing girl I know recently played me the live version of "Spring Wind" and it, well... it blew me away. I had to hear more of this incredible artist. I enjoy listening to many other singer/songwriters: Bruce Cockburn, John Hiatt, Leonard Cohen, et al, but had never even heard of Greg Brown. His lyrics are soulfull and entertaining and his voice is deep and warm. I am also quite the audiophile and I'm *very* impressed with the recordings on this disc. Greg's voice is right there on center stage and the instrumentation and imaging are spot on; excellent job of remastering on this one. I highly recommend this CD to fans of the previous artists I mentioned and specifically to audiophiles who just like to sit and listen to beautifully recorded music. I haven't watched the DVD yet, but it's a great bonus to an already great CD!"