Search - Hazel Dickens, Alice Gerrard :: Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard

Hazel Dickens, Alice Gerrard
Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard
Genres: Country, Folk, International Music, Pop, Classical, Christian & Gospel

Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
1. Let That Liar Alone
2. When I Loved You
3. Working Girl Blues
4. West Virginia My Home
5. Mama's Gonna Stay
6. Montana Cowboy
7. Mean Papa Blues
8. Nice Like That
9. Mary Johnson
10. Ramblin' Woman
11. Beaufort County Jail
12. Banjo Picking Girl
13. James Alley Blues
14. True Life Blues

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CD Details

All Artists: Hazel Dickens, Alice Gerrard
Title: Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard
Members Wishing: 7
Total Copies: 0
Label: Rounder Select
Release Date: 7/14/1998
Genres: Country, Folk, International Music, Pop, Classical, Christian & Gospel
Styles: Bluegrass, Classic Country, Traditional Folk, North America, Appalachian, Instruments, Strings, Country & Bluegrass
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 011661005426, 011661005419, 011661005440

Synopsis

Amazon.com

The partnership of the Thelma and Louise of folk music represents a curious convergence on a few fronts. Hazel Dickens is the daughter of a banjo-picking preacher in West Virginia. Alice Gerrard was raised in Oakland, California, by classically trained parents. A leftist political perspective underscores the songs of both women, but in very different ways. Dickens puts one in mind of old labor while Gerrard was inspired to write "Beaufort County Jail" after reading an article by New Leftist Angela Davis in Ms. What they did share was a deep affection for old-timey music, even if one of the women was weaned on the stuff while the other picked up on it while in college. The two began singing together in 1962; this collection was cut in the mid-'70s and features songs written by both women plus some choice covers, including a jaunty take on Jimmie Rodgers's "Mean Papa Blues" and the Louvin Brothers' "When I Loved You," which showcases their trademark close harmonies. In the end, despite their varied backgrounds, they shared plenty, too, including smarts, spunk, and soul. --Steven Stolder

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CD Reviews

Lost Treasure!!

Peter Savage | Near Portland, ME USA | 09/28/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had an absolute fit the first time I ever heard this record, back in 1979 or so. I picked it up in Tower, kind of liking the look of the package. Little did I know what I was getting. I've worn my vinyl copy flat, despite making several cassette copies along the way. This is an absolutely essential CD. Everyone I have ever played it to has fallen flat on their backs in amazement. Trust me, you have never heard such perfectly thought-out bluegrass and old-timey music in your life. Is it purist? I don't know. It's just so damned good! Hazel and Alice only made a few records together, but this was the pinnacle of their collaborations. The singing is so precise, it makes you shiver. Try "Working Girl Blues" and see what I mean. C&W Factoid: The Judds were huge fans of this duo. To me, with eclectic tastes, this is right up there with classics like "Highway 61", "Workingman's Dead," "London Calling", "Trout Mask Replica," or modern marvels like Cheri Knight's "Northeast Kingdom." They just don't make them like this anymore..."

A perfect album from start to finish

Alex Scriabin | Memphis, TN | 12/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a nearly perfect album. Not only are the songs taut and perfectly executed, but the ordering of the songs is brilliant. The general pattern alternates between a sort of campy-classic sound to one of pure profundity. For instance, Alice's slow, pensive ballad "Mama's Gonna Stay" ends totally peacefully and is immediately followed by the breakneck "Montana Cowboy". And later "Beauford County Jail", a striking song about the rape of a black women in a Chicago Prison, is followed by the delightfully rambunctious "Banjo Picking Girl". "James Alley Blues" is a perfectly harmonized a-capella piece and my personal favorite on the album. "West Virginia My Home" is a drop-dead gorgeous piece right out of the hills. This is really an incredible CD. The juxtaposition of moods coupled with the amazing brevity and tautness make this one a real treat. Hazel and Alice compliment each other perfectly. By the way, the sound quality is superb. Get this one and you won't be disappointed! Hazel and Alice also have two other albums, and the one entitled "Pioneering Women of Bluegrass" is packed with 26 amazing classics- a must. Get this now!"