Search - Je Mainer :: Run Mountain

Indescribably authentic!!

03/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I won't give any history about J.E. Mainer and his Mountaineers since I didn't know anything about them before this purchase, and anyway, you can read the liner notes. Suffice it to say that J.E. Mainer has been dead for 30 years, and many of the songs were written 30 years prior to that, but this music is TIMELESS.The best thing about this CD is the completely raw form in which it is presented. It was recorded in 1963 on one condensor microphone. The first cut (and the first 30 seconds or so of the second) are muddy - then suddenly the sound clears up. Two cuts even have a slight "skip" (ever hear a skip on a CD?). But the emotions are so powerful that these little technical gliches are irrelevant, even charming. And actually, considering the recording techniques, the overall sound quality is surprisingly good.This is the music that gave birth to what is now know as Bluegrass. J.E. Mainer, in his heavy woodsy drawl, gives a little introduction to most tunes, and then it's as if the Mountaineers are right in your living room. Get ready to cry ("He's Coming To Us Dead", "Two Little Rosebuds"), laugh ("Greenback Dollars"), and generally wear your foot out. I really can't say enough about this CD. If you're a Bluegrass fan, it's a must. Even "Old Country" and Gospel fans should enjoy this. Buy it, you won't regret it."