Search - Seldom Scene :: New Seldom Scene Album

Classic Seldom Scene

W. David Ferrell | West Virginia | 01/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my favorite Seldom Scene album. The Scene is in great form here as original members John Starling, Mike Auldridge and the late John Duffey sing some of the finest harmony in Bluegrass, or any other kind of music for that matter. The musical style is realy innovative here too, using drums, and steel guitar... instruments that you just don't normally find in Bluegrass Music. I can't say enough about the songs in this collection. Songs like Ralph Stanley's classic If That's The Way You Feel, Rodney Crowell's beautiful Song For Life (recently made popular by Country Superstar Alan Jackson), and California Earthquake with beautiful guest harmonies by Linda Ronstadt who did a lot of work with the Seldom Scene. This album was recorded in 1976, but it still sounds as new and fresh as ever. I promise you that you will not regret buying this album. I know people who are not even Bluegrass fans at all, but they love the Seldom Scene. Their music simply appeals to everyone."

+ 1/2 stars...Last Album from the Original Lineup

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 06/03/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in the spring of 1976, this is the final Seldom Scene album to feature the original lineup of John Duffey (mandolin, lead guitar), John Starling (rhythm guitar), Mike Auldridge (Dobro and pedal steel), Ben Eldridge (banjo) and Tom Gray (bass). As with their previous four studio albums, it is a mixture of traditional and contemporary.



Standout tracks include Duffey's fine high lonesome vocal on "Pictures from Life's Other Side" and the Herb Pederson-penned "Easy Ride from Good Times to the Blues" sung by Starling. The latter sounds more country than anything the band had previously recorded, due in large part to Auldridge turning in his Dobro for a pedal steel on this one, and for the first time on a Seldom Scene album a drummer is used. In fact, drums are used on several other tracks including the two Rodney Crowell songs, "California Earthquake" (with Linda Ronstadt on harmony vocals) and "Song for Life."



There is only one original song this time out, Starling's "Answer Your Call." This would be Starling's last album with the group until he returned for one last album--1994's LIKE WE USED TO BE.



Overall, this is a quieter album than most. For the first time, there are no instrumentals and only a handful of upbeat, bluegrass footstompers like the opening track "Big Rig." But everything you come to expect from this band is still here--excellent musicianship, wonderful three-part hamronies and well chosen songs. If it's not quite as good as there earlier efforts, it's only because there earlier albums were nearly flawless. [Running Time - 38:43] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"