Music » Other Music Compilations

In an age when the old-timey soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? sells 5 million copies, it's hard to imagine how revolutionary Will the Circle Be Unbroken seemed upon its release 30 years ago. The triple album (now rereleased as a two-CD set) paired many of Nashville's venerable country and bluegrass performers (Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Jimmy Martin, Vassar Clements) with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, or as Acuff called them, "a bunch of long-haired West Coast boys." The idea seemed nearly as foreign as Martians setting down in Tennessee, but the Dirt Band were Colorado hippies steeped in the genre, so there was no disputing the authenticity of the music, or its earthy appeal. Aside from the sheer joy of the performances (listen to Jimmy Martin's "whoop" on "Sunny Side of the Mountain"), there's great fun in hearing Roy Acuff give the boys a lesson in doing a song right the first time (and using the word hell before launching into a religious number). And Mother Maybelle wafts through like a benevolent ghost, or at least a patron saint. One caveat: The boast of four previously unreleased tracks is balderdash, since three are really between-track conversations and rehearsals, and only "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" qualifies as a real song. But that's nitpicking. Buy it. Love it. Wallow in it. O brother, that's country music! --Alanna Nash

Release Date: 1996-10-08, Audio CD, Utv Records

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: GIRL GROUPS
Title: VOL. 1-BEST OF GIRL GROUPS
Street Release Date: 08/28/1990
Domestic
Genre: OLDIES COLLECTIONS

Release Date: 1996-09-17, Audio CD, Curb Records

Release Date: 1993-04-27, Audio CD, Narada

Release Date: 1998-04-10, Audio CD, EMI Special Products

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: GIRL GROUPS
Title: VOL. 2-BEST OF GIRL GROUPS
Street Release Date: 09/04/1990
Domestic
Genre: OLDIES COLLECTIONS

A collection of well-known pop tunes, this record documents those ubiquitous tracks that have been played into the ground at nearly every sports facility in the country. Most, like "Whoomp! There It Is" and "Hip Hop Hooray," are undeniably catchy, and other tracks were downright splendid when they first appeared on the scene. Some even credit "Pump Up the Volume" with being a breakthrough for the electronic music scene of the late '80s and early '90s. Still, bringing musical innovation to light is not what the makers of this recording had in mind. It's all about the trashy glitz, fleeting glories, and mindless greed of late-20-century American sports. Revel in its dubious charms, and risk having your brains turn to mush while a permanent grin takes over your face. --Matthew Cooke

Array

If you need something to pump you up for the upcoming second edition of Sarah McLachlan's all-female touring festival, Lilith Fair: A Celebration of Women in Music is the ticket. This two-disc compilation features 25 live cuts from the inaugural trip. On first spin, it's hard not to notice the range and sheer power of the vocals here. Many of the artists give performances that eclipse their studio work. The most obvious example of this is the opening "Mississippi," where Paula Cole unleashes a voice larger than life. Predictably present is McLachlan's "Building a Mystery," the definitive Lilith song, which began its assault on the air waves at the start of last year's tour and, well, kept building. The house that Sarah built is still growing strong. Lilith Fair: A Celebration of Women in Music is satisfying proof. --Carla DeSantis