Heard this first on the “O Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack.
Tag: The Stanley Brothers
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – A Country Music Review
Back in 2000 I went to see the Coen Brothers movie of the same name and even though George Clooney was just as much of a progressive jerk back then as now I enjoyed the movie immensely. So, I bought the movie soundtrack sometime in early 2001 and listened to it from time to time. Then 9/11 happened and I found myself listening to that album over and over. One song especially, “Angel Band,” seemed soothing and fit my mood. About the same time, I was driving home from work, listening to the local classic rock station and it struck me that I had heard the same six songs on the way home for the last six months and just couldn’t stand to hear them again. So, I tried a few of the other rock stations and realized they were playing exactly the same songs. In desperation I clicked around to see what else was playing. Eventually I stumbled on a country music station and by some weird coincidence they were playing Angel Band! I took it as a divine intervention and from then on, I switched to country music.
So that may explain why I have an exaggerated regard for “O Brother Where Art Though.” But undoubtedly it is a very good album. Even the songs that are not strictly country fit the mood of the collection. My favorite songs in the collection are:
- Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss)
- I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow (Dick Burnett)
- Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby (Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch)
- Indian War Whoop (John Hartford)
- Angel Band (The Stanley Brothers)
I’ll review the movie separately but I don’t think it’s necessary to watch the movie to enjoy the music but it does add an extra dimension to the experience which I recommend.