This is such an amusing case of horseraces in the making. Like it or
don't, but don't hang this on a question of definitions.
Somebody's gotta see at least some irony in the apparebtly inevitable
bluegrass purist discussion of whether Earle's voice is "right" for their
form--considering that I can recall grassers (or maybe, "semi-grassers")
saying they've never been able to stand Del's voice itself! It should be
easy to understand how he'd be generous about differences.
He's got his own (wonderful. I think) idiosyncrasies, and has also made a
contribution in being probably the most blues-friendly bluegrass star in
some time. And I don't mean that the contribution's not in the
friendliness--the openness to that other strain, in itself--but in the
often memorable RESULTS (what counts) in all those "blue" songs and discs.
And that's the point for a natural born anti-purist like me: If the
Earle/McCourys combo works in this case--and that disc seems like something
of a longtime keeper classic in the making to me, in part for the interplay
of the harsher rock from old time/heroin-in-the-hills voice with the sweet
sounds of this band. As I type this, the West 54th Street session with
these guys is on TV--and Del just got finished telling us all how exactly
he enjoyed this collaboration--and also complimented Earle as a musician,
by the way. (as a rhythm guitarist--but fair enough.)
The duet with Iris is just a plain good country song, I'd say--and there's
some Texas Western Swing influenced stuff too. Why not!
Viva a new synthesis with a value of its own. And I hope Steve E gets his
wish that some outright bluegrass bands will pick up on some of these songs.
Barry M.
PS: The "Mickey Mouse" opening of the record reminds me of the laughing
fit start without a band of Bob Dylan's 115th Dream on "Bringing It All
Back Home"--the songs have some pattern similarities out of similar
traditional sources, too. And I suspect it's no accident.
