DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN is the companion to the hugely popular soundtrack. Recorded live in Nashville in May, 2000, the album features several of the songs made popular by O BROTHER, as well as many songs recorded by the artists from the soundtrack. While it lacks the variety of the first CD, DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN sports several songs that make it a fine album to own, regardless of whether they were on the O BROTHER album or not. Standouts include the Cox Family's "Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown," Emmylou Harris's "Green Pastures," Gillian Welch's "I Want To Sing That Rock and Roll," and the Whites' "Sandy Land." DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN closes with Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss's duet of "I'll Fly Away." One of the album's best and most bittersweet moments is the late John Hartford's performance of "Big Rock Candy Mountain." Hartford died at age sixty three just a year after the recording was made.

While it isn't as long or enjoyable as the O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU soundtrack, DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN is an excellent companion to its prequel. If you enjoyed the soundtrack, you will love this album. Hopefully, DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN, which has already appeared on the country album charts, will do its share in the quest to repopularize bluegrass and traditional country music.


As good as the original soundtrack--highly recommend!   January 13, 2002
 35 out of 36 found this review helpful

Before "O Brother Where Art Thou?", my exposure to bluegrass music was limited to an occasional trip through Branson, Missouri. But since the film, which led to buying the soundtrack, I'm hooked.

Yet, I was skeptical when I stumbled across this CD, Down from the Mountain. I thought one bluegrass CD was pushing it. Furthermore, I saw a few "repeats" on this CD.

However, my fears were unfounded--this is a great CD. Even the few "repeats" sound like different songs, as the artists add twists and perform them differently.

Most of the CD is pure bluegrass, but there a couple that contrast. "My Dear Someone" and "I Want to Sing that Rock and Roll" add a different element to the concert, and while they complement the others, they are in a league of their own.

In short, there's not a dud in the bunch. I highly recommend this CD. If you aren't a bluegrass fan before you listen to this, I think you soon will be afterward.


Better than O Brother itself!   October 12, 2001
 31 out of 32 found this review helpful

I purchased this album the first week it was released becuase it featured three of my favorite artists, The Whites, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss and I have found this album to be even BETTER than the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack! Emmylou Harris offers a fantastic version of 'Green Pastures' with Gillian Welch on harmony. The Whites perform an old tune 'Sandy Land' with Sharon White's amazing vocals on lead! Alison Kraus & Union station have two songs on the album, the first is 'Wild Bill Jones' with Krauss's band member Dan Tyminski on lead vocals, the second tune from Alison is her fantastic 'Blue & Lonesome'. Gillian Welch also presents two of her own tunes, with 'I Wanna Sing That Rock & Roll' being the better of the two. The album closes with Gillian & Alison's IBMA award winning 'I'll Fly Away'. The only disappointment on this album is the exclusion of bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, who performed on the concert, and is on the video release of the concert. But all in all, this a fantastic album for the bluegrass lover!


Not As Good As Expected   January 10, 2002
 26 out of 30 found this review helpful

Having read the glowing reviews on Amazon, I picked this up, with high expectations and was let down by the lack of consistency of the music and the mediocre sound quality. Mind you, my criticisms have nothing at all to do with the musical genre - I love folk blues, blues, bluegrass, newgrass, etc. As an example, I'd prefer the Oh Brother version of "I Am Weary" to this live version and although "I'll Fly Away" comes across pretty well on this live version, I prefer the studio version on the Oh Brother soundtrack. I consider "Wild Bill Jones", "Blue and Lonesome", "John Law Burned Down the Liquor Store" and "I'll Fly Away" to be the only high points on this disc.

About the sound quality: Live albums can have exceptional sound but this one does not. For examples of excellent live sound, check out the Weavers at Carnegie Hall and you'll see that it was possible 40 years ago. I'm not trying to say that this disc has horrible sonics, just that they are lower quality than I expected. Modern engineers can pull off excellent live sound on classical (many examples), rock (Zappa and many others) or acoustic music (Hedges), so it's not a limitation of the medium. Maybe the hall this disc was recorded in is difficult to mic?


Heaven sent - down from the mountain!   July 27, 2001
 20 out of 22 found this review helpful

While here has to be a hint of crass commercialism in the decision to release this CD given the success of the "O Brother" soundtrack the end result is still a boon for the listener and a continuation of the celebration of a very important musical style. This CD is a great adjunct to the soundtrack CD and introduces some new songs as well as different versions of songs found on the soundtrack CD. Songs like "Wild Bill Jones" and "I want to sing that Rock and Roll" capture the listener's attention with their strong melodies and crafted lyrics. Chris Thomas King's version of "John Law burned down the liquor sto'" highlights his blues talents and adds a needed depth to the selection of songs offered on this CD. For longtime fans there is much here that they will enjoy. To the neophyte listener who has just discovered this style of music through these CD's, this set of live recordings (with introductions by Holly Hunter) will further entrance them into a world of noble, yet simple popular music. This CD is well worth buying and T Bone Burnett (and by extension the Coen brothers) should be congratulated for his heavy promotion of one of America's finest traditions - mountain music.