Who: Brothers Ira (1924-1965, mandolin) & Charlie (1927-2011, guitar) Louvin, a country and gospel singing duo from Appalachian Alabama.
What: One of the great records of traditional country before the rise of the slick "Nashville sound" and rockabilly, this album consists mostly of covers of traditional Appalachian folk and earlier country ballads with tragic themes (including many traditional murder ballads). While this record draws on a bluegrass sound, the instrumentation features only mandolin and guitar (no fiddle or banjo) and pioneers the use of the close harmonies of gospel singing in country music, which gives the dark content of the songs a slightly warmer feeling.
Where: Nashville, TN.
 |
| The Louvin Brothers in amazing suits, performing for WSM Nashville, ca. 1950s. |
When: On a road trip through the country.
Why: This record is not for everyone—the similarity in the sound, tempo, and lyrical content of each song, as well as the distinctively Appalachian (one might say "hillbilly") tone of the vocals and instrumentation—might turn off those who are not fans of country music. However, this is a rare example of a real country album that blends the sounds of Appalachia with the production quality of Nashville without sanitizing the spirit of the music.
 |
| The Louvin Brothers in front of an Appalachian cabin, ca. 1950s. |
Mircodose: "In the Pines," an almost-bluegrass take on the traditional Appalachian folk song that best captures the Brothers' fusion of gospel harmonies and the spirit of Appalachian music.
Additional Dose: A much darker version of "In the Pines" from the 1940s by the great Lead Belly (1888-1949).
Bonus Dose: Nirvana's absolutely brooding and sinister cover of the Lead Belly version from their 1994 MTV Unplugged.
No comments:
Post a Comment