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"Oh, Brother..." CMA Album of Year!

Discussion in 'Recordings [BG]' started by Boplicity, Nov 8, 2001.

  1. Nov 8, 2001 #1
    Boplicity

    Boplicity Supporting Member

    Jul 21, 2000
    Still in Margaritaville
    The blue grass revival album and soundtrack of the movie with the same name. "Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?" won album of the year last night at Nashville's Country Music Awards.

    The song, "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrows," by the Soggy Bottom Boys from that same album won song of the year. Those who saw the movie, may remember this is the song George Clooney "sang" (lip-sinced). He had wanted to sing it himself, but the movie-moguls thought better of the idea when they heard Clooney sing and hired a pro to sing it instead. Good call.

    Country music fans, please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that the first time in years and years an out-and-out blue grass album won album of the year at the CMA?

    Blue grass fans please correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall "Oh, Brother, Where Are Thou?" also won album of the year in the this year's blue grass awards held a few months back.

    This soundtrack album has been credited with giving blue grass music a significant boost in interest. Whether that boost in interest can be maintained is another question.

    It has also been said that the soundtrack did better than the movie itself. I gotta say, I for one, LOVED the movie. It pleases me that anything connected with the movie did well.
     
  2. Nov 8, 2001 #2
    mchildree

    mchildree Supporting Member

    Sep 4, 2000
    AL/GA
    I liked the movie a lot, too. It's definitely created lots of new interest in bluegrass, even though lots of the soundtrack would be considered more "old-time" music than bluegrass. Strangely enough, though, lots of the long-time bluegrass fans are bitching about the movie because they feel like it promotes lots of negative Southern stereotypes. Kind of crazy...first you can't laugh at others, now the PC crowd would have it so that you can't laugh at yourself.
     
  3. Nov 8, 2001 #3
    Trent-35

    Trent-35

    Jul 6, 2000
    Nashville, Tennessee
    I try to avoid those political award shows, and of course i'll change my tune if i even win an award, but i'm glad that "The soggy bottom boys" won something. What's funny is Ralph Stanley has been singing "Man of constant sorrow" for probably 40 years or so and it's not an "overnight sensation" by a fictional band. Go figure fads huh? At least Bluegrass is a cool fad as fads go, but it will fade back to it's usual level fairly soon.
    If you want to check out a cool new Bluegrass band that may well make some waves soon, go to www.heartstringsband.com It's an all girl Bluegrass band. I perform with the fiddler on a country show every Saturday. Trent
     
  4. Nov 8, 2001 #4
    jazzbo

    jazzbo

    Aug 25, 2000
    San Francisco, CA
    Great album.
     
  5. Nov 8, 2001 #5
    Boplicity

    Boplicity Supporting Member

    Jul 21, 2000
    Still in Margaritaville
    Here's an anwer to one of my own questions. I just read this in my newspaper.

    The song ""I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by the fictional Soggy Bottom Boys, actually singer Dan Tyminski whose "day job" is playing with Alison Krauss' blue grass band, is only the second blue grass single to win the CMA song of the year. The first such single was one by Alison Krauss.

    The album/soundtrack "O Bother, Where Art Thou?" is the year's best selling country record, but it has not broken through on country radio. The single "I AM a Man..." is the first recording to be named CMA best single that never even reached country radio's mainstream top-20 lists.

    That is a perfect segue for me to start my "Tyranny of Radio" soapbox tirade, but I won't.

    To Trent-35, to show you how little I know about blue grass, I actually thought "Constant Sorrow" was written especially for the movie. I had no idea it was a staple of blue grass music for over forty years! The success the song has enjoyed this year is not unlike some blues classics made popular by English bands in the 70s while many young listeners had no idea those songs were written by "real" African-American blues musicians.
     
  6. Nov 8, 2001 #6
    Matthew West

    Matthew West

    Sep 7, 2000
    Richmond, VA
    I remember reading an article somewhere discussing that issue. The soundtrack was number one on the country charts for months, but no FM country station s would touch it. When asked why they weren't playing the album or single, they all replied that it didn't conform to their programming format, and that it was too country.

    Personally, I find it amusing. It reminds me of the times I used to call the local classic rock stations and request The Stooges, MC5, or Velvet Underground, only to be told basically the same thing.
     
  7. Nov 8, 2001 #7
    Aaron

    Aaron

    Jun 2, 2001
    Seattle, WA
    I have a ticket to see a show of the "Oh Brother..." tour. :)
     
  8. Nov 8, 2001 #8
    Robert B

    Robert B Somewhere under the rainbow Supporting Member

    Jan 21, 2000
    Rittman, OH, USA
    I very much enjoyed the movie but really, really liked that song. I was just so genuine!

    OT: Matthew W -- I saw MC5 in concert in Chicago back around 1971. Very heavy. I'm surprised to see someone else mention them -- don't hear much about them anymore, and they weren't very well known then (at least on the national level.)
     
  9. Nov 8, 2001 #9
    gweimer

    gweimer

    Apr 6, 2000
    Columbus, OH
    Between this album, and the Hayseed Dixie release, I think bluegrass has found a revival.
     
  10. Nov 11, 2001 #10
    nemo137

    nemo137

    Aug 12, 2000
    illinois' second largest city
    definately. made me want to learn mandolin. 'o, death' is one of my favorite songs of all time.
     
  11. Nov 12, 2001 #11
    LiquidMidnight

    LiquidMidnight

    Dec 25, 2000
    Yeah, screw mainstream country radio anyways. I don't really care for what country has become since the mid 90's.

    I really liked the song, and I'm really getting into bluegrass. I definatley like Bill Monroe, and Ricky Scaggs. Nickle creek is prett cool too. My father told me of a really cool BG band called "Rage". I'm amazed by the musicianship everytime I hear a bluegrass album. My father also told me of a really kick butt bluegrass band a while back that had a really kick butt bass player. (But that jackass Ralph Emmry gave him a hard time because he played electric intead of upright :rolleyes: )
     
  12. Nov 12, 2001 #12
    mchildree

    mchildree Supporting Member

    Sep 4, 2000
    AL/GA
    That would probably be Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. Great live act, too.