Rural Rhythm: Class of 2010-It’s All About the Music is a compilation vaguely reminiscent of bargain-bin records that cost a dollar apiece found in department stores in the 1970’s. This CD offers a wide array of styles and approaches to bluegrass music.
Steve Gully & Tim Stafford – “Sixteen Cents”
I have been a huge fan, student, musician, and a lover of bluegrass music since I was a small child in the early 1970’s and I have heard many great bluegrass bands in my time. Many bands have come and gone without notice and I feel pretty confident in saying that I believe I have heard the best that bluegrass has to offer.
This CD by Rural Rhythm Record Company is not, in my opinion, the best that bluegrass has to offer today. It is largely what I would consider to be a generic (late 1990’s through 2010) collection of bluegrass music. I believe that many of the cuts on this CD will never be listened to again due to the lackluster content or generic approaches of the bands that performed them. There are, however, some catchy tunes here and some great dynamics. There are a few cuts worthy of multiple listens. I liked “Jack up the Jail,” “Sixteen Cents,” “God’s Front Porch,” “Carolina’s Arms,” “Running Cold,” “Poor Ramblin’ Boy,” “Lady of Tradition,” and a catchy banjo instrumental tune called “Grandma’s Tattoos,” which does not give a clear visual of grandma’s tattoos, by the way. 8 out of the 21 cuts by various artists get a not-so-bad rating.
Editor’s Note: There were no liner notes for this compilation Rural Rhythm: Class of 2010-It’s All About the Music. Below is a complete listing of the tracks.
Track 1. “Jack Up the Jail”: Lonesome River Band
Track 2 “Graves Mountain Memories”: Russell Moore, Lou Reid, Carrie Hassler, Audie Blaylock, Sammy Shelor, Carl Jackson, Mark Newton
Track 3 “Kicking up Dust”: Grasstowne
Track 4 “Sixteen Cents”: Steve Gully & Tim Stafford
Track 5 “God’s Front Porch”: Lou Reid and Carolina
Track 6 “My Sittin’ Window: Blue Moon Rising
Track 7 “Head over Heels”: Carrie Hassler with Brand New Strings
Track 8 “Bring Back Yesterday”: Bobby Osborne
Track 9 “Carolina Arms”: Russell Moore & IIIrd Time Out
Track 10 “Running Cold”: Michael Martin Murphey
Track 11 “Matches”: Audie Blaylock and Redline
Track 12 “Mayberry Moment”: Rodney Dillard and the Dillards, The Darlin’ Boys
Track 13 “How Far Will I Fall”: Russell Moore, Dale Ann Bradley
Track 14 “Poor Ramblin’ Boy”: Darrell Webb Band
Track 15 “When I Stop Dreaming”: The Crowe Brothers
Track 16 “More about John Henry”: Randy Kohrs
Track 17 “Hardhat for a Halo”: Common Strings
Track 18 “Hit the Road”: The Bartley Brothers
Track 19 “The Law of the Land”: Brand New Strings
Track 20 “Lady of Tradition”: Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
Track 21 “Grandma’s Tattoos”: Bill Emerson, Sweet Dixie
Rural Rhythm Records