Customer Reviews:
 Excellent album February 4, 2010
R. Sim (UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you like your old timey American music gutsy and modern this for you. What can I say? A great band
FANTASTIC March 5, 2010
fran (scotland)
fantastic ,great musicians,Rhiannon has a terrific voice,heard them in Glasgow,at Celtic Connections,then bought the c.d.
 Great stuff but their concert was better January 28, 2010
Occasional Thinker (Scotland)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I bought this CD after attending their show in Glasgow. What a tremendous performance that was - exquisite skills, yet modest in manner and relaxed with the audience whom they encouraged to sing along, dance, or whatever. Superb entertainers as well as superb musicians. As an encore, encouraged by a standing ovation, the main vocalist, Rhiannon Giddens, knocked the socks off the locals with a high intensity rendition of Gaelic mouth music. Anyway, back to the CD. Glad I bought it - several of the tracks were in the Glasgow show and will help remind me of it. The recordings I suppose are technically excellent, but they do not capture the delightful stage presence and charm of this trio. Jump at any chance to see them in action, and failing that, buy their CDs!
Don't cha wish your baby was sweet like mine... February 11, 2010
G. E. Harrison (Cheltenham)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
In my review of their debut CD 'Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind' I wondered if the Chocolate Drops would be able to "develop the music rather than just preserving it" and in this record I think they have definitely tried to take the music forward but to keep the old-time string band feel. I'm not sure they have completely succeeded in that this disc doesn't have the same overall unity that 'Ramblin' Mind' had - that's not necessarily a bad thing and there is certainly much more variety here. I think some of that is probably down to producer Joe Henry.
As well as the traditional tunes we also get Tom Waits' "Trampled Rose" and Blu Cantrell's R&B track "Hit 'Em Up Style" and there is also Joe McCoy's blues "Why Don't You Do Right?" - which to me sounded too sophisticated and didn't really fit in with the other material. I did really like "Cornbread And Butterbeans" and think they should include more vocal harmonies. Rhiannon Giddens acapella version of the folk song "Reynadine" is beautiful, as is the haunting title track - a real sound of Appalachia. I think this is good record that has moved them on but kept them true to their values and I'm glad to see that Joe Henry's production is restrained and not too obtrusive.
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