[Today: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band forms a new circle...]
In the early 70′s, country rock was starting to establish itself as one of the sounds of the decade, and the popularity of traditional country music was near an all-time low. So it was left to “a bunch of long-haired west coast boys” (as Roy Acuff described them) to create an album that celebrated the living roots of country music. Will The Circle Be Unbroken – the landmark triple album that brought genuine country music to the rock crowd – went platinum shortly after its 1972 release.
Earl Scruggs was a fan of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and he agreed to work with them on the album. His participation led to the involvement of Doc Watson, and from there, the pieces began to fall into place for one of the best country ensembles ever gathered in front of one microphone. Mother Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Vassar Clements, Merle Travis, and Norman Blake (among many others) gave their talent and energy to this project. In fact, for much of the album, the Nitty Gritties wisely get out of the way and provide accompaniment as the Hall-Of-Famers do their thing.
Recorded for a reported budget of just $22,000, most of the cuts on the album were laid down in one or two quick takes. As Roy Acuff explains before lighting into ‘The Precious Jewel’: “Once [you] decide that you’re going to record a number, put everything that you’ve got into it… because every time you go through it, you lose just a little something.” That philosphy is well served here, as all the performances are spot-on.
Many other illuminating snippets of dialogue were recorded during the sessions, the best of which provide between-songs context on why a particular piece was played or how the parts were to be divvied up. The banter also captures the warm mutual rapport between The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the old-timers.
Nearly all of the LP’s 37 tracks are country music standards, and roughly one third are hard-charging instrumentals. The album opens with the ‘Grand Ole Opry Song’ – which namechecks a number of longtime stars from that show – and closes with a lovely, countrified version of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’.
The ‘circle’ mentioned in the title is a generation-to-generation passing of stories, traditions, and songs. With Will The Circle Be Unbroken, two generations of musicians created a body of work that continues to provide a picture window into the heart and soul of real country music.
Listen: Tennessee Stud
Listen II: Nashville Blues
Tags: Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Will The Circle Be Unbroken
16 December 2009 at 5:10 am |
It is a classic. I wrote about The Circle on my blog today.