I was really anxious to hear this CD since this man is a long-time banjo hero of mine. I reckon his version of Clinch Mountain Backstep from his Nitty Gritty Dirt Band days is the definitive version. Here is a man whose name is synonymous with banjo at it's finest. Sadly for me though, this CD is nothing to do with his incarnation as a banjo player. This is John McEuen the guitarist. He's accompanied by very competent musicians - Michael Cleveland on fiddle/mandolin, Jim Smoak on banjo and J D Miller on double bass. These are very talented members of The Cumberlands band. (See the review of their Civil War Tributes same NWBN issue.)

The stated aim of this John McEuens CD was to simulate the feeling of sitting around a Union or Confederate campfire during the American Civil War and some of the tracks do just that.

There is a very widely mixed bag of styles here, from Merle Travis to acoustic and electric blues and Clementi. This is quoted thus: "They tried to maintain the integrity of the time period in arrangement and instruments." It's only academic but I think that this belies the general presentation.

Much of the CD sounds a little like 'An audience with…' or a casual festival workshop with the audience clearly enthusiastic. It is something of a challenge to record live in a situation like this and some of it seemed to be indulgently left in the recording in a way that, for me, definitely wouldn't have been. There is one track with much of JM walking to his car muttering. Perhaps just his sense of humour kicking in again, but we found it a little irritating.

Mando players may like Michael Cleveland's version of LA Devil's Dream, that came over as the best performance track for me. He does play some fine fiddle, too, elsewhere on the album.

Our man's humour is very evident and he's clearly a happy man doing just what he wants to do.

I rate many of these tracks more than maybe the tone so far reflects, it's just that the content isn't what I'd look for from J M. As you see, I'm finding it a task to do the album objective justice.

I would dearly have loved to have been more enthusiastic over this CD but I fear that my predilection for all that is 'John McEuen the banjo player of old' has clouded my reaction to it. Collectors of material made by this onetime giant of bluegrass music will no doubt be anxious to add it to their collection.

Geoff Bowers,
Nottingham              Feedback to: GeoffBowersX@ntlworld.com (but cut the X)

13 Feb 2006