The Coen brothers could very well end up doing for American country music what Ry Cooder did for Cuban music on Buena Vista Social Club.
O Brother,Where Art Thou? soundtrack is out, and the liner notes indicate that a benefit concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville was recorded by a documentary filmmaker. Though many have been listening to it all along, it’s time we were reintroduced properly to these "old timey" songs.
This isn’t the purported "country music" shoved down our throats by Nashville music execs. Rather it’s the retelling of many classic, rustic songs born in the Depression by contemporary artists. Folk, blue grass, blue, gospel, mountain music—there’s a little bit of everything here.
Who better to lead us than the angelic voice of Alison Krauss on the celestial "Down To The River To Pray", along with Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch on the captivating "Didn’t Leave Nobody But the Baby"? Chris Thomas King, who plays Tommy Johnson in the film, offers his heady "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues".
"You Are My Sunshine" by Norman Blake hasn’t sounded this good since my third grade Spring Sing when we sang out hearts out (though now I see we weren’t taught all the lyrics).
Finally the song to which George Clooney and his Soggy Bottom Boys lip synch and bring down the house is the rousing, heart felt "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow", in actuality sung by Dan Tyminski.
Every song on the soundtrack is well crafted and well chosen. This is the pie cooling on the windowsill that you’ll be happy you stole.
