The Bottom Line
Pros
- "Hold On"
- "Let's Go Huntin'"
- "Busted"
- "Boat up the River"
Cons
- "House of the Rising Sun"
Description
- Honky tonk, Old Time, Bluegrass, classic down-home country goodness.
- O'Brien's innovative arrangements of traditional tunes are infectious.
- His originals are just as fantastic as the OTM songs he brings back.
Guide Review - Tim O'Brien - Cornbread Nation
Tim O'Brien is one of those artists who is way less well-known than he should be. His records have been attracting attention from hard-core bluegrass enthusiasts for far too long than his lack of notoriety attests. But his recent releases, Fiddler’s Green and Cornbread Nation are finally gaining this Bluegrass troubadour some well-deserved attention.Cornbread Nation is a really good record. My only gripe is with the cover of “House of the Rising Sun.” This classic American folk song has been dragged through so many genres by so many cover bands that it’s almost lost its fire for me. Maybe if I hadn’t heard a hundred other versions of that song this year, I would appreciate O’Brien’s approach to it. But alas, it left my brow furrowed and brought my finger to the button that proceeds the CD to the next available track.
Which in this case, thankfully, picks up where the rest of the CD left off. If you’re like me, “Runnin’ Out of Memory” will pull you right back in.
O’Brien is truly adept at re-arranging traditional Americana. And his original tunes are just as fantastic. The title, Cornbread Nation attests to the down-home good times this CD will surely bring to mind. This is certainly a well-made record of great Bluegrass tunes by one of America’s finest players. Listen or Download
