Who can forget the photograph of Blind Alfred Reed and Aunt Rosie Reed, sitting down to Christmas dinner in their cabin in West Virginia? Alfred seems to be eating something and Rosie seems to be watching him with an attitude of concern. Her plate is empty. Alfred died soon after - of starvation, the story goes - in 1956. How can a poor man stand such times and live? Reed lived and worked during the Great Depression, and he wrote some of the greatest people s songs of that era. He was a popular entertainer, but a man of deep feeling. He didn t make money. From the perspective of modern times, it s a miracle he was recorded at all. Thanks to the new Lost City Ramblers, his unique songs were revived for modern audiences in the 60s, where I first heard of him. Always Lift Him Up and Never Knock Him Down would make an interesting national anthem: kindness and empathy over bombs and flags. Now, for the first time, we can listen to the songs of Alfred Reed interpreted by singers and musicians from his home state of West Virginia. What an imagination he had, what insight, what clarity. How is it that these wonderful songs have laid fallow for so long? Yet how fresh and timely they are, and that s the mark of a great artist. Shall I say a great American? Get to know him. Accept Blind Alfred Reed into your life! You must unload! -- Ry Cooder. Produced by Don Dixon, Michael Lipton and Tim O'Brien. Features performances by: Tim O'Brien, Kathy Mattea, Little Jimmy Dickens, Connie Smith, Asleep at the Wheel, Marty Stuart, Jerry Douglas, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A mixed bag of tunes:
Bought this on the strength of Ry Cooder's previous covers of Blind Alfred Reed songs and Tim O'Brien's participation in this project. Have never heard the original recordings. Some of the tunes on this CD have moving, insightful lyrics. Others songs are quite humorous. The level of musicianship here is generally quite high. Standout tunes include "You'll Miss Me" (Tim and Mollie O'Brien), "There'll Be No Distinction There" (great a capella singing by Bare Bones), and "Explosion in the Fairmount Mine" (by... more info
An Excellent Tribute to Blind Alfred Reed:
What a great CD! And I stumbled upon it by pure chance. After a Tim O'Brien concert here in Italy, I was so enthusiastic about his playing that I decided to have one of his records. Unfortunately, they were all over by the time I reached the selling booth and so I settled for this one. I couldn't have done a better choice. Why? Firstly, it's still a Tim O'Brien album, after all: he sings, produces, plays a variety of stringed instruments in about a third of the 19 tracks and also writes the liner notes (he... more info
Tracks:
Woman's Been After Man Ever Since - Little Jimmy Dickens
Beware - Mollie O'Brien
The Telephone Girl - Todd Burge
Why Do You Bob Your Hair Girls - Ann Magnuson
Walking in the Way With Jesus - The Nichols Family
We've Got To Have 'em That's All - Kathy Mattea
You Must Unload - Larry Groce
The Prayer of the Drunkard's Little Girl - Connie Smith
Black and Blue Blues - Nat Reese
Money Cravin' Folks - The Carpenter Ants
You'll Miss Me - Tim and Mollie O'Brien
Always Lift Him Up And Never Knock Him Down - Dwight Diller and John Morris
There'll Be No Distinction There - Bare Bones
Explosion in the Fairmont Mines - John Lilly
Fate of Chris Lively and Wife - Charlie McCoy
Walking in the Way With Jesus - Johnny Staats and Robert Shafer
