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O Brother, Where Art Thou?

 
Album Review: O Brother, Where Art Thou?
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O Brother, Where Art Thou?

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  • Artist: Original Soundtrack
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: December 05, 2000
  • Type: Soundtrack, Enhanced CD-ROM
  • Genre: Soundtrack

Review

The critical consensus at the end of 2000 was that it had been one of the weakest film years in recent memory. Which may have been true, despite O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers' delightfully warm and weird Depression-era re-telling of Homer's Odyssey. But for music lovers, 2000 was an amazing year at the movies, and it produced several excellent soundtrack compilations including Almost Famous, Dancer in the Dark, Wonder Boys, and High Fidelity. Even with such steep competition, the soundtrack album for O Brother, Where Art Thou? may be the best of the year. In order to capture the sound of Mississippi circa 1932, the Coens commissioned T-Bone Burnett, a masterful producer whose work with artists like Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, Joseph Arthur, and Counting Crows has earned him a special place in the folk-rock hall of fame, to research and re-create the country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and blues of the era. The Coens were so taken with Burnett's discoveries that the film became a unique sort of musical revue. There are no original compositions here (though Burnett is given a "music by" credit usually reserved for composers), and the characters do not generally break into stylized song and dance numbers (as they do in, say, Everyone Says I Love You). But nearly every scene in O Brother is set to a period song, and the music frequently drives and defines the action. With two exceptions -- a stunning 1955 Alan Lomax recording of a black prison chain gang singing "Po Lazarus", and Harry McClintock's "Big Rock Candy Mountain" -- every song was recorded for the film by an impressive assembly of old-time country veterans (Fairfield Four, Ralph Stanley, the Whites) and talented newcomers (Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris). These recordings, which were made without the meddling clarity of digital technology, give the film much of its power and authenticity. A significant segment of the plot hinges on the (utterly plausible) notion that Dan Tyminksi's ebullient rendition of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" could be a runaway hit. A memorable sequence involving three riverside sirens centers around an eerie version of "Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby." And Stanley's a cappella performance of "O Death" sets a chilling tone for a climactic struggle at a Ku Klux Klan rally. Throughout, Burnett's steady guiding hand is evident. This soundtrack is a powerful tribute not only to the time-honored but commercially ignored genres of bluegrass and mountain music but also to Burnett's remarkable skills as a producer. ~ Evan Cater, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Po' Lazarus James Carter And The Prisoners James Carter And The Prisoners (4:31)
Big Rock Candy Mountain Harry McClintock Harry McClintock (2:16)
You Are My Sunshine (Lyrics) Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell Norman Blake (4:26)
Down to the River to Pray Traditional Alison Krauss (2:55)
Man of Constant Sorrow Traditional Dan Tyminski, Soggy Bottom Boys (4:16)
Hard Time Killing Floor Blues Skip James Chris Thomas King (2:42)
Man of Constant Sorrow [Instrumental] Traditional Norman Blake (4:28)
Keep on the Sunny Side (Lyrics) A.P. Carter, Gary Garett The Whites (3:33)
I'll Fly Away (Lyrics) Albert E. Brumley Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch (3:57)
Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby (Lyrics) T Bone Burnett, Gillian Welch Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch (1:57)
In the Highways Mother Maybelle Carter Sarah Peasall, Hannah Peasall, Leah Peasall, The Peasall Sisters (1:35)
I Am Weary, Let Me Rest The Cox Family (3:13)
Man of Constant Sorrow [Instrumental] Traditional John Hartford (2:34)
O Death Traditional Ralph Stanley (3:19)
In the Jailhouse Now (Lyrics) Jimmie Rodgers Soggy Bottom Boys, Tim Blake Nelson (3:34)
Man of Constant Sorrow [Band Version][Take] Traditional Dan Tyminski, Soggy Bottom Boys (4:16)
Indian War Whoop [Instrumental] Hoyt "Floyd" Ming John Hartford (1:30)
Lonesome Valley (Lyrics) Traditional The Fairfield Four (4:07)
Angel Band William York, Traditional The Stanley Brothers (2:15)

Credits

Norman Blake (Guitar), Norman Blake (Vocals), Norman Blake (Performer), Jerry Douglas (Dobro), Alison Krauss (Vocals), Alison Krauss (Harmony Vocals), The Stanley Brothers (Performer), Ralph Stanley (Performer), Sam Bush (Mandolin), Emmylou Harris (Performer), John Hartford (Fiddle), John Hartford (Vocals), The Fairfield Four (Performer), Buck White (Mandolin), Buck White (Vocals), Buck White (Harmony Vocals), Ed Haley (Arranger), The Whites (Performer), Mike Compton (Guitar), Mike Compton (Mandolin), Alan Lomax (Arranger), The Cox Family (Performer), Harley Allen (Vocals), Harley Allen (Harmony Vocals), Barry Bales (Bass), Ron Block (Banjo), Curtis Burch (Dobro), T Bone Burnett (Arranger), T Bone Burnett (Producer), Evelyn Cox (Guitar), Sidney Cox (Banjo), Sidney Cox (Vocals), Sidney Cox (Harmony Vocals), Suzanne Cox (Mandolin), Suzanne Cox (Vocals), Willard Cox (Vocals), Willard Cox (Harmony Vocals), Stuart Duncan (Fiddle), Pat Enright (Vocals), Pat Enright (Harmony Vocals), Pat Enright (Yodeling), Isaac Freeman (Bass), Isaac Freeman (Vocals), Isaac Freeman (Lead), Harry McClintock (Performer), Tim O'Brien (Vocals), Maura O'Connell (Vocals), Carter Stanley (Arranger), Dan Tyminski (Guitar), Dan Tyminski (Vocals), Wilson Waters (Sax (Tenor)), Wilson Waters (Vocals), Cheryl White (Bass), Cheryl White (Vocals), Cheryl White (Harmony Vocals), Sharon White (Guitar), Sharon White (Vocals), Robert K. Oermann (Liner Notes), Sam Phillips (Vocals), Gillian Welch (Arranger), Gillian Welch (Vocals), Dub Cornett (Vocals), Chris Thomas King (Guitar), Chris Thomas King (Vocals), David Rawlings (Vocals), Gavin Lurssen (Mastering), Mike Piersante (Mixing), First Baptist Church of Norfolk Choir (Vocals), Chris Sharp (Guitar), Nathaniel Best (Lead), Robert Hamlett (Vocals), Robert Hamlett (Lead), Joseph Rice (Vocals), Joseph Rice (Lead), Sarah Peasall (Vocals), Sarah Peasall (Harmony Vocals), Soggy Bottom Boys (Performer), Tim Blake Nelson (Vocals), Tim Blake Nelson (Performer), Hannah Peasall (Vocals), Leah Peasall (Vocals), Leah Peasall (Harmony Vocals), James Carter And The Prisoners (Performer), James Hill (Vocals), Peter Kurland (Engineer), First Baptist Church Choir of White House, TN (Vocals), Porter McLister (Vocals)
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Wikipedia: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Soundtrack by Various Artists
Released December 5, 2000
Genre Soundtrack
Length 61:24
Label Mercury Records
Producer T-Bone Burnett
Professional reviews
Coen Brothers film soundtracks chronology
The Big Lebowski
(1998)		 O Brother, Where Art Thou?
(2000)		 The Man Who Wasn't There
(2001)

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the soundtrack of music from the 2000 American film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, written, directed and produced by the Coen Brothers and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Goodman.

With the film set in Mississippi during the Great Depression, the soundtrack uses American folk music appropriate to the time period. The score, produced by T-Bone Burnett, prominently features bluegrass, gospel, blues and country music. With the exception of a few vintage tracks (such as Harry McClintock's 1928 single "Big Rock Candy Mountain"), most tracks are contemporary recordings.

Contents

Reception

The soundtrack CD became a best seller, certified eight times platinum as of October 2007[1] with sales of 7,421,000 copies in the United States up to November 2008.[2] It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2002, the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (for singer Dan Tyminski, whose voice overdubbed George Clooney's in the film on "Man of Constant Sorrow", Nashville songwriter Harley Allen, and the Nashville Bluegrass Band's Pat Enright), and the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "O, Death" by Ralph Stanley.

Some of the artists on the soundtrack played a concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, which was recorded in the documentary film, Down from the Mountain.

In 2006, the album ranked #38 on CMT's 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music.

Track listing
Down to the River to Pray
Alison Krauss sings "Down to the River to Pray"
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
  1. "Po' Lazarus", arrangement by Alan Lomax; performed by James Carter and The Prisoners – 4:31
  2. "Big Rock Candy Mountain", written and performed by Harry McClintock – 2:16
  3. "You Are My Sunshine", written by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell; performed by Norman Blake – 4:26
  4. "Down to the River to Pray", traditional; performed by Alison Krauss – 2:55
  5. "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" (radio station version), arrangement by Carter Stanley; performed by Soggy Bottom Boys and Dan Tyminski – 3:10
  6. "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues", written by Skip James; performed by Chris Thomas King – 2:42
  7. "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow", traditional; performed by Norman Blake – 4:28
  8. "Keep on the Sunny Side", written by A.P. Carter; performed by The Whites – 3:33
  9. "I'll Fly Away", written by Albert E. Brumley; performed by Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch – 3:57
  10. "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby", arrangement by Alan Lomax, T-Bone Burnett and Gillian Welch; performed by Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch – 1:57
  11. "In the Highways", written by Maybelle Carter; performed by Leah, Sarah, and Hannah Peasall – 1:35
  12. "I Am Weary, Let Me Rest", written by Pete Roberts; performed by The Cox Family of Cotton Valley, Louisiana – 3:13
  13. "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" (instrumental), traditional; performed by John Hartford – 2:34
  14. "O Death", traditional; performed by Ralph Stanley – 3:19
  15. "In the Jailhouse Now", written by Jimmie Rodgers; performed by Soggy Bottom Boys and Tim Blake Nelson – 3:34
  16. "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" (with band), arrangement by Carter Stanley; performed by Soggy Bottom Boys and Dan Tyminski – 4:16
  17. "Indian War Whoop" (instrumental), written by Hoyt Ming; performed by John Hartford – 1:30
  18. "Lonesome Valley", traditional; performed by The Fairfield Four – 4:07
  19. "Angel Band", traditional, performed by The Stanley Brothers – 2:15

Personnel

Chart positions

Year Chart Position
2001 Top Country Albums 1
Top Internet Albums 38
Top Soundtracks 1
2002 Billboard 200 1
Top Canadian Albums 3
Top Country Albums 1
Top Internet Albums 38
Top Soundtracks 1

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
2002 "Man of Constant Sorrow" Hot Country Singles & Tracks 38

See also

References

  1. ^ RIAA certifications
  2. ^ Grein, Paul. "Chart Watch Extra: Ropin' The Biggest Country Hits". Yahoo! Music. November 7, 2008.

External links

Preceded by
Under Rug Swept by Alanis Morissette		 Billboard 200 number-one album
March 23 - April 5, 2002		 Succeeded by
Now! 9 by various artists
Preceded by
I Need You by LeAnn Rimes
Inside Out by Trisha Yearwood
I'm Already There by Lonestar]
Pull My Chain by Toby Keith
Greatest Hits by Martina McBride
Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm a Survivor by Reba McEntire
Scarecrow by Garth Brooks
Drive by Alan Jackson
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems by Kenny Chesney		 Top Country Albums number-one album
February 24 - April 27, 2001
June 30 - July 13, 2001
July 21 - September 14, 2001
September 22 - October 5, 2001
October 27 - November 9, 2001
November 17 - November 23, 2001
January 19 - February 1, 2002
March 16 - May 10, 2002
June 29 - July 5, 2002		 Succeeded by
Coyote Ugly by Various Artists
I'm Already There by Lonestar
Pull My Chain by Toby Keith
Greatest Hits by Martina McBride
Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm a Survivor by Reba McEntire
The Road Less Traveled by George Strait
Drive by Alan Jackson
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems by Kenny Chesney
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems by Kenny Chesney
Preceded by
Greatest Hits by Tim McGraw		 Top Country Albums number-one album of the year
2002		 Succeeded by
Up! by Shania Twain
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Grammy Award for Album of the Year
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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