CD Review: "The Grascals and Friends: Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin" - The Grascals Featuring Various Artists

CD: "The Grascals and Friends: Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin"

Artist: The Grascals Featuring Various Artists 

Release: January 10, 2011

Label: BlueGrascal Records

One word: WOW! Ok, review done ... 

Honestly, it's hard to review a cd that is this AMAZING in too many words. This cd is a must for any bluegrass fan and even those of you that may not be too keen on banjos and the backwoods hillbilly sound. The Grascals are one of the few bluegrass bands in the current music scene and there's a reason for that: The Grascals do it right, keeping it classic yet bringing their own blend of updated material to the mix and man, they do it well. This release just soars on rustic country wings.

The Grascals invited several notable names in country music to take part in this project and they couldn't have chosen any better than this lineup. The cd  gets it started with "Tiger By the Tail", a wonderful pairing with Brad Paisley and is followed up by a Johnny Cash classic, "Folsom Prison Blues" done with Dierks Bentley. Up until "Up on the Ridge", who knew Dierks Bentley had such an outstanding touch of bluegrass in his soul? I can rave on and on about the other classics on this cd -"The Year That Clayton Delaney Died" with the legendary Tom T. Hall, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" with the fiddle kickin' Charlie Daniels, a flippin' fantastic rendition of  "Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight" with my personal all time favorite Oak Ridge Boys, a touching interpretation of  "Mr. Bojangles" with Joe Nichols and the list continues coming to an incredible conclusion of an all star collaboration of "I Am Strong". This cd defines the true meaning of original country music, the kind you grew up on, the kind you used to ask your mom to "change the radio channel" to and grew to appreciate and love. 

The cd, which hits shelves on January 10, 2011, is a Cracker Barrel exclusive and will only be available for purchase at Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores or on Cracker Barrel's website. It is well worth the purchase, I promise. 


I give it 10 out of 5 yee haws! (It's just that good!)