O' Brother where art thou

I love the soundtrack to this film, I guess it's bluegrass and country but I don't really have a depth of knowledge on this genre of music. Anyone know this soundtrack who could recommend anything for me to check out?

 

oh goooood soundtrack! the best

 

i agree...I absolutely love this album

Chris Thomas King, who played Tommy Johnson in the film, has great stuff. He's won a few Grammys, and has an album that is him playing stuff that Tommy Johnson wouldve played.....

PS...Tommy Johnson is loosely based off of Robert Johnson, one haunting blues player, and the first of the 27 club. So, check out Robert Johnson for some blues

Also, Alison Krauss and Union Station...Im not much for country, but that woman can sing and wite some righteous music. It's like your not even listening to country...just great music

 

That album totally got me hooked on 'grass.

 

My fav' is the one about the "Big Rock Candy Mountain"

 

the hobo anthem!!
"where they hung the Turk that invented work..."
--yeah, we sing that line at work all the time...........boss dont like that one too much....

 

if you like that album, try listening to the Be Good Tanyas. my fav band

 

I love "Big Rock Candy Mountain"

 

Angel Band is my fave from that flick - great tunes!

 

i dig "go to sleep little baby" and "o death" ....everytime i hear "angel band" i just think of the Monkees version with Mike Nesmith on vocals - his texas twang is a perfect match for that tune!

 

check out Alisson Krauss & Union Station and a good label to look at is Rounder Records

 

if you dig that you should check out Del mccroury....new grass revival...blueground undergrass...donna the buffalo...you can find tons of stuff on archive.net ,check it out!!!

 

Actually the guitar player is a straight reference to Tommy Johnson, who was also a delta blues artist around the same time. Tommy actually started the rumor that he sold his soul, the source of the legend of Robert really cant be traced considering his life was not really documented.

The soundtrack is based on Old-Time music Appalachian Folk and religious music from that region around the turn of the century, not bluegrass. Hence the usage of Ralph Stanley.


Most people realize this movie is heavy influenced and based on Homer's "The Odyssey", even citing direct quotes and paraphrases. But there is also a recollection of the relationship between the "old-timey" music and political campaigning in south. Not to mention the references to O'daniel, who was a Texas Governor and eventually a U.S. Senator. He was also in the flour business and had a backing band for that much like that of the Soggy Bottom Boys.

Soggy Bottom Boys are not real, but is from the two backing vocals being baptised earlier in the film and a humorous take off of the Foggy Mountain Boys. However John Hartford, Emmylou Harris, Allsion Krauss, Ralph Stanley, Gillian Welch, and others where the true talent behind the fictional band. Dan Tyminski, from Union Station(lead vocals on Man of Constant Sorrow), Harley Allen, and Pat Enright where the vocals. Tim Blake Nelson(Delmar) however did sing In the Jailhouse Now.

Old-Time music stems from folk music(mainly North American), with roots from England, Ireland, Scotland, even Africa.

Now bluegrass is a form of roots music which has influences from English, Irish, and Scottish traditional music which started to emerge around WWII. The term "Bluegrass" is taken from Bill Monroe's band "the Blue Grass Boys" which formed in 1939. It is a mix of old-time music, ragtime, blues and jazz. As in jazz, in bluegrass each instrument takes turns with the melody and improvising around it, while the others keep the backing tempo. Lately bluegrass has been grouped with folk music, which is odd considering it was pioneered by professionals. Earl Scruggs came along a few years later with his noted "Scruggs style"(a three-finger roll) which is actually a style originated & developed by Snuffy Jenkins. None-the-less it was considered to be the main role player in the movement of the genre.


Oh my how I do love this movie. The genius in this film are on so many different levels it is hard to truly appreciate it!


P.S. Sorry for the ramble

 

Yeah, one of the group turned in an animal, and they even met sirens and a cyclops.

I love the movie, and the music.

The Soggy Bottom Boys rule!