The song selection is very good and the playing is top notch. Supported by an exceptionally talented band this CD is a joy to listen to. Familiar songs stand alongside new compositions with the common thread of feeling. From the upbeat to the mid-tempo to the slow songs the band pulls everyone off without a hitch.

If you buy one Alison Krauss CD for your collection, this should be the one. In my opinion even better than her greatest hits collection.


Alison and an earlier version of Union Station sound great   July 15, 2004
Mark J. Fowler (Okinawa, Japan)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

Dan Tyminski later replaced Tim Stafford on guitar and after mandolin Wiz Adam Steffey left AKUS Dobro Deity Jerry Douglas joined the band.

Ron Block on banjo and guitar and Barry Bales on bass have been with Alison for years, and this version of Union Station sounds comparably polished and talented. I'm going to guess if you're reading this that you have at least a nodding acquaintance with Alison's one-in-a-million voice and the fact that while her bands are built to complement that voice - she also doesn't hog the spotlight.

On this CD standout cuts include "New Fool", "Who Can Blame You", "Heartstrings" along with the Gospel "Jesus, Help me to Stand" and the title cut.

Several of the tracks feature other Union Station members on lead vocals and although they vary from "good" to "not bad" - they suffer from today's perspective in that no one else in Union Station has a voice like Alison's, and no one else in *this* version of the band has a voice like Dan Tyminski.

Still - absolutely required for Alison Krauss fans.


Good Stuff.   December 11, 2000
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

Being the type of person who the average bluegrass fan would likely string up upon meeting (all-black-wearing-blue-haired-agnostic-death-metal-type), I didn't expect to like this cd much. Having appreciated Alison from afar for a long time though (if you like good music at all, she's hard to avoid because anybody who knows good music knows Alison and asks her to play on their cds), I nearly jumped for joy when I found this disc in the $5 pile at a local festival. So I picked it up, popped it in and then I jumped for joy. I love every track on this cd, with the possible exception of "Cloudy Days." I wouldn't get rid of it though, it's grown on me over time and it really does fit the album. While liking bluegrass hasn't won me any friends among the pierced elite, this is the stuff dreams were made of. Alison's voice is heavenly, and this disc is probably the best exhibit of purest bluegrass she's released to date.


A lovely album   December 11, 2000
G. Sawaged (Canada)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

One of my favourite Alison Krauss albums, every song is a gem. Well, really this is as the title says, an Alison Krauss and Union Station album and 5 of the songs have either Tim, Adam or Ron on lead vocals. This album has a wonderful mix of music, a traditional bluegrass instrumental, 'Cluck Old Hen' to soft country romantic ballads, to Christian songs like 'Jesus Help me to Stand'. All mixed with Alisons wonderful fiddle playing and the bands bluegrass sound.


Pure but fairly mellow bluegrass   July 12, 2003
Peter Durward Harris (Leicester England)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Alison Krauss has done much to popularise bluegrass in recent years. Her early recordings were pure bluegrass - this (from 1992) was the last album of that phase of her career. Her more recent albums have included other influences but I enjoy those too, in a different way.

On this album, Alison and her band, Union Station, work their way through a selection of songs that are generally not well known despite several of them being cover versions. Many of these are old bluegrass songs, but they also include I don't know why (Shawn Colvin) and Lose again (Karla Bonoff). There are also some original songs here including two by Sidney Cox (of the Cox family).

At the time, Union Station was made up of Tim Stafford (guitar), Ron Block (banjo - he also wrote three of the songs here), Adam Steffey (mandolin) and Barry Bales (bass). Alison played the fiddle as well as doing most of the singing. The four men could all sing and each of them can be heard on this album, providing harmony or duet vocals, but Alison is the real star.

If you are unfamiliar with Alison's early music, I recommend that you buy Now that I've found you - A collection, which I've already reviewed. That includes one track from each of her early albums, plus tracks not available on any of her other albums so far. If you have that collection and you are looking for more of Alison's early music, you will enjoy this.