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There is no doubt that the songs on this album were performed by talented and well-regarded artists; I, for one, was glad to see the return of Maria McKee, who hasn't released any new material in several years.

The CD contains a few tracks as performed in the movie, but it also contains tracks that are renditions of songs from the movie performed by modern country artists in a style that is too far removed from the original source. I enjoyed many of the songs on the album, but it was those that appeared in the movie that made the album most enjoyable for me.

The success of the "O Brother, Where art Thou?" soundtrack, which sold excellently despite almost no radio play, proved that the audience at large can enjoy listening to the "old stuff". I can only conclude that the producers of the "Songcatcher" CD decided to go the easy route of catering to the modern country crowd.

So, I give the CD three stars for the fact that the album is a fairly decent collection of old and new, but as a soundtrack, it just doesn't complement the film.


A disappointment   July 29, 2001
 26 out of 32 found this review helpful

First, let me say that I am a BIG fan of many of the artists who are included in this project. And I am a long time fan of what we now call "Americana" or alt.country or old time music or whatever you want to call it. [I like Tim O'Brien's term the best: "Roots and Branches."]

Sorry to rain on everybody's parade, but this is not a worthwhile CD and that's just all there is to it. The material's OK, but you can do so much better.

As mentioned by others, this is NOT a soundtrack. Its sort of a compilation. But there is a delicate balancing act to creating a compilation and this is more of a "hodgepodge." Some tracks are outtakes from the artists' recent "old timey" releases. Several tracks have all of the instruments played by the producer, with the "name" artist's vocals dubbed over the top. That is the WRONG way to make this music. It's like an oxymoron. It's counterproductive. It says a lot about David Mansfield's ego for him to think that he can play all of the various traditional instruments as well as people for whom it has been a lifelong passion. I agree with the writer who said that Emmylou Harris sounds like she's "sleepwalking." That's the inherent result of the way the track was done.

Now, there are some tracks featuring great players. Darrell Scott shows up on one track, for instance. (If you really want to hear great music that starts with this traditional sound and then takes off with it, order "Reel Time" with him and Tim O'Brien.) (Recorded "live" in Darrell's living room!)

I was intrigued to get an all acoustic version of "All My Tears" by Julie (and Buddy) Miller. Especially since their compadre Tammy Rodgers is involved. But even though I ADORE Buddy and Julie, this version is no where NEAR as good as the version with Steve Earle on "Broken Things" (or the electric version with Emmylou and Spyboy.) For one thing, it sounds so silly to hear Julie singing duet harmony with herself.

So if you're a "veteran" of this art form, skip the let down. If you're new to this sound, grab "Came Down from the Mountain" or "The Mountain" (with Steve Earle and Del McCroury) or "The Crossing" by Tim O Brien (an all-star mix of traditional players from both sides of the Atlantic) Heck, there's a hundred CD's that would be a better introduction to authentic music that this.


Not to be missed   July 31, 2001
 23 out of 24 found this review helpful

Whether or not this album is a "soundtrack" to a movie, or a compilation that stands on its own is really beside the point. Regardless of which category it falls into it deserves to be reviewed for what is here, and what is here is very, very enjoyable.

If you have any interest in American roots music, this disc is for your regardless of whether or not you have seen the film. Some of the finest women recording artists today are featured here -- Roseanne Cash, Iris DeMent, Gillian Welch, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, among many others, and they all have recorded songs that have either been steeped in traditional American music for hundreds of years, or songs that were highly influenced by them. While one can justifiably gripe that Emma Rossum's version of the old ballad "Barbara Allen" is way too short (although it is no shorter than the version in the movie) one can also rejoice that a major talent has been "discovered" here. If there is any justice someone will come up with a batch of wonderful traditional songs, give them to Rossum, take her to a recording studio and release the results to the public.

But for me, as others have mentioned, the real highlight here is the remarkable version of the old ballad "Pretty Saro," as sung by Iris DeMent. Accompanied only by a fiddle, DeMent's mournful voice creates an exquisite piece that is not to be missed by her fans, or by any and all admirers of American roots music.


Major Disappointment If You Saw the Movie   July 16, 2001
 20 out of 24 found this review helpful

As another commentator said, read the small print. This is NOT the movie soundtrack! It's "music from and inspired by the motion picture" -- and that's the problem. This absolutely wonderful film (replete with Oscar-caliber performances by Janet McTeer, Adian Quinn, Pat Carroll, and new comer Emmy Rossum) was filled with incredibly entertaining and often moving live performances by the actors (and I normally don't even like this genre of music). But the CD contains mostly performances of songs from the film by big-name stars. It offers only 1 minute of Pat Carroll singing the first verse of "Single Girl" which in the film turns into a three-singer fest of delight. Somebody lost their nerve and the CD gives us only 43 seconds of young Emma Rossum singing "Barbara Allen" and then Emilou Harris performing the whole song. The spontaneousness and robust singing and instrumentals of the movie have been replaced by wel-rehearsed and orchestrated performances that only disappoint anybody who has had the privilege of seeing this extraordinary movie. Too bad. What a loss. We can only hope that the producers wise up and issue a real CD soundtrack soon.