Del McCoury Band - The Cold Hard Facts

Sunday 1st June 1997
Del McCoury Band - The Cold Hard Facts

STYLE: Country
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 17262-
LABEL: Rounder 0363
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Tony May

This is the classic, traditional, high and lonesome bluegrass sound from the band rated by their peers as the finest current practitioners of the authentic roots music. The sound has been described as "white soul", a valid observation as this is "heart" music, full of emotion and brimming with blues. Del sings in a high tenor voice a lot like Lonnie Donegan, if that means anything to anyone. He's a master at bringing pathos and deep feeling out in a song without falling into the genre's trap on demanding material like "I'll Be There" and "Hard On My Heart", which are exemplary. Sons Rob and Ronnie are certainly present on merit, listen for instance to their brilliant banjo and mandolin work on "Love Is A Long Road". Ever present Jerry Douglas makes his usual immaculate dobro contribution and as an example of hard driving, precise, soulful bluegrass this will be hard to beat.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.