Craft Recordings has just released a trio of LP reissues of classic bluegrass and folk recordings from the catalogs of Rounder and Vanguard Records. Two albums from Rounder Records are seeing their first ever LP reissues, including bluegrass guitarist extraordinaire Tony Rice's 1982 crossover album Backwaters, performed by The Tony Rice Unit. As well as vocalist and fiddler Alison Krauss' 1995 breakthrough album, Now That I've Found You: A Collection. Craft's third LP reissue is the Vanguard Records release of folksinger Joan Baez's sixth studio album, 1965's Farewell, Angelina, which aside from a pair of limited reissues has been out of print domestically for forty years. All three recordings are being made available as 180 gram LPs and high resolution digital files for download or streaming on most major services. Each can be ordered from Craft's web store; The Tony Rice Unit's Backwaters can be ordered HERE; Alison Krauss' Now That I've Found You: A Collection can be ordered HERE; and Joan Baez's Farewell Angelina can be ordered HERE. All three LPs will also be available from the usual online providers, as well as brick and mortar locations like your favorite independent record store.
Two of these reissues—Tony Rice's Backwaters and Joan Baez's Farewell, Angelina—were remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Gray also cut the lacquers for the LPs that were pressed on 180 gram audiophile vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing in Oxnard, California. Alison Krauss' Now That I've Found You: A Collection was remastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, who also cut the lacquers for the LP pressed at Memphis Record Pressing. All three albums were housed in heavy outer jackets, but as a 60th anniversary edition, Farewell Angelina was given special treatment with a jacket printed by Stoughton in California. It features the high-gloss coating that hearkens to the appearance of many Vanguard label releases of that era, and matches my original almost perfectly. All three arrived with the LPs inserted into premium inner sleeves—these reissues were given every measure of care in their production, and the proof is in the listening!
The Tony Rice Unit, Backwaters. 180 gram Rounder Records LP, $30
When Tony Rice's Church Street Blues (1983, Sugar Hill Records) arrived here last year for evaluation, my review (you can read that HERE) focused heavily on Rice's background and his phenomenal technique on acoustic guitar. Rice was a prolific performer, and among his many solo projects and guest appearances on records by David Grisman, the Bluegrass Album Band, and countless others, he also recorded five albums with The Tony Rice Unit between 1978-1982. Which, in addition to Tony Rice on acoustic guitars, also featured a rotating cast of high-profile bluegrass players, including the likes of Sam Bush, David Grisman, Mike Marshall, Jerry Douglas, Ricky Skaggs, and Darrol Anger. For Backwaters, Rice was joined by his brother Wyatt on guitar, John Reischman on mandolin, Fred Carpenter and Richard Greene on violins, and Todd Phillips on acoustic bass. Rice often referred to the music played by The Tony Rice Unit as "spacegrass," which was a term he coined to not only refer to the experimental nature of the group's playing, but also to their extended improvisations that blended elements of jazz, classical, and even prog rock in settings that featured all-acoustic instrumentation.
Backwaters is an absolute master class in acoustic performance; it covers so very much ground stylistically, it almost seems oversimplified or even disingenuous to call it bluegrass. Tony Rice is a guitarist's guitarist, and he's surrounded on this recording by a cast of virtuoso players, such that every track is a virtual highlight reel. But Rice's phenomenal fretwork never steals the spotlight, and he allows each of the musicians ample room to display their artistry with exceptionally spirited solos. Backwaters represented the last studio effort by The Tony Rice Unit, and other than the presence of Tony Rice and Richard Greene, most of the players here wouldn't raise any eyebrows in the way that having Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, or David Grisman onboard might have. But this group of musicians turns in a set of magnificently crafted performances that make this record perhaps one of the greatest bluegrass albums of all time.
I must admit, I'd never heard Backwaters prior to the arrival of Craft Recordings' new LP reissue; either used LPs or compact discs are almost impossible to find on the resale market worldwide—I'd never even seen a copy in a record store. Backwaters is the kind of LP that, based on the stellar performances and its unbelievably good sound quality can go toe-to-toe with the very best of digital audio—and we're currently in a golden age of digital. That really gives me pause to reconsider the superiority of the analog LP as an audiophile playback medium—this record is undoubtedly demonstration quality! The LP from Fidelity Record Pressing is beyond reproach, delivering the music with sheer perfection; Backwaters is a must-hear, and a must-have, and is one of the finest LPs I've ever heard, regardless of pedigree or price. It's a tremendous bargain at only $30, and has easily become one of the most prized LPs in my collection and has been in heavy rotation since its arrival—I can't recommend Backwaters highly enough! You need to run to the nearest record store—you don't want to miss out on Craft's reissue!
Tracklist
Side A
- Common Ground
- Just Some Bar In The French Quarters
- Backwaters
Side B
- My Favourite Things
- A Child Is Born
- On Green Dolphin Street
- Mobius Mambo
Alison Krauss, Now That I've Found You: A Collection. 180 gram Rounder Records LP, $28
Alison Krauss is one of the most celebrated artists in bluegrass and country music, and the vocalist, fiddler, and record producer has achieved a level of success and industry recognition that definitely places her in rarified territory in those musical genres. Krauss is an inductee into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame, a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and is one of the most awarded recording artists in the history of The Recording Academy, having won 27 Grammy Awards (so far!) and countless other awards from the Country Music Association, International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Academy of Country Music. And her participation in multi-platinum projects like her work on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) soundtrack, and crossover recordings with rock music superstar Robert Plant (2007's Raising Sand and 2021's Raise The Roof) have helped bring her superb artistry to a multi-generational audience of listeners.
Now That I've Found You: A Collection was issued in 1995, just as 23 year-old Alison Krauss was on the verge of bluegrass and country music superstardom, and proved to be her breakthrough album. The Rounder Records compilation collected previously unreleased and newly recorded solo tracks, a scattering of songs from her first five albums, and tracks from Alison Krauss & Union Station as well as from her guest appearances with The Cox Family. The album even reaches back to the earliest part of Alison Krauss' career (when she was only fifteen years old!), and features a stellar cast of supporting players, including the likes of Jerry Douglas, Mike Marshall, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, and Adam Steffey, along with the members of The Cox Family and Union Station. While at the point of its release, none of the tracks on Now That I've Found You: A Collection had gotten a significant level of airplay or acclaim, the record plays like a greatest hits compilation, and it laid the groundwork for Alison Krauss' almost supernatural rise in bluegrass and country music.
Upon release, Now That I've Found You: A Collection was a runaway bestseller with astonishing crossover appeal, reaching the number 13 slot on the Billboard album charts and the number 2 position on the country music charts. The album was lauded by the critics, and its double platinum sales was driven by a pair of singles, "Baby, Now That I've Found You" and "When You Say Nothing At All." "Baby, Now That I've Found You" won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, while "When You Say Nothing At All" won for Single of the Year at the Country Music Association awards.
The sound quality of Craft's reissue is superb, and the LP from Memphis Record Pressing is close to perfection, with beautifully glossy surfaces and minimal groove noise. I'm again embarrassed to admit that I'd never heard this music prior to now, and its been in regular rotation since its arrival. Alison Krauss' sublime voice is absolute ear candy, and you get the full effect unvarnished via this excellent LP. Now That I've Found You: A Collection comes very highly recommended, and its price is a true bargain considering it's been out of print domestically for 30 years now.
Tracklist
Side A
- Baby, Now That I've Found You
- Oh, Atlanta
- Broadway
- Every Time You Say Goodbye
- Tonight I'll Be Lonely Too
- Teardrops Will Kiss The Morning Dew
Side B
- Sleep On
- When God Dips His Pen Of Love In My Heart
- I Will
- I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby
- In The Palm Of Your Hand
- When You Say Nothing At All
Joan Baez, Farewell, Angelina. 180 gram Vanguard Records LP, $33
1965's Farewell, Angelina was Joan Baez's sixth studio album, and her first to transition from recordings of traditional folk music to a greater mix of songs written by her contemporaries, especially those of Bob Dylan. And like Dylan, who famously went "electric" in 1965, Farewell, Angelina was Joan Baez's first album to feature amplified instrumentation, with both Bruce Langhorne's electric guitar and Russ Savakus' electric bass accompaniment appearing on a selection of the songs. That said, the album was still fairly sparsely instrumented, and would be her last, as such, with her future albums featuring a much larger complement of studio players.
Joan Baez and Bob Dylan were famously an item prior to the recording of this album, but were already in the process of falling out of love with each other. Baez was a giant on the folk scene when they first met, but even then, Dylan's star was already on the rise, and his soon eclipsed hers, leading to understandable tensions in their relationship, both personally and professionally. I've always seen the thematic content of the four Dylan songs included here—"Farewell, Angelina," "Daddy, You Been On My Mind," "It's All Over Now Baby Blue," and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"—as emblematic of the fact that Baez was mentally distancing herself from Dylan, and their relationship soon came completely crashing down. Following their final performances together in Dylan's mid-Seventies Rolling Thunder Revue, Baez has since stated that they no longer even speak to each other. Regardless of the ongoing backstory, Farewell, Angelina is an amazingly great album, and definitely one of the most classic in Joan Baez's canon of works.
Kevin Gray's remaster absolutely smokes my original LP in every conceivable way; while the original basically gives you a generous helping of Joan Baez's almost angelic voice, it's a tad noisy, and just doesn't have the clarity of the new transfer. Craft's new LP from Fidelity Record Pressing is miraculous, and presents this classic album with supreme quiet, an exceptional level of detail, and a you-are-there soundstage, with Joan Baez literally live and in your listening room. Farewell, Angelina comes very highly recommended—you've never heard this album sound so very good!
Tracklist
Side A
- Farewell, Angelina
- Daddy, You've Been On My Mind
- It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
- The Wild Mountain Thyme
- Ranger's Command
- Colours
Side B
- Satisfied Mind
- The River In The Pines
- Pauvre Ruteboeuf
- Sagt Mir Wo Die Blumen Sind
- A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
Craft's LP reissues continue to amaze me with their goodness!
This has been another superb batch of releases from Craft Recordings, and introduced me to exceptional musical performances from Tony Rice and Alison Krauss that I previously didn't realize were so essential and indispensable. And Craft's excellent update of Joan Baez's Farewell, Angelina will definitely introduce the classic to a broader audience with its superb quality of sound. Collectors and fans alike should rush to grab these magnificent LPs! Thanks again to Jacob Kossak for his consideration and assistance—all these albums come very highly recommended!
Craft Recordings
All images courtesy of Craft Recordings.
