Bluegrass Hits: Twenty Timeless Favorites from Yesterday and Today (CD - 2005)

Before one can even consider the music on Bluegrass Hits: Twenty Timeless Favorites from Yesterday and Today, one must confront the buxom brunette on the cover. Yes, she's a handsome lass, a model one supposes, sitting on a blanket in a rustic meadow with a number of bluegrass albums laying about. What does she have to do with 20 timeless hits? Absolutely nothing, but one supposes that an attractive cover sells more albums. There's also the curious subtitle: Twenty Timeless Favorites from Yesterday and Today. How can a song from today be a timeless classic? Well, it probably can't, but it sounds better than naming one's album "Another Repackaging of Songs We Own the Rights To." If one can make it past the sexist cover and the mixed-up title, there's much that the contemporary roots music fan will like about Bluegrass Hits. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, one of the best bands in the business, kicks the set off with "Heartbreak Number Nine," and he's followed by such luminaries as Claire Lynch, Alison Krauss, and Ricky Skaggs. There's also a good selection of newer artists like Rhonda Vincent, Rob Ickes, and Dan Tyminski. With 20 songs, this is a generous collection, and not unlike listening to an hour-long bluegrass program without any commercials. For anyone looking for a good introduction to Rounder's fine cadre of bluegrass pickers, Bluegrass Hits will fit the bill. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. minimize