Leftover Salmon - The Nashville Sessions

Like a modern-day Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Leftover Salmon are here to bridge the gap between hippie rock and traditional country and bluegrass. So it may help to think of The Nashville Sessions as a poor man's Will the Circle Be Unbroken, especially with Circle veterans Jeff Hanna and Randy Scruggs (who produced this record) along for the ride. Leftover invite bluegrass and newgrass heroes and jam-band buddies to contribute here, and the results are as mixed as the musical influences. Clearly, Leftover thrive on the exuberant stomps and chuckles, as on their original "Dance on Your Head" and John Hartford's "Up on the Hill Where We Do the Boogie." Both Lucinda Williams (on the Cajun-flavored romp "Lines Around Your Eyes") and Taj Mahal (on the gentle "Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes") lead the band through worthy interpretations of their own songs, while Widespread Panic's John Bell helps turn "Nobody's Fault but Mine" into a sleepy, slow-burning gem. Yet earnestness simply does not become this band, and too many cuts have a poppy sincerity (remember the Dirt Band analogy) that plays away from Salmon's strengths. --Marc Greilsamer Amazon.com

Lovin It

Love love love this album. This version of Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes is probably my favorite song ever. November 9, 2008

Great bluegrass music. Deep, rich cd.

I went to a LOS concert a couple years before picking this up, and I enjoyed them. I enjoyed this cd the most out of their collection, too, and I recommend it to anyone. This is one of my favorite albums of all time. It has a lot of replay value and is filled with all sorts of legendary "friends." My favorite tracks are Taj Mahal's classic hit, "Lovin in my Baby's Eyes" and "Troubled Times" I hope you give this wonderful cd a try, it covers so many genres and does a great job doing so. Don't be fooled by Salmon's other albums, they are ok. This one is 5 star. August 1, 2007

ABSOLUTELY GREAT!!!

I bought this CD a couple months ago, mainly because of the SUPER version of "Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes" on it. Even now, the CD stays in my car's player much more than any other. Reminds me of a "Greatest Hits" type album -- all top notch songs. Leftover Salmon is a fantastic group, & the talent on these tracks is amazing! All the artists blend together like they were made for each other. "Breakin Thru" is as good as any song I know. If you are looking to buy a very entertaining album, this is a must have! October 12, 2005

For all ears!

The great quality of Leftover Salmon is that they are a fusion of disciplines. Of course, at their roots, it's bluegrass that comes through, but with each listen, an atuned ear will pick up a bounty of sounds that come from other musical genres, such as rock and cuban salsa, among others. People who buy this CD will wear it out - it's that good. -Bc June 10, 2003

They could've called this album "Legends"

Easily, the most satisfying studio effort by the Salmon boys and their unique "polyethnic cajun slamgrass." And depending on what they do with their next album, may also be the last one with Q-258 on drums and Tye on bass (an unbelievable rhythm section). So many great pairings on this disc, some of which are fantastic, others are just so-so. Listen to "Midnight Blue" with Del and Ronnie McCoury (and Drew a-singin') and you will be in mandolin heaven. "Lovin..." with Taj Majal is great, check out Taj as he leads the boys through the intro. "Five Alive" with Earl and Randy Scruggs, and "Nobody's Fault But Mine" with Widespread Panic's John Bell are my two favorites. And you can never forget Bela. But...the Lucinda Williams track, and the John Cowan tracks don't do much for me. Also, while the disc is a real good listen, it lacks the true cohesion that makes a great disc, but maybe that was the point ...to show the band's range while performing with legends of bluegrass and country. Still, to get a feeling for Leftover Salmon you need to see them live or check out their live album "Ask the Fish", their best album to date. But if you're looking for a studio album, this may be the one to go for. December 20, 2000

More reviews at Amazon.com ...