VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Unbroken Circle (Dualtone)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

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Evoking the Carter Family's name brings to mind quickly the image of fog covered Smoky Mountain peaks and sheltered porch fronts where spirituals are exchanged from morning till night. Theirs is an exalted place in Americana, safely established, and a legacy to which everyone on CTV today owes a solemn debt of thanks for legitimizing their craft. As the genre boom evolves, everything from pop to alt-country continues to straddle the dual influences of rock and roll and old time back woods folk. Those family circle roots run deep, and they're given tribute on The Unbroken Circle, a 15 track tribute from some of the biggest names in the business, young and old.

Highlighting The Unbroken Circle is Sheryl Crow's soulful version of "No Depression In Heaven," a surprisingly spirited, successful rendition, one sure to rank among the favorites of not only her growing catalog, but as one of the really definitive of the classic. George Jones sounds tired and ineffective on "Worried Man Blues" though, as does the late Johnny Cash whose, "Engine One-Forty-Three" is weak, showing the legend at his most frail sounding, even more so than on American IV. John Prine and Ricky Skaggs are equally unconvincing, leading one to wonder if country tribute albums will continue to rely on the more substandard work from usually luminescent performers in the genre. As always Willie Nelson is impressive, his "You Are My Flower" showing the deepest reaches of country's roots, as is Kris Kristofferson winding the disk up with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on "Gold Watch and Chain."

In between these high points, though, the pickings are slim at best. One look at the roster of contemporary performers and the material performed and one would expect more memorable performances than are yielded on The Unbroken Circle. While the few mentioned are worth a listen and perhaps a place in the country/Americana archive, in the end this celebration of the Carter Family is questionable.

© 2004 - Erick Mertz