Remedy

As described... a little rough cosmetically, but played just fine.

Not too many years ago I would take a look at stuff Norah Jones was listening to. One group was The Old Crow Medicine Show. I found their latest release at the time, sampled it and bought the CD. I was glad I did.The Old Crow Medicine Show sounds to me like a group of talented rock musicians that woke up one day and decided to do old time music and chose not to just cover all the previously written material. Now that rather spits in the face of Old Time musicians who wield great senses of humor like the Old Crow Medicine Show. A true Old Time band will learn songs from scratchy 78s and say we play it just like they did on the record, uh, mistakes and all.The humor of The Old Crow Medicine Show is evident in some song titles and certainly in their lyrics. You'll jam to the first track, Brushy Mountain Conjugal Visit. You get a dose of bluegrassy reality with Mean Enough World saying we can do without your meanness!You'll catch a glide with Sweet Amarillo and want to buy a corn pipe for Doc's Day, a fun and traditional country feeling song. The acoustic Dearly Departed Friend mixes humor and sorrow in a Desert Storm casualty.The 4 star rating versus 5 stars is for language on track 11. A statement must be made. I work in radio and I have the ability to cuss like a sailor too but I select songs for airplay. It really pains me I cannot give more people a break because they insist in including 4 letter words in their lyrics that are clearly upfront vocals. You might say it makes no difference but maybe you could put up the $10,000 obscenity fine the FCC would nab me with because some person in my listening range was offended by your song with that prominent 4 letter word. I'll be damned if I have time to edit your songs for airplay, so I just move on to the next deserving artist and toss yours (there's lots of great stuff out there besides you). So, if you want airplay and to sell more units, help radio out here and clean up your lyrics. After all, we in radio want the FCC at our door as badly as you want the IRS at your door yelling audit. So, I am not going there or wasting my day to clean up your song so I can play it. The sad truth is I would play it if the offending word wasn't there. And no matter where you stand on performance fees, the fact is if I can play your song at no cost to you for thousands of people, those sheer numbers mean you will sell some units because of it. So if I play it you win; if I can't you lose. It's not artistic integrity here but common sense and good business sense. And don't say selling your music isn't business. Selling = business. And yes, I know there are a number of regularly played songs with 4 letter words but the offending words are placed not in the forefront but placed as to be missed by the casual listener while examples like this song the 4 letter word is about like yelling fire in a crowded theater. We call it radio magic: if somebody thought they heard a 4 letter word on the radio they are not sure and dismiss it saying to themselves they must have heard 'it' wrong because you don't hear 4 letter words on the radio. When the word is in the foreground, the magic doesn't work.To date, above excepted, this is my favorite Old Crow Medicine Show CD. I love the growth and musical boundaries explored.. Indeed a very, very talented group with a bright future! If you are to buy one Old Crow Medicine Show CD, I'd suggest this one.

One complaint I continue to see of this album is that it sounds too much like hot country. The folks who make this point obviously haven't listened to much hot country (please see Luke Bryan's "Kick the Dust Up" for reference. Don't do it while you're driving; you may be tempted to careen your vehicle off of a cliff). There are some polished harmonies, a bit of pedal steel, some drums and percussion, some shakers - all elements that have been present in country music for over the past 50 years. But, I think recording through antiquated gear to have an old-timey sound is more forced and fake than embracing some iconic elements of a genre. This album sounds just as they do live: energetic, passionate, and talented! It's an honest representation with well-structured songs and good lyrics to boot. People seem to hold it against them that their vocals and musicianship have improved over time. Ironically, Tennessee Pusher caused the same gripes, but that album still had Willie, and hardly had a polished sound at all. Apparently, in order to stay true to your original fans, you have to record the same way you did when you were 19 and had no money.I think lots of folks are quick to jump on the bandwagon with the sentiment of "RAH! WAGON WHEEL IS POPULAR, THEREFORE WE CANNOT LIKE IT! WILLIE LEFT AND NOW WE HATE THEM! GRAB THE TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS". We get it: it's cool to complain about Wagon Wheel "Herpa derp, Darius Rucker, derp blerp Free Bird flerp derp." I adore Willie's Old Crow songs, as do I his solo work, and I think his leaving has definitely changed the sound of the band, but I still have to say that this is a fantastic, well-written and thought-out record. The songs on "Carry Me Back" may have been more "fun" or "string band-like", but they did not have as much depth or character as many of the songs on this album. Every harmony, lick, melody, etc. on this album is intentionally placed.For the record, I own and regularly listen to every Old Crow record, and even a bunch of terribly recorded bootleg tracks. I've seen them live more times than I can count (okay, 6 times). Feel free to let me have it in the comments. Have a great day!

Review is for VINYL version of 2 LP Remedy. Modern bluegrass / old time music does not get much better or more listenable... The "Grammy WInner" hype sticker on the packaging tells us so. It is a great album. I am not reviewing the musical content, as that has been done and this is not a new release. The LPs have three songs per side, so you will find yourself flipping and changing the album every 12 minutes. There was no reason to do this, aside from a sales gimmick. Unless you are prepared and willing to sit in front of your player and flip it every 12 minutes, don't buy this version. That said, it is sonically perfect in sound reproduction. Crystal clear. No complains about the sound or quality of the pressing. The gatefold is heavy-duty cardboard. Double sided lyrics sheet included in sleeve. I purchased on 2/27/2018 for the price of $11.27. Which is a bargain for any OCMS on vinyl.

A brilliant album! I wasn't really sure about it at first, but as I listened to it a second time I started to love it more and more. Pretty much every song is awesome, and together made a great album for a road-trip or anytime you need your spirit lifted.I can literally listen to it again and again. Highly recommend to anyone who likes Old Crow Medicine Show and Country music in general, this has the feel of that good-old country album to it.

They're always good. They have penned 13 great new songs, including a new collaboration with Dylan after the success of Wagon Wheel. Still the same energy since losing Willie Watson. All the other old faces and some new ones making a bigger line up of seven.

This is well up to the high standards of the OCMS's previous albums. A great blend of rollicking foot stompers, sweet ballads, and 'The Warden' provides a more downbeat, reflective conclusion. Without a doubt the best bluegrass band around at the moment.

Great CD lots of Banjo and Fiddle closest I have bought to Blue Grass Music but great addition to my Country Collection

Heard this band on Radio 2. Bought this album and it brilliant