Big Iron World

I loved the first Crow album, in huge part due to the song Wagon Wheel which remains as one of my favorite country songs to date. This album, though, does not have that heavy weight of a song, but does have a better collection of tracks. Down Home Girl is a very catchy song and I feel should get more recognition...we need more songs like these in the charts in my view as there are just too much mainstream going around that it's getting absurd. Other highlights include my personal favorite New Virginia Creeper, Union Made, and I Hear Them All.The best thing about not only this album but OCMS themselves is they continued to stay true to their ways and roots, without compromise, yet all the while being able to remain creative and artistic. This album is very enjoyable and as with the previous release, I can see myself listening to it for the next few years...

Very average CD. Shipping was great though. The review for the item and for shipping should be separate.

I'd have rated another album that was just more of the same from O.C.M.S as worthy of 5 stars, but this album actually keeps moving forward from that one and from their earlier work. As reviewers have noted, there is a really interesting mix of traditional and timely on this album - the songs (both their origials and their covers) are firmly rooted in the string band/American folk music tradition that the Crows revere, but at the same time their interpretations, their playing, and their lyrics are relevant to 2006. I'd go see them every time they came to town even if they always did the same old stuff, but it is that much more exciting that they are growing as musicians and songwriters.

This is a great album. My fave OCMS yet (they are all great), and I think I have them all. This has a bit of a 20s jug band feel, though as a modern recording. The song "I hear them all" is a very nice tune. I like this on the David Rawlings recording as well, though I really like the OCMS harp treatment. It is refreshing to hear Zion, Noah, Judah, Buddah, Elijah, and the old Paiute Wovoka "take their places at the table when they're called". This is clearly something the world needs more of...

A stellar effort by one of the great young old time bands of their time. Uptemp furious strummers like "cocaine habit" provide plenty of energy while southern church revival tunes like "god's got it" provide depth and feeling. There's not a weak track on this album; while there is no single outstandingly strong song a la wagon wheel (save maybe down home girl) the overall just-plain-goodness of this album gets it five stars.

Just got the CD yesterday from Amazon. I was also fortunate enough to see them live last night in louisville. As other people have said this CD does not contain as many up tempo songs as OCMS. With songs like Union Maid and I hear them all the CD seems to reflect their folk music roots more. Now that they have experienced some success with OCMS, I wondered if they would produce songs that sound a bit more mainstream. They certainly didnt sell out with this CD, to my delight they remained true to their signature bluegrass/folk/jugband sound that fans have grown to love. Support the band and order the CD.

lost this CD. i realized it when i kept on looking for I hear them all, and couldn't find it. not their best CD, but definately some of the best contemporary bluegrass. I would buy OCMS or Carry Me Back first.

I love all 3 of OCMS' main albums (OCMS, Big Iron World, Tennessee Pusher), but in my opinion, Big Iron World is the most "complete" from start to finish. A great mix of old timey tunes + new and original material.Who knew someone could write "old timey" WITH educated modern day lyrics. It's the best of both worlds.Someone derided OCMS for mentioning Buddha...well, it made me love them even more. It's a big iron WORLD out there...try experiencing life outside your bubble.

good listening music saw them on a road show recently and liked there music their are many more CD to choose from would recommend.

Brilliant. Has become my new favourite album for driving to work.

I love their music

love it

Okay,let's get this out of the way straight from the gate - OCMS' second album is pretty familiar to anyone who owns or has listened to their first.So familiar,in fact,that Cocaine Habit actually has a false start when Ketch Secor sings the first line to Tell It To Me from their first album,both songs being strikingly similar,before the band break into laughter at his mistake.Likewise,a couple of other songs bear more than a passing similarity to their previous work,but this really doesn't matter that much.If it did thousands of big name stars would have been pilloried long before now.What matters is whether they are good songs or not and in the case of this album,they are. In truth,there's nothing with quite the energy or verve of Hard To Tell,but this is a good,solid, example of that most difficult of things - the second album.Its 12 songs come in at a little over 36 minutes and this is no bad thing as it means no song is allowed to outstay its welcome. The production,again by David Rawlings,is expansive enough to allow every instrument its voice,and the playing is as good as the first album. Although Rawlings other half Gillian Welch plays drums, unlike too many other young artists they're good enough not to need the star names (maybe that's why Welch chose to play drums).There's some fine Lennonesque harmonica playing on Down Home Girl,by Ketch Secor,and Critter Fuqua,Harvey's son,provides fine vocals on James River Blues and Bobcat Tracks. A point of interest;the Woody Guthrie track Union Maid,new to me I confess,should sound strkingly familiar to anyone who has heard The Strawbs reactionary pub singalong Part Of The Union which kind of turned the point of Guthrie's song on its head. I'd highly recommend this OCMS album to anyone who liked their first and to anyone into Bluegrass,Hank Williams,Alt country or the new wave of artists like The Be Good Tanyas and Jolie Holland.It's a solid follow up that cements their place in the pantheon of new country artists.Buy it!