Earl Scruggs & Friends – Self-Titled
Many artists on this disc deserve respect for music made in their careers — Marty Stuart, Vince Gill, Dwight Yoakam, Johnny Cash, and Sting among them. The art of making fine recorded music, however, is not the sum of the talent involved, and that is never clearer than when this type of all-star project is released.
The problem with Earl Scruggs & Friends is that it is very poorly produced. Scruggs’ playing gets the job done, but is often too far back in the mix, and is recorded in a way that the tone sounds thin and stunted. His banjo is often of least importance in the song, and more often than not, it does not fit or make a good cut (see the tracks with Billy Bob Thornton, Melissa Etheridge, Don Henley and Elton John, for starters).
Song selection is poor. Vocal and instrumental performances sound stiff and sterile, and there is much wanking. “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” is a good example of the insensitivity revealed throughout, with younger, hotter musicians overplaying a road-weary genius who needs more of a no-frills collaboration. The final guitar/banjo duet with Stuart might be the only exception.
What really rankles, however, is that it is patronizing to rural American music culture to be represented by celebrity outsiders. Too many guests here are unfamiliar with the tradition. Many musicians play this music all their lives, and they would not claim to have it mastered. Bluegrass is a very difficult art form, with many subtleties and nuances. It does not need high-profile fans to legitimize it or cover its standard repertoire.
One would like to assume these folks are on here out of respect for Scruggs, and were eager to participate in such a project. There is a place for fusion. There is a place for experimentation, such as the Earl Scruggs Revue’s music, but most folks here are way past their experimental phase, and it shows.
Perhaps this wishes to be considered a pop/rock album, but even then it’s not good pop music. Now more than ever, people are hungry for a deep and comforting connection to the things that matter the most to them — their roots and their soul. What we need from music is to find that soul again, and to reflect the love of our culture and ourselves.