John Mellencamp Community
March 28, 2024, 03:47:16 am *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
News: Visit Mellencamp.com's NEWS section for all of the latest updates!
 
   Home   Help Search Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: First "Ghost Brothers" Soundtrack Review  (Read 6867 times)
walktall2010
Global Moderator
Certified Mellenhead
*****
Posts: 872


View Profile
« on: May 21, 2013, 08:18:36 am »

Six out of 10 stars

John Mellencamp and Stephen King may receive higher billing on ‘Ghost Brothers of Darkland County,’ but the album really belongs to T Bone Burnett.

This collaboration between the singer-songwriter and horror novelist stemmed from a story Mellencamp told King about a pair of Indiana brothers whose tragic fates were tied to a girl. King in turn relocated the action to Mississippi, made the brothers ghosts and, with Mellencamp’s help, wrote a musical about them.

The play debuted in Atlanta last year, and like many of King’s tales, it winds for a while until stopping at its inevitable supernatural conclusion. Mellencamp’s songs – some hauntingly familiar in tone, some just plain haunting – fit the story so far as keeping the narrative flowing. But the project’s strongest ties come from musical director Burnett’s ghostly production, which says more about the nature of the evocative songs than anything Mellencamp and King can conjure up.

Mellencamp himself shows up only once on the soundtrack, on the last track, ‘Truth,’ the show’s redemptive epilogue. The other performances are handled by a mix of veteran heartland rockers and singer-songwriters from Burnett’s stable, including Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson and Rosanne Cash.

The best songs on ‘Ghost Brothers’ strike a balance among the misty musings of spirits, plot line progressions and bluesy numbers that come with a side of front-porch country: Costello’s sinister ‘Wrong, Wrong, Wrong About Me,’ Ryan Bingham’s gently piercing ‘You Are Blind’ and a handful of cuts performed by Crow and Dave and Phil Alvin. But the best track belongs to Neko Case, who injects the playfully confessional ‘That’s Who I Am’ with a sensual torchy twang.

But like so much of Burnett’s work – especially his celebrated ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ soundtrack and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ ‘Raising Sand’ album — he buries ‘Ghost Brothers of Darkland County’ in thick, hazy production that dusts up the songs with a bit too much grit and fog at times. And there they settle, at the center of the project. It might be Mellencamp and King’s words, but it’s Burnett’s music.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ghost-brothers-of-darkland-county/
« Last Edit: May 21, 2013, 08:21:51 am by walktall2010 » Logged
sheilafarmer
One of the Crazy Ones...
*****
Posts: 407



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2013, 07:17:46 pm »

With talented singers like Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson and Rosanne Cash! This should be awesome. I really loved the song Sheryl Crow sang.
Logged
NewYorker
Experienced Mellenhead
**
Posts: 43



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2013, 10:44:23 am »

Quote
It might be Mellencamp and King’s words, but it’s Burnett’s music.

Heard Mr. B is currently working on the new Coen Brothers project. Exellent Grin
Logged
Smalltownboy
One of the Crazy Ones...
*****
Posts: 304


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2013, 08:06:45 pm »

All the songs and songwriting are excellent.  I am thoroughly enjoying the entire album. 




Mike
Logged
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.10 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!

 

WEBSITE & CONTENTS © JOHN MELLENCAMP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.             PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF USE | CONTACT

 

Email Updates! Home Powered by BubbleUp,Ltd. John Mellencamp on YouTube.com John Mellencamp on Wikipedia John Mellencamp on MySpace.com John Mellencamp on Facebook.com John Mellencamp on Twitter.com John Mellencamp on iLike.com John Mellencamp on Pandora.com John Mellencamp on LastFM.com John Mellencamp on Imeem.com