The Seldom Scene held a pivotal position in the early- to mid-'70s bluegrass scene. The group's bluegrass style and song choices was more progressive than
Bill Monroe's but never so adventurous as
the New Grass Revival. In essence, the Seldom Scene split the difference, but thanks to the group's harmony, instrumental prowess, and
John Starling's and
John Duffey's lead vocals, this never sounded like a watered-down compromise. Almost any songs collected from the Seldom Scene's first seven albums would have made a solid collection, so it's easy to predict that
Different Roads is a winner without even listening to it. David Freeman points out in the liner notes that the collection includes three of the band's most requested songs, "Wait a Minute," "Old Train," and "Easy Ride from Good Times to the Blues," and there are great takes on
Paul Craft's "Keep Me from Blowing Away" and
Norman Blake's "Last Train from Poor Valley." The tracking jumbles chronological order, but since the Seldom Scene's arrangements were the same with minor exceptions during this period (1973-1976), it all flows as a piece. The album, at almost 42 minutes, is short, but it still contains 14 prime cuts from one of the best newgrass bands.
Different Roads is a good introduction to the Seldom Scene in its first and arguably best configuration, a collection that will hopefully lead the listener to seek out the band's first seven albums. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.