While readers sometimes grow tired of listening to critics wax poetic about "the way things used to be," there's -- on occasion -- a good reason for it. Take the reissue of
Good Time Blues by
the Boys from Indiana, for instance. These songs, originally released in the mid-'70s, offer an easy side-by-side comparison with recent bluegrass recordings, and it's very rare, indeed, to find a current offering with this much traditional bluegrass soul. Interestingly, the music that completes this compilation was recorded in the midst of a progressive bluegrass revival, and there were probably many -- at the time -- who doubted the resilience of traditional (think
Bill Monroe) bluegrass. Band regulars include vocalist and writer Aubrey Holt, bassist Jerry Holt, Dobro player Harley Gabbard, banjoist Noah Crase, and fiddler Paul Mullins. As the title of the collection suggests,
the Boys from Indiana never forget the "blues" portion of bluegrass, turning out fine takes of "Feeling Blue," "The Girl in the Blue Velvet Band," and the title cut. The only negative comment about this collection is that it's 36 minutes long, which represents just a small portion of the four albums drawn from. The 14 songs and instrumentals on
Good Time Blues are nonetheless top-notch, and the collection does an excellent job reminding listeners what authentic bluegrass actually sounds like. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.