Alison Krauss
A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection
Rounder/Shock



Alison Krauss has won more Grammy awards than any other female artist ever, yet if one were to do a vox pop outside the offices of dB HQ, I reckon you'd be hard put to find 1 in 50 or 100 who have heard of her or could name a song. Sad, really as her voice is pure gold, eminently suitable for her chosen genre of country/ bluegrass. This is not forgetting that she also recently released the superb 'Raising Sand' with Robert Plant, where she is more than capable of matching Plant in the subdued vocal stakes that occur on that release.

'A Hundred Miles Or More' is a 16 track collection of songs from films, Disney compilations, tributes, award shows, unreleased tracks and duet albums. Eclectic is a word that best sums up the output of Ms Krauss, and with one or two exceptions the lode mined here produces the goods. The exquisite Down To The River To Pray, from 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' sets a high standard that is matched by the wonderful Baby Mine and the unreleased tracks Simple Lover and Jacob's Dream. If you want some good ole bluegrass, Sawing On The Strings delivers it in spadefuls.

The duets with James Taylor and Brad Paisley - How's The World Treating You and Whiskey Lullaby, respectively - are pleasant interludes, highlighting the sheer vocal range and talent Krauss possesses. Missing You, another duet, this time with John Waite, would be perfectly at home on any number of Adelaide FM radio stations and is a great re-working of the original, although probably one of the weaker tracks when placed among the rest of the album. But as those American quilters always make a mistake in their quilts, because only God is perfect, I will allow this small transgression.

And so should you, as one dud track does not a bad album make.

Mark Liebelt