Robert and Alison with Grammys in hand

Not one of my popular opinions, and I’ve caught a lot of flak from it on several forums that I belong to but I don’t get why Raising Sand is getting so much recognition and really don’t get all the acclaim it and Robert are getting for it. It’s not groundbreaking at all, nor do I find it stirring or passionate or any of the other superlatives being heaped on it. I did buy the album and listen to it. The first few listenings I enjoyed it in a mild way, it was pleasant. But after repeated listening I found it dull in the extreme. If Robert is so jazzed about the American Roots music he’s being turned onto by Miss Alison and Top Sirloin Burnout, why is he agreeing to smoothing it out and prettying it up into complete blandness? To broaden its appeal of course, get the most people to buy the records and attend concerts. I’m not going to say that I listen to bluegrass all the time or that I am an expert but I’ve been to several bluegrass concerts put on by the Old Time Fiddlers of Washington with my mom and grandma when they were alive. Once I got past the whole amateur production values and lapses into redneckedness, I really enjoyed the music. If you ever see something advertising an Old Time Fiddlers Festival (or contest) in your neighborhood, go! There OTF branches all over the country and if they get around as much down there as they do up here there should be something going on not too far from you. Up here it’ll be put on in a high-school gymnasium or a similar venue,  a very homemade affair. Not everyone is going to love it, but it is real, honest, old time music and you’ll understand why Raising Sand is really not worthy of the attention it’s getting. Or you’ll hate it and keep listening to the musical equivalent of  skim-milk.

Despite Robert’s occasional lapses into mass-appeal music, he’s done stuff that he’s knows won’t appeal to everyone, ie. Priory of Brian and Strange Sensation and hasn’t given a fig. So why now? Is he that desperate for dollars? Maybe the Led Zeppelin cash cow maintained by Jimmy Page isn’t generating what it should. After all the last gig was for charity. Is it for attention? Can’t be, I have it on good authority that people were screaming and shouting their love at Strange Sensation concerts, and the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert on December 10, 2007 (aka the reunion concert and O2) was well received if the bootlegs floating around are any indication (plz gimme an official release Jimmy!). So I’m going to say ‘no’ to the attention factor. So it must be for the music which I’ve already discussed in the above paragraph. Vicious circle.

The next Old Time Fiddlers event in my area is on Valentines Day. I have the day off. I should go. I enjoyed the music the other times I went, and my sentimental streak would be appeased. My mom and grandma would be pleased.