VA – Divided & United: The Songs of the Civil War (2013)

Nearly 150 years after the Civil War ended, America is still both fascinated and haunted by the events that tore the country apart while defining a vision of this nation that in many respects stands to this day. Plenty of popular songs and stories have been written about the war and its impact, but fewer Americans are aware of just how many songs dealing with the conflict and its human consequences emerged between 1861 and 1865.
Divided & United: The Songs of the Civil War is an ambitious effort to study the songs of the era with fresh eyes and ears; here, 32 artists interpret popular songs from the Civil War years, some in styles that reflect the way they were performed in the 19th century and others appearing in arrangements that are radically contemporary.

320 kbps | 300 MB | UL | CL | MC1+MC2 ** FLAC

Randall Poster, who produced the project, has brought together an impressive variety of artists, ranging from living legends of country and folk (Loretta Lynn, Norman Blake, Dolly Parton, Del McCoury) to young upstarts of roots rock (the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Old Crow Medicine Show, Shovels & Rope), and everyone on board delivers strong, thoughtful performances that respect the material not merely as history, but as music that remains compelling today, and this collection is frequently full of surprises. While the tone of these songs is often full of emotion, there’s little sentimentality, as the stakes of life, death, and nation were clear in the minds of the people who wrote them — the pull of home and family far outweighs politics in these tunes — and hearing “Just Before the Battle, Mother,” “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” and “Dixie” sung in full, rather than the fragments that are usually performed today, is a reminder of how familiar America had become with many kinds of loss during the war years. Even songs that outwardly have little or nothing to do with war serve as potent examples of how different popular song is today, as “Listen to the Mockingbird” and “The Mermaid Song” spin tales as deep and full of wonder as a good short story. And this set is simply full of great performances, with nearly everyone on board making this material sound vital and timeless, from Dr. Ralph Stanley (who was born in 1927, only 62 years after the end of the war, a time when more than a few men who fought in the war were still around to tell their tales, and sings “The Vacant Chair” like he clearly remembers those stories) to A.A. Bondy (whose electronic spin on “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier” makes the lyrics sound painfully relevant in the 21st century). Divided & United is vital listening for anyone interested in the history of pop music or the United States, and it satisfies as both education and entertainment.

Disc 1

1. Loretta Lynn – Take Your Gun and Go, John
2. Del McCoury – Lorena
3. Sam Amidon – Wildwood Flower
4. Bryan Sutton – Hell’s Broke Loose in Georgia
5. Ricky Skaggs – Two Soldiers
6. Old Crow Medicine Show – Marching Through Georgia
7. Vince Gill – Dear Old Flag
8. Steve Earle and Dirk Powell – Just Before the Battle, Mother/Farewell, Mother
9. Shovels & Rope – The Fall of Charleston
10. John Doe – Tenting on the Old Campground
11. Carolina Chocolate Drops – Day of Liberty
12. Chris Thile & Michael Daves – Richmond is a Hard Road to Travel
13. Chris Stapleton – Two Brothers
14. Norman Blake, Nancy Blake and James Bryan – The Faded Coat of Blue
15. Stuart Duncan feat. Dolly Parton – Listen to the Mockingbird
16. Pokey LaFarge – Kingdom Come

 Disc 2

1. Jamey Johnson – Rebel Soldier
2. Lee Ann Womack – The Legend of the Rebel Soldier
3. Jorma Kaukonen – The Mermaid Song
4. Karen Elson with the Secret Sisters – Dixie
5. Ralph Stanley – The Vacant Chair
6. Chris Hillman – Hard Times
7. Taj Mahal – Down by the Riverside
8. Noam Pikelny and David Grisman – Old Folks at Home/The Girl I Left Behind Me
9. The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band – Secesh
10. T Bone Burnett – The Battle of Antietam
11. Ashley Monroe feat. Aubrey Haynie – Pretty Saro
12. Joe Henry – Aura Lee
13. AA Bondy – Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier
14. Angel Snow – When Johnny Comes Marching Home
15. Bryan Sutton – Battle Cry of Freedom
16. Cowboy Jack Clement – Beautiful Dreamer