Published on Jul 2, 2002
Sometimes, the Pierce Memorial Archives (South Annex) get a
little ahead of yours truly, too. I should have gotten around to
the soundtrack of
Songcatcher long before this, but it got buried in a stack
somewhere — much, apparently, like the movie, which never came
within artillery range of Indianapolis, and which I’ve never
seen.
Damn shame. Sounds like a cool movie, from what I can find out.
The basic plot revolves around a female musicologist denied tenure
who flees into the Appalachians to visit a sister teaching there,
and then accidentally discovers a motherlode of mountain music,
unchanged by years of isolation. (This is the ethnomusicological
equivalent of King Tut’s Tomb, for those looking confused).
Needless to say, the soundtrack reflects the movie, much more than
a manufactured Top Forty hit running over the credits. This is a
solid block of traditional American roots music.
(Just as a side note, it also did its job; increased interest in
the movie. I surfed out to my DVD rental service and reserved the
movie today.)
So, I hear the DV Faithful ask, is it any good? If you like
roots music, the answer is a definite yes. The entire
movie/soundtrack combination immediately put me to mind of another
low-key movie,
The Secret Of Roan Inish — good movie, good soundtrack, and
both can hang together on their own merit. Yes, there are some
moments that are hard on listeners brought up on slick, packaged
sound; Emmy Rossum’s traditional version of “Barbara Allen” comes
to mind. But there are also some breathtaking moments; Emmylou
Harris’ version of the same song, all of Dolly Parton’s work (and
I’d just like to say that it’s immensely cool that Dolly Parton has
gone back to her roots. Beats hell out of covering bad REO
Speedwagon songs to get country airplay), and the work of Roseanne
Cash, Iris Dement, and Patty Loveless. By far, though, the
highlight is Maria McKee’s cover of “Wayfarin’ Stranger”. McKee has
always been a brilliant, incandescent vocalist, from her eighties
work with Lone Justice forward; she records too damn little, and
this was a treat.
Songcatcher is exactly what it says it is; there’s no
concession to pop sensibilities here, this is mountain music,
perhaps reinterpreted, but definitely the real thing. With that
caveat, it’s a great CD.