Why did I take him? I could have gone by myself or taken
a friend. But I just had to get a babysitter and take my
husband to see O Brother, Where Art Thou. I knew little
about the film but was told "guys like it". Figuring my
husband deserved a night out, I treated him. Friends
recommending the movie didn't warn me about the music.

Before the opening credits stopped rolling, my husband
was humming the first tune under his breath. My husband's
family has always enjoyed country music. Me? I'm allergic
to most of it but can stomach it occasionally. Being
psychic, I could see I was in for a few torturous days of
sing-around-the-house! What I didn't foresee was my
partner bugging me relentlessly for this CD. He asked me
to bring up the soundtrack website and play it on my
computer. There was no end to his pathetic display of
hillbilly love for these songs. So I got him the CD.

Enough of my family problems. On to the music!

o The movie starts with the convict stars breaking rocks
on the chain gang. Po Lazurus is the tune for this back
breaking work. The beat is punctuated by the sound of the
tools hitting rocks as the men sweat out their sentences.
Prison spirituals aren't my thing but this goes well with
the movie.

o Big Rock Candy Mountain is pure hillbilly spunk.
Yee-haw'd by Larry McLintock, this is a shack porch
ditty.

o How many ways can You are my Sunshine be sung?
Add another to your list. This rendition has the ole
country porch feel to it.

o Strangely haunting, Down in the River to Pray sung
by Alison Krauss stayed with me. A female ballad, this
song draws Delmar from his straying ways and brings him
back to the fold.

o Recurring in this movie, I am a Man of Constant Sorrow
is sung by the Soggy Bottom Boys, used as an instrumental
number and is the theme. But don't let it fool you. There
is little sorrow among these convicts!

o A more apropos theme for Clooney's character is Keep
on the Sunny Side by the Whites. This guitar pickin'
song keeps you humming long past your bedtime.

o A sweet lullaby, Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby
fits nicely with the rest of these tracks. I can just
imagine hearing this float through the hills on a hot
summer evening. Emmylou Harris teams up with Alison
Kraus and Gillian Welch for this one.

o Delmar, played wonderfully by Tim Blake Nelson, breaks
from his stupor when he gets on stage to sing In the
Jailhouse Now. What a voice! The movie was almost
worth seeing just for this scene.

o O Death seems like a good vigil chant for prison execution
protesters. Ralph Stanley does a good job bringing death
to life in this simple and compelling number.

o The Peasall Sisters sing a religious ditty, In the Highways.
It's interesting, but not one of my favorite tracks. It
does fit well in the movie though.

Other tracks include Angel Band, Lonesome Valley, an Indian
War Whoop instrumental, I am Weary and I'll Fly Away. The
collection goes nicely together, giving those listeners new
to hill music a good sampling of the genre.

Rapidly climbing the charts, the Soggy Bottom Boys tour
of this album will present some problems. Although 4 of
the actors appeared to sing the Soggy Bottom Boys tracks,
only 2 of them are audible on the CD. Clooney and
Turturro didn't make the cut. Tim Blake Nelson and Chris
Thomas King weren't lip synching in the movie. Both
talented musicians, they can be heard loud and clear in the
bluegrass and spiritual numbers they recorded. The Soggy
Bottom Boys will have to get a couple more to join them
before appearing in concert.

Bottom Line on this CD is that it is a big hit with those
who love simple country tunes. If you're into pickin',
porch singin' or a spiritual while you work, this may
be music for your ears. It makes a great gift for your
favorite Hillbilly! And it might even convert a skeptic
like me...



Bonus: Since my CD player is broken, when I got this for
my husband, I plugged it into my computer. To my surprise,
it brought up a window for playing the music, connecting
to the website or looking at movie photos. I played the
music on my 'puter right away. The software included on
the CD was a pleasant little bonus.


To hear audio clips from this CD, go to the O Brother
website where you can play them on the juke box.
http://studio.go.com/movies/obrother/flash/index.html

And check out the reviews of the movie on epinions. I
penned a positive one on this delightful, quirky film.




Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends