Track Listing

1. Gravity
2. Restless
3. Rain Please Go Away
4. Goodbye Is All We Have
5. Unionhouse Branch
6. Wouldn't Be So Bad
7. Pastures Of Plenty
8. Crazy As Me
9. Borderline
10. My Poor Old Heart
11. This Sad Song
12. Doesn't Have To Be This Way
13. I Don't Have To Live This Way
14. If I Didn't Know Any Better
15. Living Prayer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6990 in Music
• Released on: 2008-08-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Nobody makes sombre sound more exquisite than Alison Krauss. She's come an awfully long way from her days as a teenage fiddle prodigy, as her glamour gown on this CD's cover suggests and the bittersweet maturity of the music confirms. Krauss exchanges her bluegrass fiddle for the chamber strains of viola on much of the material, including four songs by Robert Lee Castleman (whose "The Lucky One," "Let Me Touch You for Awhile," and "Forget About It" were previously popularized by Krauss). Castleman's compositions showcase the emotional intimacy and interpretive subtlety of her breathy trill. The yearning harmonies on "Wouldn't Be So Bad" (written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings) and "Borderline" (written by Sidney and Suzanne Cox) reinforce the album's restless spirit of quiet desperation. Change-of-pace contributions by Krauss's bandmates are more deeply rooted in the bluegrass/folk tradition, with Dan Tyminski renewing Del McCoury's "Rain Please Go Away" and Woody Guthrie's populist anthem "Pastures of Plenty"; Dobro master Jerry Douglas leads the charge on his instrumental "Unionhouse Branch." Few bands in bluegrass can match the virtuosity of Union Station's interplay, but the artistry of Alison Krauss transcends genre. --Don McLeese

CD Description
In a world where popular country music has lost much of itsroots, Alison Krauss stands out among the pack because she remains true to the bluegrass traditions of Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, and others. However, more than justa revivalist, Krauss also has an unerring ear for elegant pop music.
LONELY RUNS BOTH WAYS features, essentially, two types of music--burning-hot bluegrass compositions and delicate, heartrending country ballads. On the latter, Krauss'sgossamer voice sears with deep emotion and lyrical clarity.For example, the last song on the album, "A Living Prayer",is a gospel lullaby featuring Krauss belting out long, legato notes over austere acoustic guitar accompaniment. In contrast, the instrumental piece "Unionhouse Branch" explores traditional Americana. Each Union Station member is featured on this track, and the level of technical skill displayed by these musicians (particularly by dobro player Jerry Douglas)is truly astounding. In many ways, this band represents a pinnacle in modern bluegrass. As for Krauss, her fiddle playing is understated on this release, but her beautifully penetrating voice more than makes up for it.

Customer Reviews

AKUS go from strength to strength
15 of the most sublime songs you will have heard all year. Being a 'country' or bluegrass fan, one takes alot of stick but I wish I could impress upon those who mock, how varied country can be and in Alison Krauss you'll find tub thumping fine sassy beats like 'Unionhouse Branch', songs of the most bittersweet regret like 'Goodbye is all we have' and 'Doesn't have to be this way' and the awe inspiring vocal heights displayed on 'Living Prayer'. I took a friend new to the AKUS phenomena, to see them play in Manchester this September; she was rightly blown away by the quality of the performance and Alison's angelic voice. I am all out of superlatives to describe how rich this album is; if only one person reads this and buys the album, I'll be pleased to have spread the word. Go on... you won't be disappointed!

Superb, thanks Steve Wright !
I've been an AKUS fan since hearing them perform "Baby, now that I've found you" on TOTP2 some years ago (yes, I can actually say thank you to Steve Wright for something!). I was a convert, since when AKUS have opened up completely new musical horizons for me.

Having really enjoyed Forget About It (Alison's solo album) and New Favourite (Alison with Union Station) as well as the superb Live DVD, I honestly thought that AKUS could not surpass what they'd already achieved artistically and musically. I am so glad I was wrong. These people just keep getting better.

My personal favourites on the album are "Gravity", "Goodbye is all we have" and "Crazy as me", but every song has its own magical quality. Some wonderful solo touches in "Unionhouse Branch"...wow, all of this band know how to play. I would love to see AKUS become big in the UK and pray that one day I will get to see them live...please tour the UK sometime, music like this needs to be heard.

Alison and the guys, you are my musical heroes.

Still on top of their game
I'm listening to this as I type: although this isn't a progression from other AKUS albums, it's still quite marvellous. In her work with Union Station, Alison Krauss always seems to find real passion, which is something I find missing from so many modern Country vocalists. And people always talk about Eva Cassidy having a pure voice - well, let's admit it - Eva Cassidy is nothing compared to Alison Krauss....

Yes, the double-live album is the best place to start for newbies, but if you're looking for mature Country music, or an entry into bluegrass, you could do much, much worse than this. Someone else has already referred to "Unionhouse Branch", which shows what AKUS can do musically, but there is a strong thread running throughout the album.

This IS a grower of an album, but it is SO worth giving a chance - it will reward you again and again and again.