One of the most distinctive folk/bluegrass units of the 1960s was the Holy Modal Rounders, whose Fantasy recordings combined Appalachian bluegrass and country traditions with the Greenwich Village/East Coast folk of the period. Although singer/acoustic guitarist Steve Weber and singer/fiddler/banjo player Peter Stampfel -- collectively, the Holy Modal Rounders -- had a strong appreciation of Appalachian music, they fit right in on the East Coast coffeehouse circuit of the 1960s. In 1999, Fantasy reissued the duo's first two ...
Read More
One of the most distinctive folk/bluegrass units of the 1960s was the Holy Modal Rounders, whose Fantasy recordings combined Appalachian bluegrass and country traditions with the Greenwich Village/East Coast folk of the period. Although singer/acoustic guitarist Steve Weber and singer/fiddler/banjo player Peter Stampfel -- collectively, the Holy Modal Rounders -- had a strong appreciation of Appalachian music, they fit right in on the East Coast coffeehouse circuit of the 1960s. In 1999, Fantasy reissued the duo's first two albums, The Holy Modal Rounders and The Holy Modal Rounders 2 on the 67-minute CD 1 & 2, which offers abundant proof of its humorous, tongue-in-cheek outlook. These 1963-1964 recordings aren't the work of a group that took itself too seriously -- from Weber's goofy "Mister Spaceman" and Stampfel's quirky "Bound to Lose" to interpretations of Bill Monroe's "Hot Corn, Cold Corn" and Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues," it's clear that the Rounders are having a lot of fun. For those who are seeking something unorthodox from folk and bluegrass, 1 & 2 is highly recommended. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
Read Less
