In a way, it seems to make little sense to call the Seldom Scene "the Seldom Scene," because only one member -- banjoist Ben Eldridge -- is an original member; furthermore, while the band has retained certain characteristics over the last 30 years (the Dobro, for instance), there is no resemblance to the Starling/Duffey-led band of the '70s. Having said that, a name is just a name, and only worth as much as the members under its banner. In this sense, the Seldom Scene are blessed with a superb lineup, including Eldridge, ...
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In a way, it seems to make little sense to call the Seldom Scene "the Seldom Scene," because only one member -- banjoist Ben Eldridge -- is an original member; furthermore, while the band has retained certain characteristics over the last 30 years (the Dobro, for instance), there is no resemblance to the Starling/Duffey-led band of the '70s. Having said that, a name is just a name, and only worth as much as the members under its banner. In this sense, the Seldom Scene are blessed with a superb lineup, including Eldridge, Dobroist Fred Travers, guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Ronnie Simpkins, mandolinist Lou Reid, and guitarist Dudley Connell; they also meet the band's legacy head-on, revisiting Duffey and Ann Hill's "Don't Bother with White Satin." These guys play and sing well together, delivering charged performances of Steve Earle's "Hometown Blues" and a well-wrought version of John Fogerty's "A Hundred and Ten in the Shade." There's also a nice take on Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow Is a Long Time." These guys are professionals through and through, which means they always sound good; the flip side of this professionalism, however, is a predictable veneer that smoothes over all things emotional. The band ends the album with the joyfully old-fashioned (and sexist) "Too Bad You're No Good," and Scenechronized would have benefited from more nonsense like this (sans the sexism). Fans who loved the original lineup of the Seldom Scene may carp that much has changed, but the music is still a notch above most of the contemporary bluegrass out there. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi
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