179. The Dobro

My mate Paul gave me a load of music off his computer recently, and I'm working my way slowly through it as I sit on the underground and wend my way to work. I have got a bit stuck, though, on Alison Krauss and Union Station.

I know. But what can I do? My heart is moved, so my brain must follow.

So there's Alison, who's a bit funny lookin' if you ask me but sings as clear and pure as the proverbial lark. And then there's Dan Tyminski who's a dude. Then there's a load of beardy-weirdy muso types. And then there's the dobro. The dobro, for those what don't kno, is the twangy guitar. Yes, that is a technical term. It's a sliding steel guitar or something. Whatevs, it goes great on these toons.

So on 'The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn' (a favourite) the dobro does lots of twanging over Dan singing plangently (is this possible? Ed.) about the silly boy who was too lazy to hoe his corn, got rejected by the good farmer lady next door, and ended up telling her that she'll rue the day. Rue the day, I tell you! It's a serious business, this hoeing. Fuck with it at your peril.

Twang.

You'll know the sound I mean if you have ever,
a) listened consciously to any bluegrass music, or
b) watched O Brother, Where Art Thou

If you haven't done either, then you need to do both RIGHT NOW (you'll do a while doing b in a two for one type deal) and don't speak to me until it's done.