Steve Earle And The Del McCoury Band - The Mountain (1999)

On “The Mountain”, Steve Earle has teamed up with one of the very finest bluegrass ensembles around, the Del McCoury Band. The album was a significant departure from Earle's previous work, being the first wholly bluegrass album he had written. Earle made the album as a tribute to the founder of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, who had died in 1996.
All 14 of the songs here were written by Earle, who confesses in the liner notes that his dream is to create a timeless bluegrass classic that will live on like Bill Monroe's "Uncle Pen." Well, he might very well have attained his dream. Each of the songs on The Mountain holds its own particular charm, and there isn't a loser in the bunch. "Carrie Brown" could have come from the very pen of "the father of bluegrass" himself, Monroe, and "Connemara Breakdown" has plenty enough fury to carve its own niche in the bluegrass tree. Outstanding performances from talented artists abound: there are the vocals of Emmylou Harris and Iris DeMent, the Dobro of Jerry Douglas and Gene Wooten, some smoking Sam Bush mandolin, and the fiddle fire of Stuart Duncan, all wrapped around these instant classics and played straight from the heart. Marty Stuart, Gillian Welch, and John Hartford all drop in to embellish the sound as well. Anyone who saw Earle perform with the McCoury Band was anxiously awaiting an album, and with “The Mountain”, the wait is over. The smooth strains of "Pilgrim," with its unparalleled roster of guest artists, fills the room, and everything in the world seems just a little bit happier. Steve Earle has truly gone to the mountain and had his vision quest answered in the unmistakable tones of a Dobro, a banjo, and a guitar. Some good ol' American music, right from the peak of the mountain.
The album was nominated for a 2000 Grammy Award in the "Best Bluegrass Album" category (Earle's seventh Grammy nomination). Two tracks from the album were released as singles in the UK: "Dixieland" (distributed to radio only) and "The Mountain" (a commercial release). A cover of the song The Graveyard Shift is featured on Wanda Jackson's 2012 album Unfinished Business.


01.  Texas Eagle   3:28
02.  Yours Forever Blue  - 2:28
03.  Carrie Brown  - 4:18
04.  I'm Still in Love With You  (Duet with Iris DeMent)  - 4:05
05.  The Graveyard Shift  - 2:37
06.  Harlan Man  - 3:20
07.  The Mountain  - 4:42
08.  Outlaw's Honeymoon  - 2:01
09.  Connemara Breakdown  - 2:17
10.  Leroy's Dustbowl Blues  - 3:04
11.  Dixieland  - 2:56
12.  Paddy on the Beat  - 2:00
13.  Long, Lonesome Highway Blues  - 2:56
14.  Pilgrim  - 5:28

Credits
Guitar, Vocals – Del McCoury
Guitar, Vocals – Steve Earle
Banjo – Robbie McCoury
Bass – Mike Bub
Mandolin, Vocals – Ronnie McCoury
Bass – Mike Bub
Fiddle – Jason Carter
Other [Assisted By] – Patrick Earle
Mixed By – Ronnie McCoury, The Twangtrust
Recorded By – Ray Kennedy
Producer - Steve Earle, Ray Kennedy and Ronnie McCoury
Recorded At – Room & Board Recording
Mastered At – Mastermix
Mastered By – Hank Williams
Photography By – Senor McGuire

Notes
All tracks written by Steve Earle
Art Direction, Design – Brad Talbott
Management – Dan Gillis
Cover, Artwork – Tony Fitzpatrick
Album Duration - 45:40
Genre - Folk Rock, Bluegrass
© 1999 Copyright (c) New West Records, E-Squared