Seldom Scene Albums

[renoyd]

Seldom Scene made quite a few albums. I would like to ask if folks might have some suggestions on which of these might be classified as favorites or "must haves", especially from the mandolin perspective, of course! Thanks.

[dcoventry]

The 20th Anniversary double CD is a GEM. The first CD has guests and traditional songs. The SECOND CD just rips it up starting with Breaking New Ground. Duffy is in high gear and Lou Reid is at peak form....playing his third best instrument!!

Also, Live at the Cellar Door is a must have. Duffy doing If I were a Carpenter will make you shed a tear.

[Timbofood]

Agree on the "Cellar door" album, "Old Train" is another. Oh, "Act, 1,2,3"
I see a pattern

[AlanN]

All are great, for different reasons. I'm partial to Act II, with so many great songs, vocals, playing. I was hanging with my pal Akira Otsuka, a Seldom Scene guy if there ever was one. We talked about this very thing. He is partial to Old Train. Act IV, the first with Phil Rosenthal on guitar, is also very great.

[f5joe]

They are all "must haves" imho.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Best thing to ever come out of Bethesda. Even though that's not saying much, I say get em all. But if you're only going to get one, as dcoventry said, the 20th anniversary CD is great.

[Steve Sorensen]

Your music collection ain't no part of nuthin' if you don't have --

Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Act 4, Old Train, and Live At the Cellar Door.

Steve

[Buck]

The Seldom Scene was (and is) best live. So, if you're starting from scratch, Cellar Door, 20th Anniversary, 15th Anniversary. Scenechronized is my favorite album of the post-Duffy lineup.

[Jeroen]

I can't choose between AlanN and Akira Otsuka: Act 2 and Old Train are my favorites. I love John Starling's singing.

[Eric F.]

Cellar Door is probably my favorite, though Acts I, II and III are mighty fine. Actually, yeah, just get them all.

Oh man, Bethesda back then. ... As a teenager I lived a few blocks from the Red Fox Inn. The Seldom Scene, Emmylou Harris and Nils Lofgren's band, Grin, were regulars. What a scene.

[re simmers]

Baptizing is a good one. Starling and Rosenthal are both on there.
After Midnight is outstanding. Tom Gray's bass line on the title track is in a separate category from all other bass lines.
Also, At The Scene is a sleeper, and includes Open up the Window Noah.

Bob

[tiltman]

Personally, I like the current line up vocally the best of all. I thought that Starling and Rosenthal were a bit weak and folky sounding...although no one can top John Duffy!
Scene It All is one of my favorite albums.
Dream Scene is awesome because it has Duffy and Dudley Connell together.
Scenechronized is good too.

I'd probably just go ahead and get them all...



Kirk

[jim simpson]

I like them all but Scenic Roots is my favorite.

[Andy B]

"Live At The Cellar Door" and "Old Train" capture the original Scene at its absolute peak (both recorded in 1974). John Starling is one of my favorite singers and these two recordings have some fine singing (and songwriting--"He Rode All The Way To Texas" is a nice song about the healing power of music). And they could pick, too. John Duffy remains a distinctive original, instantly identifiable on mandolin and vocals, and Mike Auldridge's dobro sings like nobody else's.

[Timbofood]

I thought John said, "This was written by a man I don't know, Willie P. Bennett" or is that another song?
A mind is a terrible thing to misplace!

[dcoventry]

I have heard it said that the Scene sound was most consistently defined by the Banjo of Ben Eldridge. I don't know if I agree or not, but it's an interesting opinion to say the least.

[dcoventry]

One more thing:

In January of 1992, I saw an add for the Seldom Scene playing at the Great American Music Hall. I had not heard of them, but I went to 3 or 4 shows a week at the GAMH, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

I go to the show, bring my taping rig, get a great table close to the stage and have about 4 beers, anchor steam to be exact.

The show kicks off and they are raging out of the gate. After the first 30 minutes, I think, "Hey, these guys realize they are in SF and are tipping their hat to the Grateful Dead by playing Dark Hollow, Sittin' on Top of the World, In the Pines, Midnight Hour, Baby Blue."

Breaking New Ground to open the second set was a MOMENT. Lou Reid is a bad, bad man.

What a cool band!

I get home, wake my wife up, pop the tape in and she's listens in amazement.

[J.Albert]

I’d like to tell you about a Seldom Scene album that you -don’t- have.

Back around 1995, almost all the members and former members of the band did a New Year’s Eve show at The Birchmere. Performers included John Duffey, Ben Eldridge, Mike Auldridge, T. Michael Coleman, Moondi Klein, John Starling, Tom Gray, Lou Reid, Jimmy Gaudreau, Ronnie Simpkins, Fred Travers. There were also songs by Chesapeake (hence J. Gaudreau).

It appears to have been very-well-recorded (I wonder if it was done so for a possible release), and a 3-CD collection of the performance found it’s way to usenet (a.b.sounds.mp3.bluegrass) around October of ’07.

To find it, you’ll need a usenet account that includes the binary groups and goes that far back as far as “post retention” is concerned. But it’s there.

This show may have found its way to the surface elsewhere, but I’ve given you the details you need above.

I believe the title is, “Past, Present And Future” …

[Andy B]

The Willie P. Bennett song on the "Cellar Door" LP is called "White Line," also a great song.

[Frank Russell]

"John Duffy, Always in Style" is one of my favorites, in addition to all the above albums. Frank

[Timbofood]

Thanks Andy, that's the one! Great song!

[jim simpson]

This one features some nice Seldom Scene:

http://www.amazon.com/Bluegrass-The-.../dp/B000000EY5

[AlanN]

This one features some nice Seldom Scene:

http://www.amazon.com/Bluegrass-The-.../dp/B000000EY5

Indeed, it does. I have the vinyl, bought back in the day. Also, Tony Rice in his prime.

[Jim Hilburn]

Surprised "The New Seldom Scene Album" hasn't been mentioned. It's always been my favorite.
If that's the way you feel, Easy Ride, song for life, and California Earthquake with Linda Ronstadt are all great, but the whole album is first rate.