1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #3 Louvin Brothers - Tragic Songs Of Life (1956)

LOUVIN BROTHERS - TRAGIC SONGS OF LIFE

Track Listing: (standout tracks in bold
1. Kentucky
2. I'll Be All Smiles Tonight
3. Let Her Go, God Bless Her
4. What Is Home Without Love
5. Tiny Broken Heart
6. In the Pines
7. Alabama
8. Katie Dear
9. My Brother's Will
10. Knoxville Girl
11. Take the News to Mother
12. Mary of the Wild Moor

While definitely not my cup of tea, this is some collection of numbers that span the dark end of the emotional spectrum from nostalgia to heartbreak all the way into murder. While on the surface some of these songs may seem exaggerated, Charlie and Ira bring an honest sound to the tunes. It wouldn't be hard for an album like Tragic Songs of Life to seem either morbid or comical, instead, these are 12 stories of the tragedies that touch every life, and there's a compassion in their performances that's moving. That said - this was still a tough listen and hard to sit through all of as their voices tend to just grate on the nerves.

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ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 18:
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