---

---

V/A - Down From The Mountain

(Momentum Pictures MP-122D) 2000

---

Following on from the success of the Coen Brothers film 'Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?' and in particular it's platinum selling soundtrack album, a live concert was organised as a benefit for the Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum in Nashville, Tn. The show, which took place at the Ryman Auditorium on 24th May 2000, included several of the artists providing music for the movie, with Ralph performing O Death and leading all the show's musicians on Angel Band, the show's finale.

The 'Down From The Mountain' film by Nick Doob, Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker captures this concert performance, with additional footage of the preparations / rehearsals and interviews with many of the musicians and T Bone Burnett. Ralph is also shown being interviewed on WSM Radio, having been recently inducted into the Opry just four months prior.^[1]

The DVD will obviously please fans of the original film / soundtrack, though it's a bit weird that Man Of Constant Sorrow, the 'key' song from from the film, is excluded... The introduction does feature the Stanley Brother's Sept 1959 version (released on King 5269) but that is unfortunately sped up by 7%. I presume that the song was sung on the night, as Dan Tyminiski is also briefly included singing Man Of Constant Sorrow at rehearsal on the 'Special Features' 2-DVD version of 'Oh Brother',^[2] but the abscence of the song from the actual concert is a bit disappointing.

Music from the show was also released on a 'Down from The Mountain' CD (Lost Highway 170 221-2), but this regretably omits all of Ralph's material, though there is a picture of him leading the Angel Band finale, and he's mentioned quite a few times in the liner notes...

The film also includes an excerpt of Dream Of A Miner's Child from The Legendary Stanley Brothers Recorded Live, Vol. 1 during an interview with Gillian Welch; while both 'Down From The Mountain' and 'Inside Look: Down From The Mountain' "making-of" include part of Clinch Mountain Backstep from the Pete Seeger Rainbow Quest TV show.

^{[1] Ralph was inducted into the Opry 15th Jan 2000.
[2] In the 18:24 documentary extra 'Inside Look: Down From The Mountain', which was included on the 'Special Edition Widescreen' 2xDVD edition of 'Oh Brother' (Momentum Pictures MP014DS) 2000.}