Cuttin' Grass, Vol. 2: The Cowboy Arms Sessions

by Sturgill Simpson

Overview

Arriving two months after the first volume, Cuttin' Grass, Vol. 2: The Cowboy Arms Sessions is cut from the same cloth as its predecessor -- it is largely devoted to Sturgill Simpson revisiting his catalog, reinterpreting his songs as straight bluegrass -- yet it is a distinct album in its own right. Some of this is due to Simpson recording at a different studio this time -- at the Cowboy Arms Hotel, a Nashville institution founded by "Cowboy" Jack Clement -- but much of it is due to Simpson choosing to focus on "personal" songs, many first unveiled on the Grammy-winning 2016 LP A Sailor's Guide to Earth. These tunes weather bluegrass interpretations very well, often sounding as if they were designed to be played this way, and they're buttressed with a clutch of earlier songs, including a revival of the rousing "You Can Have the Crown" and the unreleased high lonesome "Tennessee." The highlight of this batch is "Hobo Cartoon," a song Simpson wrote years ago with Merle Haggard, a wistful bit of nostalgia that functions as a passing of the torch of sorts. It all adds up to a soulful and absorbing record, one that plays off the strengths of the Butcher Shoppe Sessions and deepens the entire bluegrass revisions project. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/02/2021
Label:	High Top / High Top Mountain / Thirty Tigers
UPC:	0787790344155
Rank:	56805

Tracks

1. Call to Arms
2. Brace for Impact (Live a Little)
3. Oh Sarah
4. Sea Stories
5. Hero
6. Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)
7. Jesus Boogie
8. Keep It Between the Lines
9. You Can Have the Crown
10. Tennessee
11. Some Days
12. Hobo Cartoon

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sturgill Simpson   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Mark Howard   Guitar (Rhythm),Guitar,Vocals
Scott Vestal   Vocals,Banjo
Stuart Duncan   Fiddle,Vocals
Mike Bub   Bass
Tim O'Brien   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Sierra Hull   Vocals,Mandolin
Miles Miller   Vocals,Percussion

Technical Credits

Ora Simpson   Executive Producer
Richard Dodd   Mastering
Merle Haggard   Composer
David Ferguson   Producer
Sean Sullivan   Engineer
Sturgill Simpson   Composer
Semi Song   Photography
Rex Runyeon   Artwork