''Steam Powered Aereo-Takes'' is a collection of outtakes, demos and jam-sessions from John Hartford's groundbreaking 1971 album ''

Aereo-Plain ''Aereo-Plain'' is a 1971 studio album by American bluegrass singer-songwriter and instrumentalist John Hartford. It reached number 193 on The Billboard 200 chart. Background The music on ''Aereo-Plain'' is a blend of traditional bluegrass musi ...

'', released in 2002. The music is a blend of traditional bluegrass musicianship, and the

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spirit of the '70s. The other members of the Aereo-Plain Band were Norman Blake,

Vassar Clements Vassar Carlton Clements (April 25, 1928 – August 16, 2005) was an American jazz, Swing music, swing, and Bluegrass music, bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borro ...

Tut Taylor Robert Arthur "Tut" Taylor Sr. (November 20, 1923 – April 9, 2015) was an American bluegrass musician. Taylor played banjo and mandolin as a child, and began playing dobro at age 14, learning to use the instrument with a distinctive flat-pick ...

, and

Randy Scruggs Randy Lynn Scruggs (August 3, 1953 – April 17, 2018) was an American music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13. He won four Grammy Awards and was named Musician of the Year at the Country Music ...

.Hote, Ky. 2002. Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange review of ''Steam Powered Aereo-Takes''.
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History

Hartford and the members of the Aereo-Plain Band recorded ''Aereo-Plain'', a blend of traditional bluegrass musicianship, and the

spirit of the '70s. The album has been called the forerunner of the genre now known as "

Newgrass Bluegrass music is a Music genre, genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe, Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Bluegrass has r ...

". The recording was done in informal jam sessions that created some 80-plus reels of tape. The tracks featured here are song sketches, outtakes, demos, impromptu jams, and goofing-off. Music critic Zac Johnson wrote that "If the sessions that were used on Aereo-Plain became the ''

Revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...

'' of the progressive bluegrass movement, this disc is more like the ''

White Album ''The Beatles'', commonly referred to as the White Album, is the ninth studio album and only double album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 22 November 1968. Featuring a plain white sleeve, the cover contains no graphics or te ...

'' or maybe ''

Let It Be Let It Be most commonly refers to: * ''Let It Be'' (album), the Beatles' final studio album, released in 1970 * "Let It Be" (song), the title song from the album Let It Be may also refer to: Film and television * ''Let It Be'' (1970 film), ...

''."

Reception

Writing for

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, critic Zac Johnson wrote "The song ideas are there, but they feel looser and more free, with each of the performers playing with ideas and song structures, fiddling with things when they don't work, and milking them when they click." Rick Bell of Country Standard Time wrote "Its historical value can't be denied, yet much of it sounds as fresh and innovative today as it must have 30 years ago. Aereoplane offered up several dandy instrumentals and traditional numbers during their short time together... arguably the best among a career of sometimes offbeat, but never dull music."

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Hartford; except where indicated #"Where the Old Red River Flows" (Jimmie Davis) – 3:07 #"Ruff and Ready" (

) – 1:51 #"Blame It on Joann" – 3:12 #"The Vamp from Back in the Goodle Days" – 4:41 #"Emanuel Cant" – 1:44 #"Bad Music (Is Better Than No Music at All)" (Tut Taylor) – 4:32 #"Dig a Hole" (Traditional) – 4:14 #"Presbyterian Guitar" – 2:03 #"Strange Old Man" – 1:40 #"Lady Jane" – 2:43 #"Oasis" (Tut Taylor) – 3:31 #"Because of You" – 1:10 #"Morning Bugle" – 3:28 #"John Henry" (Traditional) – 1:44 #"Doin' My Time" ( Jimmie Skinner) – 3:06 #"Keep on Truckin'" – 2:46 #"Don't Ever Take Your Eyes Off the Game, Babe" – 3:28 #"Howard Hughes Blues" – 3:01

Personnel

John Hartford John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kn ...

- banjo, guitar, violin, vocals * Norman Blake - guitar, mandolin, vocals *

- violin, cello, viola, vocals *

- dobro, vocals *

- bass, vocals

Production

*Producer: David Bromberg *Recording Engineer: Warren Dewey/Claude Hill *Mixing: Toby Mountain *Art Direction: Susan Marsh *Photography: Peter Amft *Liner notes: Bob Carlin

References

{{Authority control 2002 albums John Hartford albums Rounder Records albums Warner Records albums 2000s demo albums