Saturday Spins: Soundtracks Vol 2 O Brother, Where Art Thou

One of the things I love most about movies are the soundtracks. Sure, the movies are usually a big part of the draw, but nothing really * makes * a movie much like a good soundtrack and/or score. Sometimes, the music in the film is more memorable than the film itself or the songs and the scenes are so intertwined that when you hear the music, you think of the scene and vice versa. In Vol. 1 of this semi-regular series within the greater Saturday Spinsverse, I discussed the soundtrack to a film about space travel and a homicidal computer. In keeping with the theme of last week’s dual spin, though, Vol. 2 celebrates some so-called Appalachian Music, country, and bluegrass.

O Brother, Where Art Thou

Various

2000

This movie is now old enough to drink, and if you have not seen it yet, I command you to do so. You’ll be able to summarize Homer’s Odyssey better than when you learned about it in middle school. It has Odysseus (George Clooney), the cyclops (John Goodman), Penelope (Holly Hunter), and even the Sirens, to name a few of the corresponding characters. Call it a loose retelling, or in today’s parlance, a “reboot.”

While it is not the best Coen Brothers film, it is right up there in I’d say the top 3.¹ If you disagree with me, I can kindly tell you where to shove it.² If we are talkin’ Coen Brothers soundtracks, O Brother, Where Art Thou is second only to The Big Lebowski. Even that one is pretty close in my book. Now that I got the most flammable portion of this post out of the way, let’s dive into the actual record.

There are actually two versions of this soundtrack in existence, a “deluxe edition” was released for the tenth anniversary of the film in 2010. With that came bonus tracks, but there were mostly made up of cover recordings of songs that were included on the original soundtrack that were not performed for the film itself. All but two were previously unreleased versions. I bought the original version, not the deluxe. I am not even sure the deluxe edition is available on vinyl.³

The artwork is pretty simple, the front cover matching the promotional material for the film itself, while the back cover has a track listing and some photography from the creation of the soundtrack and the film. The cover features the same sepia tint that the film had. The digitally altered color in the film was a first in a film that wasn’t made up of whack-you-over-the-head CGI. Now you can’t go without watching a show or a movie without some kind of digital colorization that fits the mood or sets the tone.⁴

The Soggy Bottom Boys

Of course, we all know and love the most catchy and popular tune from the movie, “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” which is seen 4 different times on the soundtrack, but is only actually two different variations out of five total across soundtrack and movie. The soundtrack also has many other gems, though.

The Soggy Bottom Boys is a purely fictional band, a play on Earl Flat and Lester Scruggs Foggy Mountain Boys, but the song is a reworking of an old bluegrass track that was pretty popular in its own day (1927) entitled “Man of Constant Sorrow.” For the purposes of the film, one of Allison Krauss’ band members, Dan Tyminski, sang the version that is dubbed over George Clooney’s voice. A fun fact about the soundtrack and film version of “In The Jailhouse Now,” actor Tim Blake Nelson sang his own parts.

Anyway, rather than cover each version of “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” one for each side with very negligible differences, start your listening off right here.

Side 1

Right off the bat, we have an oddity from the Lomax musical catalog. “Po Lazarus” was recorded by Alan Lomax at a Mississippi prison sometime in the 1950s. James Carter is the only person credited, but the song is sung by a group in time with the chopping of wood. You know, hard prison labor. Pretty wild stuff. Carter was eventually tracked down and paid a significant royalty and was given credit on the album. After that is one of my favorite tracks on the album, “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” It was first recorded in 1928 and I like to think it is a predecessor to Merle Haggard’s “Rainbow Stew.”

O Brother, Where Art Thou uses “You Are My Sunshine” in the same way it was used in real life, by a politician. That politician, Jimmie Davis, actually wrote it! It was performed on the soundtrack by singer/songwriter, Norman Blake. The politician in the film is Pappy O’Daniel who is loosely based on the real Pappy O’Daniel, but for purposes of this film, we’ll just call him Zeus. Finally, the amazing Allison Krauss sings the traditional gospel song, “Down to the River to Pray.”

Side 2

Somewhere along the way, Ulysses Everett McGill and his compatriots (Ithacan Soldiers) meet Tommy Johnson, who like Robert Johnson, went down to the crossroads and sold his soul to the devil. All for some guitar playin’ talent. He performs the song “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues,” which was originally written by delta blues singer, Skip James. He does it justice, in my opinion. After the in-film radio cut of “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” another one of my favorite tracks, “Keep on the Sunnyside” is performed by The Whites, an obscurish country-gospel group.

The last two tracks are “I’ll Fly Away” and “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby,” which feature Allison Krauss, Gillian Welch, and the great Emmylou Harris. Welch has a small role in the film as a patron of a store looking for a copy of the Soggy Bottom Boys latest record. Of those two songs, I am partial to “I’ll Fly Away.”

Side 3

This side contains a few of the darker tracks on the soundtrack like “O Death” and “I am Weary (Let Me Rest).” The former is masterfully performed by the great Ralph Stanley. There is also an instrumental variation of “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow.” However, the best track on side 3 is hands down Tim Blake Nelson’s rendition of “In The Jailhouse Now.”

Side 4

After another fantastic take on “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” there is one more upbeat instrumental track called “Indian War Whoop.” It is pretty good and helps uplift the listener before you get whacked with the traditional dirge, “Lonesome Valley.” Despite the sadness and dread one feels from listening to “Lonesome Valley,” it is still a great song. Finally, the O Brother, Where Art Thou album ends with the Stanley Brothers variation on the 19th century gospel hymn, “Angel Band.” A fitting coda to an excellent soundtrack and film.

1. 1. The Big Lebowski; 2. O Brother, Where Art Thou; 3. Fargo.
2. 4. No Country for Old Men; 5. tie between True Grit and Raising Arizona.
3. Too lazy to check, to be honest.
4. Ozark, for example.