Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Deluxe 40th Anniversary Reissue of Will The Circle Be Unbroken
NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND’S ‘WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN’ REMASTERED FOR
DELUXE 40TH ANNIVERSARY TRIPLE VINYL AND HDTRACKS DIGITAL REISSUE
Seminal 1972 Americana Album’s First-Ever Vinyl Reissue Overseen by the Band, with
New Liner Notes by the Dirt Band’s John McEuen
“With all due respect to the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, it took the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with this album to come up with a merger of rock and country music that worked for both sides and everyone involved.” – Bruce Eder, allmusic.com 22 JANUARY 2013 (Toronto, ON) – The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s seminal 1972 Americana album, Will the Circle be Unbroken, has been remastered from the original analog tapes for a deluxe 40th Anniversary 3LP vinyl and high definition digital HDtracks edition, to be released February 26 by Capitol Nashville/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. Overseen by the band and including a new liner notes essay by the Dirt Band’s John McEuen, the commemorative edition features the original, Platinum-certified triple album on 180-gram vinyl, presented in faithfully restored gatefold packaging with an exclusive poster. The new release, remastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, marks the first-ever vinyl and high definition digital audio reissue of one of Americana’s most influential recordings. Met by international critical acclaim as a modern classic upon its release, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will the Circle be Unbroken features a who’s-who of bluegrass, folk, and blues luminaries as primary and guest artists, including Mother Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Merle Travis, Jimmy Martin, and others. Also featuring compositions by Acuff, Scruggs, Travis, Martin, Hank Williams, and Joni Mitchell, the album crossed genre lines, uniting fans of country and rock music in widespread appreciation. “We were all students of records coming from the bluegrass/folk/blues world, even prior to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s birth in 1966,” writes McEuen in his 40th Anniversary Edition essay. “This mysterious mix of music, culture and generations is what made ‘The Circle’ a possibility.” Recorded live over six consecutive days at Woodland Sound Studios in Nashville, Will the Circle be Unbroken is a timeless feat of studio collaboration, bringing together accomplished country songwriters and musicians from two generations for a cohesive album that is both steeped in tradition and pioneering in its form, ushering in the new Americana style and remaining a font of musical influence to this day. In 2005, the album was selected for the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, joining an esteemed group of essential American recordings which “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." “We’re so grateful for the time we got to spend in the recording studio in Nashville making music with our heroes in 1971. 40 years later it stands among the proudest moments we’ve ever had as a band,” says the Dirt Band’s Jeff Hanna. “We recorded live to two-track,” explains McEuen, “There could be no mixing or overdubs. ‘Get it right the first time, an’ t’hell with the rest of them’ was Roy Acuff’s policy in the studio. With Will the Circle be Unbroken, we are told we all got it right.” Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the Circle be Unbroken (3LP; HDtracks digital: 96/24 and 192/24) LP 1 – Side 1 1. Grand Ole Opry Song 2. Keep On The Sunny Side 3. Nashville Blues 4. You Are My Flower 5. The Precious Jewel 6. Dark As A Dungeon LP 1 – Side 2 1. Tennessee Stud 2. Black Mountain Rag 3. Wreck On The Highway 4. The End Of The World 5. I Saw The Light LP 2 – Side 3 1. Sunny Side Of The Mountain 2. Nine Pound Hammer 3. Losin' You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet) 4. Honky Tonkin' 5. You Don't Know My Mind 6. My Walkin' Shoes LP 2 – Side 4 1. Lonesome Fiddle Blues 2. Cannonball Rag 3. Avalanche 4. Flint Hill Special 5. Togary Mountain 6. Earl's Breakdown 7. Orange Blossom Special 8. Wabash Cannonball LP 3 – Side 5 1. Lost Highway 1a. Doc Watson & Merle Travis: First Meeting (Dialogue) 2. Way Downtown 3. Down Yonder 4. Pins And Needles (In My Heart) 5. Honky Tonk Blues 6. Sailin' On To Hawaii LP 3 – Side 6 1. I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes 2. I Am A Pilgrim 3. Wildwood Flower 4. Soldier's Joy 5. Will the Circle be Unbroken 6. Both Sides Now