Confederate Tales: White Mansions And The Legend Of Jesse James (1999 2CD)

The pairing of these two records in a double-CD set, both unusual country-rock concept albums steeped in history from the end of the '70s, is kind of a no-brainer. White Mansions was the better known of the two at the time of their original release, dealing as it does with the history of the American south, and it developed a strong cult following at the time, possibly as a reaction to the success of the television mini-series Roots, and the election of Jimmy Carter (the first Southerner – apart from Woodrow Wilson – to reach the White House since the Civil War). The presence of an all-star cast, including Eric Clapton, Jessi Colter, and Waylon Jennings, and Steve Cash and John Dillon of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils (then near the height of their popularity) didn't hurt. It's also the more raw and basic of the two – though a concept album telling the story of the fall of the southern Confederacy and the culture behind it, it is made up of songs that stand up better on their own, and shows a bracing diversity of styles, ranging from faux-19th century popular music to modern country-rock of a century later. Legend of Jesse James is slicker and smoother, and also seems to make the transition to CD a little better on a technical level. The booklet includes full notes and background on each song, as well as bios on all of the participants and a fascinating account of Paul Kennerley, the English advertising executive whose fascination with American history led to his composing the songs for both albums, and the participation of Glyn Johns as the unifying technical force behind the two productions. The sound is excellent on both discs, and the whole set is well worth more than one listen. And this is the only way to get Legend of Jesse James on CD.  Review by Bruce Eder, Allmusic.com

Disc 1: White Mansions (1978)

01. Jessi Colter - Story To Tell (Preface)
02. Waylon Jennings - Dixie, Hold On
03. John Dillon - Join Around The Flag
04. Steve Cash - White Trash
05. John Dillon & Jessi Colter - The Last Dance & The Kentucky Racehorse
06. Steve Cash - Southern Boys
07. Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter - The Union Mare And The Confederate Grey
08. John Dillon - No One Would Believe A Summer Could Be So Cold
09. Waylon Jennings - The Southland's Bleeding
10. John Dillon - Bring Up The Twelve Pounders
11. John Dillon & Steve Cash with Waylon Jennings - They Laid Waste To Our Land
12. Rodena Preston's 'Voices Of Deliverence' - Praise The Lord
13. Steve Cash - The King Has Called Me Home
14. John Dillon - Bad Man
15. Waylon Jennings - Dixie, Now You're Done

Disc 2: The Legend Of Jesse James (1980)

01. Rodney Crowell, Jody Payne, Levon Helm & Rosanne Cash - Ride Of The Redlegs
02. Levon Helm - Quantrill's Guerillas
03. Johnny Cash - Six Gun Shooting
04. Albert Lee - Have You Heard The News?
05. Emmylou Harris - Heaven Ain't Ready For You Yet
06. Johnny Cash - Help Him, Jesus
07. Charlie Daniels & Levon Helm - The Old Clay County
08. Charlie Daniels - Riding With Jesse James
09. Albert Lee - Hunt Them Down
10. Emmylou Harris - Wish We Were Back In Missouri
11. Levon Helm - Northfield - The Plan
12. Charlie Daniels - Northfield: The Disaster
13. Levon Helm - High Walls
14. Johnny Cash & Levon Helm - The Death Of Me
15. Paul Kennerley - The Plot
16. Levon Helm - One More Shot
17. Paul Kennerley - A Train Robbery

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