Coal * by Kathy Mattea (CD, Apr-2008, Captain Potato)

Coal gets down to Kathy Mattea's roots. The culture of coal is one of pathos. First in the gut wrenching labor and health costs of mining, and now as the mines close and people are forced into abject poverty. The ballads are deeply beautiful and full of emotion. I love this CD and bought it to give as a gift after attending a performance by Kathy Mattea.

Well, this is a very personal album Kathy Mattea has recorded. It's a tribute to all the men, not just to her ancestors, who worked and died hard in the mines. But it's a tribute to the families at home who never know if their beloved ones will come home safe and alive. She tells about the very hard, often death bringing work in the coal mines. It's Kathy as country music fans know and love her: Straight, true and sad. But this time not really funny. For me it is hard to pick a fave of the songs. I guess I like them all equally. But nevertheless, there is one tune that real country music fans know from a classic album: "Dark As A Dungeon" from the very first, legendary "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" album.

If you like old time twangy music about coal mining, you will love this CD. We lived in West Virginia for awhile so we could really appreciate some of the songs.