Steam Powered Aereo-Takes
Following years of ups and downs at RCA, John Hartford moved to Warner  Brothers in 1971. Working with fiddlerVassar Clements,  guitaristNorman Blake,  and Dobro playerTut  Taylor, Hartford found his creative muse on the landmark progressive  bluegrass albumAereo-Plain, issued in  1972. Hartford's quirky humor was the focus, but his deep love for traditional  music served as a framework. This entrancing, occasionally off-center collection  assembles selected demos, alternate takes, and unreleased material (including  Taylor and Blake instrumentals) from those sessions. While he credibly tackled  oldies such as "Where the Old Red River Flows" and Jimmie Skinner's "Doin' My  Time," Hartford's originals made the difference. "Don't Ever Take Your Eyes off  the Game, Babe," "Howard Hughes Blues," and "Strange Old Man" were good enough  for release at the time. His fearlessness even extended to such obvious duds as  the inane pun ditty "Emanuel Cant" and the ponderous "Blame It on Joann."  However, hearing a take of "Boogie," his famous guttural chant fromAereo-Plain, dissolve into coughing and laughter can't help but bring a smile.--Rich Kienzle