(classic rock, country) VA - White Mansions. The Legend of Jesse James (2 CD) - 1999, WavPack (image+.cue), lossless

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White Mansions
This album could only have appeared in the late 1970s -- in the wake of the American Bicentennial, at a point when the White House was occupied by its first southerner in 100 years, and the former Confederacy had regained its pride sufficiently to try and present its side of the Civil War as a basis for mainstream music. White Mansions is a country music equivalent of a TV mini-series, with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, John Dillon and Steve Cash (from the Ozark Mountain Daredevils) singing songs written for specific "roles," telling the story of life in the Confederate States of America during the years 1861-65. It's entertaining and maybe even diverting, even though there's not much to the songs (written by Paul Kennerley). As with projects such as Jeff Wayne's sci-fi rock concept album War of the Worlds, the dramatic "roles" are empty baggage carried by the album. There is some diversity here -- a waltz for "The Last Dance," white blues elsewhere, and ballads, field hollers, and marches (though little here, apart from "The Union Mare & The Confederate Grey," matches the real songs of the period) -- and the album is entertaining, and it's quicker than watching Gone With The Wind and more rewarding, despite some inaccuracies in the background notes (Abraham Lincoln had no intention of abolishing slavery!). The CD mastering is clean, and the performances, especially Colter's, are sincere, as is the mood of sadness that pervades the later sections of the album. In addition to Leadon, Eric Clapton is also present on guitar -- the playing (surprise) is all good. ~Bruce Eder AllMusic
The Legend of Jesse James
A follow-up effort to 1979's White Mansions -- which was also composed by Paul Kennerley and produced by Glyn Johns -- Legend of Jesse James was actually a more sophisticated production, with an equally impressive cast of participants, including Levon Helm, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Charlie Daniels, and Albert Lee, with Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell. The album, of course, tells the tale of the post-Civil War outlaw, with the participants singing material representing various roles out of history and legend, Helm taking the part of Jesse and Cash as his brother Frank. Unlike White Mansions, which had a raw edge to a lot of its content, the material here is rather more sophisticated, in both its arrangements and the approach taken by the performers -- perhaps Kennerley and Johns decided to try for something slightly different on this, their second concept album, or Kennerley's reach naturally extended with his greater experience. But whatever the reason, the production here is gorgeous, and the sounds here -- a little more country-pop than what was heard on White Mansions -- are surprisingly sweet and memorable, ranging across folk, mountain ballads, authentic 19th century popular music, and the best of modern country ballad sounds (circa 1980). None of it is too slick, and the playing is as impressive as the music. The participants all give this some of their best efforts, and the whole record -- which might well be regarded as a cast album without a stage production to go with it -- ends up pretty compelling. Alas, while White Mansions was reissued as a free-standing CD at one point, the only way to get Legend of Jesse James is to get the double-CD set that pairs it with White Mansions, but the investment in the latter is well worth it. ~Bruce Eder AllMusic