Search - Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder: Soldier of the Cross - The Concert on DVD

Top-flight bluegrass gospel, with beautiful picking & vocals

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 11/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's possible that at this point in his life, bandleader Ricky Skaggs has done more to promote old-fashioned bluegrass gospel than practically anyone else alive, other than his old mentor, Dr. Ralph Stanley. This concert DVD captures Skaggs and his band, Kentucky Thunder, in fine form, performing top-flight versions of many standards of the genre and several new tunes that he has contributed in recent years. The "high lonesome" vocal harmony tunes are the sublime, although the picking is pretty darn hot, as well. In addition to his various hotshot bandmembers -- multi-instrumentalists Jim Roll, Andy Leftwich, et al. -- Skaggs also plays host to several soulful guest performers, including his wife, Sharon White and her family, The Whites, who can throw on a mean harmony or two themselves, if they put their minds to it. The songs are interspersed with commentary by Ricky, about his faith, family and friends. In general, this material shouldn't too noxious to secular-minded bluegrass fans, since the performances themselves are both skillfully filmed and spine-tinglingy resonant. If you are of a resolutely agnostic or atheistic bent, though, then best to leave this one be... Ricky's born again envangelicism will probably get on your nerves. Anyone who likes Ricky on either his religious or musical merits, though, will love this: it's quite a nice concert!"

Good but not great

Mike | Mathews,VA | 07/18/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I had a few skipping problems with this dvd but they seem to have gone away. It is very good but it just isnt great. There is plenty of other way better bluegrass dvd's avalible out there. And before you buy this one i would get some other bluegrass dvd like "High Lonesome" All Star Bluegrass Celebration, or The Three Pickers.

Mike in Virginia"

3 DVDs from 2 different stores had serious defects, be wary!

wolfindmist | Pacific Northwest | 01/19/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"We could not get this DVD to play correctly with three different copies on two different machines. Copy 1 did not play at all.
Copy 2 and 3 only worked if you fast forwarded through the beginnings of each song in the concert set. This is a big headache and disappointment as well. If buying this "Soldier of the Cross" album I would recommend buying from a source that will allow you to return a defective DVD for your money back if all their copies had the same manufacturing defect in them. It seems there is at least one bad "lot batch" out there of this product at this time. It is unfortunate as the album would probably be great if you can get it to play well enough to watch and enjoy.Enuff said."