Alison Krauss!

[Chris D]

In keeping with other threads, I want album recommendations besides Raising Sand.

What are the best ones?

[Occasional Hope]

It depends what you're looking for, as her work varies quite a bit. I'll post tomorrow with my favourites - I'm feeling a bit stressed at the moment.

[Drew]

I like "Lonely Runs Both Ways" the best. The "Hundred Miles Or More" collection is the worst in my opinion... I wasn't much of a fan of that at all.

[Matt B]

If you want a good, succinct retrospective of her early stuff, she has a collection on Rounder called "Now That I Found You: A Collection" from 1994. It was released when she was VERY popular with her "When You Say Nothing At All" single and when she scored the "Horizon Award," Female Vocalist, single of the year for the song mentioned above and "event of the year" for her duet "Somewhere In the Vicinity Of The Heart" with Shenandoah. Oh, that record sold 2 million copies as well, her most successful album before Raising sand.

Her 'solo' stuff like "Forget About It" and the album "Lonely Runs Both Ways" are favorites of mine as well.

[Occasional Hope]

I'll second the recommendation for Now That I've Found You - it does bring together some of the best of her early work, and it includes the wonderful When You Say Nothing At All, which I think is only otherwise available on the Keith Whitley tribute.

My favourites of her original albums are, in no order:
I've Got That Old Feeling, from 1990 - I think this is the culmination of her early style, with a very good set of songs.
So Long So Wrong from 1997 - my favourite of her mature period, with some excellent songs and vocal performances.
I Know Who Holds Tomorrow (with the Cox Family) (1994) - Alison is only on lead on a few of the songs, but there are some lovely harmonies and it's beautiful bluegrass gospel if you like that.

Lonely Runs Both Ways is the one I like best from the last few years, but I haven't enjoyed her direction so much lately.

[TenPoundHammer]

For some reason, I just can't really get into Alison Krauss. All I've ever heard from her is ballads, ballads, ballads (well, except her interesting take on "Missing You" and its even more interesting chart run).