This Side (Remastered) Nickel Creek

• 1Smoothie Song03:21
• 2Spit On A Stranger02:35
• 3Speak04:01
• 4Hanging By A Thread04:07
• 5I Should've Known Better04:28
• 6This Side03:33
• 7Green And Gray03:37
• 8Seven Wonders04:10
• 9House Carpenter05:31
• 10Beauty And The Mess02:52
• 11Sabra Girl04:04
• 12Young03:30
• 13Brand New Sidewalk04:17
• Total Runtime50:06

Info for This Side (Remastered)

Grammy-Winning Folk-Roots Masterwork: Newly Remastered and Available for the First Time Ever on HIGHRESAUDIO.

An inimitable merger of pop hooks, bluegrass craft, virtuosic musicianship, and unbeatable acoustic sounds, 2002's This Side is the Grammy-winning sophomore record from the bluegrass/progressive folk trio Nickel Creek. Produced by mentor Alison Krauss, as was the group's 1999 breakthrough predecessor Nickel Creek, This Side finds permanent members Chris Thile (mandolin), Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar) expanding their sound and becoming the most original and inventive bluegrass band of modern times in the process.

The Absolute Sound's Neil Gader captured the group's appeal, stating: "The charm of this Southern Cal-based band stems from its fresh challenge to our preconceptions of homespun musical genres like folk and bluegrass—Nickel Creek simultaneously honors old-world traditions while respinning them with contemporary country-pop hooks and hill-country accents. Here, the echoes of bluegrass legends Flatt & Scruggs and The Dillards rub shoulders with those of the Beatles and Eagles. With Sara Watkins on violin and Sean Watkins on guitar (both sing lead as well), Nickel Creek offers crisp ensemble playing, but it’s Chris Thile’s mandolin virtuosity and quirky singing that puts the caffeine in the coffee and keeps it percolating." Highlights include a cover of Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger" and originals "Speak" and "Beauty and the Mess."

The production values are exceptionally high, reflecting the intense musicality of producer and iconic "newgrass" artist Alison Krauss. The instrumental envelope, acoustic properties, rich body, and vocal presence on this pressing need to be experienced by every fan of acoustic music, Americana, and folk. These newly remastered Nickel Creek LP pressings blow the great-sounding SACD counterparts away. In addition, the gatefold packing looks incredible.

"This Side, Nickel Creek's sophomore release, finds bandmembers Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins out of their teens and into their twenties after playing together for 12 years. The southern California band's self-titled debut received wide critical acclaim for welding jazz, rock, and classical music to a bluegrass base. But This Side solidifies Nickel Creek's position as the single most original and inventive bluegrass band to emerge in the early '00s. Hardcore bluegrass fans wary of experimentation or even progressive bluegrass may scoff at this claim. But, when it comes down to it, the gorgeous, open production by Alison Krauss gives Nickel Creek's guitars, mandolins, and fiddles the space to dance through sparkling and genuine arrangements. Covers of everything from Pavement's rollicking Terror Twilight highlight, "Spit on a Stranger," to Carrie Newcomer's scathing folk "Should've Known Better" to the traditional "House Carpenter" are given elegant and unique twists. Plus, Thile and the Watkins siblings' originals, like the sleepy, subtle "Speak" and the darker "Beauty and the Mess," easily outdo the likes of folk-rockers Dave Matthews and Hootie & the Blowfish, while forging a new style to rejuvenate a genre that has always been a bit of a dark horse. It's decidedly more pop than post-rock-gone-folk outfits like Papa M, David Grubbs, Palace, and Miighty Flashlight, and lacks the rock & roll flash of Ryan Adams. But Nickel Creek's music is endlessly rewarding nonetheless, and accessible to just about everyone." (Charles Spano, AMG)

Nickel Creek

Produced by Alison Krauss

Digitally remastered

Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek's talented trio consists of Chris Thile and siblings Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins. The Watkins first met Thile at mandolin lessons, where they shared the same music teacher. Sean, the oldest of the three, was only 12 years old when they first met, and the Watkins and Thile formed an immediate friendship that ultimately grew into an incredibly successful musical career. This Southern California band first performed at a local pizza shop in Carlsbad, California, and went on to play at numerous bluegrass festivals throughout the country. Eventually, all three children became homeschooled to accommodate their busy touring schedule.

With Chris on the mandolin, Sara on the fiddle, and Sean on the guitar, the three talented young performers attracted significant attention from critics and fans alike. Few people had ever seen such young artists perform bluegrass instruments with such finesse and ease as the young members of Nickel Creek. They released two albums early on in their career: Little Cowpoke (1993) and Here to There (1997), but it wasn't until the group met Alison Krauss that their career really took off. The trio met Alison Krauss at one of their shows, and when they invited her to produce one of their albums, she happily accepted. The self-titled album went on to be the band's most critically acclaimed record, even earning them two Grammy nominations: one for Best Bluegrass Album and one for Best Country Instrumental.

In May of 2000, TIME magazine honored Nickel Creek by naming them one of the "Five Music Innovators of the Millennium". Suddenly, Nickel Creek had achieved major mainstream success, eventually earning a Grammy Award for This Side (2002), another album produced by Alison Krauss. Rolling Stone went on to feature the band in their "Best of 2002" magazine edition. For everyone in the music industry, there's no doubt that Nickel Creek has earned their reputation for one of the best bluegrass acoustic groups around. With so much critical acclaim and praise under their belts, this trio has solidified their place in music as a creative and talented force. And they sure do know how to put on an incredible show, too! Make sure that you get to see this phenomenal bluegrass group perform live and grab your tickets to one of their upcoming shows on StubHub today!

Since the start of their career, Nickel Creek has released six studio albums and eight singles. Some of their most popular singles include "When You Come Back Down", "The Lighthouse's Tale", and "This Side". They also collaborated with Dolly Parton on her hit 2001 single, "Shine". Their self-titled debut record peaked at number 13 on the US country and went on to be certified platinum. Nickel Creek has undoubtedly become one of the biggest names in bluegrass, and with their phenomenal repertoire of tracks, their concerts are always fun and dance-inducing. So don't miss out and grab your Nickel Creek concert tickets on StubHub as soon as possible!

This album contains no booklet.