Corn River

Corn River
Studio album by Blood Oranges
Released	1990
Genre	Rock, bluegrass, country
Label	East Side Digital
Producer	Paul Q. Kolderie [1]
Blood Oranges chronology
Corn River (1990) Lone Green Valley (1992)

Corn River is the debut album by the American band Blood Oranges, released in 1990. ^{[2] [3]} The album is a mixture of country/bluesgrass covers and originals penned by Jim Ryan and Cheri Knight, who also share the vocal duties. The band supported the album with a North American tour. ^[4] Their arrangement of "High on a Mountaintop" served as the basis for Marty Stuart's version. ^[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Alternative Rock	5/10 [1]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[7]

The Boston Globe said that Corn River "is a stunner—glowing with male/ female harmonies reminiscent of Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris duets, along with some country rock and overdrive mandolin that make this a crossover marvel." ^[8] The Rocket noted that it "covers a lot of ground, without inconsistencies or misbegotten attempts at clever diversity." ^[9] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch called the band "the only effective rock/bluegrass fusion band around." ^[10] The Winston-Salem Journal labeled the music "a delightful, almost surreal hybrid of hillbilly hoedowns, Anglo-style folk and the sort of rural rock 'n' roll identified with the Band." ^[11]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Pounding Pipes"		2:45
2.	"Heart of Mud"		2:46
3.	"Baby Down"		2:34
4.	"Shady Grove"	Traditional, Arr. by Blood Oranges	2:50
5.	"Little Maggie"		2:46
6.	"Thief"		3:51
7.	"High on a Mountaintop"		3:39
8.	"Racehorse"		2:42
9.	"Dig a Hole"		2:30
10.	"Houseboat"		3:21
11.	"Incinerator"		2:51
12.	"Western Man"		3:26
13.	"Time Takes Away"		4:16

References

1. Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. Miller Freeman Books. p. 783.
2. Reilly, John E. (December 20, 1990). "Around the Horn". Daily Hampshire Gazette. p. 23.
3. Karas, Matty (May 10, 1991). "Roots Weekend Recipe". Asbury Park Press. p. B3.
4. Racine, Marty (August 1, 1991). "Pop music picks". Houston. Houston Chronicle. p. 3.
5. Schinder, Scott. "Blood Oranges". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
6. "Corn River Review by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
7. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (2nd ed.). Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 646.
8. Morse, Steve (December 14, 1990). "Of more immediate appeal...". Arts and Film. The Boston Globe. p. 63.
9. McCaughey, Scott (January 1991). "Searchin' USA". The Rocket. No. 135. p. 26.
10. Pick, Steve (March 8, 1991). "From Funk to Bluegrass-Rock Fusion". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4F.
11. Bumgardner, Ed (July 26, 1991). "Tangerine Dreams". Winston-Salem Journal. p. 34.