Would you like a CD with your fries?
The latest trend in the music world is to have an exclusive album only available at a certain chain of stores; Starbucks released a Ray Charles disc and Hallmark sold a Valentine's Day-themed release from Martina McBride. Now Cracker Barrel Old Country store is getting in on the action, and they are getting down to the basics of American music with their own collections that include bluegrass, country, gospel, and western swing artists, in addition to other American legends like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.


Cracker Barrel releases Alison Krauss and Union Station CD
Alison Krauss and Union Station have teamed up with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store to provide hand-picked favorites to be used on an exclusive compact disc ('Home on the Highways) to be sold throughout their five hundred nineteen stores in forty one states. Cracker Barrel has been a welcome stop for Alison Krauss and Union Station when they want to get some down-home cooking while out on the road, but it has only been recently that the two joined forces with the aforementioned CD and sponsorship for the 'Lonely Runs Both Ways' tour.

'Home on the Highways' contains eleven tracks that Alison Krauss, Barry Bales, Ron Block, Jerry Douglas, and Dan Tyminski selected themselves to be used on the compilation. There are full-out bluegrass numbers like "I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow" and the instrumental "Unionhouse Branch," while there are also songs with more of a light, modern acoustic touch heard on "Daylight" and "Crazy As Me." What I particularly like about the disc is that there is a mixture of lead singers - Alison does sing on most but Dan Tyminski has a turn and so does Ron Block.

In the exclusive interviews with Alison Krauss & Union Station, which play when you put the disc into your computer, the band is also shown touring the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store decor warehouse. Alison jokes that she made noodles in a chamber pot because she didn't know what it was to be used for when she was a child and she says that touring the warehouse was great for her because she saw so many items that she would see at auctions she went to with her brother and mother when she was younger. Dan loves seeing an old coffee maker because he collects similar items. Jerry talks about old turntables and how he remembers the smell it would make playing records. They get to see old ledger books, old golf irons, and other interesting items. They also see a Harmony guitar and old washboards, and then Dan and Jerry try on old stylish hats.

Another bonus on the 'Home on the Highways' disc is the impromptu jam session, performed after touring the decor warehouse and enjoying their share of hearty homemade cooking. The song they sing is "Sin City," written by Graham Parsons and Chris Hillman. The humorous members of course have to add a bit of comedy with their intentionally off-key playing and singing during a few lines.