A Praire Home Companion (Original Soundtrack)

Listening to the soundtrack to director Robert Altman's big screen adaptation of Garrison Keillor's near-mythical radio show is a lot like listening to Garrison Keillor's near-mythical radio show. Robin & Linda Williams wrap their gorgeous harmonies around the evening like a comforter, Guy's All-Star Shoe Band provides flawless accompaniment, Powdermilk Biscuits give shy people the courage to do what's needed, and Keillor provides the whole affair with the kind of laconic and literate homespun charm that must have made hanging out with Mark Twain such a joy. The inclusion of Hollywood into Lake Woebegone (Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reily and Lindsay Lohan) barely shakes the foundation of the long-running program; instead, each actor brings a little danger to the affair. Streep and Tomlin, appearing as the Johnson Sisters are more than harmonious on the old spiritual "Goodbye to Mama," Harrelson and Reily reverently adopt the characters of the perpetually grouchy cowboys Dusty and Lefty, and Lohan, in what could either be described as her most fearless or most uncomfortable performance to date, lends enough desperation to "Frankie & Johnny" that the audience is glued to the stage. Prairie Home Companion is an American institution and it's treated thusly on this fine collection of songs and skits. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide