by Thom OwensAs a musician, John Hartford vascilates between writing modern folk singer/songwriter and being an academic revivalist, researching and recording traditional country and folk songs in their original arrangements. Cadillac Rag is one of his academic albums -- a selection of 10 traditional tunes, played simply and directly by Hartford (banjo), fiddler Ted Masden, Buddy Spicher and John Yudkin. Occasionally the sleek professional production and studied performances make these traditional songs sound lifeless, which prevents Cadillac Rag from being a truly engagining listen. However, it is an interesting one, particularly if you're interested in studying traditional country from an academic standpoint.