Old & In the Way is the first album by the bluegrass band Old & In the Way. It was recorded 8 October 1973 at the Boarding House in San Francisco by Owsley Stanley and Vickie Babcock utilizing eight microphones (four per channel) mixed live onto a stereo Nagra tape recorder. The caricature album cover was illustrated by Greg Irons.[1][2][3][4][5] It was, for many years, the top selling bluegrass album of all time.[citation needed] Eventually, however, the soundtrack album for O Brother, Where Art Thou? surpassed its sales.
On AllMusic, Peter J. D'Angelo said, "Soaring multi-part harmonies; fiddle, guitar, banjo, bass, and mandolin lines that seamlessly intertwine with a good-time feel; and exceptionally solid musicianship round out the ten-track effort.... This is the sound of purists re-creating the music they grew up with and it's both enjoyable and inspiring to listen to."[6]