This is Bluegrass
Paul Magnussen | Campbell, CA USA | 02/12/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A Japanese acquaintance of mine, now a fine banjo player, tells the story of how he once asked: "Bruegrass? What is Bruegrass?".
He found out for himself; but if I wanted to answer the question now, as quickly and as informatively as possible, I would play the interlocutor a track from this CD -- specifically, "Going to Georgia". It has everything that exemplifies the best in traditional Bluegrass: drive, rock-solid rhythm, great vocals, spine-tingling harmony, spot-on instrumental solos from banjo, mandolin, fiddle & guitar, and lyrics so simple they verge on the cretinous.
Ralph Stanley is (with Earl Scruggs) one of the few remaining Grand Old Men of Bluegrass, and this compilation of tracks recorded between 1971 & 1973 catches him not only at his personal peak, but with one of the greatest bands in history, which included both Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley.
The material is mostly traditional, with some re-recordings of songs Ralph had previously done with his brother Carter, who died young in 1966.
The booklet contains extensive and intelligent notes and complete recording details, the stereo image is excellent, and there's not a bad track on the album.
Traditional Bluegrass doesn't come any better than this."
Some gems in here
C. Weber | CT USA | 08/27/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Bluegrass is like cilantro. Distinctive taste that you either like or don't like, or it grows on you. While it may not be up your alley, this cd contains some great tracks (1, 10, 15) worth having. Impeccable performance; tight, raw sound. At least expose yourself to some respectable talent. How I came about this CD is quite...ah...unexpected. When I was a kid, I loved the Carmen Sandiego USA game, and ended up playing it just to hear the songs rather than catch criminals. One of the songs, after a little research, was "Bound To Ride," and shortly found this CD afterwards."