Search - Various Artists :: Bluegrass Early Cuts 1931-1953

Sloppy Production Mars Great Box Set

Todd A. Gracyk | Petaluma, CA USA | 08/25/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The JSP label continues to crank out bargain box sets, but I wish they'd slow down and take a little more care with their efforts. JSP's Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers box sets have many incorrect song titles and some bad recording dates.



This new 4 CD box set featuring mostly obscure bluegrass and old-time country music artists has problems. A critical error is noticed right away with the first CD; the song listed in the packaging as Track 14 ("Home Sweet Home" by Hack Johnson & His Tennesseans) is missing and in its place at the end of the CD is the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers' "Dirty Dishes Blues," so tracks 14 through 23 are numbered wrong in the packaging (there is also labeling on the CD itself and it is correct). The labeling for the first CD also lists the wrong artist for Track 4 (the label on the CD doesn't list the artists, only the song titles). In one of the booklets there is a label for a picture of Wilma Lee but regrettably, the picture is missing.



2 more critical errors are found on the second CD. Tracks 17 & 18 are supposedly Connie & Babe's "How Will The Flowers Bloom" and "The Last Love Letter" when they are in fact "Dark Waters" from a late 1950s session and "Barbara Allen" from a 1960 session.



The lone Ted Lundy recording featured here is slightly mislabeled in terms of both the song title and band name, probably due to an error with its 1970s re-issue on the County label, plus the recording date given of 1953 is about 9 years premature.



Another mistake I noticed is that this box set claims to feature the Morris Brothers' 1938 recording of "Let Me Be Your Salty Dog" when in fact it features the Morris Brothers' 1945 remake (re-titled at that point as "Salty Dog Blues"). The original recording of "Let Me Be Your Salty Dog" clocks in at less than 2 minutes, features no mandolin, and is performed at a slower pace than "Salty Dog Blues" (and is still hard to find to on CD).



There are possibly more mistakes than just 8 described above; I got the box set in the mail yesterday and have only played it once and have only glanced through the notes once. Those are just 6 errors that jumped out at me!



A good portion of these recordings were obviously lifted from Rounder's phenomenal "Early Days Of Bluegrass" series produced in the 1970s. A good number of the sides found in this 4 CD box set are not available elsewhere on CD (and some are available only on CDs manufactured by small labels like Old Homestead).



JSP claims that the recordings in this box set are remastered but I find them a little too cleaned up and missing their highs; a few duplicate tracks on the Catfish label's "Bluegrass Beginnings" CD sound much brighter.



Pat Harrison has written 8 pages of mostly adequate liner notes but there are omissions (no information is given on Lundy and others). Probable recording dates and some session musicians are listed, but label information is mostly absent.



The recordings themselves? The first 2 CDs feature many fascinating, rarely heard sides recorded for small labels during the seminal days of bluegrass. Most of the recordings on the third and fourth CDs pre-date bluegrass music and make for some enjoyable listening."

Parents are pleased with recordings

J. Smith | 03/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this for my parents as Dad had asked me to look on the internet for anything by Roy Hall. This was the only thing I found. He was so pleased that it had the song on it he wanted plus so many he had never heard before. They told me that they have really enjoyed sitting and listening to all of these old tunes. I always feel successful when I can find them something to enjoy since they are in their 80s and don't get out much anymore. I have also enjoyed listening to the music as well."

Remastered???

Michael Engel | western Mass | 08/15/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

""Sloppy production" is an understatement. I don't know what JSP does to "remaster" recordings, but these have all the audio fidelity of a 1950s AM radio broadcast. Muffled bass, scratchy highs, uneven volumes--it's really too bad, because there's some good music here, although there is little diversity in musical styles among these selections. Also, arranging these in an uneven reverse chronological order grab-bag makes no sense at all. You want bluegrass history as it should be? Check out "Can't You Hear Me Callin'--Bluegrass--80 Years of American Music "."