(Sheltone SR-1961) 2007
This is a fairly decent CD-R album on James' own Sheltone label, and in addition to the usual mix of instrumental material, it has the distinction of featuring James on lead vocal on three numbers. One such, the title cut Walkin' Down The Line, is a Bob Dylan tune which also was featured for a while at CMB concerts circa 2007, with James singing lead vocal.[1] According to the 'song-by-song' liner notes however, James learnt the song after hearing The Country Gentlemen's 1971 'Live In Japan' album.
The majority of the banjo work on the CD-R is by Daniel Grindstaff who also worked with Jesse McReynolds, David Peterson, Marty Raybon, Charlie Sizemore, Bobby Osborne and the Warrior River Boys.[2] He's pickin' style is in the 'Scruggs style, although CMB Steve Sparkman is present on four of the remaining tracks.
Other CMB's present include Dewey Brown on fiddle and James' old friend and noted Mandolin luthier Audey Ratliff.[3]
Also included are instrumental versions of Simon & Garfunkel classic Sounds Of Silence; Roger Miller's Country Christmas hit Old Toy Trains; Nashville Blues and Fireball Mail via Flatt & Scruggs repertoire; and Bill Monroe's Methodist Preacher.
Judy Marshall (of The Marshall Family fame) also guests on the Carter Family's Motherless Children and Stephen Foster's Hard Times Come Again No More.
As with James' two Rebel albums, he provides a bit of information about each of the players and the song selection in the fold-out liner notes, explaining that the songs were picked "to explore some of the other music from various sources that have touched my life in some way over the years."
"I personally feel that good music, no matter the source. Whether it is a straight ahead, hard driving bluegrass fiddle or banjo number, a good country or gospel song, a flatpicked or pingerpicked guitar tune or an old folk song, I hope that you will find this all good listening music."
Track: |
Title: |
Time: |
Lead Vocal: |
Harmony Vocal: |
Lead Guitar: |
Banjo: |
Guitar: |
Fiddle: |
Mandolin: |
Bass: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Soldier's Joy |
02:20 |
James Alan Shelton |
Steve Sparkman |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
||
P.D. |
||||||||||
2 |
Fair And Tender Ladies |
02:54 |
James Alan Shelton |
Daniel Grindstaff |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
||
P.D. |
||||||||||
3 |
Walking Down The Line |
01:53 |
James Alan Shelton |
Dewey Brown |
James Alan Shelton |
Steve Sparkman |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
Bob Dylan |
||||||||||
4 |
Salt Creek |
02:48 |
James Alan Shelton |
Steve Sparkman |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
||
P.D. |
||||||||||
5 |
Nashville Blues |
02:49 |
James Alan Shelton |
Daniel Grindstaff |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
||
Earl Scruggs |
||||||||||
6 |
Old Toy Trains |
02:01 |
James Alan Shelton |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
|||
Roger Miller |
||||||||||
7 |
Motherless Children |
02:48 |
James Alan Shelton |
Dewey Brown / Judy Marshall |
James Alan Shelton |
Steve Sparkman |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
A.P. Carter |
||||||||||
8 |
Methodist Preacher |
02:28 |
James Alan Shelton |
Daniel Grindstaff |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
||
Bill Monroe |
||||||||||
9 |
Stephen |
03:03 |
James Alan Shelton |
James Alan Shelton |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
||
Tony Ellis |
||||||||||
10 |
Hard Times Come Again No More |
03:03 |
James Alan Shelton |
Dewey Brown / Judy Marshall |
James Alan Shelton |
Daniel Grindstaff |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
Stephen Foster |
||||||||||
11 |
My Grandfather's Clock |
02:43 |
James Alan Shelton |
Daniel Grindstaff |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
||
Henry Clay Work |
||||||||||
12 |
Fireball Mail |
03:06 |
James Alan Shelton |
Daniel Grindstaff |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
||
Roy C. Acuff |
||||||||||
13 |
Sounds Of Silence |
02:53 |
James Alan Shelton |
Audey Ratliff |
Dewey Brown |
Adam Steffey |
Barry Bales |
|||
Paul Simon |