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Various Artists - Freight Train Special, Vol. 2

Songs Of America's Railroads

(Wango CD-102) 1996

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This 'Various Artists' compilation has four Stanley Brothers tracks from the 1963/1964 Ray Davis sessions.

Wild And Reckless Hobo had previously been released on the John's Country Quartet LP and reissued as Stanley Brothers Of Virginia, Vol. 2: Long Journey Home. It can also be found on Freight Trains Ride Again Vol. 2.

Train 45 is a very short 32 second version, presumably cut as an opening or closing theme for one of the 25 or so radio shows they made for Ray Davis in Dec. 1963. This version was also released on Wango's Freight Trains Ride Again Vol. 2 with the addition of a train whistle at the start.

As far as I can discern the version of In The Pines is identical to that found on the Wango EP-110 and the On The Air LP, but the song is introduced by Carter, whereas on the On The Air LP, Ralph does the introduction. In The Pines also appeared on 'Freight Trains Ride Again Vol. 1', but I've not heard that CD...

Finally, there's Life's Railway To Heaven which was originally released on 7" EP (Wango 1784) and has also appeared on Freight Trains Ride Again Vol. 2.

The rest of the material, similiarly, largely duplicates other Wango releases...

For a detailed breakdown and background to the Stanley's session, check Gary B. Reid's The Music Of The Stanley Brothers book, pages 173-174, 180-183, 204-209, and 211-212.