Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 Feb 1972 - Steve Sparkman. Harlan, Kentucky.

04 Feb 1906 - Art Wooten. Born 'Arthur James Wooten' in Alleghany, North Carolina.

11 Feb 1960 - Junior Blankenship. Born at the old Grundy Hospital, Grundy, Va.

25 Feb 1927 - Ralph Stanley. Born 'Ralph Edmund Stanley' in Big Spraddle Creek, near Stratton, McClure, Virginia.

29 Feb 1932 - Jim Williams. Born 'James Lee Williams' in Wythe County, Virginia.


In Memoriam:

05 Feb 1980 - Chubby Anthony. Gainesville, Alachua, Florida.

08 Feb 2003 - Ralph 'Joe' Meadows. Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland.

08 Feb 1987 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Fentress, Tennessee.


For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

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The Best Of The Stanley Brothers
(Odeon OR-7005)


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Clinch Mountain Echo

Ralph Stanley - The Essential Masters

(Varese Sarabande 302-066-843-2) 2007


The Essential Masters

Average Album Rating: 4
(Total votes 2)

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This is a compilation of Ralph's King era material, with four tracks from Brand New Country Songs, four from Over The Sunset Hill and ten from Hills Of Home.

Of course all three albums had previously been reissued in 2003 as part of the 3xCD Poor Rambler set, which also has detailed liner notes by Gary Reid & as a bonus, includes the 1980 material recorded by Ralph and Jimmy Martin for their First Time Together LP.

This compilation seems to have recycled three pictures from the Poor Rambler set, showing Ralph with his Style-5 on the front cover and what looks to be a Bacon & Day Ne Plus Ultra (or Silver Bell) banjo on the CD tray artwork. As with the Poor Rambler, this picture has been flipped Left-Right so Ralph appears to be holding a Left-handed instrument! The picture of Ralph and Jimmy Martin dates from I guess 1980 (or later) so isn't particularly relevant to this compilation, although Jimmy did play rhythm guitar and mandolin on the Hills Of Home LP.

The CD also credits Darling Brown Eyes and I Only Exist as being performed by Ralph and Jimmy Martin, which is kind of erroneous. Both are from the 1969 Hills Of Home sessions, with that take of Darling Brown Eyes also cropping up on First Time Together, whilst I Only Exist was re-recorded for that joint album.

Another slight nit-pick is that three of the tracks are listed as being taken from the King Singles (King 6113), (King 6139) and (King 6179), but these single versions are exactly the same take/mix as the LP versions...

Soundwise the quality is ok, although the levels jump rather significantly at times (e.g. between the first couple of tracks). Of course, all the early King material is top drawer stuff, and with 18 tracks and a playing time of over 42 mins, the CD is fairly good value.

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
My Long Skinny Lanky Sarah Jane
01:59
14 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-2
What Kind Of Man
02:15
21 Feb 1968
Over The Sunset Hill

R. Stanley / Larry Sparks
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Gtr Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Melvin Goins
George Shuffler
 
 
A-3
Hemlock And Primroses
02:59
19 May 1967
King 6139

Landon Messer
  Bjo Gtr Fid Gtr Mnd Bass
 
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Melvin Goins
Earl Taylor
Jim McCall
 
A-4
Lost Train
02:09
19 May 1967
Brand New Country Songs

Curly Ray Cline
  Bjo Gtr Fid Gtr Mnd Bass
 
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Melvin Goins
Earl Taylor
Jim McCall
 
A-5
Darling Brown Eyes
02:09
15 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

Osburn Thorpe / R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-6
Let's Go To The Fair
01:47
15 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-7
That Beautiful Woman
02:46
19 May 1967
King 6113

Gene Duty / R. Stanley
  Bjo Gtr Fid Gtr Mnd Bass
 
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Melvin Goins
Earl Taylor
Jim McCall
 
A-8
Jesse James Prayed
01:56
21 Feb 1968
Over The Sunset Hill

R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Gtr Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Melvin Goins
George Shuffler
 
 
A-9
Poor Rambler
03:02
24 Oct 1967
Brand New Country Songs

Curly Ray Cline / R. Stanley
  Bjo Gtr Fid Gtr Mnd Bass
 
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Melvin Goins
Earl Taylor
Jim McCall
 
A-10
Dug-Gunn Shame
01:49
15 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

Curly Ray Cline / R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-11
Over The Sunset Hill
02:44
21 Feb 1968
Over The Sunset Hill

R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Gtr Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Melvin Goins
George Shuffler
 
 
A-12
I Only Exist
03:19
14 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

Joyce Morris / Jimmie Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-13
I Wanna Go Home
02:05
21 Feb 1968
Over The Sunset Hill

R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Gtr Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Melvin Goins
George Shuffler
 
 
A-14
Medicine Springs
02:41
14 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

Bill Grant / R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-15
Coosy
01:56
15 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-16
Midnight Storm
02:25
15 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

C. Stanley / R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-17
The Kitten And The Cat
01:56
14 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

C. Stanley / R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
A-18
Hills Of Home
01:55
15 Jul 1969
Hills Of Home

Wendy Smith / R. Stanley
  Bjo Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid Guitar/Mandolin Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Larry Sparks
Curly Ray Cline
Jimmy Martin
Jim McCall
 
 
Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover CD Tray

For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

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Live and On Stage, With Special Guests
(CMH CMH-9023)


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