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

Spotlight on:-

Hymns And Sacred Songs EP Vol. 2
(King EP-456)


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Clinch Mountain Echo

Ernie Thacker - The Chill Of Lonesome

(Crosscut CR-1145) 2001 / (Doobie Shea DS-CD 2004) 2002


Ernie Thacker - The Chill Of Lonesome

Average Album Rating: 4.5
(Total votes 2)

  • 5 star
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  • 1 star

Please rate this album:

Together with The Hangman this CD is one of Ernie's finest, at least to my ears. By this point in his career, like Keith Whitley, Charlie Sizemore and Larry Sparks, Ernie had developed his own distinctive sound and his soulful vocals had matured and blossomed beyond the limitations of the CMB lead vocal role.

Recorded at Doubie Shea's studios the production/sound by Tim Austin and Dan Tyminski is perfect. Ernie had been on Doubie Shea's radar since helping to record the fine Stanley Tradition: Tribute To A Bluegrass Legacy and 'The Stanley Gospel Tradition: Songs About Our Savior' CD's, and the sound here is equally superb.

Rather than including Ernie's "Route 23" band, backing on this CD is provided by a stellar crew including Dan Tyminski, Ron Stewart, Adam Steffey and Ben Isaacs. The songwriting is similarly impressive with heavy hitters like Junior Sisk contributing to three numbers, plus Jerry Wiliamson, Ronnie Bowman and Don Rigsby. Just one track is a cover, an imaginative version of Bill Monroe's classic Highway Of Sorrow.

Two of the standout tracks, Little Piece Of Land and Momma Preached And Daddy Plowed reflect on family life, while Whiskey And Women is pure 'honky tonk' bluegrass, worthy of Charlie Moore. Ernie had previously recorded Whiskey And Women on his Backbone Job CD, but the newer version is a tad smoother and incorporates some tasteful dobro licks by Rob Ickes.

Other tracks like the title cut The Chill Of Loneseome, Your Own Brand Of Misery and Another Piece Of My Heart deal with relationships problems, and Old Barn harks back to a time when people took a sense of pride in craftmanship and helped their neighbours.

The album garnered a good review in the April 2003 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited', with Dick Spottswood commenting: "Every selection benefits from Thacker's fine voice and his strong yet understated delivery. The beautifully merging instrumental and vocal lines of such notables as Tyminski, Adam Steffey, Ronnie Bowman and Rob Ickes are just more to like about a very likeable CD".

My copy of this one is on the Crosscut label but other sources including the 'Bluegrass Unlimited' review use the Doobie Shea release details. I'm not sure which came first.

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
Little Piece Of Land
03:32
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Tim Massey / Ronnie Bowman / Craig Market
  Ld Vcl Tn Vcl / Gtr Bt Vcl Mnd Fid Dob -- Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Ronnie Bowman
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Rob Ickes -- Ben Isaacs  
A-2
Father Son & Holy Ghost
03:32
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Danette Tew
  Ld Vcl Bt Vcl / Gtr Tn Vcl Mnd Bjo / Fid Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Steve Gulley
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Ben Isaacs  
A-3
Another Piece Of My Heart
02:25
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Harry C. Sisk Jr.
  Ld Vcl Bt Vcl / Gtr Tn Vcl Mnd Bjo / Fid Dob -- Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Steve Gulley
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Rob Ickes -- Barry Bales  
A-4
Momma Preached And Dady Plowed
03:18
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Keith Tew
  Ld Vcl Hr Vcl / Gtr Mnd Bjo / Fid Bs    
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Ben Isaacs  
 
A-5
Old Kentucky Home
02:27
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Ronnie Bowman / Don Rigsby
  Ld Vcl Bt Vcl / Gtr Tn Vcl Mnd Bjo / Fid Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Tn Vcl
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Ben Isaacs  
A-6
Old Barn
03:13
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Mark Mathewson
  Ld Vcl Bt Vcl / Gtr Tn Vcl Mnd Fid Dob -- Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Steve Gulley
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Rob Ickes -- Ben Isaacs  
A-7
Your Own Brand Of Misery
02:30
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Jerry Williamson
  Ld Vcl Bt Vcl / Gtr Tn Vcl Mnd Bjo / Fid Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Steve Gulley
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Ben Isaacs  
A-8
The Chill Of Lonesome
03:11
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Harry C. Sisk Jr. / Ronnie Bowman
  Ld Vcl Tn Vcl / Gtr Bt Vcl Mnd Fid Dob -- Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Ronnie Bowman
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Rob Ickes -- Ben Isaacs  
A-9
Highway Of Sorrow
03:09
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Bill Monroe / Pete Pyle
  Ld Vcl Gtr Tn Vcl Mnd Bjo / Fid Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Steve Gulley
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Ben Isaacs  
A-10
Whiskey And Women
02:39
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Harry C. Sisk / Tim Massey
  Ld Vcl Bt Vcl / Gtr Tn Vcl Mnd Bjo / Fid Dob -- Bs  
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Steve Gulley
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Rob Ickes -- Ben Isaacs  
A-11
Old Time Drunkard
03:32
c2001
Chill Of Lonesome

Sarah Pirkle
  Ld Vcl Gtr Mnd Fid Bs    
  Ernie Thacker
Dan Tyminski
Adam Steffey
Ron Stewart
Ben Isaacs  
 
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

Spotlight on:-

Vintage Years Vol. 2
(Collectors Classics CC LP 12)


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A Life Of Constant Sorrow
alifeofsorrow.com

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Ralph Stanley Museum
ralphstanleymuseum.com

CME Recommends...

Hills Of Home Festival
drralphstanleyfestival.com

CME Recommends...

Rebel Records
rebelrecords.com

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Bluegrass Unlimited
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