Larry Sparks - The Testing Times

(Rebel REB-1611) 1983.

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This is the third of three compilations with five tracks taken from Larry's King Bluegrass albums, one from John Deere Tractor, and six newly recorded cuts from 1982.

Five of the new tracks (I Want To Die Easy Lord, Mother How I Miss You, Wandering Soul, Take My Hand, and Are You Washed In The Blood), were recorded at Riverside Sound Studios in Ashland, Kentucky in 1982 and included former CMB Art Stamper on fiddle. The sixth, Family Bible, included Gene Elders on fiddle who played on Larry's 1983 Blue Sparks LP.

Two of the new tracks (Mother How I Miss You and Take My Hand) were written by Emma Smith, who seems to have been quite a prolific songwriter and later provided five songs for Larry's Gonna Be Movin' LP including Everything's Alright. Ralph later recorded Everything's Alright on his 1988 LP I'll Answer The Call, and also included her Give Me Jesus on Back To The Cross, and Christmas Praise on his Christmas Time With... CD.

As with Sparklin' Bluegrass LP, He'll Save Your Soul Yet is mistitled as He Is Willing To Save Your Soul Yet. The Stanley Brothers original was recorded on their penultimate recording session for King in Sept 1965 for their A Collection Of Original Gospel And Sacred Songs LP.

Personnel on the new 1982 cuts:

• Larry Sparks: guitar, bass, lead vocal
• Wendell Bartley: tenor vocal
• Jim Heffernan: dobro
• John Masters: banjo, baritone vocal
• Art Stamper: fiddle

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