(Rebel REB-5001) 1998
This 2xCD set was recorded mainly in Nashville's Masterlink Studios, between May to December 1997, with some addtional recording at Quad Studios in Nashville, Tn. and Maggard Studios in Big Stone Gap, Va.
It is another collection featuring other artists on vocals, similar to the Saturday Night/Sunday Morning album. According to the liner notes: "A similar project, recorded in 1992, had been a very successful album for Ralph and he wanted to record a sequel. On that last project there were some artists who were unable to participate, and Stanley was hoping to catch some of those musicians this time around."
Of the featured artists, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Judy Marshall, Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yoakam had also appeared on Saturday Night/Sunday Morning. New collaborators were:- John Anderson, BR5-49, Junior Brown, Diamond Rio, Joe Diffie, Bob Dylan, Vern Gosdin, Joe & Becky & Sonya Isaacs, George Jones, Hal Ketchum, Jim Lauderdale, Laurie Lewis, Claire Lynch, Kathy Mattea, Tim O'Brien, Doug Phelps, Jeff & Marty Rabon, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent, Porter Wagoner, Gillian Welch and The Whites.
Ralph II, also gets credited as a featured artist on three tracks Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine, My Deceitful Heart and Lonesome Banjo Man. According to Ralph: Lonesome Banjo Man "... is one of the last songs written by Carter. There were some tapes of he and I working on it. Carter's daughter, Doris finished writing it."
Bob Dylan, a long-standing Stanley Brothers fan, was the first to sign up to the project, and it's a shame their version of Lonesome River isn't better. Dylan sounds particularly hoarse and craggy... I guess it ain't the age, it's the mileage...
It's interesting that the liner notes draw comparison between the album and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 'Will The Crcle Be Unbroken' debut, which 25 years ago had introduced a generation of rock fans to some of yesterdays country/bluegrass stars. 'Clinch Mountain Country', and the other collaborative albums with guest vocalists, seem to have that principal in reverse. i.e. here an older artist (Ralph had turned 70), getting mostly younger country/bluegrass stars to help out. Some of the older generation are present too though, with George Jones and Porter Wagoner going way back, so the idea isn't completely watertight.
A couple of video snippets during the recording of the album, can be found on The Ralph Stanley Story Video/DVD, with footage of a rehearsal of Pretty Polly with Patty Loveless and the vocal recording of Stone Walls And Steel Bars with Junior Brown.
The CD comes with a hefty 36-page booklet, with plenty of quotes and snippets of info... for example the track cut by Marty Stuart, She's More To Be Pitied was first cut by The Stanley Brothers, on the day Marty was born.
One of the photos in the booklet was used for the cover of Old-Time Pickin' - A Clawhammer Banjo Collection and the Old Songs & Ballads Vol. 1 compilations.
Judging by number of second hand copies that show up and their relatively low price, the album must have sold pretty well at the time. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of these collaborations, as they tend to be a bit 'hit & miss'. It sounds a bit like eavesdropping on a Nashville karaoke session.
Track: |
Vocals: |
Title: |
Time: |
Date: |
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A-1 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Hal Ketchum |
How Mountain Girls Can Love |
02:15 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Ruby Rakes |
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A-2 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Ricky Skaggs |
Shouting On The Hills Of Glory |
03:09 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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E.M. Bartlett |
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A-3 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Patty Loveless |
Pretty Polly |
04:04 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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P.D. |
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A-4 |
Ralph Stanley w/ George Jones |
The Window Up Above |
02:37 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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George Jones |
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A-5 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Dwight Yoakam |
I Just Got Wise |
02:24 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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C. Stanley |
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A-6 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Vince Gill & Patty Loveless |
If That's The Way You Feel |
02:28 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Peggy Stanley / R. Stanley |
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A-7 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Ricky Skaggs |
Nobody's Love Is Like Mine |
02:32 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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C. Stanley |
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A-8 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Claire Lynch |
Memories Of Mother |
03:09 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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C. Stanley |
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A-9 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Bob Dylan |
The Lonesome River |
03:03 |
30 Nov 1997 |
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C. Stanley |
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A-10 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Laurie Lewis |
Old Love Letters |
03:09 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Johnny Bond |
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A-11 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Marty Stuart |
She's More To Be Pitied Than Scolded |
02:50 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Ruby Rakes |
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A-12 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Judy & David Marshall |
When I Wake Up To Sleep No More |
02:26 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Marion Easterling |
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A-13 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Joe Diffie |
Another Night |
03:38 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Jack Adkins |
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A-14 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Gillian Welch |
Gold Watch And Chain |
02:23 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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A.P. Carter |
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A-15 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Ralph II |
Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine |
02:43 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Darrell 'Pee Wee' King / Redd Stewart |
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A-16 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Rhonda Vincent |
I'll Take The Blame |
02:13 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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C. Stanley |
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A-17 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Diamond Rio |
How Can We Thank Him For What He Has Done |
02:41 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Ruby Rakes |
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A-18 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Jeff & Marty Rabon |
I've Just Seen The Rock Of Ages |
03:04 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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John B. Preston |
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B-1 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Doug Phelps |
Pig In A Pen |
02:15 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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P.D. or Arthur Smith? |
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B-2 |
Ralph Stanley w/ John Anderson |
I Only Exist |
03:29 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Jimmie Stanley / Joyce Morris |
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B-3 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Vince Gill & Patty Loveless |
A Lonesome Night |
03:20 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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C. Stanley |
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B-4 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Alison Krauss |
Pretty Little Miss In The Garden |
02:52 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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P.D. |
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B-5 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Dwight Yoakam |
The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn |
02:30 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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R. Stanley |
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B-6 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Junior Brown |
Stone Walls And Steel Bars |
01:58 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Ray Pennington / Roy E. Marcum |
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B-7 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Connie Smith |
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem |
03:59 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Robert F. Boyce |
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B-8 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Tim O'Brien |
Let Me Love You One More Time |
02:14 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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R. Stanley |
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B-9 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Porter Wagoner |
The White Dove |
03:46 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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C. Stanley |
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B-10 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Joe & Sonya Isaacs |
Will You Ever Miss Me At All |
03:27 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Joe Isaacs |
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B-11 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Ralph II |
Lonesome Banjo Man |
03:55 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Doris Stanley |
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B-12 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Sonya & Becky Isaacs |
Are You Afraid To Die |
03:55 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Eddie Hill / Charlie Louvin / Ira Louvin |
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B-13 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Vern Gosdin |
Way Down Deep |
02:12 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Max Duane Barnes / Max Troy Barnes |
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B-14 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Jim Lauderdale |
If I Lose |
02:06 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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R. Stanley |
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B-15 |
Ralph Stanley w/ The Whites |
I'm Going That Way |
03:37 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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R. Stanley |
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B-16 |
Ralph Stanley w/ BR5-49 |
Gathering Flowers For The Master's Bouquet |
02:34 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Marvin E. Baumgardner |
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B-17 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Ralph II |
My Deceitful Heart |
02:14 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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Shorty Long / John A. Speca |
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B-18 |
Ralph Stanley w/ Kathy Mattea |
Bright Morning Star |
02:55 |
May-Dec 1997 |
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P.D. |
NB: Liner notes don't specify instruments/vocal parts for individual tracks.