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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Clinch Mountain Echo

Ralph Stanley & Ralph Stanley II - Side By Side

(Rebel REB-CD-1850) 2013


Side By Side

Average Album Rating: 2.5
(Total votes 2)

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Please rate this album:

This album was recorded at Big Appal Studio in Paintsville, Ky and released at the end of 2013.

In a review/interview in Bluegrass Today Ralph II explains the rationale behing the recording, and gives a breakdown behind some of the song choices.

"I intended it to bring back the feel of Dad and Carter, plus the '70s; freshen it up and be up to date, and show the respect on my part for his music. I wanted to do a lot of songs that he and I never recorded, and ones that Dad hadn't recorded in many years.
I had got to thinking one day, since I've been off on my own for a few years, and with both of us getting older. It hit me that I wanted to do something extra special with him. I didn't know how it would turn out, but it went way above my expectations. I've been wanting to hear this sound again for a long time."

Former CMB's Steve Sparkman, and John Rigsby help recreate the late 60s / early '70s sound, and whilst the vocals are inevitably not in the same class as Ralph's earlier works, they are pretty good for someone 86 years young.

There are two new songs: White & Pink Flowers and the a cappella Don't Weep For Me. Both are co-written by Gerald Ellenburg and are fine songs. White & Pink Flowers, in particular is a splendid ballad, that could easily have graced one of Ralph's early 70s albums.

Just over half of the tracks are drawn from The Stanley Brothers repertoire, with Wild Bill Jones Carolina Mountain Home, Don't Step Over An Old Love, A Little At A Time, Darling Little Joe and Six Months Ain't Long taken from their King era; Nobody Answered Me from their Wango/Rimrock '60s sideline recordings and Are You Waiting Just For Me from their early days with Rich-R-Tone.

As the 'Bluegrass Today' piece mentions, Ralph II had recorded Dirty Black Coal on Ralph's Like Father, Like Son album when he was 11 years old. That recording featured Sammy Adkins on vocal, whereas here with Ralph II on vocals, the song dedicated to a hard working father are more poignant.

Walking With You In My Dreams the old Charlie Monroe song had also previously been recorded by John Rigsby on his Forks Of The Ivy CD in 1999. Similarly Battle Axe had been recorded by Ralph in 1996 and was finally released in 2008 on the Clawhammer Old-Time Pickin' collection.

Overall this is a solid album, worth seeking out.

  • Ralph Stanley: vocals
  • Randall Hibbitts: bass
  • John Rigsby: fiddle, mandolin
  • James Alan Shelton: lead guitar
  • Steve Sparkman: banjo
  • Ralph II Stanley: guitar, vocals

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
Wild Bill Jones
02:14
c2013
Side By Side

P.D.
  Vcl Gtr Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-2
Carolina Mountain Home
02:30
c2013
Side By Side

Len Wright / Estel Lee Scarborough
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-3
Dirty Black Coal
04:37
c2013
Side By Side

Earl Sykes / R. Stanley
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Bt Vcl - Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-4
Walking With You In My Dreams
02:14
c2013
Side By Side

Charlie Monroe
  Vcl Gtr Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-5
Don't Step Over An Old Love
02:51
c2013
Side By Side

Fred Stryker
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-6
Battle Ax
02:22
c2013
Side By Side

P.D. arr R. Stanley
  Bjo Gtr Fid/Mnd Bs    
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Randall Hibbitts
   
A-7
Are You Waiting Just For Me
02:47
c2013
Side By Side

Ernest Tubb
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-8
White & Pink Flowers
03:11
c2013
Side By Side

Gerald Ellenburg / Shawn Lane
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-9
A Little At A Time
02:32
c2013
Side By Side

M.H. 'Red' Malone / R. Stanley
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Bt Vcl - Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-10
Darling Little Joe
02:29
c2013
Side By Side

A.P. Carter
  Vcl - Gtr Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs    
  Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
   
A-11
Don't Weep For Me
02:14
c2013
Side By Side

Buddy Brock / Gerald Ellenburg
  Vcl          
  Ralph Stanley
         
A-12
Six Month's Ain't Long
02:47
c2013
Side By Side

Dick Burnett / Leonard Rutherford ?
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Hi Bt Vcl - Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-13
Nobody Answered Me
02:43
c2013
Side By Side

Albert E. Brumley
  Tn Vcl Ld Vcl - Gtr Bt Vcl - Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 
A-14
I've Still Got 99
03:25
c2013
Side By Side

P.D. arr. Ledford
  Vcl Gtr Fid/Mnd Bjo Bs  
  Ralph Stanley
Ralph II Stanley
John Rigsby
Steve Sparkman
Randall Hibbitts
 

NB: Liner notes don't specify instruments/vocal parts for individual tracks.

Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

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