Ralph Stanley II - Rollin' On Rubber Wheels

(Stanley Family SFR-004) 2019

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Ralph II's third album as leader of the 'next generation' CMB's is excellent. Each track is firmly rooted in the 'Stanley' sound, but at the same time the album is stamped with Ralph II's brand of "real" country, and sounds quite fresh & modern. Compared to much of what you'll find on 'bluegrass' radio, it's like a breath of fresh air.

Whilst the last couple of Ralph II's CDs have have included some tracks with more contemporary arrangements / no banjo, this release sits comfortably within the "Old-time Mountain Music What They Call Bluegrass" label and is much more consistent with Curtis Coleman's machine-gun 'Stanley-style' banjo & Stanley Efaw's mountain fiddle/mandolin work being present throughout. Ralph II's song selection also is impeccable, with a few nods to the Dr. Ralph & the Stanley Bros. back catalogue, mixed in with some choice new songs and well chosen covers. The album track-order also flows very well giving the album a coherent feel, which stands up well to repeated plays.

Book-ending the album are two lesser-known songs from the Stanley back-catalogue. Carter Stanley's Rollin' On Rubber Wheels, an under-appreciated song from the 1964 The Remarkable Stanley Brothers... LP, and the uptempo '80s live favourite Swinging A Nine Pound Hammer.

The second track, Operate That Way is a restrained but finely crafted poke at 'modern' social values, with a nostalgic feel and bouncy melody. It was co-written by Shawn Lane & Gerald Ellenburg, and suits Ralph II's smooth vocal style perfectly.

Polly's Revenge is an 'answer' song to the Stanley evergreen Pretty Polly. A revenge murder ballad, which is both disturbing, highly entertaining, and pays homage instrumentally to the classic Ralph/Curly-Ray era CMBs. The first song to be promoted from the album, it was originally recorded in 2015 by Hammertowne, but Ralph II's version is much more visceral/chilling. The song was previewed by 6 × 30 second teaser videos on youtube, but strangely a combined video hasn't been forthcoming.

The mood is lightened by a version of the Saginaw Michigan, which had been a hit for Lefty Frizzell (one of Ralph II & Keith Whitley's influences). A tongue-in-cheek number with prominent harmony vocal from Alex Leach, who adds tasteful vocal & lead guitar throughout the album.

Breaks Of The Cumberland is another under-rated tragic/forbidden-love song from the Stanley back catalogue. This one was first recorded by Ralph and Ralph II on the 1989 Like Father, Like Son CD (when Ralph II would have been about 11 years old). The new version in some ways improves on the original recording being a tad more polished with clearer vocal.

Next up are three more oldies given a fresh make-over: Long White Line a catchy truck-driving song, previously recorded by Charlie Moore & Bill Napier on their 1966 "Songs by Moore & Napier for all Lonesome Truck Drivers" (King KS 936) LP; Where The Dim Lights Are The Dimmest originally featured on Larry Sparks' 1975 LP "Pickin' & Singin'" (Pine Tree PTSLP-519); and Albert Brumley's classic Rank Stranger. The latter is a particularly fine version, with Ralph II on lead vocal / lead guitar & Alex Leach on tenor vocal.

Young mandolin wizzard, Wyatt Ellis also guests on Where The Dim Lights Are The Dimmest.

Another new song by Kentucky songwriter Gregory L. Preece, This One Just Might Kill Me, deals with the despair following a break-up of a relationship. This is another decent cut with excellent vocal, fiddle & lead guitar work. Preece has also written songs for Big Country Bluegrass (Remember Who You Are & The Whiskey Or The Coal).

Merle Haggard's 1968 (I'll Leave The) Bottle On The Bar follows, and this is another one where Ralph II makes the song his own, and where the Alex Leach / Stanley Efaw / Curtis Coleman backing transform it into Clinch Mountain Boys standard.

The album's penultimate cut A Light In The Valley is a gem of a slow-waltz with fine vocals from Ralph II and lilting melody. Written by Tim Stafford and Jon Weisberger, it follows the well-trodden bluegrass themes of returning to the old childhood homeplace with its nostalgic view of the past. Superbly crafted, the change of pace also sets up the end of the album, with the uptempo Swinging A Nine Pound Hammer perfectly.

Digital copies of the album are available from the usual outlets. Physical CD's seem to be only available direct from Ralph II's webstore / ralph2.com. (Outside of the US if you're address shows as invalid, use the contact email on ralph2.com to sort mailing costs/payment)

The "CD" is unfortunately a CD-R, which I guess is a sign of the times, with most folks presumably prefering digital media. If, like me, you prefer something more tangible for your money, the CD-R comes housed in a splendid 3-fold digi-pack with liner notes by Valerie Smith. Curiously the liner notes mention two songs which aren't included on the album: Mountain Stream Serenade and Heart Of Gold. I guess these are likely to be working titles? Also there's a misprint in liner notes for the Long White Line song-credits, which are inadvertently duplicated from the previous track (Breaks Of The Cumberland).

Overall, the album is well worth checking out. Highly recommended.

• Ralph II Stanley: guitar, vocals
• Curtis Coleman: banjo
• Stanley Efaw: fiddle, mandolin, baritone vocal
• Randall Hibbitts: bass
• Alex Leach: guitar, tenor vocal
• Wyatt Ellis: mandolin (*)

NB: (*) guest on Where The Dim Lights Are The Dimmest

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