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

Curly Ray Cline - Smarter Than The Average Idiot

(Tin Ear TE-33010) 1984


Smarter Than The Average Idiot

Average Album Rating: 4.57
(Total votes 7)

  • 5 star
  • 4 star
  • 3 star
  • 2 star
  • 1 star

Please rate this album:

This hard to find album, is one of Curly's best. Featuring a few fiddle tunes (Cacklin Hen, Billy In The Low Ground, Down Yonder and Patty On A Turnpike; and a nice instrumental version of Bill Monroe's Kentucky Waltz; the balance is an eclectic mix.

Ralph "now as always, a sideman for Cline's albums" is featured on about half of the numbers, including a ground-breaking performance on triangle and vibra-slap on Down Yonder. Elsewhere, Jack Cooke gets to do a bass solo (Step It Up & Go), and Charlie Sizemore makes a debut performance on banjo (John Henry and Watermelon Hangin' On The Vine).

Charlie Sizemore's witty writing skills, that would later give rise to classics like Alison's Band and No Lawyers In Heaven, is apparent on Just-A-Hangin (a true tale about the demise of one of Curly's beloved hunting dogs) and the title cut Smarter Than The Average Idiot. The former track, with Junior Blankenship on lead vocals, is a pastiche of John Anderson's hit Swingin', which during the band had perfomed with Hook 'n' Beans.[1]

Elsewhere, Curly Ray get's to sing the creepy Fly On The Baby's Nose and Death Came A Creepin' Into My Room.

The album is also notable for featuring Hillard 'Duck' Blankenship, the bands long-standing bus-driver on washboard. John Wright provides a hilarious sleevenotes too.

As far as I can tell, Tin Ear were active from the late seventies to mid eighties, which may explain why this album seems pretty hard to find.

It was recorded in one session on 24th Jan 1984. On the 21st the band had made an appearance at the Hiltons, VA (A.P. Carter store) followed by a 3-day booking at the University Of Chicago, Chicago Folklore Society.

'Bluegrass Unlimited' gave the LP a rather negative review in it's Jan 1985 edition, concluding "I can only recommend this rushed effort to Curly Ray (or Ralph Stanley) completists." This prompted White Oak Records owner & musical historian Hank Edenborn to write a letter to the mag which was published a couple of months later, as Hank recently recalled: "When 'Smarter Than The Average Idiot' came out, it had a generally poor review in BU (they traditionally did not appreciate humor on records, I found) and I wrote a letter to the editor saying that I, for one, really enjoyed it. This may have been in part to help out John Wright, who brainstormed the project, but I did like the LP. Later in the summer, I saw Ralph's band at Winterhawk or some NY festival, and spoke with Charlie Sizemore and Curly Ray. In the process, I mentioned writing a rebuttal letter, and CRC went 'You! You wrote that letter?!' and he proceeded to pull out his wallet, inside of which was clipping of the letter from the magazine! I was pretty astounded at that."

Hank's letter to the editor, which was published in the Mar 1985 edition, I think sums up the album quite well. "... More than any previous Cline album, the uninhibited enthusiasm of Curly Ray's live performances with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys comes across on record, from old favorites played with vim and vigor by first class musicians, to bizarre (but delightful) new tunes laced with country humor. I recommend this album to anyone who considers enthusiasm for the material to be the little extra ingredient that is missing from so many otherwise excellent records. 'Smarter Than The Average Idiot' has never failed to bring a smile to my face after the worst of days at the 'salt mines', and, in my opinion, that alone makes this album far 'better than the average' bluegrass album."

  • Curly Ray Cline: fiddle, vocals
  • Hillard 'Duck' Blankenship: washboard, mandolin, vocal
  • Junior Blankenship: guitar, vocals
  • Jack Cooke: bass, tambourine, washboard
  • Ralph Stanley: banjo, vocal, triangle, vibra-slap

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
C(r)acklin' Hen
02:00
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

P.D.
  Vcl / Fid Bjo Gtr Bs      
  Curly Ray Cline
Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
 
   
A-2
Billy In The Low Ground
02:03
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

P.D.
  Fid Bjo Gtr Bs Washboard    
  Curly Ray Cline
Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
Hillard 'Duck' Blankenship
   
A-3
Step It Up & Go
02:20
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

??
  Vcl / Fid Bjo Gtr Bs Washboard    
  Curly Ray Cline
Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
Hillard 'Duck' Blankenship
   
A-4
Kentucky Waltz
03:41
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

Bill Monroe
  Fid Bjo Gtr Bs      
  Curly Ray Cline
Charlie Sizemore
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
 
   
A-5
Watermelon Hangin' On The Vine
02:18
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

P.D.
  Fid Vcl Vcl Bs Bjo Washboard  
  Curly Ray Cline
Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
Charlie Sizemore
Hillard Blankenship  
A-6
Just-A-Hangin
03:19
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

Charlie Sizemore
  Vcl / Horn / Howls / Raspberries Vcl / Gtr Vcl Tambourine Mnd    
  Curly Ray Cline
Junior Blankenship
Charlie Sizemore
Jack Cooke
Hillard Blankenship  
 
B-1
Down Yonder
02:29
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

P.D.
  Fid Triangle / Vibra-Slap Gtr Bs Bjo Washboard  
  Curly Ray Cline
Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
Charlie Sizemore
Hillard Blankenship  
B-2
Smarter Than The Average Idiot
02:01
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

J. Preston / Charlie Sizemore / Curly Ray Cline
  Fid Bjo Ld Vcl / Gtr Bs Vcl / Washboard    
  Curly Ray Cline
Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
Hillard Blankenship  
 
B-3
Patty On The Turnpike
01:42
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

P.D.
  Fid Bjo Gtr Bs Washboard    
  Curly Ray Cline
Ralph Stanley
Junior Blankenship
Jack Cooke
Hillard Blankenship  
 
B-4
Death Came A Creepin' In My Room
02:24
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

Curly Ray Cline
  Vcl / Fid Bjo Gtr Bs      
  Curly Ray Cline
Ralph Stanley
Charlie Sizemore
Jack Cooke
   
 
B-5
Fly On The Baby's Nose
02:26
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

Curly Ray Cline
  Vcl / Fid Vcl / Gtr Gtr Washboard Mnd    
  Curly Ray Cline
Junior Blankenship
Charlie Sizemore
Jack Cooke
Hillard Blankenship  
 
B-6
John Hardy
02:06
24 Jan 1984
Smarter Than The Average Idiot

P.D.
  Fid Gtr Bjo Bs Washboard    
  Curly Ray Cline
Junior Blankenship
Charlie Sizemore
Jack Cooke
Hillard Blankenship  
 
Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover Side One Side Two

[1] https://youtu.be/DmQ3BbV_IIQ?t=1h35m45s

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

Ralph II ralph2.com

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