Newly
refamed thanks to the movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Ralph Stanley
is a longstanding classic bluegrass /mountain Gospel star. With 200+ albums behind
him, his newfound popularity is nothing new at all.
This
"Very Best" CD doesn't do him justice. There is too much great music
in his vault to draw from. Listeners will begin with this taste of his magnificent
talent, and work their way through his vast discography.
"Man
of Constant Sorrow" will be the most familiar song, with Stanley drawing
long tones. You'll feel his pain through each note.
Fast-paced
banjos and fiddles scream through songs like "Clinch Mountain Backstep."
There's no room for words in this lightening picked instrumental. A number of
other instrumentals grace the CD, like "Hard Times."
"Rank
Stranger" walks slowly as a lament, causing me to wonder had Stanley been
walking with me.
Many
of the songs come from early 1970s, including "Sorrows."
Fans
of everyone from Flatt and Scruggs to Lyle Lovett will discover something fun
here. The tale-telling, the presence of voice, and the nod toward the fine traditions
of music made in the deep Appalachian Mountains all work together in the singer
and banjo player Ralph Stanley.
I
fully recommend "The Very Best of Ralph Stanely."
Anthony
Trendl
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