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Ralph on Ralph
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 The
Stanley Brothers
Live at New River Ranch
This remarkable project is another long-lost recording that has been
re-mastered and released on CD. The show was recorded live at New
River Ranch in Maryland in 1960. At that time the Clinch Mountain
Boys (besides Carter & Ralph) consisted of Ralph Mayo (fiddle & bass
vocals), Curly Lambert (mandolin & baritone vocals) and Lindy Clear (bass
fiddle). This is definitely a long-play CD, with 22 numbers for
nearly a whole hour of music. Ralph and Carter are sure in good
voice! Highlights include arguably the best rendition of "Man of
Constant Sorrow" you'll ever here, the hard-to-find song "No School Bus
in Heaven" commemorating an accident in Kentucky, the lively banjo solo
"Cumberland Gap" by Ralph, a pair of rip-roaring comedy routines by the Stanleys (oft-hard "How Far to Little Rock?" and long-forgotten
"Climate"), an outstanding fiddle instrumental "Black Mountain Blues" (by
Ralph Mayo) and Ralph's memorable gospel solo "In Heaven We'll Never Grow
Old." Other songs are: "So Blue," "Uncle Pen," "Come All You Tender
Hearted," "Mountain Dew," "Baby Blue Eyes" (a rare vocal by Curly
Lambert), "Let the Church Roll On," "He'll Set Your Fields on Fire," "Paul
& Silas," "Cry from the Cross," "John Henry," "Are You Afraid to Die,"
"God Gave You to Me," "How Mountain Girls Can Love," "Don't Go Out
Tonight," and "Little Glass of Wine."
This CD makes a nice companion to the release a couple years back of a
1961 show at the same venue, "Riding that New River Train."
If you missed that one (or if you've got it and crave more of the Stanley
Brothers sound), you'll definitely have to add this one to your
collection. Live at the New River Ranch is available only at
the record table at Ralph's shows and through the Ralph Stanley Fan Club.
To secure a copy if you can't make it to one of Ralph's shows, please mail
a check for $25 (which includes postage and packaging) to:
The Ralph Stanley Fan Club
1950 Highland Meadows Drive
Centerville, OH 45459 |
