Ralph Stanley

While the Ages Roll On

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Clinch Mountain Express Newsletter Review

Jeffery Fox, Editor

While the Ages Roll On Artwork If you like old time mountain gospel, you'll love this CD. This collection of 12 songs is Ralph Stanley pure and simple. Perhaps the greatest tribute to this recording comes from Ralph Himself. He considers this his all-time favorite. Given that he's recorded somewhere around 175 albums during over 50 years in music, that's saying something! The present Clinch Mountain Boys are joined by guest artists Shelton Feazell on bass vocals and George Shuffler, who does vocals on two of the songs.

Ralph sings lead vocals on all but two songs ("Are You Ready?" and "Old Job", which feature Ralph II on lead). Since the album was recorded over several years, it's fascinating to compare the vocal work young Ralph II on "Old Job" and mature Ralph II on "Are You Ready?"

There isn't a bad track on the recording. Several of the songs are really memorable. Especially impressive are Ralph's a cappella lined out version of the 23rd Psalm in the song "Waiting for Me" and "Daddy's Wildwood Flower", which tells a moving story and includes fine guitar work by James Alan Shelton. Also noteworthy is the a cappella "The Time is Past and Gone", which is lined out by both Ralph and John Rigsby.

Among the many highlights besides the title track are "Man from Galilee" (Ralph's arrangement of a song by former Clinch Mountain Boy, Joe Isaacs) and "Are You Ready?" an old Stanley Brothers favorite, which Ralph and the Boys have lately been including in their shows on stage. Ralph sings every song on this recording just the way he feels it. This new release is especially fitting given Ralph's recent baptism in the Primitive Baptism faith.