20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection [Original recording remastered]

Flatt & Scruggs | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 24, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Mercury Nashville
• ASIN: B00005B7FD
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,678 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #46 in Music > Country > Bluegrass > Traditional

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Fresh off their pioneering stint with Bill Monroe, guitarist-vocalist Lester Flatt and banjo master Earl Scruggs waxed 28 seminal cuts for Mercury between 1948 and 1950. All 28 appeared on the Complete Mercury Sessions, which has been replaced by this far-less-generous 12-song collection. Still, the duo and their Foggy Mountain Boys attack this music with an urgency that even Monroe's Blue Grass Boys were hard-pressed to equal. Scruggs's three-fingered banjo technique is as important to bluegrass as any other innovation, possessing a rolling quality that keeps the songs moving. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Farewell Blues" are banjo tour de forces that will never be matched. Original gospel numbers find Scruggs applying his fingerpicking technique to guitar, à la Merle Travis, and feature sharp group harmonies. Most of the original secular songs have become bluegrass standards, even though the pair refused to call their refined mountain music bluegrass. --Marc Greilsamer

Product Description

Guaranteed to work or your money back - PLEASE NOTE ALL MONIES FROM THIS SALE GO TO A 501 (C)3 NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTER

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Flatt & Scruggs, February 9, 2002

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Audio CD)

Even if you're only a casual fan of bluegrass music, this is essential listening. After playing their last dates with Bill Monroe in early 1948, Flatt and Scruggs began a two-year relationship with the independent Mercury Records. Between October, 1948 and October, 1950, they recorded 28 tracks over four separate sessions. The twelve tracks presented here include such originals as "My Cabin in Caroline," "We'll Meet Again Sweetheart" and the banjo showcase "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"--all of which have become classics. Unfortunately, this disc omits other originals like "Down the Road," "So Happy I'll Be," "I'll Never Love Another" and "Is It Too Late Now," among others. [1992's "The Complete Mercury Sessions" included their entire recorded output for the label, but it has since gone out of print.] The Foggy Mountain Boys at various times included guitarist Mac Wiseman, mandolinist Curly Seckler and former Monroe sidemen bassist Cedrick Rainwater and fiddler Art Wooten. Unlike on their recordings with Monroe, Scruggs' innovative three-finger style picking was pushed to the forefront on these recordings. In addition to being a stellar banjo player, Scruggs was a gifted guitar player as well. Listen to his Merle Travis-inspired playing on "God Loves His Children," for example. While Flatt and Scruggs would have greater commercial success after their switch to Columbia, these are essential recordings. And unless you want to shell out some big bucks for the Bear Family box sets, this--for now--is the disc to own. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of Flat & Scruggs, January 15, 2007

By 

Erik Welch (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Audio CD)

If you are already a fan of Bluegrass, you probably don't need this review as you know these guys are amazing and you have most of these recordings somewhere else. If you are just getting started appreciating the music, this is a great cd to get. It has a good range of music and *all* pieces are absolutely stellar!
I got this for my kids as I know the material is good and they just love the positive energy of the music. "Flat & Scruggs", "Bill Monroe", "Old and In The Way", and Springsteen's "Seeger Sessions" are all big favorites in my house.

5.0 out of 5 stars super, December 21, 2007

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M. baker (california) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Audio CD)

varied and good selection; great mastering. my only F&S
album and its a good choice.