Customer Reviews

Blue Moon Of Kentucky 1936-1949

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This massive, 6 CD box set contains all of Bill Monroe's studio recordings through 1949. It contains 60 sides recorded by the Monroe Brothers for Bluebird between 1936 and 1938 and 57 sides recorded by Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys for Victor and Columbia between 1940 and 1949 (8 sides recorded for Victor in 1940, 8 sides recorded for Victor in 1941, 9 sides recorded for Columbia in 1945, 12 sides recorded for Columbia in 1946, 16 sides recorded for Columbia in 1947, and 4 sides recorded for Columbia in 1949). This box set also contains 59 alternate takes of Columbia sides.

Recordings made in September of 1946 with Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise, and Howard Watts (Cedric Rainwater) are generally considered to be the first bluegrass recordings. If one agrees with this start date they'll find here 80 bluegrass versions of 32 different songs and instrumentals (the instrumentals being "Blue Grass Breakdown" and "Blue Grass Stomp").

This box set contains a 38 page, hard-bound booklet with about 50 photographs and several reproductions of record labels, album covers, and other artifacts. Text is by Charles K. Wolfe and there is a detailed discography by Neil V. Rosenberg. The booklet is really lovely but I am disappointed that black and white photographs are printed in brown hues (some browner than others). I find the text somewhat difficult to read in places due to fancy background design and inconsistent font sizes (font sizes are changed so that text can fit onto pages, which I find unacceptable). The text itself is extremely interesting and useful; many of the song histories are not available elsewhere.

In two instances song labeling is inconsistent. Alternate takes are usually labeled as such, but not always (the first appearance of "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" is an alternate take but isn't labeled as one). Instrumental tracks are usually labeled as such, but not always (the originally released version of "Blue Grass Stomp" is not labeled as an instrumental).

This box set contains an "un-numbered master of a gospel song that was not even known to exist," which is "I'll Have A New Life." This cut is less than 2 minutes long and appears on the 3rd CD, following "Footprints in the Snow" and prior to "Blue Grass Special" (it was recorded in February of 1945). There is a description in the booklet about why this recording was not previously known to exist. "I'll Have A New Life" was written by Luther G. Presley and was first published in 1940; many bluegrass fans are familiar with the song thanks to a version that Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver recorded in the early 1980s.

As far as I can tell, this box set contains the first CD reissue of the originally released version of "Little Cabin Home On The Hill" (the version that appears in a 2 CD Columbia/Legacy box set is an alternate take but is not listed as such in that box set).

Arguably the most important aspect of this box set is the sound quality and I'm thrilled to report that it is excellent, considering the available sources!

While this box set may be overkill for some listeners, many bluegrass fans will consider it essential. Personally, my Monroe collection wouldn't be complete without the 3 Bear Family box sets covering 1936 to 1949, 1950 to 1958, and 1959 to 1969; the 4 CD MCA set "The Music Of Bill Monroe From 1936 To 1994," the 2 live albums on Smithsonian Folkways, and the Kenny Baker album "Plays Bill Monroe" (which features Monroe on mandolin).

I like Bear Family a lot, but unless you really really want to have 2 CDs full of outtakes you're much better off getting the JSP release, "All The Classic Releases 1937-1949". Rejected alternate takes aside, this Bear Family set includes only 4 tracks that are not included in the JSP set: 'I'll Have A New Life', 'Come Back To Me In My Dreams', 'Why Did You Wander', and 'Shining Path'. Other than that, the tracklisting is exactly the same and in the same order. The big difference between the 2 sets is the price tag (as of the time of this writing); $200 for the Bear Family set and $30 for the JSP set.

I just got this through the mail just the other day and all I gotta tell you is, if you love Bill Monroe's music the way I do, you've got to get this set!! You'll never find a more complete set of Bill Monroes first 13 years as a recording artist. That is what I love about this Bear Family record series, they are always very through and they never miss a track which is just perfect for serious collectors of classic music such as myself. Although [money] might sound expensive I believe you get your moneys worth and more. I highly recommond this!!!

You would think an expensive boxset released in 2002 would be remastered. This one isn't. There is a weird German vibe going on here with the Bear Family boys, but its easily overlooked when you realize the book contains one of the best history/discography/recording session analysis around of this American legend. The pics are big and show Monroe's stone face in various settings over the years. Why does he look so mean in most of them?

Selection is great with two discs of Monroe Brothers "Bluebird" releases from the 1930s, a disc or so of the middle period (between the Monroe Brothers and Flatt & Scruggs) that sees Monroe experimenting with sounds (including a junky accordian) and styles (he sure did love to sing Jimmy Rodgers songs).

His bluegrass sound was finally complete with the Columbia sessions recorded with the great Lester Flatt mainly on lead vocal and providing assistance in the song writing department. However, the genius was putting Scruggs unique banjo and Cedric Rainwater's bass out front in the mix for a great rythm effect. This was the birth of bluegrass! I also like the stuff recorded with Mac Wiseman after Flatt & Scruggs left, wish there was more.

That said... some of these songs were recently remastered by Sony (who owns the Columbia catalog) and released on a various artist box set last year. I hope that Sony finds a way to release a 3 disc set of these Monroe songs remastered and sounding as crisp as that boxset. Then I can own three different boxsets! Yippee I love spending money!!!!!