Essential Earl Scruggs [Original recording remastered]

Earl Scruggs | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 2, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0001FGBHA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #952 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Country > Bluegrass > Contemporary
  • #2 in Music > Country > Bluegrass > Traditional
  • #4 in Music > Country > Bluegrass > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of American Music's All-Time Greats, March 18, 2004

By 

James E. Bagley "Jim Bagley" (Sanatoga, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Essential Earl Scruggs (Audio CD)

Earl Scruggs' technical proficiency on the five-string banjo has been the instrument's gold standard for more than half a century, adding unmistakable flair to many of the bluegrass genre's most lasting songs. Although significant pieces of his career could fill a much larger collection, the two discs of The Essential Earl Scruggs capture 40 favorites from the mid-1940s to the early 1980s, touching on each period just long enough to illustrate the incredible range of his talents.

Organized chronologically, the set begins with material from Scruggs' time with Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, finding Scruggs in full bloom as a skilled picker who set the tone for well-crafted romps such as the sprightly "Heavy Traffic Ahead." The remainder of the first disc (and a fair piece of the second) surveys his long run with Monroe guitarist Lester Flatt fronting the Foggy Mountain Boys. Among the highlights of this celebrated pairing are the eternally fresh "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (1949) and the backwoods electricity their harmony infuses into the fun "Shuckin' the Corn" (1957). Sides they cut in between are pleasantly varied, ranging from the fiddle-thickened "Salty Dog Blues" to the sweetly airy "Jimmie Brown, the Newsboy," the latter one of a pair on the set that feature Scruggs on guitar.

The second disc illustrates Scruggs' versatility by sampling his work in a number of environments, including his hearty lead on the rousing "Cumberland Gap" with Hylo Brown and the Timberliners at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. There is lasting charm in the ubiquitous Flatt collaboration "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," while the "Nashville Skyline Rag" from the duo's 1969 reunion sports a mesmerizing blend of banjo, guitar and fiddle prominently featured in its arrangement. "Nashville Blues" remains one of the most vibrant tracks from the seminal Will the Circle Be Unbroken, and the remaining lineup of tunes gathered from alliances with Tom T. Hall, Johnny Cash and his own Earl Scruggs Revue is littered with gems. It doesn't matter that the set's earliest recordings are a tad less clean and full than its more recent selections, because nothing can obscure the skill with which Scruggs powers melodies.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bluegrass 101, July 9, 2004

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Essential Earl Scruggs (Audio CD)

With his innovative three-finger style banjo playing, Earl Scruggs is as much responsible for the sound of bluegrass music as Bill Monroe. As such, the 40 tracks on this collection which represent 40 years of recording from his early work with Bill Monroe through his mid-80s performances with his sons is essential listening.

Along with the first three tracks which represent his tenure with Monroe's Blue Grass Boys (including the classic "Molly and Tenbrooks"), the bulk of this collection consists of his 20-year partnership with Lester Flatt and the Foggy Mountain Boys (Disc One, 4-20 and Disc Two, 3-10). Many of these original compositions have become bluegrass classics: "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," "Don't Get Above Your Raising," "Flint Hill Special" among them. Scruggs is also an accomplished guitar player on tracks like "Jimmie Brown, the Newsboy" and the instrumental "Georgia Buck." The final ten tracks have Scruggs working with other artists, including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Tom T. Hall, Johnny Cash and ,of course, his sons in the Earl Scruggs Review.

While Scruggs has recorded infrequently since the most recent track on this collection (1984's American-Made"), it would have been nice to have a track or two from 2001's EARL SCRUGGS AND FRIENDS and 2003's THREE PICKERS with Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs.

My only real complaint is the brevity of these two discs (51:47 and 53:42, respectively). If this only whets your appetite, Flatt and Scruggs' COMPLETE MERCURY RECORDINGS (28 tracks) is back in print and 'TIS SWEET TO BE REMEMBERED (34 tracks) offers a broader look at the duo's tenure at Columbia.

All things considred, this is collection makes a terrific crash course in bluegrass music and illustrates why Earl Scruggs is one of the giants of the genre. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full-length portrait of bluegrass legend, December 8, 2004

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hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Essential Earl Scruggs (Audio CD)

Given the mountain of recordings waxed by legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs, even a two-CD set can only sketch the outlines of his invention. From his earliest work with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, through his popular peak as half of Flatt & Scruggs, and finishing with various pairings and guest stints, as well as his own Earl Scruggs review, his invention never stops. His revolutionary picking technique powers the selected Monroe cuts, drawing the template for bluegrass banjo players who followed. Similarly, his work with guitarist Lester Flatt fueled bluegrass' second popular peak as part of the late-50s/early-60s folk revival. Finally, his less traditional directions (and, reportedly, the cause of his split with Flatt) in the 70s and 80s show Scruggs untrapped by his own inventions.

If one were going to pick nits at this collection, it would be for the familiarity of much of the material, and the over-sized space given to Flatt & Scruggs. On the other hand, this isn't pitched at already knowing fans, it's meant as a full-length portrait of Scruggs career. Those wishing to zoom in on the details can easily flesh out individual eras with additional discs; still, this makes a good map to the terrain, as well as 105 minutes of awesomely fine music.