12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An American original, September 5, 2000
This review is from: Memories (Audio CD)
This was my first of the twenty-or-so Doc Watson recordings that I've picked up over the years, bought in the 70's after I saw Doc playing rhythm guitar behind Chet Atkins on the Johnny Carson Show. Most notable here is the sheer breadth of music, ranging from flatpicked fiddle tunes of a century ago (Double File/Salt Creek) to Texas Swing (Hang Your Head in Shame) to Blues (the famous Columbus Stockade Blues) to Ragtime (Steel Guitar Rag) to Country classics (Wabash Cannonball) to Bluegrass (My Rose of Old Kentucky). Some of Merle Watson's best work is on this recording, also - Merle was a superb slide guitarist and rhythm player.
22 songs here, not a stinker in the bunch, and worth the price for the cover photo of Doc with the Abe Lincoln beard.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Traditional American Music By a Master Guitarist, June 23, 2005
This review is from: Memories (Audio CD)
Doc Watson has recorded dozens of albums for many labels over the decades, but MEMORIES is one of my favorites. Originally recorded for Capitol and released in 1975 as a 2-LP set, these twenty-two songs are an excellent introduction to traditional American music and what makes Doc Watson one of the best flatpick guitarists ever.
These tunes reveal Doc's influences from Jimmie Rodgers to the Carter Family to Mississippi John Hurt and Bob Wills.
Many of these songs are performed with a full band--including drums--but the best performances are when the accompanyment is sparse, like on "Shady Grove," "Keep on the Sunny Side" and "Double File and Salt Creek," where it's just Doc, his son Merle and a bass player. Especially enjoyable is when Merle plays slide guitar on tunes like "Curly Headed Baby," "In the Jailhouse Now," "Steel Guitar Rag" and "Wabash Cannonball," the latter includes Sam Bush on fiddle. [In fact, Bush plays fiddle on six tracks in addition to playing mandolin on "Mama Don't Allow No Music.]
The album closes with what Doc says "is one of the most beautiful tunes I have ever heard." The song, "Thoughts of Never," was written by Merle who performs this instrumental on classical guitar with only Chuck Cochran accompanying him on piano.
If you're looking for a solid introduction to the world of Doc Watson and his son Merle, this is an excellent place to begin the journey. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another winner for Doc Watson, December 15, 2001
This review is from: Memories (Audio CD)
I've never heard a Doc Watson song I didn't like, which is something I can't say about many other artists out there, so it wasn't a big surprise to me that I absolutely loved this CD. If you already like Doc Watson, get this, it's fantastic. If you don't know Doc Watson, you should remedy that situation as soon as possible, and this album is the perfect one to start your collection with. It has a huge variety of music on it, from bluegrass to folk to blues to driving old-time instrumentals and more. It's sort of a sampler of Doc Watson's long and fruitful musical career. There's something for everybody on this recording.
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