Customer Reviews

18 Old-Time Country Favorites

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Playing Time - 34:06 -- With over 50 years in business, Rural Rhythm Records has built a catalog that connects many dots from past to present. Since its 1955 creation, Rural Rhythm has released hundreds of classic performances by many legendary bluegrass and old-time musicians such as J.E. Mainer, Don Reno, Red Smiley, Mac Wiseman, Vassar Clements, Hylo Brown, Bill Harrell, Jim Eanes, and many others. This album is part of that archival catalog. The label owes its Arcadia, California start to Uncle Jim O'Neal whose vision was to release the music of many top bluegrass and old-time musicians in the 1950-70s, seeking success where Starday had failed by producing records of limited appeal by lesser known, albeit talented, musicians.

Curly Fox issued a couple LPs for Uncle Jim's label, Champion Fiddle Volumes 1 and 2 (RR-251 and 252). This reissued and remastered material on this CD is the second of the two and has been retitled "18 Old-Time Country Favorites." Curly Fox was born in Tennessee and began his radio career on WSB (Atlanta) in 1932. When country music evolved into more mainstream sounds, he found himself looking for his niche. Curly plays fiddle, harmonica and sings. The backup musicians (piano, drums, guitar, dobro) aren't identified. This is a fascinating glimpse of Curly's repertoire with breakdowns, waltzes, ballads, blues, and even a two-step. The versatile showman also throws a few entertaining novelty tunes like "Johnson's Old Gray Mule" with fiddling, singing, and mule imitations, and "Listen to the Mockingbird" evokes avian sound effects and some fine shuffle bowing. "Fox Chase" brings his fine harmonica to the forefront. He's in fine country voice for songs like "Bird in a Gilded Cage" and "Floatin' Down to Cotton Town."

Songcarriers and musicologists would be particularly interested in this type of archival material. Don't expect to hear vocal harmonies, elaborate arrangements or the same level of clarion studio recording quality we hear today. Rather, just enjoy and relive a classic bluegrass sound of yesteryear. Most of the cuts span about 2 minutes apiece. Just enjoy and relive a classic country sound of yesteryear. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

it was just like i remembered it many years ago