Clinch Mountain Country

Ralph Stanley

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 19, 1998)
• Original Release Date: May 19, 1998
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Rebel Records
• ASIN: B000005YVB
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,148 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Music > Country > Compilations > Bluegrass
  #20 in	Music > Indie Music > Folk > Traditional Folk
  #29 in	Music > Indie Music > Country > Bluegrass

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 1998
In many ways a follow-up to 1992's stunning Saturday Night & Sunday Morning, this glorious two-CD set pairs the bluegrass pioneer with established legends and notable comers from across the worlds of country and bluegrass. Now in his 70s, Stanley still possesses the most spine-tingling high-tenor wail the world has ever known, and he still knows how to make it mesh with whoever might be joining him. --Marc Greilsamer

Amazon.com
Few country artists, among them Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, and the Louvin Brothers, have amassed such an impressive body of work as Ralph Stanley. On this simply amazing two-CD set, Stanley mines his musical legacy by inviting current country and bluegrass artists to record with his band in the studio, and a veritable who's-who jump at the opportunity. Dwight Yoakam, Laurie Lewis, Jim Lauderdale, Gillian Welch, BR5-49, Bob Dylan, and sundry others join the legendary claw-hammer banjo picker and rip through the Stanley Brothers songbook, prompting country troubadour Hal Ketchum to say, "Singing with Ralph Stanley is like painting with Picasso." --Tod Nelson

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Good As Bluegrass Gets, February 8, 2003

By	Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When the "O Brother" phenomenon struck, I had already been a fan of bluegrass music since the late Sixties. I bought vinyl copies of albums by Bill Monore, Flatt & Scruggs and, of course, The Stanley Brothers. However, it hasn't been until the last couple years that I sought out Ralph Stanley's post-seventies work. And with his inclusion on the "O Brother" soundtrack, there are many titles to choose from. This two-disc set is a no-brainer. It contains 36 tracks and nearly two hours of solid singing and picking.

Guest vocalists run the gamut of bluegrass artists (Tim O'Brien, Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss), country artists who got their start in bluegrass (Marty Stuart, Vince Gill), old-school country (George Jones, Porter Wagoner), alt-country (Gillian Welch) and artists like Bob Dylan, who defy categorization.

From beginning to end, this is a glorious album. Each song is recorded with such passion that you don't want it to end. I'm encouraged that bluegrass has been enjoying a rebirth in popularity in recent years, and if projects like this are a consequence, then I say hallelujah! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bluegrass Legend Stanley at his best!, March 18, 2002

By	David Weekley (West Union, WV USA) - See all my reviews

This two CD set is great for new and old bluegrass fans alike. 36 songs combine the best of bluegrass and country music with Dr. Ralph Stanley's high tenor harmonies to create an unforgettable CD set that is well worth the price.

For those of you from the country scene new to bluegrass, you'll hear many voices you recognize from the country radio scene including Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, George Jones and Kathy Mattea just to name a few.

You'll also get to hear many of today's bluegrass greats including Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krause and Gillian Welch.

Although all tracks are excellent, some of the standouts are his rendition of "Pretty Polly" with Patty Loveless, "Thy Burdens are
greater than mine" and "Lonesome Banjo Man" with his son, "Bright Morning Star" with Kathy Mattea and "The Lonesome River" with Bob Dylan.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traditional Meets Contemporary, January 17, 2002

By	A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Hal Ketcham is quoted in the liner notes of 'Clinch Mountain Country' saying, "Singing with Ralph Stanley is like painting with Picasso." Stanley is indeed the master of what he himself calls Mountain Music (not to be confused with the gosh-awful song by Alabama).

In 1997, Stanley decided to make a recording with some of his favorite musicians. Before he knew it, Stanley was fielding calls from a flood of musicians wanting to join in. Here are just a few who were lucky enough to be included on the disc with Stanley:
Dwight Yokam
Ricky Skaggs
Vince Gill
Patty Loveless
George Jones
Gillian Welch
Bob Dylan

And that's just on Disc One!

If you've never heard of Ralph Stanley, if you were on Jupiter when 'O Brother Where Art Thou' came out last year, spend the money and hear the magic of Ralph Stanley.

Disc One 51:07
Disc Two 52:42