20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Flat & Scruggs

Amazon.com essential recording
Fresh off their pioneering stint with Bill Monroe, guitarist-vocalist Lester Flatt and banjo master Earl Scruggs waxed 28 seminal cuts for Mercury between 1948 and 1950. All 28 appeared on the Complete Mercury Sessions, which has been replaced by this far-less-generous 12-song collection. Still, the duo and their Foggy Mountain Boys attack this music with an urgency that even Monroe's Blue Grass Boys were hard-pressed to equal. Scruggs's three-fingered banjo technique is as important to bluegrass as any other innovation, possessing a rolling quality that keeps the songs moving. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Farewell Blues" are banjo tour de forces that will never be matched. Original gospel numbers find Scruggs applying his fingerpicking technique to guitar, à la Merle Travis, and feature sharp group harmonies. Most of the original secular songs have become bluegrass standards, even though the pair refused to call their refined mountain music bluegrass. --Marc Greilsamer

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Flat & Scruggs,Flatt & Scruggs,Mercury Nashville,Bluegrass,Country,Country & Western,Pop,Traditional Bluegrass

Average customer rating: Best of Flat & Scruggs Classic Flatt & Scruggs

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Flat & Scruggs Flatt & Scruggs Manufacturer: Mercury Nashville ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bill Monroe 16 Biggest Hits The Essential Flatt & Scruggs: 'Tis Sweet To Be Remembered Foggy Mountain Banjo The Complete Mercury Recordings ASIN: B00005B7FD Release Date: 2001-04-24

Tracks:

1. Foggy Mountain Breakdown
2. My Cabin In Caroline
3. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
4. Baby Blue Eyes
5. Old Salty Dog Blues
6. I'll Just Pretend
7. Pike County Breakdown
8. Doin' My Time
9. God Loves His Children
10. Farewell Blues
11. Take Me In A Lifeboat
12. We'll Meet Again Sweetheart

Amazon.com essential recording

Fresh off their pioneering stint with Bill Monroe, guitarist-vocalist Lester Flatt and banjo master Earl Scruggs waxed 28 seminal cuts for Mercury between 1948 and 1950. All 28 appeared on the Complete Mercury Sessions, which has been replaced by this far-less-generous 12-song collection. Still, the duo and their Foggy Mountain Boys attack this music with an urgency that even Monroe's Blue Grass Boys were hard-pressed to equal. Scruggs's three-fingered banjo technique is as important to bluegrass as any other innovation, possessing a rolling quality that keeps the songs moving. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Farewell Blues" are banjo tour de forces that will never be matched. Original gospel numbers find Scruggs applying his fingerpicking technique to guitar, à la Merle Travis, and feature sharp group harmonies. Most of the original secular songs have become bluegrass standards, even though the pair refused to call their refined mountain music bluegrass. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Best of Flat & Scruggs.......2007-01-16

If you are already a fan of Bluegrass, you probably don't need this review as you know these guys are amazing and you have most of these recordings somewhere else. If you are just getting started appreciating the music, this is a great cd to get. It has a good range of music and *all* pieces are absolutely stellar!
I got this for my kids as I know the material is good and they just love the positive energy of the music. "Flat & Scruggs", "Bill Monroe", "Old and In The Way", and Springsteen's "Seeger Sessions" are all big favorites in my house.

Classic Flatt & Scruggs.......2002-02-10

Even if you're only a casual fan of bluegrass music, this is essential listening. After playing their last dates with Bill Monroe in early 1948, Flatt and Scruggs began a two-year relationship with the independent Mercury Records. Between October, 1948 and October, 1950, they recorded 28 tracks over four separate sessions. The twelve tracks presented here include such originals as "My Cabin in Caroline," "We'll Meet Again Sweetheart" and the banjo showcase "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"--all of which have become classics. Unfortunately, this disc omits other originals like "Down the Road," "So Happy I'll Be," "I'll Never Love Another" and "Is It Too Late Now," among others. [1992's "The Complete Mercury Sessions" included their entire recorded output for the label, but it has since gone out of print.] The Foggy Mountain Boys at various times included guitarist Mac Wiseman, mandolinist Curly Seckler and former Monroe sidemen bassist Cedrick Rainwater and fiddler Art Wooten. Unlike on their recordings with Monroe, Scruggs' innovative three-finger style picking was pushed to the forefront on these recordings. In addition to being a stellar banjo player, Scruggs was a gifted guitar player as well. Listen to his Merle Travis-inspired playing on "God Loves His Children," for example. While Flatt and Scruggs would have greater commercial success after their switch to Columbia, these are essential recordings. And unless you want to shell out some big bucks for the Bear Family box sets, this--for now--is the disc to own. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Music Album:

1. 40 Songs
2. After a While
3. After Awhile
4. Alabama Song [Enhanced]
5. Apache/The Many Guitars of Jorgen Ingmann
6. Bandera
7. Billy and the Kid
8. Born to Be Hurt: The Anthology 1966-1982
9. Break in the Storm
10. Cattle Call/Thereby Hangs a Tale [Import]

Music Album