The Essential Bill Monroe & The Monroe Brothers

Amazon.com
Despite both the historical importance and high quality of these 25 songs, this collection remains a bit vexing. For one, Bill recorded more than 60 tracks with older brother Charlie between 1936 and 1938, but only 9 appear here. In addition, their two best-known (and earliest) collaborations--"My Long Journey Home" and "What Would You Give in Exchange (For Your Soul)"--are omitted (they can be found at the beginning of the four-CD Music of Bill Monroe instead). The remaining 16 cuts focus on Bill's transitional banjoless "pregrass" recordings from 1940 and 1941, which offer hints--forceful mandolin picking, intricate harmonies--of the more-refined trademark sound to come. The music herein is often spectacular: the rough-and-tumble quartet produces raging instrumentals ("Katy Hill," "Tennessee Blues"), fervent gospels ("Cryin' Holy unto the Lord," "Were You There?"), and poignant ballads ("In the Pines," "No Letter in the Mail") that bridge the gap between traditional country and bluegrass. The brother duos are terrific examples of the close-harmony style of the 1930s and truly deserve a deep compilation of their own. --Marc Greilsamer

The Essential Bill Monroe & The Monroe Brothers,Bill Monroe & the Monroe Brothers,RCA,Bluegrass,Country,Country & Western,Pop,Traditional Bluegrass

Average customer rating: More info on Alternate takes Operalover's review Part of the Bluegrass Curriculum Love the music, got a gripe with Columbia... Great Music, but no documentation for a box set.

The Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys Bill Monroe Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Country | Box Sets | Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Box Sets | Stores | Music Folk | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: 16 Gems The Essential Flatt & Scruggs: 'Tis Sweet To Be Remembered The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys: The Complete Mercury Recordings The Essential Bill Monroe & The Monroe Brothers Anthology ASIN: B0000028MD Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

1. Rocky Road Blues
2. Kentucky Waltz
3. True Life Blues
4. Nobody Loves Me
5. Goodbye Old Pal
6. Footprints In The Snow
7. Blue Grass Special
8. Come Back To Me In My Dreams
9. Heavy Traffic Ahead
10. Why Did You Wander
11. Blue Moon Of Kentucky
12. Toy Heart
13. Summertime Is Past And Gone
14. Mansions For Me
15. Mother's Only Sleeping
16. Blue Yodel No.4
17. Will You Be Loving Another Man?
18. How Will I Explain About You?
19. Shining Path
20. Wicked Path Of Sin

Tracks:

1. I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky
2. It's Mighty Dark To Travel
3. I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling
4. Little Cabin Home On The Hill
5. My Rose Of Old Kentucky
6. Blue Grass Breakdown
7. Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
8. The Old Cross Road
9. That Home Above
10. Remember The Cross
11. Little Community Church
12. Along About Daybreak
13. When You Are Lonely
14. Molly And Tenbrooks (The Racehorse Song)
15. Shine Hallelujah Shine
16. I'm Travelin' On And On
17. Can't You Hear Me Callin'
18. Travelin' This Lonesome Road
19. Blue Grass Stomp
20. The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band

Amazon.com essential recording

Given his reputation as a tight-assed traditionalist, it's not easy to think of the late bluegrass fountainhead Bill Monroe as a revolutionary, but that's exactly what he was. As Mark A. Humphrey's liner notes contend, "Bluegrass was teething at the same time as bebop and rhythm & blues." Indeed, the music created by Monroe and his crack sidemen reflected the same anxious innovation as, say, Charlie Parker's contemporaneous creations. Four of the six recording sessions chronicled in this box featured the classic BlueGrass Boys lineup, which fell apart in 1948 when Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Cedric Rainwater left to form a splinter group that took bluegrass in a more commercial direction. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

More info on Alternate takes.......2004-04-02

The complaints about Columbia issuing alternate takes on this set are factually correct. I was sort of puzzled by this too. However in the liner notes to Columbia's "16 Gems" Bill Monroe album they explain the background of this set. Apparently the original concept was to release a 3-cd set with the original and alternate takes together, but there were concerns over the marketability of that idea. So the result was the issue of the 16 gems album, which contains the primary (released) takes of some of the biggest cuts (Bluegrass Breakdown, The Old Crossroads, etc.) and the release of this set, with the alternate takes of those songs. The two albums--"16 gems" and "the Essential Bill Monroe" complement each other. If you are looking for a Bill Monroe on Columbia box set, those two products combined are probably the next best thing to Bear Family's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" 1936-1949 set (which is both more extensive and more expensive).
As a side note, "Uncle Pen" was recorded during Monroe's Decca years only and thus would not be available to Columbia for reissue.

Operalover's review.......2002-11-07

Boy are the previous reviewers picky-picky. I have never seen even opera picked apart as this boxset has. What do these folks expect-perfection? This set will please all but the fussiest bluegrassophile.

Part of the Bluegrass Curriculum.......2002-05-06

This 2-disc set was part of a "two-fer" deal and not my first choice, but am I ever glad it was! This one has gone to the top of the CD pile near my stereo and with me on the road. It seems to be a good sampling of the many incarnations of the "Blue Grass Boys" (and girl, counting Wilene/Sally Ann Forrester on accordion). Until this set, I didn't know that Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs had started out with Bill Monroe and being a dedicated fan of F & S, the cuts featuring them are exceptional.

Love the music, got a gripe with Columbia..........2001-08-31

I can't fault the superb music or the documentation (a previous reviewer said there's none...he should return his, the set comes with a pretty good book of history, session notes, etc.). However, for some reason, Columbia decided that 16 of these songs should be represented not by the originally released takes, but by alternate takes. The master takes were released later on a separate release (16 Golden Hits or something like that). Grrrrr...
So we get the following absurdity in the notes: "...Monroe opens the throttle and launches into what would become the most influential performance in bluegrass history." This is describing "Blue Grass Breakdown", but the problem is that the performance in question, undoubtedly an extremely important recording, ISN'T INCLUDED IN THE SET, but rather an alternate take is substituted. Dunderheads. If this set was meant to be an introduction to Monroe, it should have been all master takes. If it was meant to be a collection for completists, it should've had an additional CD's worth of music included.

On the plus side for Columbia, the sound is really quite excellent, considering these are 40's recordings. Many Columbia CD reissues, at least in their former Jazz reissue series, were marred by terrible remastering. This release sounds fabulous.

Great Music, but no documentation for a box set........2001-07-25

The music is fabulous. It touches a place inside you and makes you stop what you are doing just to listen to the music. This is what good music is meant to be. However: this box set has no (shall I repeat no) documentation. There are no liner notes to fill the oversize box. There are no liner notes in either CD case, just a 1 ply sheet with the song title, writer, and date of recording, which is also printed on the back cover of the box. I would still buy it, but be warned. It doesn't have anything but the CD's (which really is enough).

Average customer rating: Great Early Bill Monroe with rarities! really nice! best bill monroe cd out there

The Essential Bill Monroe & The Monroe Brothers Bill Monroe & the Monroe Brothers Manufacturer: RCA 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 Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: Bill Monroe at His Best 16 Gems The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers Hand-Picked: 25 Years Of Bluegrass On Rounder Records The Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys ASIN: B000002X2K Release Date: 1997-04-29

Tracks:

1. Mule Skinner Blues
2. No Letter In The Mail
3. Cryin' Holy Unto My Lord
4. Six White Horses
5. Dog House Blues
6. I Wonder If You Feel The Way I Do
7. Katy Hill
8. Tennessee Blues
9. Shake My Mother's Hand For Me
10. Were You There?
11. Blue Yodel No.7
12. The Coupon Song
13. Orange Blossom Special
14. Honky Tonk Swing
15. In The Pines
16. Back Up And Push
17. The Great Speckled Bird
18. No Home, No Place To Pillow My Head
19. New River Train
20. Once I Had A Darling Mother
21. On The Banks Of The Ohio
22. Weeping Willow Tree
23. Just A Song Of Old Kentucky
24. Don't Forget Me
25. I Am Thinking Tonight Of The Old Folks

Amazon.com

Despite both the historical importance and high quality of these 25 songs, this collection remains a bit vexing. For one, Bill recorded more than 60 tracks with older brother Charlie between 1936 and 1938, but only 9 appear here. In addition, their two best-known (and earliest) collaborations--"My Long Journey Home" and "What Would You Give in Exchange (For Your Soul)"--are omitted (they can be found at the beginning of the four-CD Music of Bill Monroe instead). The remaining 16 cuts focus on Bill's transitional banjoless "pregrass" recordings from 1940 and 1941, which offer hints--forceful mandolin picking, intricate harmonies--of the more-refined trademark sound to come. The music herein is often spectacular: the rough-and-tumble quartet produces raging instrumentals ("Katy Hill," "Tennessee Blues"), fervent gospels ("Cryin' Holy unto the Lord," "Were You There?"), and poignant ballads ("In the Pines," "No Letter in the Mail") that bridge the gap between traditional country and bluegrass. The brother duos are terrific examples of the close-harmony style of the 1930s and truly deserve a deep compilation of their own. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Great Early Bill Monroe with rarities!.......2003-01-29

This is a great collection of early Bill Monroe tracks, recorded with the Monroe Brothers and with the first version of the Blue Grass Boys. Three of the tracks here: "Great Speckled Bird," "No Home, No Place...," and "Once I Had a Darling Mother" are NOT included on the mammoth 6-CD set from Bear Family titled "Blue Moon of Kentucky." According to this release Bill plays on those (though they are credited to Charlie); according to the Bear Family box, he does not. Hmm..., who to believe? I think I'll hold onto this one anyway. Even if it's not Bill on those tracks, they're still pretty good.

really nice!.......2001-03-14

this record is pretty awesome!

great gospel numbers .....great bluesy stuff too!

bill monroe is da mac daddy of all mandelin pickers!!!!

i highly recommend this here record!! its really good!! the 9 monroe brother duets are very nice too!! don't forget to check out the new collection in the process of coming out with like i think 4 or so full length cds with just the monroe brothers on it!! When i get more cash on hand...i may have to buy everyone of those because they are surely full of classics!!!

best bill monroe cd out there.......2000-05-07

Alot of CDs out there of Bill Monroe have re-recordings and not the originals. But this one has the originals. You can tell by the way they sound.

Average customer rating:

Essential Collection Bill Monroe Manufacturer: Umvd Import ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Country Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Country | Imports | Stores | Music Folk | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000083LQ9 Release Date: 2003-04-14

Tracks:

1. Uncle Pen
2. I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome
3. New Mule Skinner Blues
4. Nine Pound Hammer
5. Blue Moon of Kentucky
6. I Saw the Light
7. Footprints in the Snow
8. You're Drifting Away
9. Rocky Road Blues
10. Cry, Cry Darling
11. Scotland
12. Gotta Travel On
13. Long Black Veil
14. Toy Heart
15. Jimmy Brown the Newsboy
16. Fireball Mail
17. Kentucky Waltz

Album Description

The 'Essential Collection' provides a superb introduction to bluegrass music from the man many consider to be it's inventor. This compilation cherry picks the 1950s & 1960s Decca masters which includes the hits, 'Scotland' & 'Gotta Travel On', in addition to the glorious remakes of Monroe's glorious 1940s legacy, including his most famous song, 'Blue Moon Of Kentucky'. 17 tracks in all. Spectrum. 2003.

Album Details

The Father of Bluegrass Music is Feted on this Special Budget Compilation that Cherry Picks the 1950s and 1960s Us Decca Masters which Included Country Chart Hits Such as the Atmospheric "Scotland" and "Gotta Travel On" in Addition to the Wonderful Remakes of Monroe's Glorious 1940s Legecy, Including his Most Famous Song "Blue Moon of Kentucky".

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