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Ralph Stanley - Poor Rambler
Release Date: June 17, 2003
Label: King Records (K3CD-0951)

Any three-disc set of previously hard-to-find recordings by Ralph Stanley would be a release worth noting. But this one is especially exciting because it brings together the entirety of Stanley's work for the King and Gusto labels, much of it from the late '60s when Stanley was arguably at the peak of his considerable powers. Much of this material features lead singer Larry Sparks, the man generally considered Ralph Stanley's most effective duet partner since the death of his brother Carter. Indeed, the 36 King sides were recorded shortly after Carter's untimely death and a brief but intense period of personal grief and professional uncertainty on Ralph's part. When he returned to recording and playing it was with an impressive level of energy and commitment, as these recordings make plain -- just listen to the gritty incisiveness of his renditions of "Poor Rambler," "I'm Better Off Now That You're Gone," and the Bill Monroe classic "In the Pines." But as fine as these songs are, the real fun comes on the 12 songs that Stanley recorded for the Gusto label with Jimmy Martin handling lead vocals and rhythm guitar chores. Martin's patented buzzsaw whine and powerful guitar attack push Stanley in a way that his late brother never had, and the results are thrilling. The occasional harmonica and drums (!) are an annoyance, but not more than an annoyance. Very highly recommended.  --Rick Anderson, AllMusicGuide


Ralph Stanley and his brother Carter delivered twenty years of classic bluegrass as the Stanley Brothers. From their earliest radio exposure on WCYB’s “Farm And Fun Time” (Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia), through years of endless touring and major-label recording, until Carter’s death in 1966, the Stanleys amassed legions of fans. Even Bill Monroe’s legendary resentment of the Stanley Brothers — who occasionally recorded songs he popularized — stands as a testament to their popularity.

In recent years, the national media has recognized Stanley as bluegrass music’s greatest living elder statesman. But such acknowledgements are not simply the result of Stanley’s work on the O Brother soundtrack. Nor is this recognition an entirely new phenomenon. Lincoln Memorial University presented Stanley with an honorary doctorate in 1976 (thus his standing as “Dr. Ralph” ), and the National Endowment for the Arts named him a National Heritage Award winner in 1984. Since the early 1990s, he has recorded with everyone from George Jones and Lucinda Williams to Bob Dylan and Bill Monroe. (Resentment, it seems, can only last so long.)

But there was another rung on Stanley’s career ladder. In early 1967, decades before the Country Music Association would honor him as their Male Vocalist of the Year, Ralph Stanley faced a singularly difficult decision: Without Carter by his side, would he continue making music as a solo artist?

Encouraged by friends and fans alike, Stanley entered the studio a few months after his brother’s death, and by 1969 he had recorded three albums for King Records. Poor Rambler is a three-disc set preserving each of those albums, plus tracks Stanley recorded with Jimmy Martin for their album First Time Together, released on the Gusto label in 1980.

On Brand New Country Songs, Stanley’s first album for King, his band included Melvin Goins, Curly Ray Cline, and a 19-year-old Larry Sparks, all of whom had worked with the Stanley Brothers. Ralph, now assuming the role of bandleader, chose to steer their music in a slightly different direction. He deliberately opted for a more distinctive mountain sound; his voice sounded nearly as ancient at 40 as it does today. On songs such as “Lonesome” and “Poor Rambler”, the mandolin takes a back seat to Sparks’ guitar runs, and the melodies are carried by Stanley’s banjo and Cline’s raw fiddling.

Over The Sunset Hill, a gospel collection recorded in 1968, is the highlight of this set. The lineup of Goins, Cline and Sparks returned, with the addition of George Shuffler — another Stanley Brothers alumnus — on bass. Ralph’s own “Jesse James Prayed” (”Before every raid, Jesse James prayed/Maybe Jesse was a God-loving man…” ) is a curiosity that probably hasn’t found its way into many church hymnals. Still, this record should take its place alongside Cry From The Cross as one of Stanley’s most moving gospel efforts.

“Hills Of Home”, Stanley’s recitation honoring his brother Carter, is the title track of his final King album. Carter’s presence is also felt on “Midnight Storm” and “The Kitten And The Cat”, both of which he co-wrote. Stanley fires his banjo like a machine gun on “Dug-Gunn Shame”, and Sparks’ lead pushes Ralph’s tenor on “I Only Exist”. Goins had left the band at this point, and Jimmy Martin, a former Blue Grass Boy himself, sat in on guitar and mandolin.

Unfortunately, the fine material Stanley and Martin recorded later for Gusto seems a bit jarring. The dozen songs from that session are divided among the three discs as bonus tracks, and tend to sneak in from left field. As opposed to the King recordings, which mainly included Stanley originals, the Stanley-Martin set favored songs such as “Footprints In The Snow”, “In The Pines” and “Rabbit In The Log” (songs, incidentally, that were first associated with Monroe). The more modern production style, which included the use of a drum set, also makes for some difficult transitions. --David Baxter, No Depression


Track Listing:
CD1:
1. Sharecropper's Son 
2. Hemlock and Primroses 
3. That Beautiful Woman 
4. Poor Rambler
5. Lonesome 
6. Lost Train 
7. Row Hoe  
8. Wonderful World Outside 
9. Sweet Sally Brown
10. Love Please Stay 
11. I'm Better Off Now That You're Gone
12. You Could Never Be True
13. Roll on Buddy 
14. I'm Coming Back But I Don't Know When 
15. I'm Coming Down the Road 
16. Rabbit in the Log  
17. In the Pines 

CD2:
1. Over the Sunset Hill
2. Going up Home to Live in Green Pastures  
3. What Kind of Man
4. I Want a Clear Record 
5. Prepare Me O Lord 
6. I Wanna Go Home  
7. A Little Soldier for Jesus  
8. Jesse James Prayed 
9. Snow Covered Mound
10. I'll Be With Dad and Mother
11. Thou Long Expected Jesus 
12. Be Ready to Go  
13. Let Me Walk Lord by Your Side
14. The Old Crossroad  

CD3:
1. Hills of Home  
2. Darling Brown Eyes
3. My Long Skinny Lanky Sarah Jane 
4. Coosy  
5. Midnight Storm
6. Let's Go to the Fair  
7. Dark Hollow 
8. Dug-gunn Shame   
9. The Kitten and the Cat  
10. California
11. I Only Exist 
12. Medicine Springs 
13. Footprints in the Snow
14. Sunny Side of the Mountain 
15. God Gave You to Me
16. Stone Walls and Steel Bars
17. I Only Exist  


The complete recordings of Ralph Stanley for the King/Gusto labels.
Personal picks: Sharecropper's Son, Row Hoe, Jesse James Prayed, Dug-gunn Shame and Footprints in the Snow.

Enjoy!