5 comments about Music of Bill Monroe.

1. Oh my goodness!! This is great for those who love the mandolin and Monroe's talents. Background and words included. Just wish it had the written music standards.



2. The only criticism I could weigh against this collection is that--although it's true that (as advertised) this is the only domestically available anthology of Bill Monroe's music that is cross-licensed across all of the major labels that he recorded for--within that, it's definitely weighted very heavily toward his MCA years. Four early tracks from his RCA/Bluebird period are represented, and his classic Columbia era gets the shortest shrift relative to its importance with only six songs in total. After that, the set moves quickly to his Decca/MCA period starting in 1950 and covers that in much greater depth over the remaining 87 tracks. The early songs, it must be said, are judiciously chosen and do represent the high points of this era, but a real Monroe afficionado will probably want that period to be represented in greater depth.
   
   This is undoubtedly a major drawback, then, if you are expecting this set to exhaustively document Monroe's early years, but if you're looking for a good general overview of his career--or if you're willing to invest separately for an in-depth anthology of his Columbia years--then this boxed set gets very high marks. It contains well over four hours' worth of prime Bill Monroe music and handsomely showcases his restless inventiveness within his notoriously persnickety insistence on purism and devotion to the classic bluegrass sound he helped to birth.
   
   It is because of that famous refusal to alter his sound that two things should be said about this collection--first, that the quality of the music is uniformly high. Unlike most artists with such longevity (the set covers nearly 60 years!), Bill never attempted to modernize his sound or pander to current trends, as even the great Johnny Cash did in the 80s. Bill Monroe was and remained Bill Monroe. This also means that the set can sound a little same-y after a while, especially if you're not a true bluegrass devotee, so consider before buying whether or not you really are committed to 98 tracks' worth of (true-)bluegrass.
   
   If you are, and if you're not deterred by the emphasis on his MCA period, then this set is hard to top. The sound is excellent throughout--even on the 1936 recording that kicks things off--and the accompanying booklet is gorgeous, with a wealth of great pictures and loving documentation & research. It's not perfect for all purposes, but it's a treasure trove of thrilling, exciting music of uncompromising excellence and energy, perfect for lovers of old-timey music. Dig in...



3. I have been listening to contemporary bluegrass for awhile now. So I decided it was time to go back and check out the original source of it all - the legendary Bill Monroe.
   
   This outstanding collection begins with his early days playing with brother Charlie in 1936 and goes all the way to a 1994 performance. In between are gathered 98 Monroe songs, including such classics as "Uncle Pen", "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" and "With Body And Soul".
   
   Of course, there were other old timey string bands featuring mandolin and fiddle before Bill Monroe came along. But it was his high pitched tenor vocals and fast playing style that created the unique "high lonesome sound" that came to be known as bluegrass. I can't imagine a better introduction to Monroe's music than this, so many great songs and also a a well designed booklet which provides photos and detailed liner notes outlining the different stages in Monroe's career. For any fan of bluegrass, new or old, this is a great musical purchase.



4. The packaging of this box set is very nice. The booklet that comes with the set is a pretty good abbreviated history of this fascinating icon of American music. Particularly interesting is reading about all of the Bluegrass Boys who later became bluegrass greats themselves- Flatt and Scruggs, Del McCoury, Sonny Osborne, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Martin and the list goes on.
   The only knock I have against this set is that some of the recordings are re-records of earlier Columbia classics, apparently at the behest of MCA records. It seems every box set either contains alternates or re-records which is puzzling to me. In the interest of history, I am only interested in the originally released recordings...



5. ...the foundation to all forms of American music. Having this much Monroe all in one place helps the listener understand the truly profound impact he had on the American musical soul. This collection is as timeless and current now as 50 years ago. Listen to all four discs chronologically the first time. The accompanying book with wonderful old photos is worth the price of the whole set.

No comments about Biggest Country Hits Of The 90s, Vol. 2.

No comments about 80's Country Groups Greatest Hits.

1 comments about Tribute.

1. this is a great album. roy and dale each have a song and all the other tracks are by top stars. in my opinion its better than any album i've heard of his music.its out of print now but worth the effort to get.

No comments about 20 Bluegrass Christmas Favorites.

No comments about Vol. 1-Original Gospel.

No comments about 30 Years Of #1 Hits, Vol. 19.

No comments about Hymns.

No comments about Day Three.

3 comments about All Time Southern Gospel Collection.

1. Elvis absolutely adored each and every one of these Gospel Quartets! These are the cream of the crop of Gospel singers! Trust me, it does Not get better than this.J D Sumner, Jake Hess,Rosie Rosell,James Blackwood, Ed Enoch!Elvis even hired most of these for his own records.If that doesn't tell you anything!!! This disc is a true history lesson of Southern Gospel and the influence on Rock and Roll!



2. I had read the first review written by Timb prior to ordering my own copy so I was curious to know if the cuts attributed to The Statesman were instead those of The Masters Five.

   After receiving, listening, very much enjoying my own copy, I fully agree with Timb1 from OH -- it is indeed J. D. Sumner on both cuts that are attributed to The Statesman. Furthermore, on "Happy Rhythm," the last cut on the disk, it's quite obviously J.D. Sumner AND James Blackwood, so I would assume that it has to be The Masters Five. That's not a problem for me since I am a tremendous fan of The Masters Five. But, where are the cuts from The Statesman?

   While I also agree that "Learning To Lean" was not the biggest hit for The Blackwoods, it has always been a personal favorite of mine so I'm happy that it's included. We need much more of this wonderful music to be digitally remastered and re-released.

   It's a wonderful album and worth every cent. If you love Southern Gospel, buy this album and ENJOY!




3. This is a fine recording with some classic cuts of older southern gospel groups. The late great granddaddy of all bass singers J.D. Sumner is on many of the cuts. I think the songs labelled as Statesman recordings are actually Master's V recordings because the bass singer is clearly J.D. Sumner and not Big Chief Wetherington. J.D. never sang with the Statesman Quartet as a group member as far as I know. Oddly enough there is only one Blackwood Brothers song on this CD, so Amazon's titling is somewhat misleading. I wouldn't call Learning to Lean one of their greatest hits either. I also would have chosen different cuts from the Kingsmen. They have produced much better material than what is represented here. The sound quality is excellent, but the lack of detailed liner notes about the personnel of the groups at the time of the recordings is very disappointing. Overall, however, a great experience. Not to be missed is the Master's V inspired rendition of Little is Much. If you haven't listened to the sound clip do so now. Buy and enjoy.