Ralph Stanley - Cry From The Cross (1971)

Tracklist

01. Cry From The Cross
02. You're Drifting On
03. Will He Wait A Little Longer
04. Bright Morning Star
05. Death Is Only A Dream
06. Come On Little Children
07. Take Your Shoes Off Moses
08. Stairway To Heaven
09. I Am The Man Thomas
10. Step Out In The Sunshine
11. Sinner Man
12. Two Coats

Originally released on LP in 1972, this was the first album Ralph Stanley recorded with what many still consider the best band he ever had, one that included not only lead singer Roy Lee Centers (whose vocal similarity to Stanley's late brother, Ralph, was positively eerie), fiddler Curly Ray Cline, and bassist Jack Cooke, but also the young mandolinist Ricky Skaggs and guitarist Keith Whitley. Stanley had discovered Skaggs and Whitley playing old-timey brother duets in a club and was so taken with them that he invited them to tour with him, thus creating one of bluegrass history's legendary lineups. The material on Cry From the Cross is rendered expertly, but without any slickness; Stanley's rough-edged tenor voice dominates, as always, and the instrumental backing tends to be minimal. "Bright Morning Star" and "Sinner Man" are both performed a cappella, and the gripping "Two Coats," which would go on to become a staple of the Stanley repertoire, is here given a sharp-edged modal delivery that perfectly complements the song's stern moral message. This album is clearly a must for Stanley fans and will also serve as a good introduction for newcomers.

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