Ralph Stanley - My Life & Legacy: The Very Best of Ralph Stanley (2014)

Tracklist

01. Little Maggie
02. Man of Constant Sorrow
03. Bootleg John
04. Clinch Mountain Backstep
05. Little Birdie
06. Dream of a Miner's Child
07. I've Just Seen the Rock of Ages
08. Little Glass of Wine
09. Train 45
10. Pretty Polly
11. Rocky Island
12. Hemlocks and Primroses
13. John Henry
14. Oh, Death
15. Old Time Pickin'
16. Katy Daley
17. Amazing Grace
18. Single Girl, Married Girl

When Carter Stanley died suddenly in 1966 at the age of 41, his brother Ralph was left at an unenviable crossroads. Given that the Stanley Brothers were such a top-draw mountain bluegrass outfit, it almost seemed unimaginable that Ralph could continue performing at their prior level without his brother, who was the songwriting part of the duo. But continue he did, opting to stay close to the traditional Appalachian folk material he had grown up with, choosing songs that were often bone-chillingly dark and thus emotionally fitted to his ragged, weary-sounding tenor voice. That voice lost none of its poignant, weary grace as it aged. Here Stanley runs through several traditional Appalachian songs, many of which, like "Oh Death" and "Man of Constant Sorrow," have become signature tunes for him.

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