Bill Monroe - The Music of Bill Monroe from 1936 to 1994 [1994] (4 x CDs)

BILL MONROE

Bill Monroe - The Music of Bill Monroe from 1936 to 1994 [1994] (4 x CDs)

William Smith Monroe (September 13, 1911 - September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the "Father of Bluegrass".  The genre takes its name from his band, the Blue Grass Boys, who named their group for the bluegrass of Monroe's home state of Kentucky. He described the genre as "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound." 

It's the rare artist who virtually invents a genre single-handedly, and there's no artist in any genre whose work has remained as dominant a force as Bill Monroe. The songs here not only define bluegrass, but they also remain the core of any bluegrass band's repertoire. Monroe added a dose of sophistication to traditional hillbilly music--intricate group harmonies, expert musicianship--and he rehearsed his Blue Grass Boys for hours on end. MCA's lavish 4 CD set covers 60 years and 98 songs, adding detailed notes and anecdotes. Beginning with 1936 duets with brother Charlie, the list of Blue Grass Boys reads like a roster of legends: Flatt and Scruggs, Chubby Wise, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Martin, Vassar Clements, Sonny Osborne, Bobby Hicks, Kenny Baker, Bill Keith, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, and Richard Greene; the list goes on and on, as does the legacy of Monroe's music. (Amazon)

These are the real Bill Monroe recordings, not all of them of course but a good sampling of his work from 1936 until 1994. Monroe died in 1996 so there is no more. In addition to creating his own musical genre Monroe was one of the defining figures of modern mandolin techniques. The new listener will find that his mandolin is often played in a complex melody or counterpoint, with runs fully equal to those of the best jazz clarinetist or saxophonist. In many of his tunes you will hear his mandolin skating around the tune like a dragonfly, darting here, there and yonder! Ignoring the rest of his musical impact his mandolin riffs alone are worth the price of these CDs. 

Monroe and his bands marked the transition from old time country music to modern music's and sitting on the cusp of change his many styles were eclectic. These songs are likewise varied from classics like Dusty Miller, Soldier's Joy, Sally Goodin, Sailer's Hornpipe, et cetera, old time hymns and on into his later styles. There are blues, bluegrass and country songs which sound more modern, all of which bear his stamp of authenticity.

Anyone who knows of him knows that there were about 160 musicians who played with him and the Blue Grass Boys. Many of the living ones still call their music Bluegrass, but I guess that is kind of like Paul or Ringo playing an occasional Beatles song, just not the same. And once they're gone there will be no bluegrass at all, just copies of copies. (B)

Features most of Monroe's greatest recordings (plus many rarities too)

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Track lists

CD01

01 Bill Monroe - My Long Journey Home 2:26

02 Bill Monroe - What Would You Give In Exchange (For Your Soul)? 3:13

03 Bill Monroe - Muleskinner Blues 3:08

04 Bill Monroe - Cryin' Holy Unto My Lord 2:33

05 Bill Monroe - Back Up And Push 2:52

06 Bill Monroe - Goodbye Old Pal 2:42

07 Bill Monroe - Heavy Traffic Ahead 2:51

08 Bill Monroe - Wicked Path Of Sin 2:41

09 Bill Monroe - It's Mighty Dark To Travel 2:53

10 Bill Monroe - Bluegrass Breakdown 2:18

11 Bill Monroe - Can't You Hear Me Callin' 3:18

12 Bill Monroe - My Little Georgia Rose 3:08

13 Bill Monroe - I'm On My Way To The Old Home 2:27

14 Bill Monroe - I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome 2:51

15 Bill Monroe - Uncle Pen 2:46

16 Bill Monroe - Lord Protect My Soul 2:44

17 Bill Monroe - Raw Hide 2:38

18 Bill Monroe - Brakeman's Blues 2:38

19 Bill Monroe - Sugar Coated Love 2:25

20 Bill Monroe - Christmas Time's A Coming 2:49

21 Bill Monroe - The First Whippoorwill 2:55

22 Bill Monroe - In The Pines 3:13

23 Bill Monroe - Footprints In The Snow 2:42

24 Bill Monroe - Walking In Jerusalem 2:03

CD02

01 Bill Monroe - Memories Of Mother And Dad 2:57

02 Bill Monroe - The Little Girl And The Dreadful Snake 3:06

03 Bill Monroe - Y'all Come 2:18

04 Bill Monroe - Sitting Alone In The Moonlight 2:28

05 Bill Monroe - On And On 2:48

06 Bill Monroe - White House Blues 2:14

07 Bill Monroe - Happy On My Way 2:11

08 Bill Monroe - A Voice From On High 2:38

09 Bill Monroe - Close By 2:32

10 Bill Monroe - Put My Little Shoes Away 2:34

11 Bill Monroe - Wheel Hoss 2:21

12 Bill Monroe - Cheyenne 2:51

13 Bill Monroe - You'll Find Her Name Written There 2:53

14 Bill Monroe - Roanoke 2:41

15 Bill Monroe - Blue Moon Of Kentucky 2:42

16 Bill Monroe - The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band 2:34

17 Bill Monroe - Used To Be 2:08

18 Bill Monroe - A Good Woman's Love 2:23

19 Bill Monroe - Cry, Cry Darlin' 2:25

20 Bill Monroe - I'm Sittin' On Top Of The World 2:20

21 Bill Monroe - I'll Meet You In The Morning 2:14

22 Bill Monroe - Scotland 1:55

23 Bill Monroe - Molly And Tenbrooks 2:30

24 Bill Monroe - John Henry 1:39

CD03

01 Bill Monroe - Big Mon 2:14

02 Bill Monroe - Dark As The Night, Blue As The Day 2:32

03 Bill Monroe - Sold Down The River 2:32

04 Bill Monroe - Little Joe 3:00

05 Bill Monroe - Lonesome Road Blues 2:31

06 Bill Monroe - I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky 2:26

07 Bill Monroe - Toy Heart 2:16

08 Bill Monroe - Nine Pound Hammer 2:21

09 Bill Monroe - Big Sandy River 2:25

10 Bill Monroe - Darling Corey 2:02

11 Bill Monroe - Salt Creek 2:26

12 Bill Monroe - Sailor's Hornpipe 1:56

13 Bill Monroe - Roll On Buddy, Roll On 2:13

14 Bill Monroe - Bill's Dream 2:36

15 Bill Monroe - Never Again 2:09

16 Bill Monroe - Dusty Miller 2:23

17 Bill Monroe - Midnight On The Stormy Deep 3:45

18 Bill Monroe - Soldier's Joy 2:11

19 Bill Monroe - Blue Night 2:41

20 Bill Monroe - Sally Goodin 3:17

21 Bill Monroe - Kentucky Mandolin 3:07

22 Bill Monroe - Walls Of Time 3:20

23 Bill Monroe - I Haven't Seen Mary In Years 3:06

24 Bill Monroe - The Dead March 2:20

25 Bill Monroe - With Body And Soul 3:07

26 Bill Monroe - Walk Softly On My Heart 2:36

27 Bill Monroe - Goin' Up Caney 2:21

CD04

01 Bill Monroe - Kentucky Waltz 3:03

02 Bill Monroe - Get Up John 2:34

03 Bill Monroe - Lonesome Moonlight Waltz 2:37

04 Bill Monroe - Rocky Road Blues 2:03

05 Bill Monroe - Jenny Lynn 2:17

06 Bill Monroe - My Old Kentucky And You 2:14

07 Bill Monroe - You Won't Be Satisfied That Way 2:01

08 Bill Monroe - Jerusalem Ridge (Starring Kenny Baker) 3:32

09 Bill Monroe - Ashland Breakdown (Starring Kenny Baker) 2:17

10 Bill Monroe - Come Hither To Go Yonder 2:54

11 Bill Monroe - My Last Days On Earth 4:38

12 Bill Monroe - My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin' (With Ricky Skaggs) 2:46

13 Bill Monroe - Travelin' This Lonesome Road (With Mac Wiseman) 3:33

14 Bill Monroe - The Old Brown County Barn 2:31

15 Bill Monroe - Stay Away From Me 2:18

16 Bill Monroe - The Long Bow 2:48

17 Bill Monroe - The Old Cross Roads 4:08

18 Bill Monroe - Southern Flavor 3:18

19 Bill Monroe - Take Courage Un' Tomorrow 2:29

20 Bill Monroe - Pike County Breakdown 2:28

21 Bill Monroe - I'm Working On A Building 2:35

22 Bill Monroe - You're Drifting Away 2:41

23 Bill Monroe - Boston Boy 2:36

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