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Ralph Stanley II Stanley Blues |
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Track List 1. Stanley
Blues |
(Rebel) Ralph Stanley II, or "Two" as he's
called, is the 23 year old son of legendary bluegrass icon, Ralph
Stanley. Two's been playing as a member of his father's Clinch Mountain
Boys, since the age of 14, being groomed to take the helm one day. He's
been singing lead, with a rich, warm baritone, that's in stark contrast
to his father's piercing, mountain tenor, taking over the spot that once
belonged to the likes of Carter Stanley and Keith Whitley.
Which all means, the pressure's on Two, who
has some mighty big shoes to fill, not to mention, that legendary name
to live up to. So in addition to playing with his father and the Clinch
Mountain Boys, he's been diligently honing his skills by putting in a
little extra work, and releasing his own albums. He released his first
one the year he graduated high school in 1996, Clinch Mountain
Echoes: Songs In The Stanley Tradition, with fellow Clinch Mountain
alumni John Rigsby. Clinch Mountain Echoes was a
straightforward bluegrass effort, which contained mostly Carter and/or
Ralph Stanley penned songs, Ralph contributed his tenor on several cuts,
and was true to a regular Clinch Mountain Boys release.
Two's first "official" solo album came with
the release of Listen To My Hammer Ring in 1999. It was another
solid album of straightforward bluegrass, again containing old Stanley
originals, and he's backed by various members of the Clinch Mountain
Boys, and Ralph Sr. contributes vocals on about half the songs. In 2000,
he released Pretty Girls, City Lights, which followed pretty
much the same formula, solid backing by his dad and the Clinch Mountain
Boys. Only this time out, he only chose about a half dozen Stanley
classics, and while the album leans heavily to the bluegrass side,
there's a few that are less bluegrass, and more "mountain country",
where Two handles the majority of the vocal work solo. His smooth, warm
baritone recalls a bit of Keith Whitley, and some of Keith's solo work
on these songs.
With the release of Stanley's Blues,
Two seems to have gained enough confidence to take a few steps
further away from from the safety of Clinch Mountain territory. He
co-produced Stanley's Blues with Bil Vorndick. While as always,
John Rigsby's at his side, along with various Clinch Mountain
cohorts, Ralph Sr. only appears on two tracks this time around, the
traditional, "Ship Gone Astray," and the gospel "Four Horseman." Again,
there are several Stanley penned cuts, however, the difference this time
is, that four are by Carter or Ralph, while Two has written two of the
cuts, "Stanley Blue's," a Stanley family anthem about life on the road,
which is more traditional country than it is bluegrass, and "Taylor
Brook," an instrumental named for his new baby daughter.
Besides the song "Stanley's Blues,"
Two veers from straightforward bluegrass with a couple of country
standards, his terrific and moving versions of Mel Tillis' "Ruby, Don't
Take Your Love To Town," and Roy Dockery/Bill Jones' poignant "Daddy's
Dinner Bucket."
Stanley's Blues is a solid, low key
and soulful album full of outstanding musicianship, that finds Two
straddling the line between the trademark Stanley brand of bluegrass,
and traditional country music, as he's gaining his confidence and
sharpening his vocal skills. Stanley's Blues with Ralph Stanley
II's warm and smooth baritone, is one to pop in, kick back, relax, and
just enjoy.
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AnnMarie
Harrington
Take Country Back November 2002