Flatt & Scruggs came to a parting of the ways at the end of the 1960s, and it started with the opening cut on this album, a version of "Like a Rolling Stone." In a sense, it was the illustration of the same spirit that got them to record "The Times They Are a Changin'" on the album.
Scruggs recognized this fact and embraced it, while
Flatt resisted it to the point that their 20-year partnership was split up as a result. The irony is that "Like a Rolling Stone" is transformed into something so close to bluegrass music that it's a minor revelation hearing it done this way -- it's that good, despite some awkward transitions. Among the rest of the songs, the other
Dylan songs ("Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight") come off beautifully, as do "Folsom Prison Blues," "Gentle on My Mind," and "Catch the Wind"; "If I Were a Carpenter" and "Universal Soldier" are less so. ~ Bruce Eder