This is it, the absolute perfect starting point for neophyte fans who want to discover
the Stanley Brothers. The years between 1949 and 1952, when the Virginia brothers were signed to Columbia Records, are largely considered their most fruitful period. Certainly this lineup of their backing band,
the Clinch Mountain Boys, was the strongest; besides
Carter Stanley's assured leads and
Ralph Stanley's heartbreaking tenor, these recordings introduced mandolin player
Darrell "Pee Wee" Lambert and his one-of-a-kind high-baritone harmonies, the secret ingredient that made
the Stanley Brothers' recordings from this era sound like nothing that had come before in bluegrass. As usual with Bear Family reissues, this set contains every note from the brothers' Columbia sessions, including previously unreleased alternate takes of "The Fields Have Turned Brown" and "Little Glass of Wine," along with full session notes and illuminating liner notes courtesy of historian
Gary B. Reid. Yes, it has the original "I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow" for all of you O Brother Where Art Thou fans, but the 23 other tracks are every bit as vital, imaginative, and pure. This, in its purest and most graceful form, is what bluegrass is all about.