Ralph Stanley - Early Classics: The King Recordings

The Stanley Brothers had recorded off and on for Syd Nathan's Cincinnati-based King Records since 1958 when Carter Stanley died suddenly in 1966, leaving his brother Ralph Stanley at an unenviable crossroads. Ralph eventually approached Nathan about continuing to record for the label as a solo act, launching what amounted to a second 40-plus-year career for Ralph Stanley.

He tracked three albums for King between 1967 and 1969 (Brand New Country Songs, Over the Sunset Hill, and Hills of Home), the source for the 14 cuts on this collection, Early Classics: The King recordings.

Carter was the songwriter in the original partnership, so Ralph opted to stay close to traditional Appalachian folk material, choosing songs that were often bone-chillingly dark and thus emotionally fitted to his ragged, weary-sounding tenor voice, bringing authenticity and an intangible spiritual toughness to everything he sang,,making most other bluegrass singers sound like sweetened-up popsters. ~ All Music Guide

• Hills Of Home (A Tribute To Carter Stanley)
• Hemlock And Primroses
• Wonderful World Outside
• Love Please Stay
• Darling Brown Eyes
• My Long Skinny Lanky Sarah Jane
• Midnight Storm
• Dark Hollow
• The Kitten And the Cat
• I Only Exist
• Medicine Springs
• Going Up Home To Live In Green Pastures
• Snow Covered Mound
• I Wanna Go Home