Digest Compendium of the Tortoise's Worl

Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo: Revised and Enhanced Edition - Book with CD
"Dueling Banjos" From The Original Soundtrack: Deliverance
At Carnegie Hall!
The Essential Flatt & Scruggs: 'Tis Sweet To Be Remembered
31 Banjo Favorites, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000012DO
Release Date: 1995-03-28

Tracks:

Ground Speed
Home Sweet Home
Sally Ann
Little Darlin', Pal Of Mine
Reuben
Cripple Creek
Lonesome Road Blues
John Henry
Fire Ball Mail
Sally Goodwin
Bugle Call Rag
Cumberland Gap

Amazon.com essential recording

Despite a painfully short running time of 25 minutes, this 1961 landmark remains one of the most important and influential banjo albums ever made. Released at the height of the folk boom, these 12 instrumentals inspired countless college kids to pick up a five-string banjo and try to emulate the great Earl Scruggs's spectacular three-finger attack. Paul Warren's fiddle and Josh Graves's Dobro keep pace with the master, who creates a template for bluegrass banjo. Although there are more definitive and comprehensive Flatt & Scruggs collections available, Foggy Mountain Banjo will always be a perennial favorite thanks to its original timely release and, of course, the timeless music within. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Can I say this?.......2007-04-19

This is BAR NONE, the best 5-string banjo instrumental album ever recorded.

This is one of those rare albums where you can go five years between listens, and every time you hear it again, the first thing out of your mouth is, "This is still the best there ever was. It's as good now as it was the first time I heard it."

Earl Scruggs: History's Most Imitated Musician.......2006-12-01

It is absolutely mind boggling when you stop to consider that out of the total number of Banjos being made in the last 50 years, how large a percentage were 5 String models; and also how large a percentage were and will be played 3 finger style, as opposed to the older folk styles of "clawhammer"; "frailing"; "drop-thumb".
It can all be traced back to one man: Earl Scruggs, a soft spoken, humble North Carolina gentleman whose playing was anything but soft spoken! Earl has left his proverbial fingerprints on the musical aspirations of the 5 string banjoists for literally generations to come. When it comes to tone and taste, nobody can lay it down like Earl. This album was recorded at the height of their popularity, captured in Columbia's Nashville studio, with audiophile results. The Foggy Mountain Boys' masterful accompaniment, from Lester Flatt's beautifully understated, but powerful guitar; Paul Warren's solid fiddle; Buck "Josh" Graves' equally groundbreaking Dobro; and Jake Tullock's rock-solid, precise, upright bass made this album an absolute neccessity for anyone interested in Bluegrass music. Another recommended instrumental tour de force by Flatt & Scruggs was their 1966 album "Stricly Instrumental-with Doc Watson", together these 3 master musicians sound as if they played together all their lives; and they each considered it one of the most enjoyable recording sessions they'd ever done in their career.
It shows in their playing on every cut.
One by one, almost all of the band members passed on, but Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson still represent the pinnacle of this music. Though both men are now in their 80's they have lost none of their dynamics nor their technique. I hope they both live to be 100....they will still inspire us.

Some of the best.......2006-08-18

These boys are some of the great pickers of all time!

Essential for banjo pickers, great for bluegrass fans.......2006-07-02

The sound of bluegrass music is so elemental and raw that it feels like it's been around forever. Surprisingly, it's not much older than rock 'n' roll; the first true bluegrass star, Earl Scruggs, is getting way up there but as of mid-summer 2006 was still alive and giggin'.

"Foggy Mountain Banjo" could well be the most important recording ever for banjo fans and - perhaps more importantly - banjo pickers. "The Essential Earl Scruggs" offers a much better overview of Scruggs' career, but this disc features many of Scrugs's most important compositions and arrangements (the famed Foggy Mountain Breakdown is NOT on the disc, but every banjo noob's first song - Cripple Creek - is here in all its glory, as are Groundspeed, Cumberland Gap and Fireball Mail).

Rip this disc and slow it down, and you hear how essentially simple Scruggs's left hand (fretboard) fingering is, and how deceptively difficult his right hand (picking) movements are. The right hand is everything with Scruggs; banjo players study every note. Since this disc was recorded a lot of pickers have come forth whose left hands are as busy as their right, producing more complex and considerably more melodic breaks (listening to Don Reno, JD Crowe, Bill Keith, Tony Trischka, Bela Fleck and Jens Kruger is a good way to understand the progression of the instrument). But each of these later players owes it all to Scruggs and the sound he created.

This disc puts mid-career Scruggs front and center, so fans of more modern bluegrass bands might find it somewhat lacking. The tunes aren't complex and the arrangements are simple. At the time this music was recorded the bluegrass guitar was considered purely a rhythm instrument; Lester Flatt was of course the master of bluegrass rhythm playing but there are no flatpicking breaks for guitar players to marvel at. Essentially, lead on this album swaps between banjo and fiddle - there's only minimal dobro and no mandolin. Because only two instruments are stepping out and trading lead, the songs tend to be short - 2:27 is the longest of the dozen songs on the disc.

Anyone learning to pick a banjo needs this disc in their collection - it's a primer on how it's done (no less a player than Tony Trischka will tell you that). For fans of traditional bluegrass, it's an essential. And for those interested in the more modern forms of the evolving art of bluegrass, it's as important a disc as exists. Everything comes from here.

5 String Banjo.......2005-07-20

Ilearned from the record well over 30 years ago. He is the cleanest picker to learn from. A great album also.

Average customer rating:

A classic collection of songs from a great singer.
ET IS AWESOME!
Good music
impressive selection
The Essential Earl Thomas Conley

The Essential Earl Thomas Conley
Earl Thomas Conley
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cowboy | Country | Styles | Music

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Classics
T.G. Sheppard - All-Time Greatest Hits
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"The Bellamy Brothers - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1"
"The Bellamy Brothers - Greatest Hits, Vol. 2"

ASIN: B000002WW6
Release Date: 1996-04-16

Tracks:

Fire And Smoke
Somewhere Between Right And Wrong
Heavenly Bodies
I Have Loved You Girl (But Not Like This Before)
Angel In Disguise
Don't Make It Easy For Me
Your Love's On The Line
Holding Her And Loving You
That Was A Close One
I Can't Win For Losin' You
Chance Of Lovin' You
Honor Bound
Love Don't Care (Whose Heart It Breaks)
Nobody Falls Like A Fool
Once In A Blue Moon
Right From The Start
What She Is (Is A Woman In Love)
Love Out Loud
What I'd Say
Brotherly Love

Customer Reviews:

A classic collection of songs from a great singer........2007-02-14

You know, when you're growing up there's an artist or even a few songs that you hear, and you don't really think of them much. Then fast forward a few years, you hear the songs again, and you suddenly wonder why you didn't pay closer attention to them before. To me, Earl Thomas Conley was one of those artists. I became a big fan of his about six years ago, back in my days of working in radio. I heard songs like "Angel In Disguise", "Love Out Loud", and "Honor Bound", and I was hooked. I searched around for this collection in my local area about a year ago, and finally found one copy of this disc in a record story that way overcharges for their merchandise. However, I finally justified the cost by not being able to wait any longer searching elsewhere.

Even though I did not grow up during the days when ETC, John Conlee, and the older school generation was in its prime, those songs bring back many memories of mine. This collection of greatest hits by one artist is ALMOST as good as it gets. The only thing holding it back from being as good as it gets is the fact that "Silent Treatment", and "Shadow of a Doubt", are not here. Nonetheless, it's a great summary of ETC's career. You won't be disappointed.

ET IS AWESOME!.......2007-02-05

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR MY MOTHER. YOU CAN'T MISS WITH ET CONLEY. I WAS THINKING ABOUT GETTING MYSELF A COPY OF THIS ONE. HIS VOICE IS INCREDIBLE, AND THIS IS A GREAT COLLECTION FOR SURE!!

Good music.......2006-11-11

I am glad that I purchased this cd it brings back great memories for me.

impressive selection.......2006-11-03

This ranks as one of my favorite albums. It has several of Earl Thomas Conley's biggest (and best) hits on it, such as "Fire and Smoke," "Nobody Falls Like a Fool," "Honor Bound," "What She is (is a Woman in love) and "What I'd Say." I was very impressed when I saw it in the store. So impressed, in fact, that I bought it, and I never regretted it. ETC has a remarkable voice, and you might like this album if you give it a chance. This reviewer recommends it.

The Essential Earl Thomas Conley.......2006-11-01

All the songs on this cd are very good and always pleasurable listening. This was one of the first country cd's I bought last year, and though I've purchased many since, it is still one of my favorites. It's too bad there isn't much of his music available.

Average customer rating:

Sound quality could be better
Steve Goodman - Live at the Earl of Old Town
Finally! Better Than Ever - A New Release!
A Must For Steve Goodman Fans
Goodman's Energy Flows Again

Live at the Earl of Old Town
Steve Goodman
Manufacturer: Red Pajamas
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000HIVJ5A
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Tracks:

Intro
Lincoln Park Pirates
Red, Red Robin
Three-Legged Man
I'll Fly Away
Grand Canyon Song
Men Who Love Women Who Love Men
What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Hand It To You
The Family Tree
Truck Driving Man
The Auctioneer
Lost Highway
City Of New Orleans
Let's Give A Party
Rockin' Robin
When The Cubs Go Marching In
Old Smoothies

Amazon.com

Though the late Steve Goodman is remembered mainly as the writer of "City of New Orleans" (and perhaps also as John Prine's best friend), Chicagoans knew him as the most ebullient performer on a dynamic folk circuit, and one of the best guitarists as well. The Earl of Old Town was Goodman's home turf, where the audience would know his topical "Lincoln Park Pirates" (about a notorious towing company) from its first notes and friends from blues harpist Corky Siegel to venerable mandolinist Jethro Burns would join their friend onstage to offer support. On this 1978 live recording, Goodman's revival of "Red Red Robin" makes for an unlikely showcase of his guitar virtuosity, while "Lost Highway," "Truck Drivin' Man," and "The Auctioneer" show his fondness for classic (and occasionally corny) country. His offbeat sense of humor found a kindred spirit in Shel Silverstein, whose "Three Legged Man" he covers. (Goodman's own "Men Who Love Women Who Love Men" could pass as a Silverstein song.) As the romp through "Rockin' Robin" and the adaptation of "Saints" into "When the Cubs Go Marching In" attest, the main point of a Goodman performance was having a good time. Goodman, his family, and his close friends knew that he had leukemia years before he died of it in 1984 at the age of 36. Yet a performance like this shows how Goodman got the most out of his life, and how his fans got the most out of Goodman. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Sound quality could be better.......2007-05-23

I purchased this CD in conjunction with the new biography by Clay Eals (it is MASSIVE! like the phone book! a summer reading project for sure!) I was ready to fall in love from the flat "Sout-Side" Chicago intonations of Earl Pionke introducing Steve. However, I am a mite disappointed with the sound quality. It is hard to hear what Steve says between songs, although the singing and music are quite clear. The song choices were interesting. So many of my favorites are missing, but there are also songs I had never heard before. Steve Goodman was an amazing guy. We were so lucky to have him with us, even for so brief a time.

Also recommended: the DVD Steve Goodman, Live from Austin City Limits, and More. Lots of vintage video and priceless commentary from John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Nancy (Steve's widow), and more.

Steve Goodman - Live at the Earl of Old Town.......2007-03-17

This is a wonderful recording of what must have been a great series of shows. Steve's infectious manner and enthusiasm come through with flying colors. Some of the songs may not be as technically excellent as the studio versions, but Steve was at his best with a live audience, and the Earl was his home base. For the Steve Goodman afficianado who, like me has pretty much everything Steve ever did, this cd is a welcome addition to the collection..............Chuck Klein

Finally! Better Than Ever - A New Release!.......2007-03-01

Friends I can't say enough about this show and its intelligent laughter.
The glorious guitar of an accurate string flicker filling the smiles in the room. you can feel the aura of the crowd and Steve all as one.
A really beautiful show and one of the best releases to date.
Grand sound that lingers through the corridors of your mind.

thanks for this new release!
always waiting for the next one!

Support Steve Goodman and Family
Buy the albums - they're ALL great!

A Must For Steve Goodman Fans.......2007-01-06

Although this was recorded live in 1978, the sound quality is excellent and Steve was at his best in his favorite hometown club with some of his best musician friends setting in. Highly recommended!

Goodman's Energy Flows Again.......2007-01-05

The release provides an excellent example of Steve Goodman's energy and enjoyment in making and interpreting music. He conveys a joy in performing that comes out of this recording. The song selection, such as "Lincoln Park Pirates" and "Three-Legged Man" bring a smile to one's face. He has an interesting reflection on today's debate evolution vs. creation in "The Family Tree". Another interesting social commentary is found in his "Men Who Love Women Who Love Men". This release includes "Old Smoothies", which is a sentimental look at attending the Ice Capades with his grandparents in the 1950's. Something I could relate to having grown up on the Chicago area and seeing the "Smoothies" actually perform - "when the Blackhawks were on the road".

Average customer rating:

T-Bone's Spiritual Sons
A guitar duel with production and quality music to back it up
Royal Rhapsody
The Duke Meets The Earl
Good stuff

The Duke Meets the Earl
Ronnie Earl & Duke Robillard
Manufacturer: Stony Plain Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0007PICXA
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Tracks:

West Side Shuffle
Two Bones & A Pick
My Tears
Lookin For Trouble
What Have I Done Wrong
Zeb's Thing
I Need You So Bad
A Soul That's Been Abused

Product Description

1. West Side Shuffle (7:43)
2. Two Bones & A Pick (8:06)
3. My Tears (15:53)
4. Lookin For Trouble (4:25)
5. What Have I Done Wrong (6:42)
6. Zeb's Thing (7:27)
7. I Need You So Bad (8:14)
8. A Soul That's Been Abused (13:05)

Format: CD

Amazon.com

Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl are among blues guitar's hottest pistols, but their first studio union is no showdown. Although Robillard is steeped in all aspects of technique and Earl is a pure "soul" player, their styles overlap in the Texas and Chicago schools, which grant both giants plenty of space for elegant and biting single-note solos, daredevil string-bending, and chugging rhythms. Robillard sings two numbers and "Mighty" Sam McClain, whose red-clay voice is the perfect foil for their emotional fretwork, guests on Earl's heartbroken epic "A Soul That's Been Abused." The real mojo, however, is in the instrumentals, where these virtuosos who emerged from the New England scene to achieve worldwide acclaim maintain a beatific dialogue. They both swing like T-Bone Walker on "Two Bones and a Pick" and trade sliding chords and slide guitar licks on "Zeb's Thing," which dips into down-home Mississippi grit. The highlight is "My Tears," on which Robillard sings sad and dirty, Earl turns sustained notes into Zen koans, and both players stretch their flair for dynamics and brilliant, unhurried, lyrical playing to its limit. Fans of blues guitar need to hear this album. --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews:

T-Bone's Spiritual Sons.......2006-06-16

If you've ever liked the T-Bone Walker style, or drooled over the pure T-Bone licks that both Ronnie and Duke have graced us with over the years, "Two Bones and a Pick" is eight minutes of pure jump-blues-guitar-heaven. I can, and do listen to this for hours on end. If any two white guys have got that jump-blues-guitar-thang down, it's these two. T-Bone is grinning like a Cheshire cat.

A guitar duel with production and quality music to back it up.......2006-04-27

Unlike some artists who get together and try not to outplay each other, i.e. not show each other up, these two planned the session well ahead that allows each to show their virtousity against each other without the latter.

The production, songs chosen and performance from other backing musicians are brilliant.

If you like guitar duels in the jump blues fashion, this is a recording to buy.

Royal Rhapsody.......2006-03-09

This disc combines the considerable talents of two premier guitar players within the Blues genre. The Duke (Robillard) and the (Ronnie) Earl demonstrate why they are deserving members of Blues guitar royalty. It has been well documented that this effort is not a showdown between rivals or a stage to demonstrate one-up-manship but rather two friends kicking back to jam back and forth and effectively intertwine their extensive expertise. I can only offer that this fine effort is seamless, seeming to be an overall masterpiece versus a collection of individual songs. The instrumental flow and sequencing of the songs is superb. The songs don't seem as lengthy as they are, avoiding the tediousness that sometimes befalls such efforts. Quite to the contrary, the hour plus of excellent music contained within seems to fly by leaving the listener wanting more. The two players pass the baton back and forth in an effortless manner, almost overly conscious as to not dominate the other's time. Ronnie and Duke demonstrate they are passionate craftsmen and worthy members of the upper class. Mighty Sam McClain's plaintive plea on "A Soul That's Been Abused" will only leave you wanting more. Ronnie Earl's slide guitar work on "Zeb's Thing" is also worth special mention. This is a can't miss addition to anyone's collection.

The Duke Meets The Earl.......2006-02-20