Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys "Sing Michigan Bluegrass" (Jessup Records, 1971) (LP)
Although there wasn't anything particularly "Michigan" about the songs themselves, you sure can't fault the music! This early '70s lineup of the reconstituted Clinch Mountain Boys featured vocalist Roy Lee Centers (a dead ringer for Carter Stanley) as well as young'uns Keith Whitley and our hero, Ricky Skaggs, who plays guitar, fiddle and mandolin throughout. These early indie recordings have recently been reissued on the Varese Sarabande label's Echoes Of The Stanley Brothers CD, along with material from their second Jessup LP, reviewed below.
Ralph Stanley "Cry From The Cross" (Rebel Records, 1971)
This album also features the Skaggs/Keith lads on fiddle and guitar. An all-gospel effort that showcases the band's fine instrumental prowess and high, keening harmonies.
Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys "Sing Gospel Echoes Of The Stanley Brothers" (Jessup Records, 1973)
More fine gospel material, recorded by the early '70s lineup of the Clinch Mountain Boys, featuring Centers, Whitley and Skaggs, and the rest of this super-talented crew. These early indie recordings have recently been reissued on the Varese Sarabande label's Echoes Of The Stanley Brothers CD, along with material from the first Jessup album (reviewed above), which was recorded at the same time, back in '71, but was released a couple of years later. Top-flight stuff, of course... Recommended!
Ricky Skaggs & Keith Whitley "Second Generation" (Rebel Records, 1971)
These early '70s recordings capture two young members of Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys just as they were about to go out on their own as vanguard members of the newgrass generation. Both Whitley and Skaggs cut new roads in the '70s country renaissance, and in the next decade each also successfully moved into the world of commercial Top 40 Country. But here they are, young and earnest as can be, singing pure, sweet bluegrass and playing with a magical melodic grace. This album was originally a modest release, not entirely off the radar, and a welcome surprise for the bluegrass faithful, though not a blockbuster hit by a long shot. Now, decades later, it's a wonderful document of two master musicians in their early years. Plus, it's just enchanting -- great music performed with real feeling. Thank goodness Rebel dusted this one off for modern listeners to check out again... it's highly recommended!
Ralph Stanley "Classic Stanley" (Freeland Records, 1998)
A 2-CD live set with performances from the early, featuring teenaged Ricky Skaggs and young Keith Whitley at the center of Stanley's revitalized Clinch Mountain Boys...
Country Gentlemen "The Country Gentlemen" (Vanguard Records, 1973)
Ricky Skaggs, fresh out of the Ralph Stanley band, joined a short-lived, but high-power lineup of Charlie Waller's venerable Country Gentlemen. This version of the band also included Doyle Lawson and Bill Emerson, and served as a springboard for Skaggs into the progressive bluegrass world.
J.D. Crowe And The New South "J.D. Crowe And The New South" (Rounder Records, 1975)
The fab Rounder debut of the ultra-talented ensemble led by banjo plunker J.D. Crowe, a former member of Jimmy Martin's bluegrass band. Ricky Skaggs was on board for this crucial early album, along with dobro whiz Jerry Douglas and fiddler Bobby Sloane, all members in good standing of the "usual suspects" crew of the future bluegrass mafia. Tony Rice sings almost all the lead vocals, working out the smooth, smoky style that would crystallize on solo albums such as Manzanita and Tony Rice Sings Bluegrass. If you listen closely, there are a few rough edges here, particularly in the sometimes-stiff rhythm, but mostly this album is just a delight. Great song selection, particularly the album's opener, "Old Home Place," which is one of my favorite tunes of the decade, some nice gospel stuff, and a pair of Gordon Lightfoot covers, one of Rice's great specialties. An early Rounder classic, and one that still stands up today!
Boone Creek "One Way Track" (Sugar Hill Records, 1977)
Dig those '70s aviator glasses and that shaggy, shoulder-length hair! Banjo picker Terry Baucom, dobro whiz Jerry Douglas and future country star Ricky Skaggs join on this near-perfect, traditionally-oriented newgrass album. The picking is magnificent, the group singing is warm and impassioned, the choice of material is rich in history and harmony and shows the group's mastery of and devotion to old-school classics, particularly on several catchy old gospel tunes. The album falls apart just a little at the end, when a few newly-added live performances show the band's more raggedy side -- a jazzy instrumental jam, and a couple of harmony tunes with notably rough edges -- but on the whole, this is a very impressive and fun album, one of the best ever from this late 1970s scene. Of a piece with album's like Tony Rice's Manzanita, J.D. Crowe's My Home Ain't In The Hall of Fame, or the fab Bluegrass Album Band albums of the early '80s. Highly recommended!
Emmylou Harris "Luxury Liner" (Warner Brothers, 1977)
One of the finest albums of Emmylou's career, with Rick Skaggs sitting in as a member of her Hot Band. I loved this record as a teenager -- over the years I've reluctantly come to admit it's a bit of a guilty pleasure. This is the so-called "Happy Sack" sound at its apex: lush arrangements which capture the melodic simplicity of the best country music, while skillfully sculpting it into a multi-layered production style which maximizes the input of each and every musician. And it really is a fabulous ensemble, probably Emmylou's best band ever. Glenn Hardin, Emory Gordy and drummer John Ware hold down the rhythmic end, while the flashy guitar whiz Albert Lee steps in to fill James Burton's shoes, and a slew of other super-talented country loyalists also chime in, including Ricky Skaggs and Rodney Crowell. Albert Lee struts his stuff on the title track with a dazzling, multi-tracked guitar lead, and goes on to hold up his end for the rest of the album -- flashy, but soulful. Great song selection, perfect production, and a nice group-effort vibe throughout. I guess it's Emmylou's swooping vocals that make my love of this album a little embarrassing, but hey, it works for me. Highly recommended -- you should own the album itself, and not reply on best-of collections to find these songs.
Emmylou Harris & The Hot Band "Live In 1978" (2012)
Live stuff from yesteryear... It's the Emmylou Harris Hot Band in its prime, with Ricky Skaggs taking a prominent role on fiddle, mandolin and vocals. There are also a lot of gospel songs in the set lists, reflecting both his and Emmylou's interest in mountain music and traditional twang. These concerts took place around the time that Blue Kentucky Girl came out, but also foreshadow the sweet bluegrass collaborations of the Roses In the Snow album. Nice stuff!
Ricky Skaggs "Sweet Temptation" (Sugar Hill Records, 1979)
Beautiful! Probably my favorite of Ricky's albums!! A pure delight for fans of melodically-oriented, poppy bluegrass. Skaggs dips back into traditional sources, but also takes his cues from pop-conscious performers such as Merle Travis (who provided the title track) and Jimmy Martin, who brought a bluesy country vibe to his work that is clearly echoed on here. This is a really enjoyable album, and lots of fun to sing along with.
Emmylou Harris "Roses In the Snow" (Warner Brothers, 1980)
Emmylou started out the '80s with a bang, on this big, beautiful all-bluegrass album, featuring invaluable assistance from Grisman Quintet alumnus Tony Rice on guitar, along with Jerry Douglas on dobro and Bryan Bowers' soulful autoharp strumming. The two big radio hits -- "Wayfaring Stranger" and Paul Simon's "The Boxer" -- are the least of this album's charms. What's really great are the bouncy title track, a perky cover of "I'll Go Stepping Too", a plaintive version of the Louvin Brothers "You're Learning" and her spooky gospel duets with Willie Nelson ("Green Pastures") and Ricky Skaggs ("The Darkest Hour"). Right after this album came out, Skaggs started his own solo career as a Top Forty country traditionalist, with his contributions here as a sweet, welcome glimpse of things to come. From start to finish, this is a very fun, very listenable album... Highly recommended! (The 2002 re-release features a couple of non-bluegrass bonus tracks -- a fine cover of a Hank Williams tune, with Julie Miller singing harmony, and a Celtic-flavored folk tune written by Brian Ahern's sister Nancy.)
Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice "Skaggs & Rice" (Sugar Hill, 1980)
One of my favorite records. This was a mountain music dream team album, pairing these two top-flight newgrassers together at the height of their powers. Just stunning. Skaggs was just about to leave Emmylou Harris' Hot Band in search of Top 40 glory of his own; guitarist Tony Rice was being brought on board for Emmylou's all-star bluegrass extravaganza, Roses In The Snow, and heck, here they were just a couple of pals with nothing better to do than sit right down and record one of the best bluegrass albums of the decade. This is a tribute to the country music "brother acts" of the 1920s and '30s, groups such as Charlie and Bill Monroe, The Blue Sky Boys, and their pop-oriented heirs, The Louvin Brothers, who brought the art of close harmony singing to its apex. Rice and Skaggs get the mood just right, pearling off perfect versions of these perfect songs, but singing just high enough and with the right amount of vocal and spiritual straining to nail the old-timey feel right on the head. This is a beautiful album, which flirts with the over-perfection of the newgrass school, but manages to keep it real. My only complaint is that when the label reissued it in the '90s, they replaced the original graphics -- a facsimile of an old-time country music poster -- with artwork that is much more modern and bland. Otherwise, this is ace bunny killer.
Ricky Skaggs "Waiting For The Sun To Shine" (Columbia Records, 1981)
Ricky Skaggs "Family & Friends" (Rounder Records, 1982)
When Ricky gets back to his roots, he can be oh-so sweet. This was his big "hey-I've-still-got-it" traditionalist bluegrass album, made when he first was having success as a Top 40 country act. If you want to be snooty, you could find fault with its smooth production, but overall this is solid and fun to listen to. Includes several great bluegrass oldies, and the usual cast of high-power newgrass pickers and plunkers. Sweet!
Ricky Skaggs "Highways And Heartaches" (Columbia Records, 1982)
Ricky Skaggs "Don't Cheat In Our Hometown" (Columbia Records, 1983)
Ricky Skaggs "Country Boy" (Columbia Records, 1984)
Ricky Skaggs "Favorite Country Songs" (Columbia Records, 1985)
Ricky Skaggs "Live In London" (Columbia Records, 1985)
Ricky Skaggs "Love's Gonna Get Ya!" (Columbia Records, 1986)
Ricky Skaggs "Uncle Pen" (Columbia Records, 1986)
Ricky Skaggs "Comin' Home To Stay" (Columbia Records, 1987)
Ricky Skaggs "Kentucky Thunder" (Columbia Records, 1989)
(Produced by Steve Buckingham & Ricky Skaggs)
Closing out the decade's run as a commercial country star, Ricky's kind of going through the motions, but still singing from the heart and keeping it real. This disc didn't really speak much to me -- the music seems a little forced, though you can tell there's still a lot of sincerity behind the performance. One thing that's noteworthy is that about half the songs (including the title track) were written by Music Row songsmith and erstwhile truegrasser, Larry Cordle, who's kind of a cult favorite for a lot of folks. Although this is where he got the name for his bluegrass outfit, the future members of Kentucky Thunder don't play on here, it's mostly Nashville studio cats and bluegrass usual suspects like Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck and Bobby Hicks, as well as hotshot guitarist Albert Lee, who contributes his share of driving, note-heavy leads. The second half of the album tilts towards Ricky's increasing interest in evangelical Christianity, and closes with a heartfelt gospel original, "Saviour, Saved Me From Myself," written by Larry Cordle and J. Rushing.
Ricky Skaggs "My Father's Son" (Columbia Records, 1989)
Ricky Skaggs "Portrait" (Columbia Records, 1991)
Ricky Skaggs "Solid Ground" (Columbia Records, 1995)
Ricky Skaggs "Life Is A Journey" (Columbia Records, 1997)
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder "Bluegrass Rules!" (Rounder Records, 1997)
Despite the dorky album title, Ricky's big, back-to-basics bluegrass album is an impressive set, especially for a fella who'd travelled so far into the maw of Nashville Top 40. This straightforward, solid set of traditional tunes and standards draws on the classic canon of Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and their era. A more cynical reading is that this is Skaggs' bid to reassert himself as a leading contender for the mantle of truegrass elder, following the passing of Bill Monroe in the fall of '96... No matter, though: this album stands up to the test of time; stylistically, it's real deal, solid stuff from beginning to end. Still, there is a mildly too-perfect feel to the performances, and I can't really see myself wanting come back to this album when there are so many other, less slick, more heartfelt albums out there to listen to. Fiddler Bobby Hicks anchors the band; the banjoist in this edition of the band is Mark Pruett, later to be replaced by the magnificent Jim Mills.
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder "Ancient Tones" (Skaggs Family Records, 1999)
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder "Soldier Of The Cross" (Skaggs Family Records, 1999)
A born-again, all-gospel album that is often a bit on the overwritten and sluggish side. New songs such as "Joshua Generation" and "Seven Hillside" are full-scale disasters of overly-flowery poeticism, with a somewhat show-offy Skaggs trying to stand above the common Southern Gospel crowd. Still, his more straightforward versions of older, more traditional tunes sound alright... all except for an otherwise sterling cover of the Louvin Brothers' "Are You Afraid To Die," which regrettably has a passage from a Billy Graham sermon tacked on at the start. Still... when else will you get the chance to come across an album dedicated to 16th Century Crusaders such as a the Knights of Malta? I think Ricky may have gotten a little carried away on the scripture-packed liner notes, but I suppose that's his prerogative. This is a fine album for the territory; the first release, I believe, on Skaggs's own independent label.
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder "History Of The Future" (Skaggs Family Records, 2001)
Ricky Skaggs/Doc Watson/Earl Scruggs "The Three Pickers" (Rounder Records, 2003)
Riffing on the whole "Three Tenors" opera phenomenon, three bluegrass master musicians join forces for a warm, friendly session, originally filmed for broadcast on public television. The congratulatory back-slapping wears a bit thin ("You're the greatest, Doc!" "No, you are, Ricky!"), but the music is top-notch. When Skaggs sings, Watson picks or Scruggs does one of those amazing banjo rolls, it's simple perfection in action. The current queen of bluegrass, Alison Krauss, sings along on a trio of tunes, and musicians drawn from the cream of the truegrass pickers -- including Skaggs' band, Kentucky Thunder -- back them up on most tunes. Both Watson and Scruggs are still amazingly deft and soulful at their art, even though Skaggs kind of dominates at times.
Ricky Skaggs "Brand New Strings" (Skaggs Family Records, 2004)
In his ongoing bid to become the sanctified standard bearer of bluegrass as a commercial, pop cultural force, Ricky Skaggs runs the risk of overperfecting his craft and overselling his wares. Indeed, you could argue that he's already done that to a certain extent on previous albums, and his heightened emphasis on his born-again, evangelical Christianity -- while admirably sincere -- may also leave more than a few truegrass fans feeling a little snubbed and lectured-to. It might be nice to hear him just get back to the music and leave all our spiritual lives out of the picture, thank you very much. That being said, this is a mighty fine album... The first few tracks are misleading: the too-slick performances of "Sally Jo" and "Sis Draper" are showmanlike and contrived, while naming an instrumental track after a passage in Corinthians is a bit tedious. But then, as Ricky and Kentucky Thunder get all settled in and stop being so gosh-darn professional-sounding, they manage to lay some world-class, kickass bluegrass on us. Even the most disaffected old fan among us should smile with delight at snappy breakdowns such as "Monroe Dancin' " and the crisp, electrifying version of "Appalachian Joy," and even at some of the preachier love-thy-neighbor gospel towards the end. Ricky redeems himself once again, and lets his mandolin do most of the talking for him. A strong album that certainly deserves a few good listens.
Ricky Skaggs "A Skaggs Family Christmas" (Skaggs Family Records, 2005)
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby "Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby" (Sony Records, 2007)
Well, there's a couple of ways this could have gone... It could have been popster Hornsby going overboard with the kooky, fake, twang-isms, or an excuse for bluegrass patriarch Ricky Skaggs to indulge in some misguided, cheesoid pop venture... Fortunately, neither of these disastrous possibilities came true: instead, we have a relatively potent, substantive alt-country album, with Skaggs and his band adding the acoustic firepower and Hornsby writing and singing most of the songs. It's mostly Hornsby's show -- his piano is in the mix, but only sparingly; mostly it seems he just wanted to do a country thang, and mostly it works pretty well. Indeed, he sounds almost eerily like ex-Bad Liver leader Danny Barnes, who has crafted some interesting, twangy genre-benders of his own recently... The material's a bit dense for my tastes -- I like good, dumb, easily memorable choruses -- but both Ricky and Bruce acquit themselves well. If you're on the Americana hayride to begin with, you oughta check this one out.
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder "Instrumentals" (Skaggs Family Records, 2007)
Ricky Skaggs & The Whites "Salt Of The Earth" (Skaggs Family Records, 2007)
(Produced by Ricky Skaggs & The Whites)
An awesome, heartfelt country-bluegrass gospel album, featuring Ricky Skaggs and his adoptive family, wife Sharon White and her sister Cheryl, and father Buck White. The White Family has been a singular presence in the American roots scene -- a acoustic-based family band that was an echo of country music's early roots, in the 1970s the band worked in the folk and folk festival circuit, but made an unlikely jump into Nashville and country radio in the early '80s, where they enjoyed moderate success for a few years before scaling back to their more humble roots. There is something special about the group's relationship to Skaggs -- I think in many ways they are his touchstone to tradition, and they always bring out some of his finest harmony-based work. This is a sublime gospel set, with several standards from the likes of Fanny Crosby's "Near The Cross" and "Blessed Assurance", as well as more modern songs such as Janis Ian's "Love Will Be Enough," and the title track by Jim Rushing, "Salt Of The Earth". Fans of harmony vocals will be delighted by this album, which has the feel of a classic - and fans of the Whites will be happy to hear them back in action, still sounding as sweet as ever. Worth checking out!
Ricky Skaggs "Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass: Tribute To 1946 And 1947" (Skaggs Family Records, 2008)
Ricky Skaggs "The High Notes" (Cracker Barrel Records, 2008)
(Produced by Ricky Skaggs)
In the early 1980s, bluegrass prodigy Ricky Skaggs went from being a featured member of the Emmylou Harris band into a radiant (and slightly improbable) solo career as a tradition-oriented Top 40 country star. His chart-topping success was improbable because, unlike other "neo-trad" country stars, he wasn't tapping into beer-drinking honkytonk, but rather into the sweeter, more sentimental "heart song" tradition, of sappy, heartfelt romantic ballads, a plainspoken style that had been almost entirely left behind in the plush sophistication of the '70s countrypolitan era. Skaggs enjoyed tremendous success with the style, and his bright-eyed devotion to the sincerity and conventions of the genre won over countless fans, giving the country charts a healthy dose of respect for the past. Eventually he went back into the bluegrass demimonde where, with the elders of genre passing away one by one, he became an "elder statesman" himself, one of the closest in line to pick up the mantle when the style's founders had all gone to meet their maker. Here, Skaggs brings the various strands of his career together, re-recording some of his biggest hits in a sparser acoustic setting, for an exclusive release on the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain's private label. Since part of Top 40 career included covering bluegrass tunes and giving them a slight pop twist (as on his version of Bill Monroe's "Uncle Pen"), it's not such a big stretch to turn that formula on its head and remake a few of his country tunes in a "bluegrass" style. Although one of the wonderful things about his '80s hits was that thin, youthful voice of his -- so full of hope and earnest dedication to his craft -- is now lost to middle-age, these are still wonderful songs and he delivers them with a comfortable, reassuring demeanor. A couple of songs that stand out from the pack are his version of Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Cradle," and a tinkly-piano gospel tune about God's angels watching down on us all, which veers away from the bluegrass vibe into the world of Southern Gospel (which isn't surprising, given Skaggs's longstanding evangelical fervor...) Fans may want to pull off the Interstate, grab a little chicken-fried steak, and pick up this disc for the drive home: it's a nice addition to the Ricky Skaggs discography.
Ricky Skaggs "Ricky Skaggs Solo: Songs My Dad Loved" (Skaggs Family Records, 2009)
(Produced by Ricky Skaggs)
Through the miracles of modern recording technology, newgrass elder Ricky Skaggs pays tribute to his father and the music of his youth on a Skaggs-a-centric outing in which he plays all the instruments -- fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar, piano, bass, and percussion -- and even sings harmony with himself on a track or two. The album is packed with twangy old tunes -- a few are well-known, like "Little Maggie," but Skaggs also digs deep into the mountain music repertoire for tunes that are more off the beaten track, and sound sweeter for their "newness." There are, of course, several gospel songs infused with Skaggs' gentle apocalyptic fervor, including an innovative, Indian raga-inspired arrangement of "City That Lies Foursquare," where a table-like rhythm kicks in at the start. Although it's nice to hear that spark between Skaggs and his band, this mega-solo outing is pretty nice, too... It certainly has a very personal feel, which is really the point, right? Fans will dig this one... I know I do!
Ricky Skaggs "Mosaic" (Skaggs Family Records, 2010)
(Produced by Ricky Skaggs, Brent King & Lee Groitzsch)
Ricky Skaggs "Country Hits Bluegrass Style" (Skaggs Family Records, 2011)
(Produced by Ricky Skaggs)
It's not uncommon for bluegrass artists to cover country hits, although genre star Ricky Skaggs is in a unique position, recording a whole album of songs that he put on the charts himself in the 1980s, when he was one of the biggest Top 40 artists of the decade. In the '90s he went back to his first love and took up the mantle of a bluegrass elder, one of a handful of artists filling the gap left when Bill Monroe passed away. It's nice to hear his Nashville tunes again; there were a lot of really great songs: "You've Got A Lover," "Heartbroke," "Country Boy," his versions of Webb Pierce's "I Don't Care" and Monroe's classic "Uncle Pen." Interestingly, these rerecorded versions don't differ all that much from a few decades back, since Skaggs had already perfected his blend of acoustic intimacy and catchy Nashville bounce. It was a great sound back then, and is still sweet and joyful today, mixing fiddle, banjo and mandolin with steel guitars and a steady, thumping rhythm section. It's wonderful stuff -- highly recommended! (Note: this record is largely a reissue of an album previously available through the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain; this version has a couple of tracks that are different.)
Ricky Skaggs "A Skaggs Family Christmas, v.2" (Skaggs Family Records, 2011)
(Produced by Billy Paul Jones & Charlotte Scott)
One of the preeminent contemporary bluegrass stars, born-again bandleader Ricky Skaggs has also has impressive bona fides as a Christian musician, and mixes several religious music styles on this joyful live holiday album. There are straightforward holiday standards, such as the album's bouncy, bluegrass opener, "Christmas Time's A-Coming," alongside tracks that dig deeper into Biblical teachings and church-ier Southern Gospel arrangements. Skaggs' extended family is on board, including his wife's family band, The Whites, with sisters Sharon and Cheryl and papa Buck White, as well as the new generation, Ricky and Sharon's kids Luke and Molly, as well as Cheryl's daughter Rachel Leftwich (who is apparently married to Andy Leftwich, the fiddler in Ricky's band Kentucky Thunder. You catch all that? I know family ties can get confusing... I can go over it again if you'd like...) Anyway, this is a rock-solid record, with a solid foundation in the not-too-dour bedrock fundamentalism of the Skaggs Family clan, but also some lighter holiday fare for folks who like to sing along. Also included is a second disc, a bonus DVD with the entire concert, about three times as much music as the audio disc, and a nice chance to see not just Skaggs in action, but the often-neglected Whites as well. Happy holidays!
Ricky Skaggs "Music To My Ears" (Skaggs Family Records, 2012)
This opens with some rock-solid traditional truegrass set with rich picking and strong song selection... Then it drifts into more contemporary folk-twang type material, with a mix of secular and spiritual songs... Pretty much par for the course for Mr. Skaggs. For my money, the best tracks are the propulsive opening number, "Blue Night" and the sweet gospel harmonies of the title track, "Music To My Ears." He's keeping the flame burning, for sure. The album also includes a version of "Tennessee Stud," made in tribute to the late Doc Watson, who passed away in 2011.
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby "Cluck Old Hen -- Live" (Skaggs Family Records, 2013)
(Produced by Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Brent King & Andrew Mendelson)
Previous collaborations between bluegrass elder Ricky Skaggs and pop pianist Bruce Hornsby have tilted more towards Hornsby's adult-contemporary style, but this disc is more of an all-out truegrass set, albeit with dips into jam band jazz and covers of old hits like "The Way It Is." The pure twang tunes are good, and I guess Hornsby's old fans can get a thrill out of the new acoustic arrangements of old favorites. Worth a spin, though it still wasn't really my cup of tea.
Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White "Hearts Like Ours" (Skaggs Family Records, 2014)
(Produced by Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White & Brent King)
Best-Ofs
Ricky Skaggs "Super Hits" (Columbia Records, 1993)
A modest, budget-line best-of, covering Skagg's first ten years as a commercial country star. It only includes ten songs, but it's all good stuff.
Ricky Skaggs "Country Gentleman: The Best Of Ricky Skaggs" (Sony Records, 1997)
A superior 2-CD set that includes 32 of Ricky's best tunes from his Nashville country years. Recommended!
Ricky Skaggs "16 Biggest Hits" (Sony Records, 2000)
And this one has, um... sixteen songs! And less glamorous packaging.
Ricky Skaggs "The Essential Ricky Skaggs" (Columbia Records, 2003)
It's really remarkable to listen back and hear just how sweet Ricky's work was in his Top 40 years, and how strong and tasteful his song selection remained. While the 2-CD Country Gentleman collection has more material, this crisp 14-song best-of is more compact and is nicely sequenced to highlight Skaggs' sweeter side. Includes not one, but two covers of old Webb Pierce tunes, as well as all the big, early hits. A nice, concise reading of his best work.
Country Gentlemen "...Featuring Ricky Skaggs On Fiddle" (Vanguard Records, 1980)
A best-of collection that documents the early '70s Country Gentlemen lineup, which included Ricky Skaggs as well as Doyle Lawson and Bill Emerson.
Ricky Skaggs "Best Of The Sugar Hill Years" (Sugar Hill Records, 2008)
A sweet, beautiful, harmony-drenched collection of Ricky Skaggs' traditionally-oriented early solo work, recorded in tandem with his budding career as a latter-day Top Forty heartsong crooner. Although he recorded some fine updates of old country tunes, this set concentrates on his bluegrassier material, and from that material, there's an additional emphasis on the gospel music that he later made his cause while leading the Kentucky Thunder band. It's all great stuff -- for many fans, this is Skaggs' golden era, when his youthful zest was tempered with great talent and earnest dedication to tradition. Along for the ride are several longtime pals, including guitarist Tony Rice and dobroist Jerry Douglas, who was in the Boone Creek band with Skaggs (recording the first album that came out on the Sugar Hill label, back in 1978!) The set list includes several songs each from Ricky's awesome 1979 Sweet Temptation album and the equally inspired Skaggs & Rice duos album, from 1980: neither sampling will be enough for fans both new or old, but if you use this collection as a signpost to explore those albums as well, you'll be one happy camper. Rounding the set out are some fine odds'n'ends, such as a live duet with Skaggs' wife, Sharon White, taken from a 1988 concert album recorded in honor of the venerable Seldom Scene. This album might not precisely reflect the contours of Skaggs' career, but it sure has a lot of sweet music on it. Highly recommended.
Ricky Skaggs "The High Notes" (Cracker Barrel Records, 2008)
(Produced by Ricky Skaggs)
In the early 1980s, bluegrass prodigy Ricky Skaggs went from being a featured member of the Emmylou Harris band into a radiant (and slightly improbable) solo career as a tradition-oriented Top 40 country star. His chart-topping success was improbable because, unlike other "neo-trad" country stars, he wasn't tapping into beer-drinking honkytonk, but rather into the sweeter, more sentimental "heart song" tradition, of sappy, heartfelt romantic ballads, a plainspoken style that had been almost entirely left behind in the plush sophistication of the '70s countrypolitan era. Skaggs enjoyed tremendous success with the style, and his bright-eyed devotion to the sincerity and conventions of the genre won over countless fans, giving the country charts a healthy dose of respect for the past. Eventually he went back into the bluegrass demimonde where, with the elders of genre passing away one by one, he became an "elder statesman" himself, one of the closest in line to pick up the mantle when the style's founders had all gone to meet their maker. Here, Skaggs brings the various strands of his career together, re-recording some of his biggest hits in a sparser acoustic setting, for an exclusive release on the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain's private label. Since part of Top 40 career included covering bluegrass tunes and giving them a slight pop twist (as on his version of Bill Monroe's "Uncle Pen"), it's not such a big stretch to turn that formula on its head and remake a few of his country tunes in a "bluegrass" style. Although one of the wonderful things about his '80s hits was that thin, youthful voice of his -- so full of hope and earnest dedication to his craft -- is now lost to middle-age, these are still wonderful songs and he delivers them with a comfortable, reassuring demeanor. A couple of songs that stand out from the pack are his version of Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Cradle," and a tinkly-piano gospel tune about God's angels watching down on us all, which veers away from the bluegrass vibe into the world of Southern Gospel (which isn't surprising, given Skaggs's longstanding evangelical fervor...) Fans may want to pull off the Interstate, grab a little chicken-fried steak, and pick up this disc for the drive home: it's a nice addition to the Ricky Skaggs discography.
Other Media
Earl Scruggs/Doc Watson/Ricky Skaggs "The Three Pickers" (DVD) (Rounder Records, 2003)
Riffing on the whole "Three Tenors" opera phenomenon, three bluegrass master musicians join forces for a warm, friendly session, originally filmed for broadcast on public television. The congratulatory back-slapping ("You're the greatest, Doc!" "No, you are, Ricky!") ultimately wears thin, but the music is top-notch. When Skaggs sings, Watson picks or Scruggs does one of those amazing banjo rolls, it's perfection in action. Well filmed, with nice sound and plenty of great performances, this is a swell concert film... The current queen of bluegrass, Alison Krauss, sings along on a trio of tunes, and musicians drawn from the cream of the truegrass pickers -- including Skagg's band, Kentucky Thunder -- back them up on most tunes. Both Watson and Scruggs are still amazingly deft and soulful at their art, even though they are a bit slowed down from the days of their youth. A fine performance!
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder "Soldier Of The Cross - The Concert" (Skaggs Family Records, 2003)
It's possible that at this point in his life, bandleader Ricky Skaggs has done more to promote old-fashioned bluegrass gospel than practically anyone else alive, other than his old mentor, Dr. Ralph Stanley. This concert DVD captures Skaggs and his band, Kentucky Thunder, in fine form, performing top-flight versions of many standards of the genre and several new tunes that he has contributed in recent years. The "high lonesome" vocal harmony tunes are the sublime, although the picking is pretty darn hot, as well. In addition to his various hotshot band members -- multi-instrumentalists Jim Roll, Andy Leftwich, et al. -- Skaggs also plays host to several soulful guest performers, including his wife, Sharon White and her family, The Whites, who can throw on a mean harmony or two themselves, if they put their minds to it. The songs are interspersed with commentary by Ricky, about his faith, family and friends. In general, this material shouldn't too noxious to secular-minded bluegrass fans, since the performances themselves are both skillfully filmed and spine-tinglingly resonant. If you are of a resolutely agnostic or atheistic bent, though, then best to leave this one be... Ricky's born again evangelicism will probably get on your nerves. Anyone who likes Ricky on either his religious or musical merits, though, will love this: it's quite a nice concert!
Links
Hick Music Index
Top photo by Erick Anderson, courtesy of Skaggs Family Records.
Multi-instrumentalist Ricky Skaggs has certainly had one of the most diverse and dramatic careers in modern bluegrass music. Born in Cordell, Kentucky, he was a child prodigy and performed onstage as a guest of legends such as Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs before he was even ten. As a teen in the early '70s, he landed a spot in Ralph Stanley's newly-reconstituted Clinch Mountain Boys, and from there moved on to become one of the mainstays of the then-booming progressive bluegrass and neo-traditionalist movements. His entry into the world of commercial country music came when he joined the Emmylou Harris Hot Band, where he contributed solid fiddle and mandolin work, as well as some choice harmony vocals and a sweet bluegrass sensibility. From the Hot Band, Skaggs went on to lead his own country band, reintroducing the good old-fashioned, honey-toned "heart song" back into the Top 40 mainstream. In the late 1990s, after bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe passed away, Skaggs reentered the acoustic music fold, forming the Kentucky Thunder band, and started his own independent label to support the old-fashioned music he grew up on. He's also become a leading exponent of Christian gospel bluegrass, increasingly interjecting his born-again beliefs into his work, and making it a central part of his art. Here's a quick look at his career...