More Bill Monroe

The Essential Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys

This isn’t the time nor the place to talk about box sets generally, but I can’t help having noticed over the years how poorly record companies have done with them. I don’t mean that they don’t sell them, I mean that can’t seem to figure out how to put one together meaningfully.

Oh there are a few good ones out there: The Bee Gees' Tales From The Brothers Gibb – that’s a great example of a career retrospective. The Bootleg Series Vol 1 -3 by Bob Dylan is a great example of a collection of previously unreleased stuff. Most sets try to do both and screw up.

Ok so Bill Monroe. This is the Essential Bill Monroe but it only covers 4 years out of a 4 decade career, well I guess that’s as long as he was on Columbia, and half the tracks are alternate versions, and I don’t know why they did that. I left those off.

"Uncle Pen" was from a various artists collection called From The Vaults – Decca Country Classics. The first time I heard "Uncle Pen" was by Eric Weisberg & Deliverance, the opening track on an album called Rural Free Delivery, which I don’t have anymore, but I have the Porter Wagoner version. This one’s the best though.

Both of these came from the West Kildonan Library which I’ll tell you about another time.

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Bill Monroe And His Bluegrass Boys: Rocky Road Blues Foot Prints In The Snow Come Back To Me In My Dreams Why Did You Wander Blue Moon Of Kentucky Toy Heart Mansion For Me Mama's Only Sleeping Blue Yodel Now Will You Be Loving Another Man? How Will I Explain About You Shining Path Wicked Path Of Sin I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling Little Cabin Home On The Hill My Rose Of Old Kentucky Along About Daybreak When You Are Lonely [Uncle Pen]