Charles R. Cheshire II | Chattanooga, TN United States | 06/16/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought my copy of this CD from Roland (White) at a concert in Chattanooga, TN in 1999. There are still some out there. If you have a chance to go to a Roland White concert go if for no other reason than to get this CD, although Roland is always great. The interplay between Clarence & Roland on Nine Pound Hammer is phenomenal and worth the price of the CD by itself. With the exception of Listen To The Mocking Bird, which I never liked and seems out of place on a Bluegrass CD (to me, anyway) every tune is a masterpiece. John Henry and Sally Goodin also display that extraordinary communication that Clarence and Roland had. This is the best example I have heard so far of Clarence White's guitar playing. What a shame he died so early, he was an incredible talent. This album should be on every Bluegrass and flatpicking fan's list of must have recordings."
Toe-tappin', foot-stompin', jaw-droppin'
Eddie Finn | 07/17/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the CD, along with the Doc Watson-Flatt & Scruggs 'Strictly Instrumental' album, which set the standard for the bluegrass instrumental album. Of greatest interest is Clarence White's guitar playing - nobody before or since has played the instrument with as much command, with such a complex understanding of time, with such tastefulness. His work on 'Nine Pound Hammer', Listen to the Mockingbird', and 'I Am a Pilgrim' - just awesome. Perhaps even more impressive is the interplay between the players here - For those of you who get together and jam with friends, listen to this as a primer - when one instrument leads, the others fade and follow - check out Clarence and Roland trading licks playing 'I Am a Pilgrim' and 'John Henry'.This one belongs on the shelf right next to the best by Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, The Stanley Bros, Doc Watson, etc."
Bluegrass at its best!
Richard Malitz | Buffalo Grove, IL | 06/11/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I actually got to hear this album driving down US 41 (a two lane highway) through Kentucky on a sunny spring afternoon. If there ever was a more perfect soundtrack to a trip.... This is the greatest bluegrass music I have yet heard. What enhances it is the variety you get. On one track you might find lightning fast banjo and mandolin, while the next will be a gentle acoustic guitar. By having Clarence White's guitar in the band, the entire meaning of bluegrass takes on a whole new level. It is wonderful, it is beautiful, and it's out of print right now!"
A Classic Instrumental Album
Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 03/03/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My first encounter with Clarence White was on the Byrds SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO album. After being astounded by his guitar playing in a country/rock context I worked my way back eventually to this album. While much of the praise has gone to Clarence White and his phenomenal flat picking (and justifiably so), this is very much a band effort. Older brother Roland is an excellent mandolin player (and would go on to spend time with Country Gazette and The Nashville Bluegrass Band), and Billy Rae and Bobby Slone are equally adept at the banjo and fiddle respectively. [Leroy Mack adds Dobro to "Wild Bill Jones" and "Faded Love."]But the standout performance is Clarence's guitar playing. If you're a fan of Tony Rice, you'll notice the obvious influence Clarence had on his playing. All the more astounding is that Clarence, at the time of this recording, was only nineteen! [One of the most treasured albums in my collection is an old Sierra Records LP (SILVER METEOR) that includes the last four tracks Clarence was working on before his untimely death in 1973.] There are a number of Clarence White/Kentucky Colonels albums available--some with less than stellar sound--but the twelve instrumentals on this disc have a bright, crisp sound and belong in any serious bluegrass collection. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"
