A 1961 release of traditional
gospel songs, this is among
The Stanley Brothers' finest albums. The brothers were born and raised in the Clinch Mountain area of Virginia (also home to the similarly pioneering
Carter Family), one of the most fiercely traditional areas of the Bible Belt, and the pair performed
gospel music throughout their career. However, this album just has something special about it. Recorded in one brief session with
Carter Stanley on guitar and lead vocals,
Ralph Stanley on banjo and tenor harmonies,
Curley Lambert on mandolin,
Vernon Derrick on fiddle, and Chuck Stripling on bass, these ten simple, powerful songs are delivered with the righteous passion and enthusiastic sense of community of a real church service, where joy and devotion are inextricably intertwined. Even the most mawkish songs, like the ultra-maudlin "Mother's Only Sleeping," are delivered with sincerity and grace. The best tracks, like the title song, "My Sinful Past" and the closing "Kneel at the Cross," are as good as traditional
gospel gets. Unusually for
The Stanley Brothers, about half of the songs are sung in four-square harmony in the traditional
gospel quartet style, with
Lambert and
Derrick filling in the vocal sound. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
