Search - Bill Monroe & Monroe Brothers :: The Essential Bill Monroe & The Monroe Brothers

Despite both the historical importance and high quality of these 25 songs, this collection remains a bit vexing. For one, Bill recorded more than 60 tracks with older brother Charlie between 1936 and 1938, but only 9 appear here. In addition, their two best-known (and earliest) collaborations--"My Long Journey Home" and "What Would You Give in Exchange (For Your Soul)"--are omitted (they can be found at the beginning of the four-CD Music of Bill Monroe instead). The remaining 16 cuts focus on Bill's transitional banjoless "pregrass" recordings from 1940 and 1941, which offer hints--forceful mandolin picking, intricate harmonies--of the more-refined trademark sound to come. The music herein is often spectacular: the rough-and-tumble quartet produces raging instrumentals ("Katy Hill," "Tennessee Blues"), fervent gospels ("Cryin' Holy unto the Lord," "Were You There?"), and poignant ballads ("In the Pines," "No Letter in the Mail") that bridge the gap between traditional country and bluegrass. The brother duos are terrific examples of the close-harmony style of the 1930s and truly deserve a deep compilation of their own. --Marc Greilsamer