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The Carters are Historical Legends

06/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The albumn is great. It combines the best of The Carter Family into one albumn. I have all of their recordings, and this one is definitely the best. The vocals of Sara, Maybelle, & AP are timeless, if you listen to the earlier albumns, and work through their later recordings. I also recommend the Maybelle, & Sara albumn, and the Maybelle Carter, Wildwood Flower CD. These show the changes in their voices with age."

Another great Carter compilation...

William E. Adams | Midland, Texas USA | 12/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There were other pioneers of country/folk recordings in the late '20's, including Fiddlin' John Carson, Vernon Dalhart and Jimmie Rodgers, but The Carter Family has had a more lasting impact on subsequent generations than any of the other early acts. A.P. Carter scoured the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia for verses sung in the churches and homes, then arranged them to suit himself, his wife Sarah and Maybelle. Their single 78's and radio shows influenced everybody who listened in the 30's, and Woody Guthrie stole their melodies and wrote his own masterpieces on top of them in the '40's. This is a fine collection, about 48 minutes worth. Another good one, with 20 tracks instead of 16, is the Columbia Legacy disc "Can the Circle Be Unbroken?" You can't go wrong with either one. There is some duplication of songs between the two CD's but with different versions. Many younger folks might think the Carter sound is a bit too "authentic" but if you listen twice, you'll probably be hooked. Guthrie fans, and Johnny Cash fans, too, ought to own a Carter disc to learn a lot about the roots of Woody and Johnny. (And of course, Johnny married Maybelle's daughter June and was Maybelle's last employer in the music business in the '60's.) I also recommend highly the book "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone?" subtitled The Carter Family & Their Legacy in American Music, by Mark Zwonitzer with Charles Hirshberg. If you like the Carters, you'll want the book. If you read the book, it makes you want to hear The Carters."