Search - Doc Watson & Merle :: Home Sweet Home

Doc Watson & Merle
Home Sweet Home
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop

Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
1. John Henry
2. Girl In The Blue Velvet Band
3. Lonesome Banjo
4. Listening To The Rain
5. Russian Grass
6. Worried Blues
7. Train That Carried My Girl From Town
8. Old Joe Clark
9. Down The Road
10. Big Spike Hammer
11. Reuben's Train
12. Little Maggie
13. I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home
14. Home Sweet Home

CD Details

All Artists: Doc Watson & Merle
Title: Home Sweet Home
Members Wishing: 4
Total Copies: 0
Label: Sugarhill
Original Release Date: 9/15/1998
Release Date: 9/15/1998
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop
Styles: Bluegrass, Classic Country, Traditional Folk
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 015891388922, 015891388922

Synopsis

Amazon.com

When you think about studio tricks, the name Doc Watson doesn't usually come up. Yet, these 1967 home recordings of Doc and his late son Merle are augmented by 1998 overdubs featuring Sam Bush's fiddle, Marty Stuart's mandolin, T. Michael Coleman's bass, and Alan O'Bryant's harmony vocals. Merle was 18 at the time of the original recordings and had been picking banjo for a mere five months, but he was quickly learning what to do with it. He and his pappy roll through 14 enjoyable cuts ranging from traditionals to bluegrass to Watson-family original instrumentals. Why overdubs were needed is anyone's guess, although it can be said without hesitation that they don't add much to the proceedings. (The exception is the "hidden" Bush/Stuart duet on "Watson's Blues.") Merle's 5-string and especially Doc's warm vocals and hot guitar still carry the day and offer ample rewards on their own. Thankfully, the informal, homespun charm survives, but you can't help but wonder what these songs sounded like in their original form. --Marc Greilsamer

CD Reviews

Some of the best, old and new

Eddie Finn | 04/01/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With apologies to Jack Lawrence and David Grisman, among others, Doc was at his dead-level best when playing guitar with his late son Merle playing back-up on banjo, guitar, or dobro. This recording is a true gem, and an impressive engineering feat as well. Here, Doc and Merle pick a few old bluegrass warhorses ("John Henry", "Old Joe Clark"), some Doc classics ("The Train That Carried My Girl from Town"), and some rather obscure songs as well ("Listening to the Rain", "Russian Grass"). This recording has been enhanced by the expert work of Sam Bush, Marty Stuart, and T. Michael Coleman, recorded three decades after the original tapes of Doc and Merle! As for Merle, this recording just makes you miss his understated style all the more. It's not perfection, but considering that Merle had only been playing the banjo for five months, it's phenomenal. The back-up work of Sam Bush lends an old-time tone to the recording, recalling Doc's earlier recordings with Gaither Carlton. Highly recommended for Doc fans, essential listening for those who still miss Merle."