Search - Flatt & Scruggs :: Golden Hits

Quite impressive for a short budget CD

Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 05/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is basically a budget Flatt & Scruggs CD, but - no matter the price - there is no such thing as a bad Flatt & Scruggs CD. The ten tracks add up to just over 24 minutes in all, but the sound quality is amazingly good for a budget CD, and the selection includes some vintage Flatt & Scruggs material. You can't think of bluegrass without thinking of Rolling in My Sweet Baby's Arms and the incomparable Salty Dog Blues - recordings such as these made Flatt & Scruggs the most famous and influential duo in bluegrass history. Along with Bill Monroe (whom Flatt & Scruggs worked with early in their careers) and Reno & Smiley, Flatt & Scruggs not only left an indelible mark on bluegrass music, they did much to define it.You won't find a finer banjo picker than Earl Scruggs, and few can match Lester Flatt's skills on the guitar. On instrumentals Bending the Strings, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, and Farewell Blues, the legendary duo don't just bend the strings, they make them sing with down-home bluegrass joy. Round Town Gals is another impressive non-vocal track, although it doesn't have the finger-blistering pace of the other music-only tracks. We'll Meet Again Sweetheart is a wonderful track featuring Earl Scruggs' harmonizing vocals, while Doin' My Time really showcases the gentle power of Lester Flatt's voice. Even more impressive than these two tracks, though, is My Cabin in Caroline - this is a song I really wasn't familiar with, but it immediately became a new favorite of mine.Like most vintage bluegrass performers, Flatt & Scruggs recorded many gospel songs, only one of which is included on this particular CD. Preachin' Prayin' Singin' hearkens back to good old camp meeting days and offers an excellent example of the close link between classic bluegrass and old-time gospel music.Obviously, there are many more desirable Flatt & Scruggs CDs available, but The Golden Hits of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs makes for a nice and very affordable introduction to the music of bluegrass' most successful duo."