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Take a spin with Golden Graham's choice album reviews

Various Artistes

Earl Scruggs and Friends

MCA 170 189-2

 

 

Icon of American music, Earl Scruggs fashioned his own technique of five-string banjo picking back in the 40's and it has now become the most profoundly used method of banjo playing within bluegrass and country music. One time partner of Lester Flatt....Flatt & Scruggs will be remembered for playing of the theme song for the TV series Beverly Hillbillies back in the 60's, along with making guest appearances on the show. Highly respected by the Stars of assorted music genres, Earl Scruggs has pushed the musical envelope throughout his all-embracing career. For Earl Scruggs and Friends, 14 artistes and musicians joined the master of the banjo to create this engaging work of art.

Sir Elton John opens the proceedings with 'Country Comfort' recorded on his own 1970 Tumbleweed Connection. Arriving at the studio with a boxed set of Scruggs records, Elton John asked if it was possible for Earl to autograph them...this is the admiration that the man draws. In an interview on Bob Harris's Radio 2 program, Earl's wife Louses tells that when Dwight Yoakam came into the studio to record another song; "they started jamming, just getting warmed up to record and they went into this melody. Earl started playing on the banjo and Dwight was playing something along with Randy on guitar. Dwight started singing some words like 'Borrowed Love', and then he would get down to the next line and say another word and they kept doing that and I thought that is so great that at one point they said....why don't we try putting down a track of that so they did and it wasn't even written. So I said...Dwight just go and take fifteen minutes and go in here and write it. They put the track down...later Dwight put the lyrics to this and I think they came up with a tremendous song!"

Johnny Cash's 'Ring Of Fire' is given a new lease of life with actor and director Billy Bob Thornton's husky vocals (Thornton is to release his own country album in September, Lost Highway, produced by Marty Stuart). Earl's son Gary is joined by Travis Tritt for a cracking version of Gary's own 'True Love Never Dies' and pop/rock star Melissa Etheridge offers her burning vocals for 'The Angels'. After she had recorded an amazing cut, Etheridge decided to try one more idea that she had and stepped back into the booth. The outcome brought about a standing ovation from all gathered in the control room and that is the version we hear on the album.

Sting has long made his interest in country music known and steps up to the mark for his own composition 'Fill Her Up'. Everyone and his granny will remember the banjo classic 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' used for the mile-a-minute car chase in the movie Bonnie & Clyde. This number has been recorded countless times by Scruggs and once again we have one of the most exciting versions ever to be heard. A host of musicians come together as each takes a solo break. Accompanying Scruggs, comedy actor Steve Martin shows off his own magnificent skills on banjo together with Britain's Albert Lee and Vince Gill on guitar, Glen Duncan on fiddle, Marty Stuart - mandolin, a sensational harmonica solo from Gary Scruggs, Paul Shaffer on piano, dobro aficionado Jerry Douglas, rock legend Leon Russell on organ, Glen Wolf - bass and Harry Stinson on drums. Simply thrilling!

Vince Gill is later joined by Rosanne Cash for 'I Found Love', with Johnny Cash being joined by former Eagles member Don Henley for Randy Scruggs/Johnny Cash's 'Passin Thru'. John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame comes in with 'Blue Ridge Mountain Blues' and the album comes to a close with Earl and Marty Stuart offering an instrumental medley of 'Foggy Mountain Rock' and 'Foggy Mountain Special'.

Earl Scruggs and Friends is one of the liveliest and flamboyant albums released for many years and the wonderful syncopated banjo of Earl Scruggs never stops throughout.

 

 

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