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Thread: Top three favorite Bill Monroe tunes.

  1. #1
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    What are your top three all time favorite Bill Monroe tunes and what about the tunes make them your favorites? Thanks!
    Jonathan R.

    "Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one." Duke Ellington

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    Registered Something good_ol_al_61's Avatar
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    In order of my preference...

    My Last Days on Earth
    Scotland
    Blue Moon of Kentucky

    Thanks for asking!
    Al Henderson
    Jacksonville, FL

    "Only two kinds of people never make mistakes: Dead people and people that do nothing!" [Al's Dad]

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    '07 Arches A Style #11, "Hoss"

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    Registered User adgefan's Avatar
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    My favourites are the ones where the fiddle and banjo stand out rather than the mandolin. I love bluegrass and mandolin, yet when listening to Bill Monroe it's the other players who always grab my attention. If I had to choose 3 then...

    1. Goldrush - is it major or minor, fast or slow? The banjo sounds frantic, yet the fiddle glides through it in a totally laidback fashion. Can listen to this all day and never get sick of it.

    2. Virginia Darlin' - can't really explain why, just love the banjo break.

    3. Grey Eagle - the fiddle on this is just something else. Loads of weird noises coming out of it. If I played fiddle this is the one tune I'd want to learn.

    By the way, my opinion will be completely different in a couple of seconds!




  4. #4

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    I really like these tunes:
    1) Jerusalem Ridge
    2) Old Dangerfield
    3) Moonlight Waltz

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    Registered User Coy Wylie's Avatar
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    1) Tennesee Blues - His first recorded tune, dripping with hard-driving blues.
    2) Wheel Hoss - Built for speed, fast and furious.
    3) Big Mon - WSM's personal version of Dusty Miller.

    BTW, you said "tunes" as in instrumentals. Songs to be sung are a different catagory.

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    Registered User David M.'s Avatar
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    1. Kentucky Man'lin
    2. Jer. Ridge
    3. Ashland Breakdown

    tied for 3rd: Lonesome moonlight Waltz
    David Mehaffey
    -------------------------------
    ...I wonder how the old folks are at home...

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    Registered User John Flynn's Avatar
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    Previously I have enjoyed Monroe's stuff "from afar," meaning I buy his CDs and listen to them, but don't get that much into what tunes are which (unless it's obvious by the lyrics) and I have not played much Monroe stuff on the mando. However, after years of playing old-time and church music on the mando, I'm currently taking my first BG mando class and I am really enjoying it. My three favorite Monroe tunes would have to be the three that the instructor has started us on: Big Sandy River, Roanoke and Come Hither, Go Yonder.

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    Registered User swampstomper's Avatar
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    adgefan, about your choices:

    The fiddle *does* glide through Gold Rush because it's the incredibly smooth-bowed Byron Berline

    Virginia Darling is completely wrecked for me by the gratuitous (and musically boring) bass "solo" by you-know-who. Listen to Michael Cleveland's version to hear how this can sound. Again Berline.

    Agree about Grey Eagle -- wow!! that's Richard Greene of course.

    My three favourites?

    Instrumentals: Scotland, Stoney Lonesome, Dusty Miller

    Songs: I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome (co-written with Hank Williams); Walls of Time (co-written with Peter Rowan); The First Whipporwill

  9. #9
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Roanoke
    Jerusalum Ridge
    Monroe's Hornpipe

    the three that I can mangle on my own while keeping the dog at my feet.

    f-d
    ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

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    Alright, I will try to pick three. My favorites seem to change but currently they are

    Tennessee Blues
    Bluegrass Stomp
    Scotland
    Goin up Caney
    Evening Prayer Blues
    Old Dangerfield

    Sorry I cant pick just three...Gary Silverstein

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    Roanoke
    Tennessee Blues
    and of course Rawhide
    2014 Ellis F
    2012 Gibson F5G
    2012 Martin D18GE
    1990 Martin HD28V (custom prototype)

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    Registered User Coy Wylie's Avatar
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    Oh man, Bluegrass Stomp has got to be up there too, thanks Gary. Does Rawhide really count?

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    Registered User JimRichter's Avatar
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    Tunes:

    Tanyards
    My Father's Footsteps
    The Golden West
    (followed by Fair Play, Come Hither, Ebeneezer Scrooge, Old Dangerfield, etc.)

    Songs:

    Letter From My Darling
    Rocky Road Blues
    Close By

  14. #14

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    Currently it's these tunes,
    Bluegrass Stomp
    Scotland
    Old Dangerfield, Tanyards

    as well as songs like
    Mighty Dark for Me to Travel
    Letter from My darlin'
    to name only two.

  15. #15
    Registered User evanreilly's Avatar
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    My fav-o-rite Monroe tunes:

    Galley Nipper
    Pocahontas
    McKinley's March

    songs:
    today it is 'When The Golden Leaves Begin to Fall'

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    Hey, where did my post go?

    Second try:

    Crossing the Cumberlands, and the Moonlight Waltz, because
    I play them. I sometimes do Scotland as a solo guitar piece
    (taking advantage of the open A).

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    Interesting responses. I wonder if people focusing on instrumentals because the question called for "favorite tunes," or simply because the instrumentals are their favorites? ??

    Personally, what I enjoy most about Bill Monroe -- apart from the style itself -- is his singing and songwriting. I think he was one of the great American songwriters. Hard to say "three" favs, but a few of my favs are --

    Body and Soul
    I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling
    Uncle Pen

    also

    On My Way to the Old Home
    Memories of Mother and Dad
    Little Georgia Rose
    Rose of Old Kentucky
    Going Up Caney

    ...jeez, there's sooo many more....

    For tunes, I guess I would have to say

    Jerusalem Ridge
    Southern Flavor
    Rawhide (just because it's so wild)
    J. Mark Lane
    Stanley #10 F5
    Pomeroy #72 F4
    Brian Dean #30 Bowlback

  18. #18
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    At the moment . . .
    Lord Protect My Soul
    Raw Hide
    Were You There
    Clark Beavans

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    Good by Old Pal
    Jerusalem Ridge
    Go Hither to Go yonder

  20. #20
    Registered User Steve Cantrell's Avatar
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    1.Tanyards
    2. Old Dangerfield
    3. Ashland Breakdown
    Steven E. Cantrell
    Campanella A

  21. #21
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    1. Frog On a Lilly Pad (Not mentioned by anyone previously-- see Frog Song) # # #
    2. Jerusalem Ridge
    3. Kentucky Waltz (Not mentioned earlier either)



    OTW

  22. #22
    Registered User Steve G's Avatar
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    Evening Prayer Blues
    Letter From My Darlin
    When You Are Lonely
    ‎"Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats." - Howard Aiken

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    Lured from lurking once again. OK Here goes.

    1. Jerusalem Ridge - 4 parts, minor key, haunting melancholy melody, decent speed - it has it all. This is the tune that made me want to play mandolin. Still gives me the same feeling 25+ years after first hearing it.

    2. Cheyenne - Unusual and very cool. I've seldom ever seen others mention it on the cafe which is the reason I decided to post. I've encountered this one at better jams and it's great to pick on guitar or mando. Starts in G minor, shifts to Bb with a I-iii-IV-I-V progression (didn't I mention unusual?). The Album Band did a great version.

    3. ?# - There are so many. Wheel Hoss and Big Mon actually sound great played at near insane speeds. Southern Flavor and Kentucky Mandolin for the minor keys. Rawhide just because it's Rawhide. The stomps. They're all great.
    MWM

    Mark in West Michigan

  24. #24

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    1. Roanoke
    2. Old Brown County Barn
    3. Wheel Hoss

    I love them instrumentals - Salt Creek, Big Mon and others along those lines.......

    Eric

  25. #25

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    #1. Tennesse Blues
    #2. Bluegrass Breakdown and Bluegrass Part 1
    #3. Bluegrass Stomp

    Tim Saxton
    "Well, Yes, It is true that it did have random Hippie Sanding done to it"

    "It's about the journey and not the destination."

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