What are your top three all time favorite Bill Monroe tunes and what about the tunes make them your favorites? Thanks!
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
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]
'81 Gibson F5L Fern, J Rowland
'07 Arches A Style #11, "Hoss"
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!
I really like these tunes:
1) Jerusalem Ridge
2) Old Dangerfield
3) Moonlight Waltz
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.
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...
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.
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
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
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
Roanoke
Tennessee Blues
and of course Rawhide
2014 Ellis F
2012 Gibson F5G
2012 Martin D18GE
1990 Martin HD28V (custom prototype)
Oh man, Bluegrass Stomp has got to be up there too, thanks Gary. Does Rawhide really count?
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
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.
My fav-o-rite Monroe tunes:
Galley Nipper
Pocahontas
McKinley's March
songs:
today it is 'When The Golden Leaves Begin to Fall'
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).
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
At the moment . . .
Lord Protect My Soul
Raw Hide
Were You There
Clark Beavans
Good by Old Pal
Jerusalem Ridge
Go Hither to Go yonder
1.Tanyards
2. Old Dangerfield
3. Ashland Breakdown
Steven E. Cantrell
Campanella A
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
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
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
1. Roanoke
2. Old Brown County Barn
3. Wheel Hoss
I love them instrumentals - Salt Creek, Big Mon and others along those lines.......
Eric
#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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