Doc Watson & Son [Import]

Doc Watson & Son [Import]

Track Listings

1. Muskrat

2. Weary Blues

3. Medley: Fiddler'S Dram/Whistling Rufus/Ragtime Annie (Raggedy Ann)

4. Dream Of The Miner'S Child

5. Rising Sun Blues

6. Mama Blues

7. We Shall All Be Reunited

8. Little Stream Of Whiskey

9. Little Sadie

10. Beaumont Rag

11. Otto Wood The Bandit

12. Faithful Soldier

13. Memphis Blues

14. Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Merle Watson's Debut with Father Doc Watson was Recorded Shortly after They Performed their First Concerts Together in California, and it Shows the Duo's Musical Partnership Already in Full Flower, an Incredible Fact Considering that Merle Had Only Been Picking Guitar for Eight Months. The Album features the Astonishing Instrumental Medley 'fiddler's Dram/Whistling Rufus/Ragtime Annie' and 'little Stream of Whiskey', an Old Irish Drinking Song Transformed Into a Hobo Ballad with a Bouncy Fingerpicked Melody. Perhaps Most Amazing is the Solo Harmonica Workout 'mama Blues', in which the Elder Watson Imitates the Sound of a Child Crying, Showing off Yet Another Facet of his Incredible Musical Skill.

Tracks:

Feast Here Tonight
What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?
Spoken Introduction
Who Will Sing For Me?
Spoken Introduction
Soldiers Joy
Walk On Boy
Daybreak Blues
Dont Let Your Deal Go Down
Pick Along
Spoken Introduction
What Is A Home Without Love?
Doin My Time
Earls Breakdown
The Storms are on the Ocean
Down in the Valley to Pray
The Banks of the Ohio
Ridin That Midnight Train
Spoken Introduction
Road To Spencer
Katy Hill
Foggy Mountain Top
Roll In My Sweet Babys Arms

Amazon.com

It took a North Carolina concert for PBS's Great Performances series to get bluegrass legends Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, and Ricky Skaggs together for the first time. It was a celebratory occasion, and this live session, supersaturated with hot licks and down-home warmth, successfully captures the excitement of the unprecedented event. For all the assembled instrumental expertise, it is the traditional vocals--with Skaggs leading the way--that makes the music work. The trio opens with the lively "Feast Here Tonight," featuring scintillating sounds from Skaggs's mandolin, Scruggs's banjo, and Watson's guitar, before taking on the high, lonesome gospel of "What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul." Each member of the trio gets feature spots for his individual band, in addition to the dozen or so songs where the three combine forces. Watson is joined by grandson Richard for a couple of country blues tunes before Scruggs, reinforced by his Family and Friends, takes over for two songs, showcasing his seminal banjo technique on "Earl's Breakdown." Skaggs and his Kentucky Thunder also take center stage for two songs, and, as if the litany of legends wasn't enough, fiddler Alison Krauss even joins the trio of principals for three songs. --Michael Point

Customer Reviews:

timeless tunes.......2006-06-27

this is my favorite bluegrass album of all time.. i listen to it more than any of my other ones... its awsome cause three of the greatest men in bluegrass are here together, legends just the same as any of them... and the songs are some of the best in bluegrass history. i give it a 5 stars. wish bill monroe couldve made this one.... im sure he was somewhere above.

2 living legends and one bluegrass great.......2006-03-23

This is one of the best bluegrass/folk discs around. I've seen Scruggs, Watson and Skaggs play live separately on multiple occasions and would've loved to have been at this great show. It's hard to believe this was a one time performance as Watslon and Skaggs' vocals blend so well with Watson's incredible guitar-picking and Scruggs' classic banjo sound.

This is a live set that you can definitely listen to over and over again.

A work of bluegrass art!.......2005-12-07

In December of 2002, three legends of bluegrass sat down to do some picking - Earl Scruggs (on banjo), Doc Watson (on guitar), and relative newcomer Ricky Skaggs (on mandolin). It was aired on the American Public TV program Great Performances, and it certainly was that! This is a great CD, a work of bluegrass art.

The music is absolutely wonderful to listen to, sure to be enjoyed by any bluegrass fan. I love listening to this album, and highly recommend it to you!

No Matter How You Classify It, It's Just Good Music.......2005-08-01

About a year ago, I bought three albums --the latest album by the Blind Boys of Alabama (wonderful), R. L. Burnside's A Troubled Mind (one of the two best I bought from Fat Possum records --the other was Robert Balfour), and this album. In other words, I bought three outstanding albums, all at the same time.

So which one do I listen to most often? The Three Pickers.

I've been a fan of Earl Scruggs for a long time. His albums with Lester Flatt are incomparable. They're the only blue grass albums that compare to jazz in my opinion, like listening to early Louis Armstrong.

I like Ricky Skraggs, mostly for his background work on the Evangeline album, by Emmy Lou Harris. (I don't greatly like the one album I bought by Ricky with his own group.)

I know that Doc Watson is a giant and I love his voice and manner but I've never spent time listening to him, principally because C&W and folk aren't my first thing. I've spent fifty-five years listening to jazz first and classical music second. It's not that easy changing gears.

I bought this album first because Earl Scruggs was on it, second because Ricky and Doc are premiere players, and lastly because it looked pure and unadulterated, just world class performers playing together for fun.

That's what it is. All three pickers are in good form. They are having fun. It's clear they like being together. All of the songs they play are good, some wondrous.

I like the cuts with Ricky Scraggs' group least, those with the three of the pickers and with Doc and his son most. Doc Watson has a beautiful tenor-baritone voice; he plays fine guitar both in background and solo. Earl Scruggs still plays with the fire and passion he had thirty-five years ago. What technical control he has! Ricky Scraggs is a first rate instrumentalist and very good in ensemble singing, but less successful as a solo vocalist. I wish I liked Ricky's group better --it's good but the cuts with the other groups are better. Alison Krause is on some cuts but doesn't have much to do.

I usually don't like chatter on a music record but here it fits. The love --for the music they are playing and among the three men themselves -- is transparent. It adds a warm glow to an exceptional record.

Dave Keymer
Modsesto CA

Traditional and Excellent Bluegrass.......2005-07-09

It has been years since I have listened to bluegrass. Recently I listened to Nickel Creek's excellent self-titled CD, and was very impressed. Then I switched to the more traditional American bluegrass of this album. The "three pickers" are Earl Scruggs, 79 years old and playing banjo, Doc Watson, 80 years old and playing guitar, and Ricky Scaggs, at 49 years old the youngest member of trio and playing mandolin. While these three men are not just pretty faces (they really are not), they are incredible artists, both instrumentally and vocally. They are also joined by various guests, most especially Alison Krause, who sings and plays violin.

I almost felt as though I was listening to early Grand Old Opry, because the Opry frequently featured bluegrass, and this bluegrass is some of the best available. Excluding the four spoken introductions, there are 19 superb instrumentals and songs that are sure to delight anyone who enjoys this uniquely American style of music.

"Feast Here Tonight" starts the album off right with a very traditional bluegrass song. The instruments generally stay in the background until an Earl Scruggs banjo solo. Later in this song Ricky Scaggs's mandolin takes front honors, and for a brief time Doc Watson's guitar takes a turn, all to introduce the quality to come. The more melancholy "What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?" follows; also a traditional bluegrass song. After a spoken introduction is yet another traditional song, "Who Will Sing for Me?" The harmonies in this song are traditional and as nicely executed as any harmony in a studio containing millions of dollars of electronic manipulation. After a second spoken introduction is a short, peppy instrumental, "Soldier's Joy."

The style changes a little with "Walk on Boy." This time we hear Doc and grandson Richard Watson play a song that has a strong blues flavor. This song is powerful because of its simplicity. The next song, "Daybreak Blues," stays in the blues vein, and even includes some yodeling.

The pace and style changes once again on "Don't Let Your Real Deal Go Down." There is some fast-paced picking on this song and a good deal of enthusiasm that the audience picks up. The next selection is "Pick Along," an instrumental that initially highlights Earl Scruggs's banjo, moving along to what I believe is Glen Duncan's fiddle. Next Doc Watson's guitar takes the lead with gusto. I believe Rob Ickes then takes a turn on banjo, followed by Ricky Scaggs on mandolin. Earl Scruggs then takes the lead to the end of the song. Somewhere on this instrumental is Mark Fain on bass, though I have difficulty picking the bass out.

The next song, "What Is a Home without Love," returns to a more traditional bluegrass style. This simple song is readily reminiscent of the Appalachian Mountains and an era but recently gone. "Doin' My Time" has a blues style that is similar to some of the music in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Earl's father wrote the next instrumental, which Earl says in the introduction he though he named after him, "Earl's Breakdown." This instrumental is fast-paced and, as with the other instrumentals, features several instruments in the lead.

The next song is "The Storms Are on the Ocean." This lovely bluegrass song is about separation and longing, and is a rarity among bluegrass songs in that it includes oceans. The first song on this CD to have a strong gospel flavor is "Down in the Valley to Pray." This a capella song features guest artist Alison Krause. "The Banks of the Ohio" follows and is as mellow as the former song. Alison Krause also sings on this song.

The pace picks up significantly with "Ridin' that Midnight Train." Having a train song is an excellent enhancement to this bluegrass collection.

The next instrumental was written by Ricky Scaggs and was performed by Scaggs and Kentucky Thunder, his band. "Road to Spencer" is bluegrass with a Celt flavor. I was immediately reminded of Nickel Creek's music when I heard this instrumental that is more strongly bluegrass than Nickel Creek's music.

The last three songs include Alison Krause and the performers who appeared on the previous tracks. "Katy Hill" and the last song, "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms," are traditional bluegrass music. The song in the middle, "Foggy Mountain Top," was written by A.P. Carter, Maybelle Carter and Sara Carter, also known as the Carter Family. The three songs are a marvelous finish to this CD, and will leave bluegrass enthusiasts wanting more.

Some of us may have forgotten what it means to play music. Today electronic effects hide mistakes and mediocre performances, turning street corner crooners who would scare chickens into marketable commodities. The three pickers and their ensemble remind us what it means to be in front of an audience with acoustic instruments and their voice. There are no pretty people here, just us. This music may have something to do with reminding us of our roots, but it may also tell us about ourselves, as we are now. The next time someone drives by and you hear thundering bass vibrating your bones, remember that loud electronic noise does not make music great, nor does it make up for lack of virtuosity, which does exist, here. You just need to reach for it.

Average customer rating:

Classic Songs Performed By One Of The Greats Of American Music
The Best of Doc Watson
Doc Watson Is a National Treasure
Doc Watson is a fast guitar picker and bluegrass innovator!
Doc Watson - A musician's musician

The Best Of Doc Watson 1964-1968
Doc Watson
Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues
The Essential Doc Watson
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ASIN: B00000IIW2
Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

Muskrat
Country Blues
Rising Sun Blues
Tennesse Stud
Down In The Valley To Pray
Dill Pickle Rag
Otto Wood The Bandit
Windy And Warm
Little Sadie
Blue Railroad Train
Omie Wise
Intoxicated Rat
Tom Dooley
Alberta
Beaumont Rag
Shady Grove
My Rough And Rowdy Ways
The Train That Carried My Girl From Town
Black Mountain Rag
Grandfather's Clock
The Cyclone Of Ryecov
Doc's Guitar
Crawdad Hole

Amazon.com

Few musicians are as adept as Doc Watson is at making the remarkable seem routine. Song after song on this 23-track label retrospective demonstrates effortless flat-picking virtuosity. Listen to the fleet, precise picking on "Beaumont Rag," and you'll immediately recognize why the North Carolinian's skills are the envy of just about anyone who's ever tried to master folk guitar. Yet his plainspoken baritone vocals on "Tennessee Stud," "Shady Grove," "Little Sadie," and others speak of his devotion to his songs. Watson in his prime could play rings around just about any picker alive, but he's never gone in for hollow showboating. Culled from six of the nine albums Watson recorded for Vanguard between 1964 and 1971 (though the most recent inclusions here are from 1968), this album is a condensed alternative to the four-disc Vanguard Years box set. Four previously unreleased tunes add to the value of this worthy intro to an American master. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Classic Songs Performed By One Of The Greats Of American Music.......2006-02-23

After being born blind in a small mountain town in North Carolina, Doc grew up playing guitar with local musicians. But it wasn't until 1960, at age 37, that Doc was "discovered" by folk music archivist, Ralph Rinzler and brought to play in New York City. Doc became a popular figure in the folk music scene of the early 60's and his legend has grown ever since. I used to go see him play at a small club in Black Mountain, North Carolina when I was attending a nearby school, Warren Wilson College, in the late 1980's.

This album is a treasure trove of American folk classics with Doc's distinctive voice and hot picking making for a beautiful and inimitable sound. A close listening to the words of these songs will show just how rich, profound and meaningful they truly are. There is none of the "corniness" often associated with some of the more commercialized folk music. But instead Doc belts out powerful tales of murder and mayhem, wild women and rebellious "rounders" off to get drunk and raise hell. Some of these songs almost remind me of Old Testament stories in their ability to use dark and sometimes lurid subject matter to convey the true meaning of the human condition. Of course, you also have straightforward gospel songs like "Down In The Valley To Pray" which offer redemption to all of us wayward sinners. All in all this is a beautiful record of extraordinary songs by one of the masters of American music - the great Doc Watson.

The Best of Doc Watson.......2006-01-29

Doc Watson is one amazing guitar picker, human being, and musician. I`ve been a fan of his for more than forty years.

Doc Watson Is a National Treasure.......2005-06-22

Arthel "Doc" Watson is perhaps the finest flatpick guitar player to ever pick up a guitar and this generous 23-track anthology goes a long way to support that claim. All tracks are taken from the six studio albums he recorded for Vanguard from 1964 through 1968.

I first heard Doc Watson on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN where he performed his signature song "Tennessee Stud," included here from his classic SOUTHBOUND album. While not as good a singer as he is a guitar player, there is an earthy quality to his vocals, which is especially effective on the a capella gospel number "Down in the Valley To Pray."

On many of these tracks, Watson is accompanied by his son Merle on second guitar. Listen to their delicate interplay on the instrumental "Dill Pickle Rag."

As an added bonus, the final four tracks are previously unreleased. First, is a solo performance of "Grandfather's Clock" with Watson accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica. Next is the Carter Family's tragic tale of "The Cyclone of Ryecov." Then there is the brief (1:23) guitar workout "Doc's Guitar." The final is the traditional "Crawdad Hole" performed live.

Doc Watson is one of our national treasures, and if you're looking for a solid introduction to his music, this is an excellent place to start. [Running Time - 65:55] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Doc Watson is a fast guitar picker and bluegrass innovator!.......2001-03-08

As an impressionable teenager in the mid 1960s, I was one of the youngest members of the Seattle Folklore Society (the folks who later started the Northwest Folklife Festival). In those early days, they would rent small halls and bring in old black blues musicians like Rev. Gary Davis, Mance Lipscomb and Jesse Fuller, and relatively unknown folk musicians like Buffy Sainte Marie and Doc Watson.

Watson is an incredibly talented blind guitar and banjo picker from the Blue Ridge Mountains with a resonant voice. The night I saw Doc Watson, he was ushered to a lone chair at the center of a small stage, and within one or two songs, I felt like I was sitting at his kitchen table, as he sang songs from the mountains of North Carolina with a decidedly bluegrass flavor. At the time, I just knew he was one of the fastest flat-picking and fingerpicking guitarists around, who held the respect of anyone who had taken up the instrument in the Sixties.

What I didn't know then was that Watson is largely responsible for shifting bluegrass guitar from a supportive rhythm guitar role (so that fiddlers and banjo pickers could shine) to playing leads, which is standard practice these days.

Vanguard Records, the company that released these original 1960s era recordings, came out with this "Best of" album in the late 1990s, with over 65 minutes of tunes, many of which have become standards by other artists, like "Rising Sun Blues" (known to most of us as "The House of the Rising Sun," although with a different tune), "Tennessee Stud" (a great horse song), "Down in the Valley To Pray" (an inspiring white spiritual), "Tom Dooley" (quite different from the Kingston Trio version), "Alberta" (about a girl, not a province in Canada), "Black Mountain Rag" (still one of my favorite bluegrass guitar instrumentals, "Grandfather's Clock" ("...it stopped short, never to go again when the old man died"), "Doc's Guitar" (if only I could play half that fast), and "Crawdad Hole."

While a few cuts on this album are done with a bluegrass band, on most he is alone, or with one other guitarist (including his late son, Merle). On these more intimate cuts it still feels like he's sitting at his kitchen table playing just for me (or you, if you get this CD). If you like bluegrass, or simply some of the best acoustic guitar ever recorded, this is highly recommended!

Doc Watson - A musician's musician.......2000-10-07

As a bluegrass musician myself, as well as a choral singer my tastes range from Baroque to Folk and classic Rock. In that wide disparity, if I had to count the five finest musicians I know, Doc would be a must in the group. Real musicians love fine music, regardless of the genre, and Doc's clean, crisp delivery - both vocal and (of course, mainly) playing is literally without peer. Doc's finest are so enjoyable that I can listen to them over and over. I never hesitate to 'turn on' another music lover to Doc; indeed I spent a pleasant half hour one day introducing Maestro Leroy Kromm, director of the San Jose Symphonic Choir, to Doc's fine work. Leroy agreed with me that here was a pearl among masters.

Doc Watson on Stage (Featuring Merle Watson)

Average customer rating:

Flatpicking guitar at its best
Honest Representation of Doc and Merle Live
Good intro to Doc
Each time I listen to DOC, I'd like to be American!
Love it when they put my favorite LP albums on CD

Doc Watson on Stage (Featuring Merle Watson)
Doc & Merle Watson
Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Essential Doc Watson
Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues
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ASIN: B000000EB9
Release Date: 1990-05-24

Tracks:

Brown's Ferry Blues
The Wreck Of The 1262
Spikedriver Blues
Deep River Blues
Life Gets Teejus Don't It
Lost John
Hold The Woodpile Down
Billy In The Low Ground
I Am A Pilgrim
The Clouds Are Gwine To Roll Away
Windy And Warm
Doc's Guitar
Open Up Them Pearly Gates For Me
The Preacher And The Bicycle
Jimmy's Texas Blues
Banks Of The Ohio
Roll On Buddy
Southbound
Wabash Cannon Ball
When The Work's All Done This Fall
Little Sadie
The Quaker's Cow
Salt River/Bill Cheatham
Don't Let Your Deal Go Down

Customer Reviews:

Flatpicking guitar at its best.......2006-07-09

Doc Watson is well known as one of the best flatpicking guitarists in the genres of Old Time, Bluegrass and Folk. He is possibly the one who is responsible for transfering the guitar from only a rythm instrument into a soloinstrument in these kinds of music, by learning how to do the old fiddletunes on the guitar. And how he does it? He is a virtuoso on his instrument.
On this live recording, first released in 1982 as a dobbel LP, he is joined by his son Merle, and it is possibly one of the most beautiful records he has ever made. Doc sings and plays the guitar, and on some numbers the mouthorgan too. Merle accompanies him on guitar, and gets the chance to kick in a couple of numbers of his own.
There is a nice and warm and relaxed atmosphere in the concert. Doc tells a few jokes and you get the feeling that you are sitting around in his livingroom.
I first bought this record in 1982, and now I have bought it again on CD. It is simply a must in my personal collection. It is this record that woke my interrest for bluegrass, and learning how to flatpick on the guitar. And I am greatfull, though I'll never reach Doc's level. In fact very few people do.
Should I compare his playing to any younger generation flatpickers, the first one I can think of is Tony Rice.
And finaly, should you be interested in seeing Doc in action I can strongly recomend the DVD The Three Pickers, a concert in which he plays with Earl Scruggs and Ricky Skaggs, and Allison Krauss appears as a guest. That is very very beautyfull.

Honest Representation of Doc and Merle Live.......2005-10-29

I was fortunate to be able to see Doc and Merle live a couple of times before Merle's premature death. This disc is an accurate representation of the live Doc and Merle I saw - excellent musicianship applied to a broad sweep of American folk, blues and fiddle tunes played in Doc's unique way. Doc has a great sense of humor and it always comes through when he plays live, just as it done on this disc. Check out "Life Gits Teejus Don't It" for an example. Merle was an absolutely incredible guitarist but the most important gift he brought to the music was his innate sense of when and how to accompany and when and how to lead. He integrated himself into a song and played his part exceedingly well. I miss him. This disc has a great mix of tunes with enough instrumentals to please the pickers and plenty of story songs for the folkies. The sound quality is warm and clear and best of all, it doesn't get in the way of the music. This is a true 5 star disc in every regard. Classic!

Good intro to Doc.......2003-09-14

A very good introduction to the music of Doc Watson. This album contains samples of his blues, ballads, and old mountain songs. Of his albums that I currently have, moreover, this one reminds me most of the time I saw him in concert (early '90s) and the variety of songs he played then. I would highly recommend this as a first purchase of Doc's music.

Each time I listen to DOC, I'd like to be American!.......2003-08-01

A message to the American people: Americans, in case you don't know: DOC is not only one of the world's best guitarists, but also the best embassador that the US has ever had. This 1971 live recording (24 tracks, over 70 minutes, good sound quality) offers a generous helping of his art. Together with his late son Merle, Doc presents a collection of impeccably played folk songs. From 'Brown's Ferry Blues' to 'Don't let your deal go down', the singing and the picking are superb, so are Doc's comments and the audience's reactions. His are a voice and a PERSONALITY that you cannot help but love, someone you like listening to in your living-room for the sheer warmth his music exudes. And, what's more, his music integrates so many different voices, stories, influences, experiences that in my book he's the true Voice of America. Of course, there are numerous other fantastic recordings by Doc Watson -some dificult to come by here in Europe. Each record produced in his long career -and I own quite as lot, not a single one disappointing- is definitely worth checking out.

Love it when they put my favorite LP albums on CD.......2002-08-19

This is another CD version of an LP album put out several years ago, and I am sure glad they picked this one so I can stop trying to put a needle through my old LP. Doc Watson and his Gallagher guitar are simply awesome--the prototype folk guitar, both flat and fingerpicking style, supported superbly by Merle Watson. The audience is knowledgeable and appreciative, and their reactions augment the enjoyable music a lot. This is another album that you should just sit and do nothing but listen to. Close your eyes and imagine you are at the concert.

Average customer rating:

Doc's first solo LP
One Saturday Afternoon in 1964
Doc at his best
Doc's first album--a keeper!

Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

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Appalachian | North America | International | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000000EHR
Release Date: 1991-11-26

Tracks:

Nashville Blues
Sitting On Top Of The World
Intoxicated Rat
Country Blues
Talk About Suffering
Born About Six Thousand Years Ago
Black Mountain Rag
Little Omie Wise
Georgie Buck
Doc's Guitar
Deep River Blues
St. James' Hospital
Tom Dooley

Customer Reviews:

Doc's first solo LP.......2005-02-21

I think every guitarist I knew bought this record - including me. Watson had been on several other records by this time including the legendary "Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's" where he got his start, but had never sat down alone with a mic and a guitar before. This record turned him into a folk superstar.
The first time I saw Watson at Club 47 the room was crowded. That was before this record was released. The next time he played Cambridge they had to clear the place between sets as half the guitarists in the greater Boston area were lined up on Mount Auburn Street.
He has recorded a lot of albums since but the straightforward simplicity and his superbe musicianship has made this one an essential part of my collection for more than 40 years now. I don't think you can find a better Watson record. I own a lot of them and I haven't.

One Saturday Afternoon in 1964.......2004-03-31

One Saturday Afternoon in 1964, I looked at the record bins in EJ Korvette's store in Hartford, CT and found this back when it was a new record. This is Doc Watson's first solo Album.

He had been recorded by folkways since 1961. This was all on folklore oriented recordings of Doc Watson with Clarence Ashley and various pickers from their home area on the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina, in the great Old Time Music at Clarence Ashleys which is now out in a nice two-CD set with more stuff on it than the original records. Then there was a great recording by folkways called The Watson Family, recording Doc, his wife Rosalee, his father in law the great old time fiddler Gaither Carlton, his brother and his mother and other relatives, but with Doc on most recordings. That recording is also one for everyone (Don't confuse it with the nice, but not nearly as good Vanguard CD of The Watson family at Newport).

This is Doc Watson's first album on his own. It also represents a decision he made to go out as a solo act, and not to continue performing as part of the Watson Ashley band or to join the New Lost City Ramblers in which he had been offered the spot of replacing Tom Paley.

This is a clear folk album. Of course, it has the great Black Mountain Rag which is a guitar masterpiece. It also has his Chet Atkins influenced Doc's Guitar. But the heart and sould of this recording is the old time songs. I was really taken by his harmonic solo Momma Blues and his banjo version of Doc Bogg's Country Blues. Then there was I'm Born about 6000 years ago, an old novelty pop song from the turn of the century that my grandfather used to sing in Hartford Connecticut.

There is sincerity, fun, and a real mastery of both voice and instrument. A nice album. Since all the various Vanguard collections only have selections, you really need this first CD if you want all the Doc Watson, or if you are me, just trying to keep bring what you discovered that afternoon in 1964

Doc at his best.......2003-10-13

This album is a great introduction to Doc Watson, and has some of his most catchy songs. These are many of the songs he still plays live today, which can bring a tear to the eye when heard live.

Doc's first album--a keeper!.......1999-09-10

Note: This review is for the album advertised here and not the 4-CD set with the same cover.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, has made me want to smash my guitars against a pole more than listening to Doc Watson. Simply the best flatpicker there is; the inspiration and the frustration of thousands.

Here's his first album and while it has its moments where you can take it or leave it, the talent that Ralph Rinzler saw is quite evident.

Tracks:

Freight Train Blues
Hobo Bill's Last Ride
Mississippi Heavy Water Blues
Did You Hear John Hurt?
John Henry/Worried Blues
I'm A Stranger Here
Talking To Casey
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
Any Old Time
Sittin' Here Pickin' The Blues
Stormy Weather
How Long Blues
Honey Babe Blues
St. Louis Blues
Carroll County Blues
California Blues
Going To Chicago Blues
Jailhouse Blues
Windy And Warm
Deep River Blues

Album Description

This album is an expanded edition of Doc and Merle Watson's classic Pickin' the Blues, with eight additional tracks from their Flying Fish Records catalogue. In the hands of Doc and Merle, the blues and country music are a natural fit, with songs drawn from a range of blues, jazz and country styles. In addition to Doc's flat-picking and Merle's slide guitar playing, this collection is a fine showcase for Doc's baritone voice, as natural and expressive an instrument as any in country music or the blues. With T. Michael Coleman, Mark O'Connor, Sam Bush and others.

Customer Reviews:

Doc & Merle at the Top of Their Game.......2005-11-01

Doc Watson is one of the premier flatpick guitar players ever, and some of his best albums were recorded with his late son Merle. SITTIN' HERE PICKIN' THE BLUES draws from the three early to mid-Eighties studio albums they recorded for Flying Fish (and one live track from THE TELLURIDE FESTIVAL TAPES). Here's the breakdown on the tracks:

RED ROCKING CHAIR (1981): "California Blues," "Did You Hear John Hurt," "Any Old Time" and "How Long Blues." T. Michael Coleman plays bass on all tracks and Tom Scott plays clarinet on "Any Old Time."

DOC & MERLE WATSON'S GUITAR ALBUM (1983): "Talking to Casey," "Goin' to Chicago Blues" and "John Henry/Worried Blues." T. Michael Coleman plays bass on all tracks and Mark O'Connor plays fiddle.

THE TELLURIDE FESTIVAL TAPES (1984): "Deep River Blues"

PICKIN' THE BLUES (1985): All twelve tracks from the original vinyl release are included. T. Michael Coleman plays bass on all tracks and Sam Bush plays mandolin or fiddle on many (except for "St. Louis Blues" which Doc plays solo).

Not only is Doc an accomplished guitar player, but his son Merle more than holds his own on slide guitar on most of these tracks. My only complaint is that the individual albums are currently out of print and more than a dozen tracks from RED ROCKIN' CHAIR and GUITAR ALBUM were left off. This should have been a double CD to enable all three CDs to be included in their entirety. But if you're looking for a solid introduction to the music of Doc & Merle, this is an excellent place to start. [Running Time - 60:05] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A Welcome Reissue/Expansion.......2004-09-22

This album is essentially a deluxe reissue of Doc and Merle's Pickin' the Blues (1985). Rounding out the tracks from that album are four choice cuts from Red Rockin' Chair (1981) and three fine instrumentals from Doc and Merle's Guitar Album (1983). Also included is a nice, but non-definitive, live rendition of "Deep River Blues" from The Festival Tapes / Tellulive (1979). This is a great sampling of the material Doc and Merle recorded for Flying Fish Records before Merle's untimely death on October 23, 1985. For those new to Doc's music, I would suggest exploring Doc's Vanguard recordings (On Stage, Southbound, Home Again, Ballads From Deep Gap) before you venture into this material. For those already familiar with Doc's early work and are looking for a good sampler of Doc and Merle's stint with Flying Fish, this is the best you're going to do.

Average customer rating:

Best version of Froggie Went a Courtin' I ever Heard
This is the one...
One of the best blue grass albums
Fantastic
An essential album for acoutic guitar pickers to learn from

The Essential Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Doc Watson on Stage (Featuring Merle Watson)
The Best Of Doc Watson 1964-1968
Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues
Trouble in Mind: Doc Watson Country Blues Collection
Southbound

ASIN: B000000EBV
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Tom Dooley
Alberta
Froggie Went A-Courtin'
Beaumont Rag
St. James Hospital
Muskrat
Down In The Valley To Pray
Blue Railroad Train
Rising Sun Blues
Shady Grove
My Rough And Rowdy Ways
The Train That Carried My Girl From Town
Black Mountain Rag
I Was A Stanger
Blueridge Mountain Blues
Country Blues
Groundhog
Little Orphan Girl
Blackberry Blossom
Going Down This Road Feeling Bad
Rambling Hobo
Little Omie Wise
Handsome Molly
Whitehouse Blues
I Want To Love Him More
Way Downtown

Amazon.com essential recording

These 1963 and 1964 performances from the Newport Folk Festival illustrate the wide range of influences absorbed by flatpicker Doc Watson. Traditional folk, old-time, Piedmont blues, bluegrass, and gospel are all part of his musical equation, as well as the music of Jimmie Rodgers and the Delmore Brothers. Vanguard's 26-song compilation displays Watson's fleet guitar work and his deep, mellow voice (reminiscent of Burl Ives, actually), plus his passion for the material at hand. His 1963 performance was the one that propelled him into prominence. He'd been playing many of these traditionals since childhood, giving the songs a feeling of well-earned authenticity. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Best version of Froggie Went a Courtin' I ever Heard.......2002-02-27

OK, Never heard of Doc Watson? Well, thanks to my Dad, I have. This is easily his best album. You should hear his version of Froggie Went a Courtin. It is the best. Other songs on this album include Shady Grove, Tom Dooley, Alberta, Groundhog, there's even a duet with his late son Merle who flipped a tractor over on himself. If you love bluegrass, you're sure to fall in love with this album.

This is the one..........2000-08-08

The title says it all, really - If you own only one Doc Watson recording, this should be it. Doc's flatpicking (on "Black Mountain Rag, for instance), his fingerpicking (on"Little Omie Wise", for instance) and his folk/gospel style vocals (on most of the tracks) demonstrate just why he's considered one of this era's finest musicians. Doc's range is remarkable, and on this CD you'll find him singing gospel a capella, playing guitar full steam ahead, harmonizing with his mother (really!), playing duets with his son Merle, and yodeling like, well, a guy who knows what he's doing. 26 tracks here, over an hour of music, a must-have for anyone who enjoys traditional music, bluegrass, folk, acoustic.

One of the best blue grass albums.......1999-10-15

Getting this album was a trip back in time. My foot hasn't stopped tapping yet.

Fantastic.......1999-06-28

I think that this CD by far is one of if not the best. One other thing, if there is anybody out there that is a big Doc Watson fan, years ago he had a guitar course out, does anybody know how I could get one or even if it still exist? Thank You for taking the time to read this.

An essential album for acoutic guitar pickers to learn from.......1998-12-11

Any acoustic guitar picker who wants to learn from the master should have this in their collection. Doc makes the difficult seem effortless. His son Merle is the perfect match for Doc in providing his backup and when he takes his own breaks it is clear that he has inherited Doc's guitar genius.

Clarence Ashley And Doc Watson: The Original Folkways Recordings, 1960-1962 [2-CD Set]

Average customer rating:

Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson Folkways 1960-1962
American Music for the Desert Island
Clarence Ashley/Doc Watson Review
Classic, fun, wonderful
A revelation

Clarence Ashley And Doc Watson: The Original Folkways Recordings, 1960-1962 [2-CD Set]
Doc Watson & Clarence Ashley
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The High Lonesome Sound
Ballads, Banjo Tunes, And Sacred Songs Of Western North Carolina
An Untamed Sense of Control
Greenback Dollar: 1929-1933
Music From The Lost Provinces: Old-Time Stringbands From Ashe County, North Carolina & Vicinity 1927-1931

ASIN: B000001DHG
Release Date: 1994-06-28

Tracks:

Crawdad Song
I'm Sitting On Top Of The World
Lee Highway Blues
Free Little Bird
The Coo-Coo Bird
Rising Sun Blues
Looking T'ward Heaven
Rambling Hobo
Rambling Hobo
Shady Grove
Cumberland Gap
Tough Luck
Humpbacked Mule
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains
Way Down Town
Banks Of The Ohio
Little Sadie
Carroll County Blues
Cluck Old Hen
Chilly Winds (Lonesome Road Blues)
Sweet Heaven When I Die
Fire On The Mountain
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Daniel Prayed
Amazing Grace

Tracks:

Sally Ann
Richmond Blues
Old Ruben
Willie Moore
Walking Boss
Shout Lulu
Skillet Good And Greasy
Pretty Little Pink
Run, Jimmie, Run
Hicks' Farewell
The Old Man At The Mill
A Short Life Of Trouble
Brown's Dream
Footprints In The Snow
I'm Going Back To Jericho
Peg And Awl
Maggie Walker Blues
God's Gonna Ease My Troublin' Mind
I Saw A Man At The Close Of Day
Handsome Molly
John Henry
Honey Babe Blues
Wayfaring Pilgrim

Amazon.com

When blind singer/guitarist Arthel "Doc" Watson was "discovered" by folklorist Ralph Rinzler in 1960 he sounded as though he'd been picking for a hundred years, not to mention the fact that his huge repertoire of old songs seemed like it could go on for days. Watson had actually been playing in a honky-tonk band when Rinzler came across him in Deep Gap, North Carolina. When he asked Doc to set down his electric guitar he created one of the first--and most lasting--stars of the folk revival. Ashley was already a mountain music legend himself when he cut these front-porch sessions; picking a fine banjo and singing along on one standard--like "Shady Grove" and "Peg and Awl"--after another. --Michael Ruby

Album Description

With 20 previously unreleased performances, many rare photos, and producer Ralph Rinzler's comprehensive notes, this is the definitive collection of two earlier volumes entitled Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's. These LP's introduced the world to Doc Watson and played an important role in the folk revival of the '60s. Featured are Gaither Carlton, Clint Howard, Fred Price, Jack Burchett, and others. Compiled by Ralph Rinzler, Matt Walters and Jeff Place. Annotated by Ralph Rinzler. "Soul pours out of these unschooled folk musicians..." -- SF Chronicle

Customer Reviews:

Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson Folkways 1960-1962.......2007-07-30

This CD collection is on the okay status with me. It is not a very good viewing of either of these gentlemen. It makes both of them look and sound like not good entertainers when they really are. There are also alot of older 1920's songs on here that were re-worded and were smashed to smitharines. I would not recommend this to anyone and besides to me it is to modern in musical ways also. Bad example of both of them.

American Music for the Desert Island.......2004-08-26

These recordings with Doc & Clarence Ashley are as good as American folk/old-time music gets. And the performances are truly timeless -- it could've been 1910 or 1960 or 2010. When you've had it with flash-in-the-pan, here-today-forgotten-tomorrow dreck that's on eMpTV and the radio, then put on this disk & enjoy the music.

Clarence Ashley/Doc Watson Review.......2003-12-18

I'm a big Doc Watson fan and was expecting more vocals from Doc. The CD featured more Ashley and less Doc than I expected. I was somewhat disappointed. If you're buying this CD because your an Ashley fan then I'd think that you'll find it satisfying. On the other hand, if you're getting it because you want to hear Doc, then you may be less than satisfied.

Classic, fun, wonderful.......2002-08-20

I've owned these recordings first as records, then as tapes, and now as CDs since they came out in the early 1960s. After 40 years, they are still fresh, fun, and fantasic, they make me want to pick up my guitar and my banjo and pick behind them. You will find that there is a slight overlap in the cds compared with the original versions of the records. More tunes and more players are on here, particularly banjo players, than on the original records, and some tunes that were on the original recordings under this title now appear on Smithsonian Folkways' new version of the Watson Family. All and all, I couldn't think of the last 40 years of my life without these CDs.

A revelation.......2001-04-12

This is one of the most amazing sets of recordings that I have ever heard. I listen to a fairly wide range of jazz and classical (Ellington to Ayler, Bach to Ligeti) but have only recently begun listening to old-time folk. The intimacy, clarity of sound and creativity of these recordings might be matched elsewhere, but they cannot be surpassed. The musicianship is quite incredible - I wish I did anything as well as these gentlemen play their instruments. Each song sends shivers down my spine. It is disturbing to consider how few people will hear this album. Order it now & become one of the blessed few.

Average customer rating:

Awesome Doc & Merle Watson
Outstanding bluegrass
Doc Watson Is a Musical Treasure
An excellent cd overall

Black Mountain Rag
Doc Watson , and Merle Watson
Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Trouble in Mind: Doc Watson Country Blues Collection
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The Best Of Doc Watson 1964-1968

ASIN: B000H5VF2A
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Tracks:

Black Mountain Rag
Smoke, Smoke, Smoke
Black Pine Waltz
Red Rocking Chair
Twinkle, Twinkle
Below Freezing
Mole In The Ground
Liza/Lady Be Good
Down Yonder
Cotton Row
Sadie
Leaving London
Guitar Polka
Fisher's Hornpipe/Devil's Dream
Along The Road
Bye Bye Bluebelle/Smiles
Sheeps In The Meadow/Stony Fork
Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Blackberry Blossom
Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Doc & Merle Watson.......2007-03-08

This repackaging of classic cuts just before Merle's death has excellent sound quality, with Doc at his musical peak. Mark O'Connor fiddle backup is awesome. Some of the most important Doc songs, a great example of an American legend.

Outstanding bluegrass.......2007-01-04

This is an excellent CD of music by a phenomenal bluegrass musician and his equally good son. Great CD for any bluegrass lover's library.

Doc Watson Is a Musical Treasure.......2006-10-31

This is the companion album to 2004's SITTIN' HERE PICKIN' THE BLUES. That album expanded 1985's PICKIN' THE BLUES by adding a handful of tracks from RED ROCKING CHAIR (1981) and DOC AND MERLE WATSON'S GUITAR ALBUM (1983). All three of those albums were from Doc's association with the Flying Fish Label.

Now, two years later, Rounder puts out BLACK MOUNTAIN RAG, which includes the remaining eight tracks from RED ROCKING CHAIR and the remaining 9 tracks from GUITAR ALBUM. In addition, there are two tracks ("Leaving London" and "Bye Bye Bluebelle/Smiles") from the 1996 compilation WATSON COUNTRY, as well as "Blackberry Blossom" from 1990's NORMAN BLAKE & TONY RICE 2.

Quite simply, Doc Watson is one of the best flat-pick guitarists--period. And his son Merle (who tragically died in 1985) is an equally talented guitarist, especially his slide guitar playing. I was first introduced to Doc Watson on the Dirt Band's WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN and have been a fan ever since. Doc is incapable of putting out a bad album, and his albums for the Flying Fish label in the early Eighties are all excellent. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

An excellent cd overall.......2006-10-19

"Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette. Puff, puff, puff, but if you smoke yourself to death tell St. Peter at the golden gate that you hates to make him wait, but you just gotta have another cigarette."
- Smoke, Smoke, Smoke, Track 2

Just recently got this album, and am only just beginning to appreciate it. The guitars are all very crisp, and the other instruments compliment the simple old-time and bluegrass tunes nicely. An extremely wide variety of tunes, all of which are masterfully played by the contributing musicians. Particular tracks to look for are "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke", "Below Freezing", and "Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar", the last of which has a particularly interesting chord progression, making interesting use of a diminished chord to make for a curious but well-chosen closer. Black Mountain Rag deserves my stars for having strong performances all around and moreover, for being a well-mixed final product.

Average customer rating:

Bluegrass Essential
Six Star, an historic and controversial album you need it
Wait! Let me explain
HILLBILLY MASTERPIECE FROM FLATPICKING WIZARD
A lengendary album

Southbound
Doc Watson
Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Doc Watson
Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues
Doc Watson on Stage (Featuring Merle Watson)
Black Mountain Rag
The Essential Doc Watson

ASIN: B000000EIU
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Walk On Boy
Blue Railroad Train
Sweet Georgia Brown - Instr.
Alberta
Southbound
Windy And Warm
Call Of The Road
Tennessee Stud
That Was The Last Thing On My Mind
Little Darling Pal Of Mine
Nothing To It - Instr.
Riddle Song
Never No More Blues
Nashville Pickin' - Instr.

Amazon.com

The Vanguard recordings of Doc Watson are to folk music what the Carter Family is to country. Through a vigorous touring and recording schedule in the '60s, Doc introduced millions to songs that have since become standards for artists like Bob Dylan, Richard Buckner, and Gillian Welch. Here Doc puts on a clinic as a composer and player. Songs like "Blue Railroad Train," "Last Thing on My Mind," and the immortal "Tennessee Stud" offer particularly strong examples of Watson's flash flood flat picking and understated, colloquial singing, not to mention his interpretive skills. Nor should his son Merle's contribution be overlooked. --Roy Francis Kasten

Customer Reviews:

Bluegrass Essential .......2006-02-07

While we are in the midst of a belated folk revival, a number of compilations of this bluegrass master's work have been produced. In many senses, these are great. But if your funds are limited and you want the best Doc Watson studio session, or one representative CD - you've found it.

Made by Vanguard, back in the days when the coherence of moods on a record had something to do with its acceptance, Southbound is not only a dazzling glissade of pickin' (esp. the title cut) - but is a recording with atmosphere, and well, wisdom.

Most everyone loves the oft covered "Tennessee Stud" - most haunting, however, is "Call of the Road" which, like Dylan's "Lonesome Hobo", cuts to the core. My only critique here is that Watson is almost too polished a musician too ever convey the raw side of emotion (although he can evoke the depths) - the rawness which everyone of those classic delta blues people effortlessly project. Yet, in its own right, Southbound endures as one of the true monuments of folk. Profound, moving, plain song, in the best sense of the word, with as many shifts in mood and feeling as there are in the day.

Six Star, an historic and controversial album you need it.......2004-04-21

I can remember the controversy this album caused when I bought it in the summer of 1967 was it? I remember taking up to play it at the home of a great fiddler with the banjo player in our band (I was what passed for a guitarist then). I remember the shock it engendered as well as the smiles. Then I remember 15 minutes ago, still disputing its importance and reference to the history of folk music collection and production on an e-mail list composed of world-class scholars and pickers of this kind of music. If you don't have it, buy it.

This is Doc Watson unleashed. He is no longer just providing traditional folk music renditions for the true folklore crowd. He and his now late son Merle are there to present the kind of music of broad mixtures that they wanted to play and share.

We have everything from real blues and banjo music, to a hot swing jazz rendition of Sweet Georgia Brown, and soft pop jazzy Chet Atkins stuff. We have singer song writer music like Last Thing on Your mind, and ersatz folk music arranged to sound like pop folk in Alberta. We have new songs written by Doc and Merle like Southbound.

We have an explosion of talent, creativity, a new direction in music that foretells the great acoustic mixture of country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, and swing played at virtuosi a level that was to become a great blend of music not only for the Doctor, but for thousands of musicians and millions of listeners in the 35 years since.

Most of all this is a warm sweet fun album. It is an album that takes the weariness off your back, puts a smile back on your face, and may make it easier for you to get warm and friendly with someone you love! For the musician Doc and Merle goes beyond what we had thought was mind blowing abilities in "The Song of the Road" where Doc flat picks flamingo and in "Sweet Georgia Brown" where Doc takes on an all time show off take off tune and demolishes all previous pretenders to the guitar except maybe Django Rheinhart's version which may only be equaled here, and in "Nashville Pickin'" where tells the old boys on Music Row that the Doc is a comin'.

All this makes me think of is really great single malt whiskey, fine food, served out on a beautiful balcony with a good friend. Get this if you don't have it. If you have it, you might not be secure with just one copy!

Wait! Let me explain.......2003-07-31

Having just reviewed Treasures Untold and given it 5 stars, I have to give this less. Say, 3.2 - 3.4. Right away that may rub people the wrong way but it's not that I don't like this album. I quite do like it, but for me it's a much more uneven album than Treasures Untold. Almost everything on that disc just totally moves me. From dancing to tears. Southbound most definitely has several excellent tracks, and there's nothing necessarily "bad" about the others, but some of it doesn't really engage me emotionally.

Having said that, yes, if you like Doc Watson you should own this cd. That Was The Last Thing On My Mind and Riddle Song are just excellent. Two gorgeous melodies worked to perfection by Doc's playing and vocals. These are the types of things that I'd hope could make anyone a Doc Watson fan. Also I love Call Of The Road simply because it strikes me as Spanish background music for a great Western flick.

Alberta and Tennessee Stud are also at the top of this recording. I guess it's just that a couple of the tracks on here have a bit of an antiseptic studio feel to me. They just don't feel nearly as expressive as do other things in the Doc Watson world.

The top of the heap stuff on this disc is great though. I have never even remotely regretted buying this cd.

HILLBILLY MASTERPIECE FROM FLATPICKING WIZARD.......2000-08-29

Man! Is this the greatest record or what!? I've never heard singing (and sometimes yodeling) that's so authentic and deeply felt. I've never heard acoustic country guitar playing that sounds so pure despite the very formidable technique used. Doc is very much a 'progressive' musician, strongly influenced by blues and jazz players; yet he never strays too far from the DEEP ROOTS which are his foundation. These roots are 'backwoods' country, but as unmistakably American as Mark Twain, John Wayne, Apple Pie and Norman Rockwell combined. The songs here run the gamut from the most beautifully and heatbreakingly sad possible ("Alberta"), to the most peaceful and mellow imaginable ("Southbound"),' to joyful instrumental odes ("Nashville Pickin',""Sweet Georgia Brown,"), and a stoically triumphant and hilarious yodeling classic ("Never No More Blues.") All in all, one of the best records in my collection and the ABSOLUTE ANTITHESIS of all the garbage peddled by the millions in country music today.

A lengendary album.......1999-09-02

For anyone who doesn't know Doc Watson, pay attention: here is possibly the greatest flat picker who ever lived. My father has had this album for over 30 years, and he knows every single note to it. I've been listening to it for about two years and I know most of them too. This is pure American music at its heart, expressed by a man with a great appreciation for the soul and emotion behind the music. Doc Watson is technically and innovatively brilliant. The songs aren't only folk, but everything else. 'The Call of the Road' and 'Windy and Warm' sound almost like flamenco. 'The Riddle Song' is a sweet love ballad. And there are no words to describe the guitars of Doc, his son Merle, and John Pilla. I saw him in concert a few weeks ago, and he is as fast and rich as he was on this record, almost 35 years ago.

Foundation: Doc Watson Guitar Instrumental Collection, 1964-1998

Average customer rating:

Six string heaven
Great stuff, but not enough of it
the Quintessential Doc
( THE MAN )
The best of Doc in instrumental form.

Foundation: Doc Watson Guitar Instrumental Collection, 1964-1998
Doc Watson
Manufacturer: Sugarhill [Country]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Black Mountain Rag

ASIN: B00004U1G6
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Tracks:

Black Mountain Rag
Windy & Warm
June Apple
Doc's Guitar
Stone's Rag
Victory Rag
Nashville Pickin'
Medley: Fiddler's Dram/Whistling Rufus/Ragtime Annie (Raggedy Ann)
Billy In The Lowground
Rainbow
Dill Pickle Rag
Salt River/Bill Cheatham
Lonesome Banjo
Texas Gales
Tucker's Barn
Cannonball Rag

Amazon.com

Deep Gap, North Carolina's Doc Watson is considered one of country music's most influential guitar players. Watson's blend of Appalachian folk, blues, country, gospel, and bluegrass first gained steam nationally during a 1963 Newport Folk Festival appearance, and this anthology of instrumentals begins with "Black Mountain Rag" from his self-titled debut record from the following year. Foundation borrows 16 tracks from 11 albums--nearly 35 years worth of material--from his earliest recordings for Vanguard through the '70s and '80s duets with his late son Merle (who accompanies on banjo and guitar). Doc's voice serves only as an introduction to several of the collection's live numbers, letting his strings do the talking where it counts: on cap-tipping covers of songs by John D. Loudermilk, Maybelle Carter, and Molly O'Day, and on the nearly half-dozen rags that best display Doc's trademark flat-picking frenzy. --Scott Holter--

Customer Reviews:

Six string heaven.......2002-12-05

A flatpicking fan's delight. Ya can't beat Doc Watson when he gets those strings a-ringing, although I have to confess being more partial to his vocal numbers, myself. Sixteen sterling examples of Watson's flawless guitar playing, gathered from various old Vanguard albums.

Great stuff, but not enough of it.......2001-12-13

Clocking in at a spare 31:36, this CD collects sixteen instrumental cuts from a small selection of Doc's output during these 25 years. This collection is a good starting point for newcomers to Doc's fine guitar (and banjo) playing, but for the avid fan it provides only highlights of his career and little more. We get a taste of flat picking, and a taste of finger picking, with a little banjo playing thrown in on the side. Still, it's hard to complain about an artist who is truly a national treasure, and whose picking is unsurpassed. It's just so good one wishes that they had included much, much more.

the Quintessential Doc.......2001-10-02

I first heard Doc when I was A boy. Being that my mother is from Kentucky, I was blessedly afforded the gift of bluegrass. Being A Yankee from Michigan, this type of music was lost on my friends but Lawdy, not on me. My first experience with Docs music was through the hands of my uncle Nathen who would play everything you could imagine and then some. But,... But when he got to Doc, time stood still. I tell you these things as when I listened to this collection, time stood still with meaning for me. "Docs guitar" still leaves me speachless, and "Windy and Warm" is a lovely coalition of two generations (God rest Merle) coming together, one at his fathers feet, to gift the world with the glory of artisans. I have been a guitarist for 27 years and yet still I stand in rapt awe of his magesty on the guitar.

( THE MAN ).......2000-10-20

THE MAN

Doc has always been THE MAN to a lot of picker's,even the top picker's today, like Tony Rice,Norman Blake,& so on,it might seem like straight picking,but try and do some of his song and you'll find out different. When I frist started playing I started out with the guitar, listing to the Stanely Brother's, then I heard Doc play, and was in awh, I did'nt no you could pick a guitar that fast and smooth. And then I heard Tony Rice play and he would start out like Doc but then take it a different level, and now today I here young picker's play, start out like Tony Rice, but take it a new level, but it all started with THE MAN (Doc Watons). Its a must bye if you dont have these recordings already in your (Library), bye this one, sit back, and listen to the picking of Doc and the picker's of today and you'll see what I'am talking about, and you will also say yes he is (THE MAN)... thanks

The best of Doc in instrumental form........2000-08-20

Doc Watson is a man who has had enormous influence on the the emergence of the acoustic guitar as a lead instrument in the folk/bluegrass genres. Without a doubt, Doc is the guy who blazed the trail and showed just what the guitar could do. This album is a fitting tribute to Doc and showcases a selection of tunes that span his career.

While all of these cuts have been previously issued, this instrumental album is a first and should not be missed by any serious Doc Watson fan. It is truly magical to hear Doc's playing through the years on this CD. While his own style is remarkably similar throughout, the variety of artists who accompany him that make the tunes quite different and varied. This CD demonstrates just how special a player Doc is.

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