Originally recorded in a single all-day session in the spring of 1977 and released later that year, this remains the best of the three albums made by
Ralph Stanley
's band during the brief period between the untimely demise of singer
Roy Lee Centers
and the beginning of
Charlie Sizemore
's nine-year tenure with the band. During those few months,
Stanley
's former singer
Keith Whitley
returned to take the lead vocal slot, and this stunningly beautiful set of old-time and
bluegrass-gospel
songs was one of the results. The program is predictable: Chestnuts like
"Over in the Gloryland,"
"Beautiful Star of Bethlehem,"
"Amazing Grace,"
and
"Mother's Not Dead"
are all here, as are a couple of favorite
hymn
arrangements (
"Jesus Savior Pilot Me"
). And for fans of the film
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
, there's an absolutely hair-raising rendition of
"Oh, Death"
; unlike the
a cappella
version that
sings in the movie, this one features both
Whitley
with a full-band accompaniment, but it's no less stark and powerful. This is one of the most powerful
albums ever made -- never syrupy, never cheaply emotional, it grabs you by the scruff of the neck and fairly dares you not to get right with God. ~ Rick Anderson