Virginians
Ralph
and
Carter Stanley
,
the Stanley Brothers
, took the traditional Appalachian string band songs of their home and updated them into a traditionally rooted modern bluegrass sound that was singular for its authentic tone, no-frills simplicity, and at times haunting and astonishing beauty, the very model of the high lonesome sound. This expansive four-disc, 103-track box covers the early part of the middle period of their recording career, collecting virtually every side the brothers recorded for the
Starday
King
record labels between 1958 and 1961. That's a whole lot of
Stanley Brothers
, but the musical quality, integrity, and execution of this storied duo never waver here, and indeed, they never did waver one bit when the two of them stepped in front of the microphones. ~ Steve Leggett