# Music by Genre > Bluegrass, Newgrass, Country, Gospel Variants >  Bill Monroe - Master of Bluegrass

## Dan Cole

I recently bought a new unplayed cassette of the 1981 Bill Monroe release "Master of Bluegrass" I tried to make a digital version to play on my Ipod. It worked, but isn't very good (the cassette however isn't much better, truth be known).

Does anyone know if this was released as a CD, or was it only as a LP and Cassette? The cassette is MCAC 818. There are a couple great tunes on there I want to learn. Old Ebenezer Scrooge and Old Danger Field are the first candidates because the tab is in Mandolin Magazine.

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## Steve Cantrell

It was never out on CD that I know of, unless you count the inclusion in the latest Bear Set. Awesome CD...has some crazy production stuff going on due to conflicts with Butch Robbins and Monroe, but still great in its own way. Worth tracking down.

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## evanreilly

I keep thinking that a few copies were released in CD format. I have never seen one, tho. It was the first digital recording of Monroe.
I don't think it was re-mastered in the Bear family release, but it certainly is good to have that in the collection as well as the original vinyl.

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## Spruce

_"I keep thinking that a few copies were released in CD format."_

Really? #What year? #
1980 was about the year CDs were introduced, so that would be a rare item indeed if '81 was the release date...

_"It was the first digital recording of Monroe."_

Really?? #I know digital recording has a long history, but I had no idea MOB was recorded on digital gear...

Ry Cooder's "Bop Till You Drop" is usually credited as being the first major-label, digitally recorded album, and that was in '79 I believe...

If MOB was indeed recorded on digital gear, it wasn't all that far behind....

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## evanreilly

Guess I could be wrong. I thought it was you (Spruce) who had seen it in CD format once upon a time!
Maybe the thread has come up so many times that i believe it.

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## Spruce

Well, I digitized it and spread it around considerably as sort of a protest against it not being officially released a few years back. My version also includes many live versions of the MOB tunes tacked onto the end....

And as far as the original recording goes, it's gotta be analog gear doing the recording...
Nashville in '80 (probably) = analog tape....

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## earthsave

You planning to renew your protest and spread it around again anytime soon? I'd support you in your protest as it sounds like a worth cause.

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Trav'linmando

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## AlanN

I have it coupled with Monroe's Bluegrass Instrumentals. Tall Timber, Rawhide, Wheel Hoss, Sailor's Hornpipe with the wonderful banjo of 'Brad' Keith (cause there could only be 1 Bill in that band!)

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## hedding

i have a burned copy of that cd, i am not sure if was made from another cd or from a record. good cd though. One of my favorite parts is jesse mcreynold's short but amazing break on Evening Prayer Blues, he does this split stringing thing I found the position but I can't get it to sound just like Jesse, he's so cool its hard to beat. Some good picking though.

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## Dan Cole

Jesse on a Monroe album? Am I missing something?

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## hedding

are you talking about the masters of bluegrass cd?....listen to evening prayer blues, its around two minutes or so in ,you can't miss it.

around 2:14 or so right after the banjo solo.

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## Spruce

_"You planning to renew your protest and spread it around again anytime soon? #I'd support you in your protest as it sounds like a worth cause. "_

Well, it's now officially released, so no...

But I _do_ have another version of MOB that I'll finally be releasing here pretty soon.... # 
Stay posted....

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## evanreilly

The four mandolin players on the 'album' were: Bill Monroe, Joseph "Butch" Robins, Jesse McReynolds and Larry G. Sledge.
After a bit of research, it appears the "Bill Monroe and the Stars of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame" album was the first digitally recorded Monroe project. It has 'Digital' in the lower right corner of the album jacket.

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## DryBones

I picked this album up off eBay a while back and have yet to get a USB turntable so I can get it into my computer. I think its time for a trip to Circuit City or Best Buy!

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## f5loar

I searched high and low,far and wide for an official release of the MOB on CD and never found one. While the new Bear Family set runs you a hundred bucks or so it's worth it for the MOB and the unrelased cuts.

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## DataNick

Thread Bump,

I just got mp3s of the songs to this album, and all I can say is WOW!

That Loar sounds freaking unbelievable! Incredible!
I don't think it sounded like this post destruction/restoration by C. Derrington.

Anyway, I now KNOW exactly the sound we bluegrassers want out of our mandos. I had a pretty good idea, but WOW!

OK, I can die now...

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Gary Hedrick, 

sgarrity

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## Mike Bunting

I was fortunate to have gotten that when it was on vinyl and of course later on the Bear Family sets. That was one of the best recordings.

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DataNick, 

Gary Hedrick

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## brunello97

> Thread Bump,
> 
> I just got mp3s of the songs to this album, and all I can say is WOW!


Yup.  I scored a digital copy of this back in the fall. "Good stuff!" as Johnny Carson used to say.

Mick

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## Bigtuna

The vinyl is even getting hard to find. I've got a very clean version I could digitize if I can find the time.

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## Clement Barrera-Ng

> The vinyl is even getting hard to find. I've got a very clean version I could digitize if I can find the time.


Funny I was looking for the album trying to learn Bill's version of Old Dangerfield, and I did a quick search on eBay and found a couple. Too bad I dont have a turntable. Am now thinking of ordering the 'My Last Days on Earth' boxset that the Bear Family released a while back.  

BTW Evan - thanks for posting those videos of Bill on Youtube. I found a link in one of your old posts.

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## Cue Zephyr

> That Loar sounds freaking unbelievable! Incredible!
> I don't think it sounded like this post destruction/restoration by C. Derrington.
> 
> Anyway, I now KNOW exactly the sound we bluegrassers want out of our mandos. I had a pretty good idea, but WOW!
> 
> OK, I can die now...


I had no idea, but it sounds glorious. I've never head a mandolin sing like that before.

I'd be happy if I can even get 1% of that sound, and then again I won't have the skill to make it sound as pretty as Monroe did.

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## AlanN

Of interest are a couple of things:

Here's the song list, notice 'Come Hither To Go Yonder' is incorrectly listed as 'Go Hither To Go Yonder', on both the back cover liner notes and on the paper LP disc circle. 

Song Information: Expand All
A-1. Ole Ebenezer Scrooge2:48
A-2. Right, right on2:15
A-3. Melissa's waltz for J.B.2:43
A-4. Fair play2:25
A-5. Evening prayer blues3:15
B-1. Go hither to go yonder2:49
B-2. Lochwood2:48
B-3. Lady of the Blue Ridge2:39
B-4. Old danger field2:58
B-5. My last days on Earth4:34


And the great album cover shot is post headstock fix, pre-poker vandalism, circa 1981.

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DataNick

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## Mike Bunting

[QUOTE=AlanN;1244843And the great album cover shot is post headstock fix, pre-poker vandalism, circa 1981.[/QUOTE]

I have that cover framed and hanging on my wall.

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## Ivan Kelsall

There's quite a bit of added reverb.on the recording,which is in itself unusual for a Monroe recording. It gives the tone an added brightness rather than letting us hear the beautiful 'woody' tone we know that Bill Monroe's mandolin had. Nevertheless,a great recording,
               Ivan
http://youtu.be/xwOgTq_hrrQ  -   'Fair Play' from ''Master of Bluegrass''

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## AlanN

Yeah, the mandolin and the other instruments are front and center, partly due to studio shenanigans. Bill was in his 70's when he recorded that, and it is very indicative of the later Monroe period of playing. 

Several tunes on that record get regular play by me - CHTGY, Ole Ebenezer Scrooge, Lochwood. On Lochwood, I try to do the cool Wayne Benson move where he slides up/down on the opening lick.

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## Ivan Kelsall

My 2 favourites are the 2 'classics' Old Ebenezer Scrooge' & 'Old Daingerfield',i never get tired of playing them.Until i listened to it properly,i never realised just what a convoluted tune 'Evening Prayer Blues' is. It's got more twists in it than a sidewinder on smack !.
I really must get around to learning that one,
                                                            Ivan

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## Logan M Chandler

Any idea where I can find a digital copy of the Master of Bluegrass?  I've been looking high and low!  Thank

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## doc holiday

"Master of Bluegrass" was never released as a CD on its own. It was recently released as part of the Bear Family Records 4 CD set Bill Monroe "My Last Days on Earth."  There is a youtube of the LP that might match your cassette quality...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO3qmy0YoU0

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## fentonjames

master of bluegrass is in full on youtube.  go here http://www.listentoyoutube.com/after.php click 'convert another video.'  then enter in the address for the youtube version.  it'll convert it into mp3 format, which you then download and can burn onto a cd or device.  (i just did it for this, in fact)  only downside is that it doesn't seperate tracks.  but, who'd want to skip a song of bill's?

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june39

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## Ivan Kelsall

If you want to convert MP3's to wav files (CD readable),the download *''Switch Sound File Converter''* Free. Select ''Add files'', copy the MP3's to Switch,select 'wav.'from the list at the bottom L/H corner,select your output folder,select convert & away you  go !.
   I've used it for several years now & it's one of the best pieces of freeware i've ever used,
                                                                                                                           Ivan :Wink: 

http://download.cnet.com/Switch-Plus...-10327491.html

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## DataNick

> ...It's got more twists in it than a sidewinder on smack !...


I wanna know how you determine that the reptile is loaded on 'H'; then I wanna see the thing cavort around...LOL!

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Ivan Kelsall

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## GTison

Bill Monroe at age 68 or 69 was pretty good for an old man.  Too bad they can't just punch the rest of Butch Robins' banjo solo back in there.  I'd say I learned to really play the mandolin from trying to play the tunes on this albun.

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## Spruce

I've compiled a cool project--a live version of "Master of Bluegrass"...
Found great live versions of every song on MOB except "Lady Of The Blue Ridge"--anyone happen to have a live version of that one kicking around??
Will post it when I get it all put together and mastered...

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DataNick

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## Spruce

> I've compiled a cool project--a live version of "Master of Bluegrass"...
> Found great live versions of every song on MOB except "Lady Of The Blue Ridge"--anyone happen to have a live version of that one kicking around??
> Will post it when I get it all put together and mastered...


Here ya go....

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AlanN, 

Bigtuna, 

BradKlein, 

brunello97, 

DataNick, 

Drew Egerton, 

farmerjones, 

Ivan Kelsall, 

John Soper

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## Timbofood

Very cool! Thank you very much!

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## Spruce

Mr. Bill's "Master of Bluegrass--Live!" on YouTube...

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Don Grieser

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## Dexterous1

It's on YouTube,  going to check it out!!! Yippee

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## Timbofood

> It's on YouTube,  going to check it out!!! Yippee


Yes, but, it was here first! Thanks Bruce!

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## Ivan Kelsall

There are a lot of subtle differences in the 'Live' recording against the studio recording & it's VERY nice to hear them. One thing,it's nice NOT to have the overblown 'reverb' that the studio recording has - many,many thanks indeed,
                                                                                                                                  Ivan :Wink:

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Timbofood

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## Spruce

A lot of those tunes didn't get played all that often, so it's _really_ nice to have them all in one place...
The "Fair Play/Sally Goodin" comes to mind--that's from Seattle in 1980 or so...
What a great performance!  
Lousy recording quality, but so what?

Sure would be nice to find a live "Lady Of The Blue Ridge"--that would really round things out...

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Timbofood

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## Mandolin Cafe

From our "This Day in Mandolin History," noting that on this date 1981 Monroe was in the studio recording "My Last Days of Earth." Can still be purchased in digital form.

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## Mandolin Cafe

As we were noting today is the anniversary of Monroe being in the studio working on "My Last Days of Earth" thought we'd upload a copy of the album art. Sometimes like to take a larger image and stow if for future viewing or use. Older albums, important ones even, they're increasingly difficult to come by in anything but a tiny image made for an amazon or other retailer, so when we see one we can share and enhance with a bit of restoration and color correction to bring it back to life we do it. Probably sharing this one on Instagram later today.

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RichieK, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Spruce, 

Timbofood

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## Timbofood

Thanks Scott! Nicely done!

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## Spruce

> Older albums, important ones even, they're increasingly difficult to come by in anything but a tiny image made for an amazon or other retailer, so when we see one we can share and enhance with a bit of restoration and color correction to bring it back to life we do it.




 :Laughing:  :Laughing:

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billkilpatrick, 

RichieK

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## billhay4

If you haven't listened to it, Bruce's "Mangler of Bluegrass" is a great album and a hoot.
Bill

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## Perry

great album almost ruined by WAY TOO MUCH REVERB and a reverb sound I hate at that. Would love to hear it remixed without all that reverb...but perhaps they recorded that reverb to the original tracks

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## sgarrity

We've got a Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe.  Now we need a Mike Compton Plays Master of Bluegrass!

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DataNick, 

Perry

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## Spruce

> We've got a Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe.  Now we need a Mike Compton Plays Master of Bluegrass!


How about "Bruce Harvie Plays Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe"...surf style...?   :Wink: 
Stay tuned...

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John Soper, 

sgarrity, 

Timbofood

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## doublestoptremolo

[QUOTE=Mandolin Cafe;1554564] Can still be purchased in digital form.


Interesting. Two months later there's no digital version to buy at that link.

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## CES

> How about "Bruce Harvie Plays Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe"...surf style...?  
> Stay tuned...


I, for one, am intrigued, sir!!

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## Gene Summers

I was fortunate enough to meet Larry Sledge at the Bass Pro Shop parking lot in Springfield, Mo., back in 1988, I believe it was. He was playing with a Bluegrass band. I walked up and said hello, and asked his name. I noticed his Gibson F5 had studs in the headstock, kind of unusual, I thought. The F5 looked well played and old. I think that might have been an actual Lloyd Loar F5, cause it sounded so good. I later found out Larry had played on the MOB album. I do have that album from about 1981. I bought it at CSC in Louisville, Ky that year. I also have a cassette copy I bought at the time. It's one of my favorite Bill Monroe albums.

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## goose 2

Shaun's idea of Compton plays Master of Bluegrass is brilliant!  Hope you're tuned in Mike Compton!  Please do this for us!!!

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## billkilpatrick

> Mr. Bill's "Master of Bluegrass--Live!" on YouTube...


Is that a rubber duckie you've got there in the rhythm section of "Old Daingerfield ?"

(Sorry ... I meant to reply to your "mangler" album quote but posted on this comment - can't delete it now.  Bill Monroe does not have a rubber duckie playing in the rhythm section of his album ... No.)

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Spruce

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## mingusb1

Hey Alan, good seeing you at the jam the other week. This MOB thread comes to life again! I have a copy of the album on loan from a buddy in Chapel Hill and in addition to the "Go Hither..." snafu it also doesn't credit a banjo player. I assume it's Butch Robins on all tracks but it lists him as mandolin along with Jesse and Larry on the back of the cover. I got on this jag a little partly because Butch has been dropping in on a weekly bluegrass performance in Durham lately.

I'd be interested to know the track credits. I'm pretty sure I hear Norman's backup on Old Ebenezer, but which others does he play on?

And Spruce how cool would it be to compare against the personnel playing on your live compilation?! In all your spare time...!

Cheers,
Z

===
Here's the song list, notice 'Come Hither To Go Yonder' is incorrectly listed as 'Go Hither To Go Yonder', on both the back cover liner notes and on the paper LP disc circle. 

Song Information: Expand All
A-1. Ole Ebenezer Scrooge2:48
A-2. Right, right on2:15
A-3. Melissa's waltz for J.B.2:43
A-4. Fair play2:25
A-5. Evening prayer blues3:15
B-1. Go hither to go yonder2:49
B-2. Lochwood2:48
B-3. Lady of the Blue Ridge2:39
B-4. Old danger field2:58
B-5. My last days on Earth4:34

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## Perry

I will say again here on this thread...such a great album but I wish they would re-master it without all that incessant reverb!  :Smile:

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