Ricky Skaggs Albums (34)
'Solo: Songs My Dad Loved'
Release Date 1/1/2009
Tracks 13
Label Skaggs Family
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What The Critics Say
Up to this point in his lengthy career, multi-instrumentalist and Grammy Award-winner Ricky Skaggs has done it all. From country to bluegrass to gospel, Skaggs has found success in every style he's set his heart on. Solo: Songs My Dad Loved finds the singer/songwriter in tribute. Skaggs credits his father for helping him fall in love with music, thus these 13 tracks were lovingly recorded as an homage to Hobert Skaggs. Ricky played every single instrument on the acoustic collection and sang every note; there are no outside musicians or vocal guests anywhere to be found. The Kentucky native has never sounded better in his career than he does here, from the haunting instrumentation and vocals of "City That Lies Foursquare" to the lightning-fast fretting and fingering on "Calloway," one of three instrumental tracks on the disc, Skaggs sounds totally in his element. Standout tracks included Fred Rose's "Foggy River," Albert Brumley's "This World Is Not My Home," and "God Holds the Future in His Hands," a traditional number that sounds as if it was penned with Skaggs' voice in mind. Few artists in any genre could pull of an album like this, but Skaggs makes it look and sound easy. ~ Todd Sterling, All Music Guide
'Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 & 1947'
Release Date 3/25/2008
Tracks 12
Label Skaggs Family
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What The Critics Say
Bill Monroe had already recorded some sixty songs with his brother Charlie Monroe for Bluebird/RCA Records in the late 1930s (as the Monroe Brothers), but while he was fronting his own group in the early '40s, he felt he wasn't quite getting the sound he was searching for in his head. Then in 1945 he added a singer and guitarist to his band named Lester Flatt, and later in that same year he added an extraordinary three-finger-styled banjo player named Earl Scruggs to the group, and suddenly that sound Monroe had been chasing was right there in front of him. Bluegrass. Rounded out by Chubby Wise and Howard Watts, this version of the Bluegrass Boys didn't get to record until almost a year later, but the rest, as they so often say, is history. This lovingly assembled album is Ricky Skaggs' attempt to pay homage to that amazing band and he leads his Kentucky Thunder ensemble through some of the songs that Monroe and company recorded in that first burst of sessions for Columbia Records. It's fitting that the only surviving member of that version of the Bluegrass Boys, the still astounding Earl Scruggs, is on hand here to help with the opening track, a fine version of "Goin' Back to Old Kentucky." Nothing replaces the original sides from 1946 and 1947, naturally, but these renditions, particularly on tracks like the lovely "When You're Lonely," the wise and cautionary "The Old Crossroad," and the blistering instrumental explosion of "Bluegrass Breakdown," gently and warmly remind just how innovative and fresh the Bluegrass Boys really were some sixty-plus years ago. They created the very template for bluegrass, and while modern players have stretched the boundaries a bit, bluegrass in the 21st century is still very much that long ago sound Monroe heard in his head. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
'The High Notes'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 12
Label Cracker Barrel
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What The Critics Say
This is subtitled "A collection of his greatest country hits from a bluegrass perspective" -- simple, but accurate. The problem with The High Notes is simple, too: this collection is simply too similar to its source material. There's always been a strong traditionalist vein running through Skaggs' work, even during his time as the biggest name in country in the mid-'80s (of the 12 songs here, nine were originally number one singles), so converting classics such as "Crying My Heart Out Over You" and "Country Boy" to bluegrass isn't exactly a stretch. Even "Heartbroke," which in its original form features a very mid-'80s compressed snare drum, doesn't sound like a distant cousin with a bluegrass tilt -- more like a close brother. If you're a fan of Skaggs' catalog, or of bluegrass (though to be fair, some of these retakes are just more acoustic than strictly bluegrass), you'll likely enjoy what's here, but this one's really only for completists. ~ Thomas Inskeep, All Music Guide
'Salt of the Earth'
Release Date 9/25/2007
Tracks 13
Label Skaggs Family
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What The Critics Say
Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2007, so it's a wonder it took that long for them, along with Sharon's sister Cheryl White, and Buck White, the sisters' dad, to record a full album together. On their own, the Whites have proven a consistently strong outfit, flitting easily between bluegrass, mainstream country, and mostly gospel, and it's within that last genre that the 13 songs of Salt of the Earth reside. Skaggs, meanwhile, has proven for decades a master not only of anything remotely country, but virtually everything he's tried his hand at -- his recent collaboration with keyboardist Bruce Hornsby even found the two of them reconstructing Rick James' funk anthem "Super Freak"! Salt of the Earth is not about experimentation though, it's about tradition. These are all simple tales of faith and conviction, using the basic acoustic instrumentation of guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and bass. Nothing electric, nothing noisy, just wood and strings. But not surprisingly it's the vocal harmonies that dominate the proceedings throughout. Lead vocals are taken by each of the four, and the tight harmonies that have brightened all of the Whites' previous efforts are in ample supply here. While it's true that Skaggs and the Whites add nothing new to standards like "This Old House," "Wings of a Dove," and "Let it Shine," they don't really need to: they just give these chestnuts everything they've got, and that's plenty. ~ Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
'Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby'
Release Date 3/20/2007
Tracks 11
Label Legacy
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What The Critics Say
Ricky Skaggs has featured instrumentals on his various albums before (where they're often among the highlights), but this set is the first time Skaggs and his Kentucky Thunder bluegrass ensemble have released an album solely of instrumentals, which makes this a special treat. From the Irish feel of the opening "Going to Richmond," Skaggs and the band hit a confident and assured groove that is at times as much string band jazz as it is bluegrass, and on the absolutely huge-sounding "Crossing the Briney," which makes used of the Nashville String Machine, the sound shifts closer to classical music, complete with massive, swelling crescendos. But this set has a traditional side, too, highlighted by the easy-rolling "Missing Vassar," and while Skaggs wrote all the pieces here, it isn't difficult to imagine Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder as an old-timey string band hanging out on the porch and playing a set of local favorites on a Saturday afternoon. It is this ability to stretch the boundaries of bluegrass while still adhering to a traditional base that makes Skaggs and company so interesting, and when Andy Statman brings his clarinet to the gentle, bright "Gallatin Rag" in a guest spot, the music ceases to be bluegrass or jazz or traditional or anything in particular, but emerges instead as a hybrid of everything at once. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
'Brand New Strings'
Release Date 9/28/2004
Tracks 13
Label Skaggs Family
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What The Critics Say
It should come as no surprise to fans of Ricky Skaggs that the level of musicianship within his band Kentucky Thunder is superb. Even at their worst, they skim the surface of maximum quality, but what is so exciting about Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder is their ability to balance on the frayed edges of classic and progressive bluegrass. Brand New Strings shows this off very well, forsaking neither, and is an excellent example of a group whose members are both technically fantastic and capable of emotionally exploiting their talents, a rare commodity in modern bluegrass. The first of Skaggs' four songwriting contributions, the instrumental "I Corinthians 1:18," is a perfect example of the more forward-thinking side of the group, while the title track is where the group completely cuts loose with ridiculously amazing picking and fiddling. Skaggs even broke the traditional bluegrass barrier by employing accordionist Tim Laure on "Love Does It Every Time," a nice melodic country-folk tune, if a little heavy-handed lyrically. Ultimately, Brand New Strings is an excellent outing for Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and shows the band pulling bluegrass another small step further from its shelter into adventure. ~ Gregory McIntosh, All Music Guide
'Live at the Charleston Music Hall'
Release Date 3/25/2003
Tracks 25
Label Skaggs Family
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What The Critics Say
As Ricky Skaggs' career progressed, he steadily got more traditional in his aesthetic and approach. So, when he announces partway through his 2003 album, Live at the Charleston Music Hall (recorded over two dates in November 2002 in South Carolina), that the band is largely playing new songs, it may come as a bit of a shock to casual listeners, since everything sounds traditional -- even Harley Allen's Internet-referencing "A Simple Life" sounds as if it was written years and years ago. Since traditionalism is celebrated, not shunned, by bluegrass musicians, this is hardly unexpected or a problem, even if it does give Skaggs' recent music a comfortable predictability. That familiarity is undercut slightly by kinetic energy on this record, since this superb band has enough energy to make the traditionalism sound energetic, even when it still sounds very familiar. All of which adds up to an enjoyable record that nevertheless embodies a paradox: It's nothing that the serious fan hasn't heard before, but only the serious fan will truly thrill on the nuances and interplay that make Live at the Charleston Music Hall worth a spin. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Uncle Pen is in many ways a tribute album done by Ricky Skaggs for Bill Monroe, the man known as the father of bluegrass music. Monroe invented the style and name in the '40s. There are ten tracks on this 2002 release, including three that were written by Monroe: "Can't You Hear Me Callin'," "Wheel Hoss," and the title track, "Uncle Pen," a real toe-tapping bluegrass ride. In fact, all of the tunes on this offering are bluegrass numbers. The songs were actually recorded by Skaggs in the '80s, and have only now been combined into one album by Music Mill. Multi-instrumentalist Ricky Skaggs might be a country singer, but he has deep bluegrass roots that come through on this album. He has always seemed as comfortable singing straight bluegrass as progressive country. He does both distinctively. This album is a keeper for both Ricky Skaggs and Bill Monroe fans. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide
'Sing the Songs of Bill Monroe'
Release Date 2/26/2002
Tracks 14
Label Hollywood
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What The Critics Say
Featuring an all-star lineup of country and rock's biggest names, Ricky Skaggs' heartfelt tribute to bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe is well-intended but a little too slick. Featuring artists like Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Dixie Chicks, Charlie Daniels, John Fogerty, Bruce Hornsby, Patty Loveless, Joan Osborne, Dolly Parton, Travis Tritt, Steve Wariner, the Whites, and Dwight Yoakam, it is made overwhelmingly clear that the music of Monroe has made an impact on many different musical genres. Unfortunately, the genre that this CD is lacking is bluegrass; the listener has to wait until the last track (the scattered "Big Mon") to hear some real pickers like J.D. Crowe and members of the Del McCoury Band perform traditional down-home music. There is no one else in the music industry who works harder to bring traditional American bluegrass to the mainstream audience, but unfortunately the vehicle it arrives in usually ends up being a new Cadillac, not the sturdy 1943 Ford pickup it belongs in. [This album was originally released on Skaggs' own Skaggs Family Records under the title Big Mon, and was re-released on Disney's Lyric Street imprint under the title Sing the Songs of Bill Monroe with one additional track.] ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
