Man of Constant Sorrow

AMG Review of Man of Constant Sorrow

Rick Anderson
All Music Guide

This collection was released to coincide with the release of Joel & Ethan Coen's film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which features Ralph Stanley's a cappella rendition of "Oh, Death" and a number of other traditional luegrass songs long associated with Stanley, including the immortal "Man of Constant Sorrow." This album brings together 13 classic tracks from the Stanley catalog; highlights include the title track, the absolutely hair-raising "Oh, Death," and a stirring version of "I've Just Seen the Rock of Ages." That last song, recorded in the early '70s, has never been released on CD before and features the lead singing of a very young Keith Whitley, who would later go on to significant success as a country singer. The only quibble one could make with this excellent collection is its length, which, at 33 minutes, is pretty skimpy for a best-of collection. But as an introduction to Ralph Stanley's singular brand of mountain music, you couldn't do better than this album.