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Fine but Flawed Collection
This two-disc set contains all of the tracks recorded by Monroe for Columbia records. It includes the "classic" band with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, as well as the lineups that preceded and followed. These recordings are justly famous, showing the birth of bluegrass, and for several years prior to the 1992 release of this set, had only been available in poor sounding discount albums. The sound here is quite good, nicely cleaned up and remastered without being dulled or overprocessed.
Sixteen of the tracks here are represented by alternate takes, rather than the ones originally issued. The decision of the producers to release the alternate takes instead of, rather than along with, the originals is a curious one. It's further called into question by the fact that a number of these alternate takes include false starts, ranging from a few bars to an entire verse and chorus. These false starts, and the snippets of studio dialogue between them and the restart, increase the historical value of the release at the cost of its musical value; it's like watching a movie and a "making of" documentary at the same time. (The originally released takes were later released separately under the title "16 Gems".)
The set includes a 36-page booklet with photos, historical essays, photos, and notes on the recording sessions. There are a few sloppy mistakes in the booklet, notably the personnel list that misidentifies all three banjo players as bassists.
This is an excellent collection, presenting classic recordings with good sound. It's a shame that its flaws land it short of greatness.
