Bluegrass: Larry Sparks
The Best of Larry Sparks: Bound to Ride ****
Published: Sun, Jun. 08, 2008 12:00AM
Modified Sun, Jun. 08, 2008 01:43AM
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closeMore than 40 years after beginning his career as lead singer and guitarist with Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys, Larry Sparks is one of bluegrass music's grand old men. Twice named top male vocalist, Sparks, 61, has evolved into one of the music's most distinctive and popular stylists.
Sparks' warm, melodic tenor straddles the line between old-school bluegrass and traditional country. With more than 50 albums, he claims more than his share of bluegrass classics. "The Best of Larry Sparks: Bound to Ride" (Rebel) features 14 of them, recorded between 1975 and 2003.
They include the nostalgic glance back at "Tennessee 1949," Irish immigration ballad "Colleen Malone" and the immortal "John Deere Tractor," which also became a hit for country mother-daughter team the Judds on their 1984 debut album.
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Sparks' wistful tenor aches longingly on such lost-love laments as "A Face in the Crowd" and "Blue Virginia Blues," yearns for the good old days on "Smokey Mountain Memories" and hopes for better days on the banjo-driven "I'd Like to be a Train."
Crisp and original guitar playing, soulful singing and brilliant song choices have defined Sparks's career. The 14 selections on "Bound to Ride" are a fine introduction for the uninitiated and a proper sampler for his fans.
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