For devotees of Bill Monroe's music, the CD box sets issued by BEAR FAMILY beginning in 1989 were the answer to a listener's dream: having the bluegrass originator's complete recordings tastefully collected in boxes, with informative books included. What we now have is something even more dreamlike: all the familiar Monroe recordings for DECCA in 1950-51, featuring lead singers Jimmy Martin, Carter Stanley, and Edd Mayfield, presented next to - unbelievably - all the outtakes (none previously issued) of all the tracks. Among other things, this means multiple takes of "Raw Hide". For musicians and careful listeners who have studied that spectacular recording for years, it's as though a new set of Stone Tablets has been found. It also means the "tape blip" we've always tolerated in The First Whippoorwill is now corrected, as the previously issued take was from a faulty tape dub whereas the "new" 1951 version is from the original master.
CD1
1. Bluegrass Ramble (instrumental) (take 1)
2. Bluegrass Ramble (instrumental) (take 2)
3. Bluegrass Ramble (instrumental) (take 3, master)
4. New Mule Skinner Blues (take 1)
5. New Mule Skinner Blues (take 2, false start)
6. New Mule Skinner Blues (take 3, master)
7. New Mule Skinner Blues (take 4)
8. My Little Georgia Rose (take 1)
9. My Little Georgia Rose (take 2, false start)
10. My Little Georgia Rose (take 3)
11. My Little Georgia Rose (take 4, false start)
12. My Little Georgia Rose (take 5, master)
13. Memories Of You (take 1)
14. Memories Of You (take 2)
15. Memories Of You (take 3, false start)
16. Memories Of You (take 4, master)
17. I'm On My Way To The Old Home (take 1)
18. I'm On My Way To The Old Home (take 2, master)
19. Alabama Waltz (take 1)
20. Alabama Waltz (take 2, false start)
21. Alabama Waltz (take 3, false start)
22. Alabama Waltz (take 4)
23. Alabama Waltz (take 5)
24. Alabama Waltz (take 6, false start)
25. Alabama Waltz (take 7, false start)
26. Alabama Waltz (take 8, master)
27. I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome (take 1)
28. I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome (take 2)
29. I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome (take 3)
30. I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome (take 4)
31. I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome (take 5)
32. I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome (take 6, master)
33. I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning (take 1, false start)
34. I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning (take 2)
35. I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning (take 3, master)
36. I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning (take 4)
37. Boat Of Love (take 1)
38. Boat Of Love (take 2, false start)
39. Boat Of Love (take 3)
40. Boat Of Love (take 4, master)
CD2
1. The Old Fiddler (take 1, breakdown)
2. The Old Fiddler (take 2, breakdown)
3. The Old Fiddler (take 3, breakdown)
4. The Old Fiddler (take 4)
5. The Old Fiddler (take 5, false start)
6. The Old Fiddler (take 6)
7. The Old Fiddler (take 7)
8. The Old Fiddler (take 8, master)
9. Uncle Pen (take 1, false start)
10. Uncle Pen (take 2, master)
11. When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall (take 1)
12. When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall (take 2)
13. When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall (take 3, breakdown)
14. When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall (take 4, master)
15. Lord Protect My Soul (take 1, false start)
16. Lord Protect My Soul (take 2)
17. Lord Protect My Soul (take 3, false start)
18. Lord Protect My Soul (take 4)
19. Lord Protect My Soul (take 5)
20. Lord Protect My Soul (take 6, master)
21. River Of Death (take 1/2, breakdown)
22. River Of Death (take 3, false start)
23. River Of Death (take 4, breakdown)
24. River Of Death (take 5, master)
25. Letter From My Darlin' (take 1, master)
26. On The Old Kentucky Shore (take 1)
27. On The Old Kentucky Shore (take 2/3, breakdown)
28. On The Old Kentucky Shore (take 4)
29. On The Old Kentucky Shore (take 5, master)
30. Rawhide (instrumental) (take 1, breakdown)
31. Rawhide (instrumental) (take 2)
32. Rawhide (instrumental) (take 3, false start)
33. Rawhide (instrumental) (take 4)
34. Rawhide (instrumental) (take 5)
35. Rawhide (instrumental) (take 6, master)
CD3
1. Poison Love (take 1, breakdown)
2. Poison Love (take 2, breakdown)
3. Poison Love (take 3, breakdown)
4. Poison Love (take 4, breakdown)
5. Poison Love (take 5, breakdown)
6. Poison Love (take 6, breakdown)
7. Poison Love (take 7, false start)
8. Poison Love (take 8)
9. Poison Love (take 9, breakdown)
10. Poison Love (take 10, breakdown)
11. Poison Love (take 11, false start, 2 breakdowns)
12. Poison Love (take 12, false start, breakdown)
13. Poison Love (take 13, master)
14. Kentucky Waltz (take 1)
15. Kentucky Waltz (take 2)
16. Kentucky Waltz (take 3, master)
17. The Prisoner's Song (take 1, false start)
18. The Prisoner's Song (take 2, master)
19. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (take 1)
20. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (take 2)
21. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (take 3, breakdown)
22. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (take 4, master)
23. Angels Rock Me To Sleep (take 1)
24. Angels Rock Me To Sleep (take 2, false start)
25. Angels Rock Me To Sleep (take 3, false start)
26. Angels Rock Me To Sleep (take 4)
27. Angels Rock Me To Sleep (take 5, breakdown)
28. Angels Rock Me To Sleep (take 6, master)
29. Brake Man's Blues (take 1, breakdown)
30. Brake Man's Blues (take 2, false start)
31. Brake Man's Blues (take 3, master)
32. Travelin' Blues (take 1)
33. Travelin' Blues (take 2, false start, breakdown)
34. Travelin' Blues (take 3)
35. Travelin' Blues (take 4, breakdown)
36. Travelin' Blues (take 5, master)
CD4
1. When The Cactus Are In Bloom (take 1, breakdown)
2. When The Cactus Are In Bloom (take 2)
3. The Sailor's Plea (take 1)
4. The Sailor's Plea (take 2)
5. The Sailor's Plea (take 3, breakdown)
6. The Sailor's Plea (take 4, master)
7. The Sailor's Plea (take 5, breakdown)
8. The Sailor's Plea (take 6)
9. My Carolina Sunshine Girl (take 1, breakdown)
10. My Carolina Sunshine Girl (take 2, breakdown)
11. My Carolina Sunshine Girl (take 3)
12. My Carolina Sunshine Girl (take 4, breakdown)
13. My Carolina Sunshine Girl (take 5)
14. Ben Dewsberry's Final Run (take 1)
15. Ben Dewsberry's Final Run (take 2, breakdown)
16. Ben Dewsberry's Final Run (take 3)
17. Peach Pickin' Time In Georgia (take 1, 2 false starts)
18. Peach Pickin' Time In Georgia (take 2, false start, breakdown)
19. Peach Pickin' Time In Georgia (take 3, false start, master)
20. Those Gambler's Blues (take 1, breakdown)
21. Those Gambler's Blues (take 2, false start, breakdown)
22. Those Gambler's Blues (take 3, false start)
23. Highway Of Sorrow (take 1, false start, breakdown)
24. Highway Of Sorrow (take 2)
25. Highway Of Sorrow (take 3, master)
26. Rotation Blues (take 1)
27. Rotation Blues (take 2)
28. Rotation Blues (take 3, breakdown)
29. Rotation Blues (take 4, breakdown)
30. Rotation Blues (take 5)
31. Rotation Blues (take 6, breakdown)
32. Rotation Blues (take 7, breakdown)
33. Rotation Blues (take 8, breakdown)
34. Rotation Blues (take 9, master)
CD5
1. Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues (take 1, breakdown)
2. Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues (take 2)
3. Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues (take 3, breakdown)
4. Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues (take 4, master)
5. Sugar Coated Love (take 1)
6. Sugar Coated Love (take 2, breakdown)
7. Sugar Coated Love (take 3)
8. Sugar Coated Love (take 4)
9. Sugar Coated Love (take 5, master)
10. Cabin Of Love (take 1)
11. Cabin Of Love (take 2)
12. Cabin Of Love (take 3)
13. Cabin Of Love (take 4, master)
14. You're Drifting Away (take 1)
15. You're Drifting Away (take 2)
16. You're Drifting Away (take 3, master)
17. Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (take 1)
18. Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (take 2, breakdown)
19. Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (take 3)
20. Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (take E1)
21. Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (take E2)
22. Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (take E3)
23. Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (take 3, master)
24. Christmas Time's A-Coming (take 1, false start, breakdown)
25. Christmas Time's A-Coming (take 2, breakdown)
26. Christmas Time's A-Coming (take 3, breakdown)
27. Christmas Time's A-Coming (take 4)
28. Christmas Time's A-Coming (take 5, breakdown)
29. Christmas Time's A-Coming (take 6, master)
30. The First Whippoorwill (take 1)
31. The First Whippoorwill (take 2, false start)
32. The First Whippoorwill (take 3, breakdown)
33. The First Whippoorwill (take 4, breakdown)
34. The First Whippoorwill (take 5, breakdown)
35. The First Whippoorwill (take 6)
36. The First Whippoorwill (take 7, master)
