I've been listening to the three Will the Circle Be Unbroken?albums in the car this week, and it was a nice experience. To me, these albums seem like a Harry Smith Anthology of old-timey music. I can't say I like the third album as much as the other two because it doesn't have the spontaneity, but it's still a wonderful album. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Website seems to be shut down, but here is the track listing from an archive copy at archive.org. You'll find the current Website here (click)
The influence of this two-disc set, which brought the previously pop-oriented Dirt Band together with some of the seminal names in country music, is incalculable. Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Roy Acuff, and others sat down with a bunch of longhairs, found common ground on the best of old-time country music, and changed the direction of popular music. Two decades on, it still sounds great. -- William Ruhlmann, All-Music Guide "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"
United Artists (1972)
- Grand Ole Opry Song (Brown) - 2:59
- Keep on the Sunny Side (Carter) - 3:35
- Nashville Blues (Scruggs) - 3:10
- You Are My Flower (Carter) - 3:35
- Precious Jewel (Acuff) - 3:30
- Dark as a Dungeon (Travis) - 2:45
- Tennessee Stud (Driftwood) - 4:22
- Black Mountain Rag (Magness) - 2:10
- Wreck on the Highway (Dixon) - 3:24
- End of the World (Rose) - 3:53
- I Saw the Light (Williams) - 3:45
- Sunny Side of the Mountain (Gregory/McAulife) - 2:14
- Nine Pound Hammer (Travis) - 2:14
- Losin' You (Might Be the Best Thing... (Humphrey/Martin) - 2:44
- Honky Tonkin' (Williams) - 2:19
- You Don't Know My Mind (Skinner) - 2:45
- My Walkin' Shoes (Martin/Williams) - 2:02
- Lonesome Fiddle Blues (Clements) - 2:41
- Cannonball Rag (Travis) - 1:15
- Avalanche (Clements) - 2:50
- Flint Hill Special (Scruggs) - 2:12
- Togary Mountain (McEuen) - 2:25
- Earl's Breakdown (Scruggs) - 2:34
- Orange Blossom Special (Rouse) - 2:14
- Wabash Cannonball (Carter) - 2:00
- Lost Highway (Payne) - 3:37
- Doc Watson & Merle Travis First...
- Way Downtown (Watson) - 3:30
- Down Yonder (Watson) - 1:48
- Pins and Needles (In My Heart) (Jenkins) - 2:53
- Honky Tonk Blues (Williams) - 2:22
- Sailin' on to Hawaii (Kirby) - 2:00
- I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes (Carter) - 4:25
- I Am a Pilgrim (Travis) - 2:55
- Wildwood Flower (Carter) - 3:34
- Soldier's Joy (McEuen/Scruggs) - 2:05
- Will the Circle Be Unbroken (Carter) - 4:50
- Both Sides Now (Mitchell) - 2:19
Will The Circle Be Unbroken: 30th Anniversary Edition
Capitol Records
2002
Member of the Grammy Hall Of Fame
Certified Platinum Album
This 30th Anniversary Edition features:
• digitally remastered from the original session tapes
• special 30th Anniversary packaging
• 2 CD set includes over 40 tracks with 2 hours of music
• never-before-seen photos from the history-making sessions
• newly discovered songs and outtakes from the vaults
2002 is the 30th anniversary of the original American roots-music collection...
Will the Circle Be Unbroken is the original American roots music collection. In 1972, the members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band assembled the living legends of country, bluegrass and mountain music to record what many critics have hailed as "an American treasure." Digitally re-mastered from the original analog tapes, this 30th Anniversary edition also includes newly discovered music, photos and dialog from those history making sessions. With over two hours of music, this 2-CD set features performances by such luminaries as Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Mother Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs and many more
Previously Unreleased Tracks
- Foggy Mountain Breakdown
- Warming Up For "The Opry"
- Sunny Side
- Remember Me
Reviews of each track at Allmusic.com
Performers
Roy Acuff, Vocals
Gloria Belle, Vocals (Background)
Norman Blake, Dobro
Mike Carr, Vocals (Background)
A.P. Carter, Composer
Mother Maybelle Carter, Autoharp, Guitar, Vocals
Vassar Clements, Composer, Fiddle, Guitar
Fred Cross, Vocals (Background)
Dorothy Dixon, Composer
Jimmie Fadden, Autoharp, Drums, Guitar, Harmonica, Harp, Vocals
Chet Flippo, Vocals (Background)
Martha Flippo, Vocals (Background)
Gary Garett, Composer
Jeff Hanna, Drums, Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background), Washboard
Roy M. "Junior" Husky, Bass
Jimmy Ibbotson, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Pete "Oswald" Kirby, Dobro
Dino Lappas, Engineer
Jimmy Martin, Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Ray Martin, Vocals (Background)
Tim Martin, Vocals (Background)
Alice McEuen Vocals (Background)
John McEuen, Banjo, Guitar, Guitar (Steel), Mandolin, Vocals
William McEuen, Guitar, Producer
Larry Murray, Vocals (Background)
Ellis Padgett,Bass
Earl Scruggs,Banjo, Guitar
Gary Scruggs, Vocals (Background)
Louise Scruggs,Vocals (Background)
Randy Scruggs, Autoharp, Guitar
Steve Scruggs, Vocals (Background)
Les Thompson, Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Betty Travis, Vocals (Background)
Merle Travis,Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Doc Watson, Composer, Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)