His music is essential listening for every fan of bluegrass,

Bill Monroe was a mandolin player, singer, songwriter and bandleader who, with his band The Bluegrass Boys, basing their name on the characteristic blue grass of the Kentucky landscape. In so doing, he effectively gave his name to an entire sub-genre of music - Bluegrass - which did not really exist under that name before he made his unique mark on the country scene in the 1940s. With its roots in Celtic music and old-time fiddle music for dancing, it also borrowed from blues and jazz, and was characterised by impressive high-speed virtuoso musicianship, with his band during this era providing a career platform for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. This 80-track 3-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from his releases on Bluebird, Columbia and Decca from this era, and includes at least one side of just about all his releases. It features all his career hits in the US country chart, including the No. 3 'Kentucky Waltz', the No. 5 'Footprints In The Snow', and the Top 15 hits 'Little Community Church', 'Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong', 'Wicked Path Of Sin', 'Toy Heart', 'When You Are Lonely', Poison Love' and 'Gotta Travel On'. As an original pioneer of the genre, his music is essential listening for every fan of bluegrass, and this substantial overview of the first two decades of his band's career offers an enlightening and enjoyable insight into the roots of bluegrass.

Track Listing

• Mule Skinner Blues
• No Letter In The Mail
• Katy Hill
• I Wonder If You Feel The Way I Do
• Blue Yodel No.7
• Orange Blossom Special
• Coupon Song
• Shake My Mother's Hand
• Honky Tonk Swing
• Rocky Road Blues
• Kentucky Waltz
• True Life Blues
• Footprints In The Snow
• Mansions For Me
• Blue Yodel No. 4
• Blue Moon Of Kentucky
• How Will I Explain About You
• I'm Travelin' On And On
• Sweetheart, You Done Me Wrong
• My Rose Of Old Kentucky
• I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling
• Little Community Church
• That Home Above
• Wicked Path Of Sin
• Summertime Is Past And Gone

• When You Are Lonely
• It's Mighty Dark To Travel
• Toy Heart
• Bluegrass Breakdown
• Remember The Cross
• Heavy Traffic Ahead
• I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky
• Molly And Tenbrooks
• Girl In The Blue Velvet Band
• Travelin' This Lonesome Road
• My Little Georgia Rose
• The Old Fiddler
• Boat Of Love
• Memories Of You
• Uncle Pen
• On The Old Kentucky Shore
• Poison Love
• River Of Death
• Prisoner's Song
• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
• Rotation Blues
• I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning
• Sugar Coated Love
• Brakeman's Blues
• The First Whippoorwill

• Letter From My Darling
• I'm On My Way To The Old Home
• When The Cactus Is In The Bloom
• A Mighty Pretty Waltz
• In The Pines
• Walking In Jerusalem Just Like John
• Cabin Of Love
• Little Girl And The Dreadful Snake
• I Hope You Have Learned
• Changing Partners
• Get Up John
• Happy On My Way
• Close By
• I'm Working On A Building
• Cheyenne
• Let The Light Shine Down On Me
• Put My Little Shoes Away
• On And On
• Sitting Alone In The Moonlight 
• A Fallen Star
• Four Walls
• I'm Sittin On Top Of The World
• Scotland
• Gotta Travel On
• Tomorrow I'll Be Gone
• Lonesome Wind Blues
• Precious Memories
• Linda Lou
• Flowers Of Love

Additional Details

Label: Acrobat

Genre: Country

Run Time: 210 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 05/09/25

UPC: 824046916725