Shadows of the Past, issued on Gary B. Reid's archival Copper Creek imprint, gathers Stanley Brothers live performances from outdoor parks and schoolhouse shows of the late 1950s and early 1960s — an era when the band worked relentlessly on the southern country circuit but recorded only intermittently for label-of-the-moment imprints. The collection's significance lies in its rarities — songs the Stanleys performed steadily on the road but never cut commercially — and in its preservation of the comedy routines that filled out a working bluegrass show of the period. The fidelity is uneven, drawn from amateur tapes of the day, but the immediacy of Carter's lead and Ralph's banjo more than compensates.
Tracklist
- 1 Going to the Races alt version 1:56
- 2 Just another broken heart 2:32
- 3 I Hope You Have Learned alt version 2:31
- 4 Here today and gone tomorrow 2:18
- 5 Thinking of the old days 3:10
- 6 Lonesome Road Blues alt version 2:28
- 7 John Henry alt version 3:12
- 8 White House Blues alt version 2:12
- 9 They’re at Rest Together alt version 3:28
- 10 Going to Georgia 2:04
- 11 The propaganda routine 3:00
- 12 Katy Cline 1:59
- 13 Long Journey Home alt version 3:04