Walls of Time, released on Rounder in 1982, was the second studio album from the Johnson Mountain Boys, the Washington, D.C.-area band that became one of the most admired acts in the 1980s revival of hard-core traditional bluegrass. Dudley Connell sang lead and played guitar, with David McLaughlin on mandolin, Eddie Stubbs on fiddle, Richard Underwood on banjo, and Larry Robbins on bass — a young ensemble that played with the conviction and discipline of musicians twice their experience. The title track, the Bill Monroe and Peter Rowan standard, sat at the center of a program drawn from classic bluegrass and brother-duet material. What set the Johnson Mountain Boys apart was less novelty than fidelity: they reached back to the music's founding era and played it with an intensity that felt entirely earned. Walls of Time helped establish them as standard-bearers for tradition at a moment when much of the genre was drifting toward a smoother sound.
Tracklist
- 1 Too late to say goodbye 2:30
- 2 Mother's voice is in the wind 4:26
- 3 Mend this heart of mine 2:16
- 4 Weary hobo 3:13
- 5 The Johnson Mountain chimes 2:27
- 6 Tell me what you think of my Lord 2:15
- 7 The nights are so long 2:25
- 8 The walls of time 3:49
- 9 Just another broken heart 2:48
- 10 Darlin' I'm coming home 1:50
- 11 Weathered gray stone 4:39
- 12 I want to live like Christ, my Saviour 2:25
- 13 Walls of Time alt version
