Ralph Stanley II

READ AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RALPH II HERE!!!

WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS ONE IS TWO:

(go to media materials)

Ralph Stanley II sings lead in his famous father’s bluegrass band, the slot once occupied by the great Keith Whitley. And like Keith, he’s a sensational honky-tonk vocalist who is completely at home with a hardcore country song. Ralph’s new This One Is II album is one of the finest country albums of the year, and this Lyle Lovett cheating-murder song is one of its many highlights. Jim Lauderdale provides high harmony. Buy this record.

Robert K. Oermann, MUSIC ROW

This is a class album; at least to my often musically shell shocked ears. With so much floss, image-driven hype, and the constant attack on the aural and visual senses by radio and TV, it’s pleasing to hear an album pleasurable for its sheer artistry...For those who like their country real, vibrant and gritty, this album is a treasure.

George Peden, COUNTRY STARS ONLINE

Ralph Stanley II has spent the last decade and a half backing his bluegrass-legend father as a vocalist and rhythm guitarist, but his fifth solo album goes a long way toward establishing "Two" as his own man. This One is Two makes a pronounced move away from bluegrass and toward country, although for many the distinction may be hardly noticeable. The most important factors here are Ralph's biting baritone and top-shelf songs. He co-wrote just two, but chooses wisely from the catalogs of songwriters ranging from Lyle Lovett tio Elton John and from Tom T. Hall to Townes Van Zandt.

Chris Neal, COUNTRY WEEKLY

Debut album for the son of legendary Bluegrass artist Ralph Stanley, this cd does not disappoint. A lot of work went into this cd and for those who cherish what country music should be, this is the cd for you. Hardcore at its best Ralph delivers each ballad with that rich voice that is consistent with the likes of Haggard, Jones and Anderson. Now, before someone emails me I know Ralph had four previous albums but this is the one that’s pure country. Tracks include "Cold Shoulder", "Georgia", "Train Songs" and "Loretta". This is a great cd of ballads, only one up-tempo track but that’s made up in the sincerity of the lyrics and production. 5 stars.
JDH, CASHBOX MAGAZINE

This is one of the best traditional country albums you'll hear this year, but don't expect to hear it on country radio. It's too country. And it probably won't make many bluegrass playlists either, since there's no bluegrass on it. Stanley's sound is very similar to the late Keith Whitley's - and for good reason. They both honed their sounds as lead singers with Stanley's father's Clinch Mountain Boys. Stanley - "Two" to his friends - has been singing lead for the Clinch Mountain Boys since he was 16 - 14 years ago. But his heart, and his baritone, is in stone-country music - and it's a shame radio no longer plays hard-core country. Songs include "Carter," a tribute to his late uncle Carter Stanley; Elton John's "Georgia"; Lyle Lovett's murder ballad "L.A. County"; and Townes Van Zandt's "Loretta." Stanley co-wrote two songs - "Honky Tonk Way" and "Lord Help Me Find the Way," a ballad about following in his father's footsteps. Great album.
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Keith Lawrence, OWENSBORO MESSENGER-INQUIRER

Coming right out of his father's legendary project, The Clinch Mountain Boys, Stanley II is prepared for the country world as much as one could be. Similar in style to his bloodline, This One is Two is really beyond most: using unexpected rhythms, themes, and just general orchestration that one would not expect from just any country artist.

Deep voiced with only a slight edge of the country twang, Stanley really knows how to write his music. Melodies, guitar playing...all of it fitting just like puzzle pieces through and through. It's rare that I am so enthused about this genre of country, but this is much more impressive than most.

John S. Ivany, TOP 21

Ralph Stanley II, This One Is Two: Let's start at the back. The last song is unequivocally a prayer, "Lord, Help Me Find The Way," the only song on the album credited to Mr. Stanley the Younger. What a prayer. What a song. What a collection of songs that, with mild irony, indicate that "the way" has already been discovered. Where does Ralph II go from here or from whatever point his dad is no longer with us? To borrow from the song, he uses that roadmap his father gave him that keeps him ridin' high. He keeps singing songs that come from writers as diverse as Elton John, Tom T. Hall, Elmer C. Burchett, Jr., J.P. Pennington, Fred Eaglesmith, Townes Van Zant, Lyle Lovett, and oh, yeah, the Brooks kid and his buddies Bleasey and Williams. And he keeps using musicians of this caliber -- my eyes are tired from reading the little print and I'll leave somebody out, but the proof is in the listening; this is a wonderful collection of music that has evolved in the most natural manner from all that our society has come from. Wow.

Bill Littleton, UNCLE WILLIAMS PLACE

With more than a dozen years as lead singer for his father’s Clinch Mountain Boys and four solo albums done in the same mountain bluegrass style, it’s perhaps not surprising that Ralph Stanley II - “Two” for short - would want to venture out in search of a sound of his own.

After all, one of his musical heroes, Keith Whitley, took the same path. With This One Is Two, Stanley has crafted a sound that fans of Whitley, or even Lefty Frizzell, will be drawn to. The album features straightforward country arrangements executed by an all-star bluegrass lineup of Tim Crouch (fiddle and guitar), Cody Kilby (guitar), Randy Kohrs (resophonic guitar), Harold Nixon (bass), Adam Steffey (mandolin) and Ron Stewart (banjo). With such expert backing, and free from the constraints imposed by the requirements of bluegrass harmony, Stanley sounds comfortable and confident in his vocal choices.

Song choice is another strength, with Garth Brooks’ truck-driving tune “Cold Shoulder,” Tom T. Hall’s upbeat “Train Songs” and Townes Van Zandt’s bittersweet “Loretta” all getting fine treatment. Elton John’s tuneful “Georgia” and a duet with Jim Lauderdale on the Lyle Lovett killin’ song “L.A. County” stand out as the most memorable of 11 strong tracks, including two co-written by Stanley. One hopes This One is one of many to come in the same rich vein.

Aaron Keith Harris, LONESOME ROAD REVIEW

Additional Album Reviews:

Press Releases:

Sept 4, 2008
Ralph Stanley II Sets Traditional Country Benchmark With Stunning New Album: This One Is Two
Sept 22, 2008
Ralph Stanley II Invites One and All To CD Release Party Sept. 25 in Lexington, KY

Media Materials:

One Sheet (download pdf)
Album Cover (web)
Additional Media Quotes ( click here)

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Media Contact:

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