Ralph Stanley II – Listen to My Hammer Ring
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Posted On March 1, 1999
Like Frank Sinatra Jr. and Hank Williams Jr., Ralph Stanley II carries the considerable burden of a father’s legendary musical name. Unlike Sinatra and Williams, though, Ralph Stanley’s boy has had the advantage of singing and learning right at his daddy’s side. (True, Frank Jr. did serve from time to time as his father’s musical director, but that always seemed like a bit of a charity gig.)
For the past few years, Ralph II has been the Clinch Mountain Boys’ featured vocalist and rhythm guitarist. In concert, he sings most of the leads, with Ralph Sr. providing the unearthly high-tenor harmonies that are his trademark. It would be unfair, at this early stage of his career, to compare young Ralph to those who’ve sung with his father in the past — most of all his Uncle Carter, who may have had the finest bluegrass voice of all time. Ralph II is still developing his vocal style and still searching for a distinctive sound. But for a whippersnapper in his early 20s, he acquits himself quite well on his debut release for Rebel Records.
A steady singer with a much deeper voice than his dad, Ralph II works through a set focused mostly on classic Stanley Brothers material, including a never-before-recorded Carter Stanley Christmas tune. All the Clinch Mountain Boys are on hand and in fine form, offering superb instrumental support throughout. Best of all, Daddy Ralph appears on eight of the twelve tunes, blending his ageless voice with his son’s for some soaring bluegrass and gospel harmonies.
