Can the Circle Be Unbroken?: Country Music's First Family

1	Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Bye and Bye) 3:07
2	Lulu Walls 2:53
3	My Clinch Mountain Home 2:53
4	Wildwood Flower 3:16
5	Worried Man Blues 3:00
6	Keep on the Sunny Side 2:50
7	Gospel Ship 2:56
8	My Texas Girl 3:05
9	Sinking in the Lonesome Sea 3:16
10	Cannon Ball Blues 2:55
11	I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes 2:54
12	River of Jordan 2:45
13	The Storms Are on the Ocean 3:06
14	On the Rock Where Moses Stood 3:04
15	The Little Black Train 2:54
16	Single Girl, Married Girl 3:04
17	Kissing Is a Crime 2:35
18	Blackie's Gunman 2:43
19	My Home Among the Hills 2:39
20	Black Jack David 2:39

Barnes & Noble

A new compilation of vintage material rather than a reissue of a classic album, Can the Circle Be Unbroken's 20 songs possess an organic down-home eloquence that continues to resonate as strongly today as when they were recorded more than a half-century ago. Cut in historic sessions in 1935 and 1940, these recordings demonstrate exactly why the seminal trio of Maybelle (whose rhythmic guitar strumming remains an essential cornerstone of country music), Sara and A. P.Carter continues to cast such a long and influential shadow over country and folk music. Here's the basic text of a new day: "Can the Circle Be Unbroken," with Sara's reedy, plainspoken voice eloquently addressing the eternal ties that bind; the family's close, heartfelt harmonizing on A. P.'s loving tribute to the comforts, memories, and healing powers of "My Clinch Mountain Home"; "Wildwood Flower," eternally haunting in its rustic imagery and spellbinding melody; and "Keep on the Sunny Side," whose message of positivity in hard times exemplifies the Carters' timeless appeal. Whether they're delivering folk tales, gospel songs, British ballads, humorous ditties or love songs, these backwoods voices, untutored and rich with gritty authority, carry unfathomable emotional wallop. Reaching out over the , Can the Circle Be Unbroken is a richly emotional journey through the human heart and essential listening for anyone interested in the origins of American roots music. David McGee

All Music Guide

The second half of the Carter Family's recorded output largely rests with the contents of this CD. It's their output for Columbia's OKeh and Conqueror labels, 17 of the 20 recorded over five days in May 1935 and the final three from an October 1940 session. In typical Carter Family fashion, the material is wide ranging and eclectic, running from British folk music ("Black Jack David," "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea") to gospel ("On the Rock Where Moses Stood," "River of Jordan") to blues ("Worried Man Blues") and beyond. Along the way we're treated to re-cuts of notable Carter "hits" like "Can the Circle Be Unbroken," "Wildwood Flower," and "Keep on the Sunny Side." After you collect all of their Victor recordings from the 1920s, here's your next stop, an indispensable addition to any basic country collection. Cub Koda