A hit like "Dueling Banjos" had to attract
Earl Scruggs, though not much else of what's here resembles the famed track from the score of Deliverance.
Dueling Banjos is sort of bluegrass-rock,
Scruggs' banjo accompanied by electric guitar (courtesy of
Randy Scruggs) and electric bass (
Gary Scruggs), with
Vassar Clements on fiddle,
Josh Graves on the dobro,
Chip Young on rhythm guitar, and
Jody Maphis on drums. The playing is spirited enough, and the music incorporates textures that will be familiar to fans of rockabilly as well as bluegrass, "Just Joshin'" and "John Hardy" being perfect hybrids of the two sounds. Not all of the material is as interesting as that, however, and not only is there a certain sameness to the tracks, but there aren't enough virtuoso showcases (such as "Flint Hill Special") present to carry the entire album. ~ Bruce Eder