by Rick Anderson
There really were no solo guitar heroes in bluegrass music (unless you count Clarence White, who never made a solo album before his tragically young death) until Dan Crary made this record back in 1970. Up to that point, the guitar had been almost exclusively a rhythm instrument, and even then its function often appeared to the casual observer to be limited to giving the singer something to do with his hands. This record was a fiery declaration of independence for bluegrass guitarists; it showed that the guitar could compete very well with the mandolin, banjo, and fiddle as a solo instrument in traditional music. Crary's fleet fingers make deceptively easy work of such classic fiddle tunes as &Devil's Dream,& &Forked Deer,& and &Salt Creek,& and his rendition of &Black Mountain Rag& has probably been as influential as Doc Watson's -- perhaps even more so. His backing band is outstanding. This reissue was long overdue when it was released in 1992, and its only drawback is its 30-minute length.