16 Gems (1996)

About this title: In 1992, Columbia/Legacy released The Essential Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (1945-1949), a double CD that contained 24 of Monroe's 40 released recordings made for Columbia Records between 1945 and 1949, along with alternate takes of the other 16. The 45-minute 16 Gems contains the originally released versions of those songs, so that it serves as a companion to the earlier compilation and completes the CD reissue of the complete Bill Monroe on Columbia. With the exception of "Kentucky Waltz," Monroe's first and biggest hit, which leads off the album, and the genre-defining "Bluegrass ... read more

Tracks:

1. Kentucky Waltz [Monroe]
2. True Life Blues [Monroe]
3. Nobody Loves Me [Clements]
4. Goodbye Old Pal [Monroe]
5. Blue Grass Special [Monroe]
6. Heavy Traffic Ahead [Monroe]
7. Summertime Is Past and Gone [Monroe]
8. I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky [Monroe]
9. It's Mighty Dark to Travel [Monroe]
10. Bluegrass Breakdown [Monroe]
11. Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong [Monroe/Flatt]
12. Old Crossroads [Monroe]
13. Remember the Cross [Monroe/Watts]
14. Shine Hallelujah, Shine [Monroe]
15. Can't You Hear Me Callin' [Monroe]
16. Travelin' This Lonesome Road [Monroe]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.