Album Review: Boone Creek (Remastered 2026) – Craft Recordings

Reviewed By Harry Kaplan

I will get into the music in a bit, but first I want to focus on the album cover. Holy smokes! This is pure Olan Mills studio work in the back of Sears Roebuck. It takes me straight back to my childhood. It looks like a photograph of the community church board of directors posted in the church business office. A true classic. There is not a natural fiber within 25 miles of this picture. All the food groups are represented: nylon, polyester, Naugahyde, and acrylic. I would buy this album for the cover alone.

These four gentlemen are part of bluegrass royalty. Ricky Skaggs is at the top, Wes Golding is on the right, Jerry Douglas is at the bottom, and Terry Baucom is on the left. Skaggs played mandolin, fiddle, and lead and acoustic guitar; Douglas played Dobro; Baucom played banjo and fiddle; and Golding played acoustic guitar. Boone Creek did not have a permanent full-time bass player for its 1977 self-titled debut, so several session musicians handled the bass parts. The band later added Steve Bryant as its primary bass player for touring and for its second and final album, One Way Track, released in 1978. A young Vince Gill also briefly joined Boone Creek as a bass player before the band broke up. He can be heard singing harmony on Misty Wind, which was later unearthed and included as a bonus track on the album’s reissue.

Speaking of Misty Wind, this is 1970s AM-radio gold: gorgeous harmonies, country-leaning music and vocals, and excellent production. Yes, it has pop leanings, but if all pop music were crafted this well, the world would be a better place. That kind of genre-hopping created a real conundrum for the label. The musicians wanted to experiment, push boundaries, and move the music forward. The label wanted a known commodity and as little variance or risk as possible. The musicians embraced change and experimentation; the label was diametrically opposed to both. This album is vital for many reasons, but mainly because it captures the transition from straight bluegrass into country, rock, and even what we now call Yacht Rock, although the term did not exist at the time. This song could have been a major hit during the late 70s era. It had all the elements.

Even though the Boone Creek players branched out and explored other genres, the project remained deeply rooted in bluegrass. And these boys can play the traditional stuff as well, if not better than anyone. Walkin’ In Jerusalem is a perfect example of Boone Creek’s handling of a traditional gospel bluegrass song. No drums or electric guitar on this track. Just the usual suspects: mando, guitar and bass. The vocals and harmonies are truly otherworldly. Another interesting fact about this number is Jerry Douglas singing some baritone harmony. Yes, you read that right, it doesn’t happen often, but Jerry Douglas has some serious backup vocal chops.

In case anyone was wondering, the relationship between punk rock and bluegrass is surprisingly strong. Take White House Blues, which clocks in at just one minute and 44 seconds. This could easily have become a punk rock anthem. Pick your band—Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Black Flag, or the Circle Jerks. Any one of them could have recorded it with loud, distorted guitars and a driving drumbeat. The song is already pure punk, and Boone Creek’s version is not far removed from that sound. Originally titled Mr. McKinley, it tells the story of President William McKinley’s assassination. Boone Creek plays it at a blistering pace that gets the heart pumping and the blood pressure rising.

After a few earnest listens, one thing is clear: these gifted musicians can play anything at the highest level imaginable. People regularly use the cliché “Mount Rushmore” when discussing the very best in any field. Well, there is no need to look any further. The album cover already features the Mount Rushmore of bluegrass and classic country. These fellas are at the absolute top of their craft. Hearing this album, along with the previously lost tracks, in its entirety is an extraordinarily rewarding musical experience. We are all the beneficiaries of a treasure that was buried for nearly 50 years and has finally been unearthed.

Listen and buy Boone Creek here.