Unlike today, when “country music” is simply rock and roll with a twang, there was a time when country and western music had its own definable sound, swing and style. And, the artists told stories beyond blue jeans, trucks and beer.
This four disc, 116 song collection continues UK-based Acrobat Records’ anthology of annual “hits” from the Post War years. The width, breath and depth of material and artists is quite impressive, with many of these songs still part of the American Canon of Standards.
At the time, the new “thing” of “rock and roll” was in its fledgling stage, with artists like Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley part of the “rockabilly” sound that bridged the country-rock gap. Tunes like “Boppin the Blues”, “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Mystery Train” are in a style that soon captured the imagination of tons of other artists, while Presley’s “Hound Dog” essentially started rock for the white middle class world, such as Gene Vincent’s “Be Bop A Lula”.
Traditional sounds like the coal mining standard “Sixteen Tons” is delivered by the venerable Tennessee Ernie, along with the lost romantic Jim Reeves with “My Lips Are Sealed” and Hank Snow with “I’m Movin’ On”. Storytelleers like George Jones put a tear in their beer with “Cry Baby Cry” and cowboys are always on the horizon such as Mary Robbins with “Singing The Blues”. There’s always a sermon somewhere in the South, and Red Sovine delivers the message with “If Jesus Came To Your House”.
And then there’s a guy named Johnny Cash, who hits the ground running as he bursts on the scene with songs like “Get Rhythm”, “I Walk The Line” and of course the classic “Folsom Prison Blues”, which started the whole “rebel” style of singers.
What is startling about this anthology is that the vast majority of the songs have aged so well, even Webb Pierce’s “Teenage Boogie” sounds more fresh that 90% of today’s sounds, and Kitty Wells, as on “No One But You” or “You and Me” with Red Foley are as fresh as the flowers in the Texas Hill Country. When did the Philistines take over?