On the cusp of being taken over by the avalanche of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, country music in 1955 was still its own insular style, not adulterated by any other genre…yet. This four disc, 108 song collection brings in the most popular tunes from the year the Brooklyn Dodgers won the World Series, and the Sun Records sounds of Elvis, Johnny, Carl, Roy and Jerry Lee were just coming up the road.
Sure, there is early rockabilly Elvis on “Baby Let’s Play House” and “You’re Right, I’m Left, She’s Gone” and the hard rocking Johnny Cash staring you down on “Cry Cry Cry”, but no one is feeling their stampeding feet yet. You’ve still got clean cut and enunciating Eddy Arnold on “I Walked Alone Last Night” and “Don’t Forget”, tons of Hank Snow (“The Next Voice You Hear” “Born To Be Happy”) and Marty Robbins (“Time Goes By”) and lots of Western Swing a la Hank Thompson (“If Lovin’ You Is Wrong”). The warm toned crooner Jim Reeves also dominated the airwaves with ”I’m Hurtin’ Inside”, “Drinkin’ Tequila” and “Yonder Comes a Sucker” and old timey gents get airplay as well, such as Red Sovine (“You Are Mine”) and Tennessee Ernie Ford (“Ballad of Davey Crockett”). For you pickers out there, take an ear to Chet Atkins on “Mister Sandman” and for you rebels, have a drink with George Jones on “ Why Baby Why”.
There aren’t too many ladies making hits yet, but Myrna Lorrie had a big one with “Are You Mine” and Kitty Wells shows up on a few duets like “As Long As I Live” with Red Foley. There are also the “bad boys” in the neighborhood, like Jimmie Rodgers belting out “In The Jailhouse Now” and Hank Williams crying out “Please Don’t Let me Love You”. No posers back then, unlike today, who may wear the hat, but wouldn’t know the difference between a fetlock and a padlock.