Various Artists "ANOTHER TASTE OF KING: RECORDED 1946-1954" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "A SHOT IN THE DARK" (Bear Family Records, 2000)
Obscuro country simply doesn't get better than this! An 8-CD box set looking back at Nashville's vibrant postwar hillbilly music scene, Tennessee country before Nashville became "Music City," the giant, relentless music factory we know and love today... Nope, when these old recordings were made, country music was still a wide open format, with countless local and regional scenes vying for the nickels and dimes of the nation's jukeboxes... Folks like Roy Acuff and Fred Rose changed all that, though, consolidating country music into a single company town and, some would say, homogenizing the wild creativity of the late '40s and early '50s. Anyway, here a couple hundred of the greatest examples of the wild, vibrant, goofy, wacked-out twang of the zillions of independent labels that once dotted the landscape... Some of these musicians are fairly well-known to folks who already buy Bear Family releases -- artists such as Autry Inman, Pee Wee King, Al Terry, Jimmy Work and Johnnie Lee Wills -- but many are real, true, off-the-radar nobodies, the kind of earnest, energetic, what's-your-day-job also-rans that I really love to listen to... There are Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams imitators, to be sure, but also plenty of "new," original voices to discover... Also includes a mammoth, hardbound "booklet," lavishly decorated with archival photos and informative, chatty text by Colin Escott and Martin Hawkins... This is a real treasure trove, kids... A must-have, if it's in your price range!

Various Artists "THE BRISTOL SESSIONS: THE BIG BANG OF COUNTRY MUSIC" (Bear Family Records, 2011)
In 1927, an enterprising Victor Records A&R representative named Ralph Peer set up a shoestring recording studio in a rural Tennessee hotel, and brought to the world the first recordings of the legendary Carter Family, as well as future superstar, blues yodeller Jimmie Rodgers. Other dimly remembered old-timey artists were also recorded, such as gospel singers Alfred G. Karnes and Ernest Phipps, old-timey singer Ernest V. Stoneman, and various stringbands, as well as a slew of local performers who never enjoyed the commercial success of the more luminous stars mentioned above. The best document of this amazing event was a 2-disc set put out twenty-five years ago by the Country Music Foundation -- now that collection has been blown out of the water by this 5-CD box set which gathers together all of the Bristol Sessions recordings, including numerous tracks that haven't seen the light of day in ages. There's also the amazing archival work that Bear Family is known for: great sound quality and a booklet filled with scholarly essays and fab photos. The old-timey sound might be a little hard to get into at first, but if you go for squeaky, plunky, super-twangy proto-country, then this is the real-deal motherlode, an absolutely essential collection.

Various Artists "CAT'N AROUND" (Krazy Kat 1992)
One of my favorite country reissues ever. An incredible collection of obscure old country singles originally recorded for the tiny Houston independent, Macy's Records. You can imagine these long-forgotten musicians slogging away at day jobs -- fixing cars, or maybe out in the oil fields -- just waiting to bust loose playing at a Saturday night dance. Everybody tears away at their tunes, ranging from swinging instrumentals such as "Pickin," by Dolores Farriss to priceless novelty tunes like "Steppin On Feet For Fun" and weepy honkytonkers like the Vance Brothers' "Can't Get You Out Of My Dreams." Sometimes the musicians flub their licks, but this only adds to the charm -- these are real people really playing music, unlike the tediously re-re-reprocessed digital pop of today. This high calibre compilation succeeds on every level: great sound, great material, great chance to hear some excellent old-time country, and to stump your snooty No Depression-reading buddies.

Various Artists "CAUGHT IN THE WEBB: A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDARY WEBB PIERCE" (Audium Records, 2002)
An all-star tribute to my personal honkytonk hero, Webb Pierce. The level of talent assembled for this project is staggering, ranging from grizzled old-timers such as George Jones and Charley Pride to contemporary Top 40 stars Trent Summar, Dwight Yoakam and Pam Tillis. The twangcore crowd and '70s mavericks also get in their licks: Emmylou Harris delivers a plaintive reading of "Wondering," while Rosie Flores and Robbie Fulks cheerfully plow their way through a pair of Pierce's rock-era hits. It's difficult for anyone to match the charm and immediacy of Webb's original recordings, but high marks go to Dale Watson for his explosive version of "In The Jailhouse Now" and to Guy Clark, who hits the goofy mood of "Honk Tonk Song" right on the head. Willie Nelson is also in on the fun, which is appropriate since his 1982 duets LP was the last album Pierce recorded. Here, Nelson takes his time with a bittersweet, appropriately mournful version of "That's Me Without Out You," one of Pierce's weepiest and best ballads. With an all-star cast like this, and such great material to work from, this disc should open a few new ears to the Webb Pierce legend. Check this out, and be sure to pick up one of the great Webb reissues out there as well.

Various Artists "CLASSIC COUNTRY MUSIC ON THE BLUEBIRD LABEL" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "CLASSIC COUNTRY MUSIC ON MGM" (BACM, 2008)
I am a big fan of obscuro-country collections, compilation discs that are packed with artists that I am unfamiliar with... and this one's a doozy! Yeah, sure, often there's a reason that these folks are unknowns and also-rans, but this is where you'll hear artists, songs and sounds that you just won't hear anywhere else, and often their clunky, heartfelt singles say way more about the country scene of yesteryear than the big hits of the big stars. I snapped this one up because it only has a handful of artists I recognize (Cecil Campbell, Don Gibson, George McCormick, Red Sovine, Billy Jack Wills and Floyd Cramer...) and a ton of promising song titles: "You'll Live To Regret It," "Throwing My Life Away," "Ah Ha," "Look What Followed Me Home," etc. In short, it looked like exactly the kind of record I go for. Also, MGM is a vintage label that I'm not very familiar with -- I know they had Hank Williams signed to them, and later Hank, Jr. and some up-and-coming honkytonkers in the early 1960s... But for the most part, their catalogue is a blank slate. Well, let me tell you, if you like raw old-school country music, including the occasional kooky novelty tune, and that fun stuff where hillbilly boogie and rockabilly rubbed shoulders, then this disc is one you'll want to travel the far ends of the earth to track down. It's one of the most fun records I've heard in a long, long time, drawing on the deep knowledge base and impressive collections of the folks at the mystery-shrouded British Archive of Country Music... Trust me, you'll want to check this one out.

Various Artists "CLASSIC COUNTRY MUSIC ON THE MERCURY LABEL" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "CLUCK OLD HEN: A BARNYARD SERENADE" (Old Hat Records, 2012)
A great, goofy, poultry-themed collection of Depression-era blues and old-timey tunes, with plenty of classic novelty numbers and a bunch of super-squeaky fiddles. This collection tilts a little more towards the hillbilly side of things, although there are tracks by bluesmen such as Peg Leg Howell and Casey Bill along with various jug bands, a touch of jazz and of course a slew of rural artists who didn't fall easily into any one category. There are a few stars -- Gene Autry, Cliff Carlisle, Riley Puckett -- but they are far outweighed by more obscure performers such as the Beale Street Sheiks, George Edgin's Corn Dodgers, Sweet Papa Stovepipe, the duo known as Mustard & Gravy, and most delightfully, the group vocals of the Utica Institute Jubilee Singers. This disc makes a great companion to Old Hat's sizzling BARBEQUE ANY OLD TIME collection, though this has a much higher proportion of animal-imitation tunes... Great stuff, of course!

Various Artists "THE COLUMBIA LABEL: CLASSIC OLD TIME MUSIC" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "COUNTRY BOOGIE" (Fremeaux & Associes, 2001)
This is a swell set of raucous, pre-rock countrybilly music, curated by some French country fans over at the Fremeaux record label. A lot of this music could probably be considered western swing, rather than hillbilly boogie, but hey, why quibble when the music's this good? Includes classics from Johnny Barfield, Cliff Bruner, Cecil Campbell, Spade Cooley, Al Dexter, Jack Guthrie, Pee Wee King, Moon Mullican, Arthur Smith, and a slew of even more obscure singers that will make this set worth picking up, even if you're already pretty deep into this kind of stuff. Nice collection!

Various Artists "COUNTRY GIRLS ON WESTERN RANCH PARTY: 1957-1960" (Country Routes, 2004)
An awesome set of live, rockabilly-tinged tracks by the likes of Patsy Cline, Wanda Jackson, Bonnie Guitar, Rose Lee Maphis and several now-forgotten lesser lights, such as Mary Lou Nell, Fiddlin' Kate, Dorothy Wright and Marilyn Tuttle. There are also a slew of cool performances by Lorrie Collins, including several solo numbers apart from her guitar-whiz little brother... This is an ace bunny killer collection, which also includes plenty of the stage banter with MC Tex Ritter. My only complain is this: why the heck did the label choose to always put the spoken intros to specific artists on the tracks preceding the artist being introduced???? It's a really unfortunate decision, as it makes the record near-impossible to play correctly on the radio, or to listen to in a CD carousel, or an iPod, for that matter... There's all this dangling information out there, dozens of tracks that end with the introduction of a song you won't be able to hear under normal listening circumstances. And who has the time to re-edit the tracks so they make sense? Kinda dumb. Oh, well. The music is still really great, and random technical oddness aside, this disc is highly recommended.

Various Artists "COUNTRY HICKS, v.1" (Bark Log Records, 2006)
Some day I will get off my butt and figure out a way to digitize the weird, obscure, dusty old 45s I have crammed away in the boxes in my closet and make one of those really groovy, kooky bootleg oldies albums... In the meantime, my jaw drops and my hat goes off to folks like Bark Log Records, who've already done it and who, frankly, have much cooler, much more bizarre records than I'll ever find. This latest version of Country Hicks, v.1 is a real stunner, packed with some of the goofiest, kookiest country novelty songs you'll ever hear... These are mostly micro-label pressings from the 1950s and '60s by amateur singers who had real country soul, but just didn't know when to quit when laying it on thick with the hick schtick. They sing about losing at love and gambling at the track, drinking booze and getting in fights, familiar themes, but presented with all the rough edges that Nashville tried to hard to smooth away. These guys sang clunky, often crude lyrics, with such enthusiasm you just gotta laugh and love it. This volume, in particular, is packed with winners, songs such as "Feel Sorry For Me" by Dave Brockman, Tommy Boyles's "We're Buggin' Out," "One's All The Law Will Allow" by Luke Royer and "My Heart Gets Lonely" by Luke Royer. Never heard of any of these guys? That's the point! The list goes on, and there are more standouts, including the chilling "East Dallas Dagger," by Durwood Daly, which includes a rather convincing description of one of those drag-'em-by-the-tailgate-of-your-truck lynchings. There's some overlap between this disc and another, earlier edition of Country Hicks, v.1, -- either way you go, this is quality quirkiness. Recommended!

Various Artists "COUNTRY MUSIC" (Wrangler Records, 1964-?)
Man, just when you think you're heard it all, an old LP like this floats to the surface, and humbles you once more. I never gave much thought to the New York-based Wrangler label, other than noticing from time to time their albums of early material by hillbilly stars such as Hank Locklin, Rose Maddox and Carl Belew, but I always figured they were just some pirate-ish, fly-by-night budget label that reissued old material by established stars with dubious claims to the rights. Now I'm beginning to wonder... were they an actual label? This disc is packed with great, rough-hewn hard-country recordings by a bunch of artists I've never heard of: Bill Alex, Red Herring, Bill Leatherwood, Richard Morris, Jerry Nelson, Jim Parker, Bill Watson and Cody Wiggins, as well as a bluegrass duo called Johnny & Gerald. It's all great stuff, the kind of imperfect, amateur-league hillbilly songs I love, all apparently originally recorded in Mono, but (lightly) remixed into fake stereo, since that was the fashion at the time. So, did Wrangler actually release these songs originally, or did they just gather up some obscuro-twang singles from the '50s and early '60s? Unfortunately, the ever-stellar Both Sides Now discography site doesn't have a page for Wrangler, but it sure would be a good project if anyone wants to take it one... The only clues I could find on this album was a credit for the jacket design to Anne Koedt, and an address in Island Park, NY. At any rate, this is a fun album, and unusual for the genre in that there are no "name" artists headlining the collection, just a bunch of unknowns, singing and picking their little hearts out.

Various Artists "COUNTRY MUSIC HOOTENANNY" (Capitol Records, 1963) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Nelson)
Although the 1960s brought a flood of phony "live" albums, particularly from the orbit of the Grand Ole Opry, this one is the real deal: a fun recording of an awesome concert held in the Bakersfield Civic Auditorium on September 12, 1963, with the elite of the West Coast/Bakersfield country scene, including several now-obscure performers and big stars delivering some pretty entertaining material and plenty of hot licks. The show was emceed by Cousin Herb Henson (then the host of a popular country music TV show) introducing folks like Buddy Cagle, Tommy Collins, Rose Maddox, Joe and Rose Lee Maphis, Buck Owens, Jean Shepard and Merle Travis, Bob Morris, a little bluegrass from the Kentucky Colonels and some comedy and picking from a pre-Hee Haw Roy Clark. Glen Campbell delivers a richly rural honkytonk ballad, "You Took Her Off My Hands," and I suspect it's him in the house band (or maybe Roy Clark) delivering some slamming rock'n'roll lead guitar on a few tracks (notably Rose Maddox's "Down To The River"). Herb Henson also performs -- a rare opportunity to hear him on an LP -- and guitarist Roy Nichols does some fancy picking on the instrumental "Silver Bells." This is a great document of the West Coast country scene, though there are some notable absences, particularly crooner Wynn Stewart, who hadn't yet switched over to the Capitol label, and Merle Haggard, who was still an unknown at the time. Still: what a great record. Track her down, if you can!

Various Artists "COUNTRY MUSIC ON CAPITOL" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "COWBOY CROONERS: SING SONGS OF THE WEST" (Collector's Choice Records, 2004)
Super-groovy old recordings culled from various 1940s radio performances... It's the cream of the crop of both the "singing cowboys" scene and the western swing crowd, with headliners such as Elton Britt, Tex Ritter, Jimmie Davis, Bob and Johnnie Lee Wills, Eddy Arnold, Dale Evans, Roy Rogers and the ever-fab Sons Of The Pioneers, as well as a few less-well known singers... All of them are in fine form, and this 2-CD set is a delight from start to finish, with pleasantly recognizable big hits and kooky one-off novelty songs (such as "Gonna Build A Big Fence Around Texas," by Cowboy Joe Randall), all of which will bring a smile to your face, and make you hum along. Great fun... highly recommended!

Various Artists "CRAZY HEART" (Soundtrack) (New West Records, 2010)
(Produced by T Bone Burnett)
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I love the soundtrack. Jeff Bridges, in character as Otis Blake, as a grizzled old, Willie-esque country rebel, perfectly taps into the low-key vibe of the indie-oriented Texas scene -- if you've told me his tracks had been recorded by someone like Tommy Alverson or Gary P. Nunn, I would have totally believed it. "Fallin' & Flyin'," his character's theme song, is a great tune: co-written by Gary Nicholson and the late Steve Bruton, it practically sings itself, it's the kind of country song that you'll be singing along with by the end of the first time you hear it (which is my personal standard for what makes a country song great...) There are also some oldies in the mix -- Buck Owens, Lightning Hopkins, The Louvin Brothers -- and when I first heard 'em I thought, uh-oh, is this going to be just another mish-mashy oldies-laden soundtrack? But the classic tracks help set up and perfectly compliment the new, original material... After a while, I just decided this was the mix-tape that Otis might have punched up on his tour bus, singing and drinking along as the power lines whiz by... Which brings me to my last point: I can personally attest that this is a great record to play while driving... So roll down the windows and crank 'er up... This is the real stuff.

Various Artists "THE DAFFAN RECORDS STORY" (Bear Family Records, 1995)
Singer Ted Daffan is best known for his 1940s hit, "Born To Lose." Here we have the output of his indie label, which he started in 1955 and ran until 1971. It's a pretty uneven offering, with songs by oldtimers such as Floyd Tillman and Jerry Irby, as well as a couple of Laura Lee tracks. Fans of small-label obscuro country may enjoy this 2-CD set, but the truly engaging moments are infrequent, at best.

Various Artists "THE DECCA 5000 SERIES: CLASSIC COUNTRY MUSIC" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE AND HILLBILLY MUSIC: 1945" (Bear Family Records, 2008)
This is a great series for anyone looking to explore the best of hillbilly music from the best years -- the late 1940s before things got too slick. Each volume highlights songs from a particular year, with big hits as well as goofy tunes that were a little bit farther off the radar. This first volume is a doozy, with classics such as "That's All" by Merle Travis, Eddy Arnold's original version of "Cattle Call," "Oklahoma Hills" by Jack Guthrie, Jerry Irby's awesome "Nails In My Coffin," and some classic material by Gene Autry, Spade Cooley, Al Dexter, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills. Heck, yeah. If you're not familiar with this era of country music, jump in! And if you're new to the Bear Family label, this is a great way to meet them as well -- great music from people who know how to treat great music right.

Various Artists "DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE AND HILLBILLY MUSIC: 1946" (Bear Family Records, 2008)

Various Artists "DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE AND HILLBILLY MUSIC: 1947" (Bear Family Records, 2008)

Various Artists "DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE AND HILLBILLY MUSIC: 1948" (Bear Family Records, 2008)

Various Artists "DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE AND HILLBILLY MUSIC: 1949" (Bear Family Records, 2008)

Various Artists "DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE AND HILLBILLY MUSIC: 1950" (Bear Family Records, 2008)

Various Artists "DRESSED IN BLACK" (Dualtone Records, 2002)
This sort-of-alt tribute to Johnny Cash, aka The Man In Black, features his onetime son-in-law Rodney Crowell on a fine version of the cornball classic "Teenage Queen," as well as a slew of eminently talented twangsters. Other artists include Dale Watson, Robbie Fulks, Rosie Flores, Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, as well as the album's producer, Chuck Mead, one of the songwriters in BR549. For the most part, these folks play it pretty close to the vest, straying only slightly from the template Cash laid down all those decades ago. The song selection is also fairly standard-issue, although there are a couple of surprising choices, such as the frankly erotic "Flesh And Blood," covered here by Chris Knight, who digs right into the smoldering heart of the lyrics. High marks also go to Merle Haggard's old guitarist Redd Volkaert, who cuts loose on "Luther Played The Boogie," and to crooner Raul Malo, who has a good time with the mopey "I Guess Things Happen That Way." For the most part this disc holds few revelations, but if you love these songs already, these reverential new versions sound just dandy.

Various Artists "EARLY COUNTRY ROCK FROM NASHVILLE" (T-Bird Records, 2010)
First things first: the "country rock" part of the title is pretty misleading, since these early '60s recordings (cut for the uber-indie Spar label) feature a lot of latter-day rockabilly and oldies-rock sounds as well as some decent Bakersfield Sound-styled numbers and numerous uptempo novelty songs, but it's all pretty standard-issue country, hardly the cosmic-cowboy hippie-tinged stuff we identify with the "country rock" sound of the late '60s and '70s. That being said, this is still a valuable historical collection profiling a smaller Nashville label whose lineup was mostly made up of obscure non-stars -- the only names I recognize off the bat are those of Jerry Foster and singer Bobby Russell, and while I relish obscure artists as much as any other crazy record collector, I gotta say a lot of these tracks are pretty mediocre. There's a lot of noteworthy talent behind the scenes, though: studio musicians such as Lloyd Green, Mac Gayden, Kenny Buttrey, Wayne Moss and Pete Drake were heard on zillions of 'Sixties sessions, including on countless albums that did help shape the experimental country-rock sound of the era. This disc is worth checking out, just don't set your hopes too high.

Various Artists "ENGINE NUMBER NINE/DANG ME" (Crown Records, 1964) (LP)
Like many releases on the el-cheapo Crown label, this LP flashily emblazoned covers of current hits as bait to lure in record buyers -- in this case it was a couple of Roger Miller songs, sung by a guy who was probably pretending to be a worse singer than he actually was, in imitation of Miller's own goofball style. The rest of the tracks are a hodgepodge of recordings hauled out of various vaults, most of which are obviously of much older vintage than the early-'60s title tracks. There's some hot rockabilly/country boogie stuff, gallumphing honkytonk and western swing and even a sizzling version of the Hawaiian guitar classic, "Hilo March." None of the artists are identified (although I'm sure there are uber-twangster scholar types that have figured it all out...) but pretty much every track on here is a gem. The sound quality is lamentably bad, probably as much a result of the mastering as the cheap pressing, though in some ways the flattened sound quality makes this feel like a gritty live set played on maxed-out amps in some roadside bar. (I can dream, can't I?) Anyway, some fun stuff here -- can't judge a book, and all that!

Various Artists "FIFTY YEARS OF COUNTRY MUSIC FROM MERCURY" (Mercury Records, 1995)
A mighty fine 3-CD box set, badly in need of being brought back in print. The Mercury label was a bit of a latecomer in the industry, and always had an odd-man-out quality in relation to the other majors. Countrywise, Mercury had some major country stars signed at one time or another -- Flatt & Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers, George Jones and Faron Young, then later on folks like Tom T. Hall, Johnny Rodriguez and the Statler Brothers -- but it was the lesser-known also-rans that really make Mercury a cult favorite of country collectors. The brilliance of this box set is that it spends the first two discs profiling dozens of artists that practically no one remembers even vaguely anymore, folks such as The Carlisles, Connie Hall, Bill Nettles, Lonnie Glosson, James O'Gwynn and others. The tilt towards the obscure is due to writer Colin Escott running the show -- even while looking at the later records by celeb artists, he has a knack for picking weird selections, for example, Johnny Cash's apocalyptic 1990 religious number, "Goin' By The Book," or for drawing the connection between postwar hillbilly music and early rock'n'roll. It's the old stuff that's super cool here, though: skip Disc Three (the stuff from the '80s and '90s) and this set's a doozy. Great liner notes, too. It's definitely worth tracking down an old used copy.

Various Artists "A GIRL NAMED JOHNNY CASH AND OTHER TRIBUTE SONGS" (Bear Family Records, 2010)
Until hip-hop music came along, no other genre had such a high density of self-referential namechecking as country: them hillbillies love to talk about their neighbors and honoring tradition. This 18-song compilation (short by Bear Family standards) has some fun stuff on it, various artists singing about various other artists, but as someone who's been keeping lists of these songs-about-country-stars, I gotta say, there's a bunch of other stuff that would have been fun to include here as well. Actually, I guess that's okay, because it means there's still room for crazy, obsessive record collectors to strut their stuff. Almost half the album is taken up by Stoney Edwards' numerous tribute songs; also on here are Merle Haggard, Gordon Terry, Ernest Tubb, Mac Wiseman, paying homage to Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves and others. Jane Morgan, the lone gal artist in this set, sings the title track. Overall, I'd say this is a fun collection, but by Bear Family's high standards, kind of a missed opportunity.

Various Artists "THE GOLDEN AGE OF COUNTRY MUSIC" (Binge Disc, 2005)
Another gem from the German-based Binge Disc label... This set features two unknowns, Curly Daulton and Leroy Jenkins, along with a quartet of early recordings from the husband-wife team of Joe and Rose Lee Maphis... Daulton, about whom apparently nothing is known, recorded at least a dozen tracks for Columbia in 1952-53. He was an aspiring country crooner, sounding like Eddy Arnold on several songs, and quite a bit like Marty Robbins on others (Robbins hadn't quite "hit" yet, however, so Daulton can't really be called Robbins wannabee...) Leroy Jenkins was a blind songwriter and performer whose style was much more rugged and earthy, an interesting mix of honkytonk and old-timey hillbilly music... Quite striking! The label speculates that the four songs on here from the Maphises were their first recordings as a duo, singles for the Lariat label that got them the attention of Okeh and Columbia Records... They do sound a bit thinner and less confident than their later work... But still mighty fine! As always, this Binge disc release is a winner! Lots of great tunes and super-obscure gems. Recommended!

Various Artists "GOOD FOR WHAT AILS YOU -- MUSIC OF THE MEDICINE SHOWS: 1926-1937" (Old Hat Records, 2005)
This one's a real doozy -- in fact, it's probably the single most impressive, historically important Americana/old-timey albums to come out in the last few years. This 2-CD set, complete with lavish, cogent liner notes and a handsomely booklet packed with archival images, features some truly amazing material, the novelty songs, oddball ramblings and outright showstoppers that made up the repertoire of the traveling patent medicine shows of the late 1800s and early 20th Century. The medicine shows served as a major entertainment venues in the rural South and Midwest, with countless artists doing everything they could to hold audiences in their thrall just long enough to get the rubes to buy some of the dubious elixirs presented for sale. Thus, the songs that they played were endlessly entertaining and diverting, and the instrumental approaches they used were as unorthodox as they were delightful. This collection features dozens of rare vintage recordings made in the 1920s and '30s, when the medicine shows were in their last gasps... The material is way off the beaten track -- even diehard fans of the "old-time" music scene or old-fashioned acoustic blues will be delighted to find so many songs they'd never heard before, like Walter Smith's "Bald Headed End Of The Broom," Chris Bouchillon's "Born In Hard Luck," "Beans," by Beans Hambone and El Marrow, "The Cat's Got The Measles, The Dog's Got The Whooping Cough" (also by Walter Smith), or "Shout You Cats," by Hezekiah Jenkins. To be sure, there are numerous tracks by relatively well-known artists -- Charlie Poole, Gid Tanner, Pink Anderson, et al., but this set places these odd old songs in their proper context, as vibrant remnants of the old traveling "med shows" and the minstrel shows that preceded them... The material is often ribald and politically incorrect, as well as musically and thematically riveting, and endlessly surprising. The pacing of each disc is flawless, the sound quality's great, the liner notes are cogent and very informative... So what are you waiting for? This is one of the best records of the year, by far.

Various Artists "GREETINGS FROM ALABAMA, THE HEART OF DIXIE" (Bear Family Records, 2004)
Bear Family's loopy series of travelogue compilations continues with this entry from the home state of Hank Williams... It's actually not the strongest disc in this series, but it still has some gems, and gathers classics such as "Alabama" by the Louvin Brothers alongside rockabilly, hillbilly and country-folk rarities, all singing the praise of "the Heart of Dixie." The inclusion of two tunes by jump blues bandleader Louis Jordan seems a little incongruous (although there is also a strong strain of Dixieland and minstrel-show blues in many songs, a hangover, no doubt, from the Depression-era success of "Alabamy Bound...") One big disappointment is that they don't include the Lynyrd Skynyrd original recording of "Sweet Home Alabama," opting instead for a gooier version by... you guessed it... Alabama. It's also too bad they didn't include "Boulder To Birmingham," by native Alabamian Emmylou Harris... I imagine those two songs were a little too expensive to get the rights for, but it still woulda been nice to hear them here. Anyway, this set is okay, but others in this same series are much stronger.

Various Artists "GREETINGS FROM GEORGIA -- THE PEACH STATE" (Bear Family Records, 2004)
Perhaps the weakest disc to date in this curious, geographically-themed country series... Using non-hick stuff like Frankie Laine's version of "Georgia On My Mind" and Dean Martin "Watermelon Time In Georgia,' or Jim & Jesse's stilted take on "Sweet Georgia Brown" was an unfortunate way to start things off (c'mon... aren't there like a zillion great western swing versions of "Sweet Georgia Brown" that could have been used instead??) In general, the material on this album tends towards the slower, folkier end of the production spectrum., and lacks a lot of the zip and punch that other albums in this series display... There are a few oddities and rarities here, notably Carl Mann's socially-themed "Marching Through Georgia," although overall I wasn't wowed by the musical end of this one...

Various Artists "GREETINGS FROM HAWAII -- THE ALOHA STATE" (Bear Family Records, 2004)
A swell set of Hawaiianized hillbilly music! What with introducing the slide guitar into the American musical palate and all, Hawaiian music has had a profound influence on the development of country music, and Hawaiian-themed novelty songs have a long history in the hillbilly tradition. This is a fun, frolicking set of island-themed country exotica, with hillbilly hulas from everybody ranging from Skeets McDonald and Cecil Campbell to Hank Locklin, Rex Allen and the Sons Of The Pioneers. Certain artists such as Hank Snow and Marty Robbins, who had longstanding fascinations with Hawaiian-style melodies, have several songs on here, alongside one-off oddities by the likes of jazz singer Teresa Brewer ("Lula Rock A Hula") and rockers Bill Haley ("Me Rock A-Hula") and Buddy Knox ("Hula Love"). Many of these are songs that have appeared elsewhere, but it's kinda fun to have them all together in one place, so you can kick back and dream of the old cattle drives by the ocean's edge. Recommended!

Various Artists "GREETINGS FROM OKLAHOMA, THE SOONER STATE" (Bear Family Records, 2004)
This collection is a real humdinger, packed with fun, rollicking songs (and several oddball entries) in praise of that great American oilslick known as Oklahoma. Now, to be honest, Oklahoma is hardly the most glamorous state in the union... I grew up nearby, in Kansas, and I know how much other folks make fun of ol' Oklahoma... So, if you live there and you're gonna be all proud about it, chances are you're gonna be really proud, and if anyone tells you that your state is a total dump, you're likely to haul off and pop 'em one in the snoot. And sure enough, that same defiant, unreasonably patriotic Panhandle pride comes through loud and clear. It helps that western swing partly started in Oklahoma, and that some really great country classics have been written about the Sooner State, tunes like Jack Guthrie's "Oklahoma Hills" and "Okie Boogie," "Take Me Back To Tulsa" by Bob Wills and -- of course -- Merle Haggard's "Okie From Muskogee." But what makes this disc a real must-have are the weird, rare songs, such as "Oklahoma's OK," by Bobby Barnett and Charlie Walker's "Moffet, Oklahoma," which are so kooky and so obviously an expression of pure provincial pride that they're bound to bring a smile to your face, whether you grew up there or not. This is one of the strongest entries in this series so far... Definitely worth tracking down!

\ Various Artists "GREETINGS FROM TEXAS -- THE LONE STAR STATE" (Bear Family Records, 2004)
Well, it's true, they don't do things small in Texas, and one of the things they do "big" is recording jovial, regionally-themed novelty songs. This disc is packed with 'em, and if you're a Texas fan, you'll definitely want to pick this one up. Asleep At The Wheel, Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Bob Wills, Tex Williams and a slew of other legitimately legendary country stars are included here, and the songs are all really fun. Recommended!

Various Artists "GROOVING WITH THE GRIM REAPER" (Jasmine Records, 2013)
Just in time for Halloween comes this spooky 2-CD set of country, pop and rock'n'roll oldies from 1954-62, an era known for its exuberantly shameless novelty songs. This mixes murder ballads, morbid teen tragedy songs and even a few pop culture memorials, like Mike Berry's "Tribute To Buddy Holly." From the country side of the tracks come tracks by Ferlin Husky ("The Drunken Driver"), Rex Allen, a couple by Marty Robbins ("Big Iron" and "El Paso") and an excellent melodramatic weeper from the Stanley Brothers ("No School Bus In Heaven"). The pop and rockabilly folks had a real field day with the tragedy song genre, and this is packed with gems such as Lee Hazelwood's "Girl On Death Row," "Car Crash" by the Cadets, Billy Fury's "Don't Jump" and "I'm Gonna Kill Myself" by Buddy Knox. And of course the collection closes with the hit that put the last nail on the coffin of the fad, Bob Luman's forcefully cheerful "Let's Think About Living," which is a fine antidote to all the glorious gloom and doom that precedes it. This is a fun collection, and a great slice of pre-Beatles pop culture... So good, it's scary!

Various Artists "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUCK: A TEXAS SALUTE TO BUCK OWENS" (Texas Round-Up Records, 2002)
An all-star twagadelic tribute to the late Buck Owens, with musicians such as David Ball, Libbi Bosworth, Rodney Crowell, Cornell Hurd, Jim Lauderdale, The South Austin Jug Band and the Derailers (who backed Owens in his later years at his ginormous Bakersfield nightclub, the Crystal Palace...) About as rootsy and Buckalicious a compilation as you're likely to find!

Various Artists "HEADING BACK TO HOUSTON - TEXAS C&W: 1950-1951"
Loping, slower Texas honkytonk made in the long, thin shadow of Hank Williams. These tracks were originally made for the Houston, Texas independent label, Freedom Records. Plenty of obscure singers, but all topnotch material. Only a few tracks are overt Hank imitations; other tracks include hip, jazzy Hank Penny-ish bounces, maudlin drink-a-beer weepers and Bob Wills-y blues tunes, and a brace of cheerful novelty songs. The most tantalizing glimpses include one track by Tex Owens daughter, Laura Lee, and a couple by the adenoidal Little Tommy Sands, who went on to become a teen singer on RCA and Capitol. This album includes great liner notes, with a slightly more readable layout than other Interstate releases. Highly recommended!

Various Artists "HILLBILLY BOP, BOOGIE, AND THE HONKY TONK BLUES, v.4: 1956-57" (Jasmine Records, 2011)
Another groovy entry in this fine series of raspy, unruly hillbilly oldies, packed with little-known tracks by obscure country artists working in the rowdy rock'n'roll era. If you're like me, this'll be high-grade collector catnip!

Various Artists "HILLBILLY BOP, BOOGIE AND THE HONKYTONK BLUES: V.5" (Jasmine Records, 2012)

Various Artists "HILLBILLY HOT ROD AND AUTOMOBILE SONGS" (Jasmine Records, 2006)
Start your engines...! This is a mighty fine set of obscure old country novelty songs... Sure, there are about a half dozen too many "answer songs" based on Arkie Sibley's epochal "Hot Rod Race," but with other far-fetched oddities with titles like "The Battery To My Heart," "No Parking Here," "Service Station Blues," "I'm Trading You In On A Later Model" and "She Won't Turn Over For Me," this disc has more than enough to offer devoted fans of real, live postwar hillbilly music. Lots of fun!

Various Artists "HISTORICAL JEWELS BY VARIOUS FEMALE COUNTRY ARTISTS" (Binge Disc/Bronco Buster Records)
A great collection, although many of these gal-singer rarities are more interesting as cultural kitsch than as musical treasures. Many of these artists were legitimate second-stringers, although of course we have to take into account the limited role of women as solo artists in the pre-Kitty Wells days. But even the most vocally challenged, such as Chickie Williams or Joan Brooks, have their charms. And Bonnie Lou, captured in an early performance around 1949, has a rural brusqueness to rival Melba Montgomery's -- the sort of Okie curl that Nashville has spent decades trying to expunge from country music... it's nice to be able to hear country's hick roots preserved so well. Plus, this is a pretty convenient place to find the great classic "girl singer" cowboy song, the vaguely fetishistic "I Wanna Be A Real Cowboy Girl," recorded in 1935 by the Girls of The Golden West, along with some Patsy Montana cowgirl stuff, easily some of the cutest music ever recorded. There are also some unexpected, unknown gems like the peppy "The Moon Shines Still On The Moonshine Still," by Judy Perkins... Minnie Pearl's "joke" singing I can live without, but for anyone curious about women in country music history, this disc is a must.

Various Artists "JITTERBUG JIVE - HOT TEXAS SWING: 1940-1941" (Krazy Kat Records)
More great stuff-- obscuro western swing with a heavy dose of Cab Calloway-ish bounce. Taken from pre-war sessions on RCA's Bluebird subsidiary, this disc features a slew of famous Texas country players, such as Leon Payne, Moon Mullican and Cliff Bruner. On these sessions, though, they were recording in anonymous, now-forgotten bands, such as the Modern Mountaineers, the Village Boys, etc. Highly recommended -- another kickass Krazy Kat collection!

Various Artists "KICKIN' THE HILLBILLY" (Collector Records, 2003)
Great set of hardcore hillbilly rarities, with a few obscure singles by well-known artists such as Dave Dudley and Riley Crabtree, but mostly these are super-obscuro artists, and the material is golden. Some fun uptempo songs and a few self-pitying weepers that are nice, too. This particular volume includes a lot of songs with financial themes -- "Checkbook Baby," "Money In Your Eyes," "The High Cost Of Living," etc. -- Fun stuff, great sound quality... Highly recommended!

Various Artists "KINDRED SPIRITS" (Columbia Records, 2002)
Well, here's the big surprise of 2002: with two competing Johnny Cash tributes coming out within a week of each other (this and the DRESSED IN BLACK album above...), it turns out that the major-label, packed-with-commercial-stars tribute is by far the better of the two. The reason why is that finally, for once, someone pays homage to Cash without simply aping his style and sound to a "T." Almost all of the songs on here take a markedly new approach to all the same old songs. Cash's trademark slap bass is left behind in favor of languid, drifting rhythms, and instrumental touches that Cash himself would rarely (if ever) approach, such as slide guitars and keyboards, dominate the album, creating entirely original takes on a dozen+ Cash classics. The album opens up with Dwight Yoakam's expansive reinterpretation of "Understand Your Man," followed by a mournful version of "I Still Miss Someone," by Johnny's daughter, Rosanne Cash. Other surprises include neo-Southern rocker Travis Tritt's authoritative reading of "I Walk The Line," here taken as a mellow, super-slow ballad, and blues picker Keb Mo's haunting and similarly slow version of "Folsom Prison Blues." Bob Dylan sings "Train Of Love," one of his own songs that Cash covered back in the politically polarized '60s, acknowledges Cash's open-minded approach to music making in a brief but heartfelt introduction. A couple of artists, like Hank Williams Jr. and Steve Earle, fail to surprise us, and an Emmylou Harris/Mary Chapin Carpenter/Sheryl Crow team-up on "Flesh and Blood" sounds perky and bland on a song that is deeply, smolderingly erotic. On balance, though, this is the Cash tribute album we've all been waiting years for -- respectful, but adventuresome, giving Cash's work new resonance and depth, teasing out nuances that were easy to miss in Cash's rollicking original performances. Check it out!

Various Artists "KSTP SUNSET VALLEY BARNDANCE" (BACM, 2005)
This collection features the work of three acts heard on radio station KSTP's "Sunset Valley Barndance," the duos of Al & Hank and Frank & Esther, and Chuck Mulkern...

Various Artists "THE LIFE OF JIMMIE RODGERS" (Binge Disc/Bronco Buster)

Various Artists "LYNN RUSSWURM'S CANADIAN COUNTRY, v.1" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "LYNN RUSSWURM'S CANADIAN COUNTRY, v.2" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "MEET THE PEARLS" (Bear Family Records, 2012)
A sampler of Bear Family's fab "Juke Box Pearls" series, which focusses on female country artists... Several of these gals have been the subject of earlier Bear Family reissues, like Charline Arthur, Anita Carter, the Davis Sisters, Rose Maddox and Janis Martin, while others are just now getting their day in the spotlight, such as Myrna Lorrie, Laura Lee Perkins and Mimi Roman. I'm psyched to see Margie Singleton on here as well, although so far no solo CD for her work yet. And still no Melba Montgomery collection? Come on, Bear Family: I'm counting on you! The world needs more Melba!

Various Artists "MEMORIES OF RENFRO VALLEY" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "MEMPHIS BELLES: THE WOMEN OF SUN RECORDS" (Bear Family Records, 2002)
This is an amazing and historically significant 6-CD set that gathers together all the songs ever recorded by female artists on the legendary Sun Records label during its brief and glorious reign in the early years of rock'n'roll. To be honest, these are mostly marginal performances, demo-y sessions from a flock of gals of variable talent, with material ranging from triplet-heavy pop vocals and proto-girl group weepers to awkward hillbilly numbers and a surprisingly solid cache of little-known blues sides. There was very little of the raw rockabilly that the label's male artists made so famous -- if you're looking for some obscure, unremembered Janis Martin or Wanda Jackson type, this set will come as a bit of a letdown. But as a glimpse into the creative process at Sun, hearing their house bands back up the gals is a pretty fascinating exercise -- and there are certainly several gems scattered throughout the collection. (These tunes could probably be condensed down to a single-disc set that would still have a mediocre air about it, but would give more bang for the buck. But then the authoritative, archival quality of the collection would be lost, and that would be a shame.) There are tantalizing glimpses of lost opportunities: some of the most promising rockers never really got a fair shot, gals like Gloria Brady, who apparently only got to record a handful of demos, but never waxed a proper single. Jerry Lee Lewis's little sister, Linda Gail Lewis emerges clearly ahead of the pack with a couple of ripsnorters, but really it's the forlorn, amateur-hour quality that makes many of these tracks so charming, and the clear emulation of other artists, particularly the heavy presence of Dinah Washington hovering over the robust vocals on the fourth disc, "Blues," and the taunting awareness of how much more vibrant --and more successful -- the sides recorded by the boys had been. The packaging of this set should also be noted... What the box set lacks in musical punch, it more than makes up for in scholarship and presentation -- the enclosed squarebound booklet is an impressive coffee table collection, with copious liner notes and archival photos and extensive biographical entries for each of the artists. These gals might not have shaken up the world with their chart action, but they still occupy a unique and significant place in the heart of American popular culture, and this box set certainly does their legacy up right. If you're a 'Fifties rock or pop music fan, it's certainly worth checking this set out.

Various Artists "MIRTH, MUSIC & MOONSHINE: OLD TIME COMEDY, TUNES AND SONGS"" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "NASHVILLE, 1928" (Document Records, 1998)
Nashville, Tennessee wasn't always "Music City," the national center of American country music -- that reputation was cemented in the 1940s -- but there was always plenty of hick music to be heard there, as this feisty collection shows. These pre-Depression recordings capture a nice variety of hillbilly music, from the craggy old-timey songs of the Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers to the spry fiddle instrumentals of Theron Hale & Daughters and the squeaky harmonica-banjo tunes of the Crook Brothers String Band... A nice selection of idiosyncratic mountain music from the pre-bluegrass, pre-honkytonk era.

Various Artists "THE OKEH LABEL: CLASSIC OLD TIME MUSIC" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "OLD-TIME MOUNTAIN BLUES: RURAL CLASSICS: 1927-1937" (County Records, 2003)
An outstanding set of hillbilly blues from the Depression era, including relatively well-known figures such as Dock Boggs, Sam McGee and Cliff Carlisle, as well as a slew of more obscure (but no less fantastic) rural pickers. The spirit of Jimmie Rodgers looms large over this collection; folks who dig the Delmore Brothers will appreciate this compilation, as it digs deeper into the tradition that they came out of... Great song selection and sound quality... This disc is a class act!

Various Artists "OLD-TIME TEXAS STRING BANDS, v.1: TEXAS FAREWELL" (County Records, 2001)
If you like squeaky fiddles -- and I mean really like really squeaky fiddles, then this collection is for you. Dunno what it was about them Lone Star fellers, but they did seem to love super-squeaky fiddlin', or at least they did back in 1928-29, when these old recordings were first waxed. The best-known player on here is the venerable Eck Robertson, but you may find yourself entranced by less well-known artists such as the Red Headed Fiddlers band, whose version of "Cheat 'Em" is an album standout, along with the "Three-In-One Two Step," by the East Texas Serenaders. The performances on here are uniformly archaic and perhaps a bit inaccessible for folks who are not already deeply into the old-time fiddle traditions... But for folks who are into it, this is a treasure trove.

Various Artists "OLD-TIME TEXAS STRING BANDS -- v.2: DALLAS BOUND" (County Records, 2001)

Various Artists "OPRY VIDEO CLASSICS" (DVD) (Time-Life, 2007)
Wow. What can I say? If you're into old-school country, real country, cool country, the best that Nashville had to offer in the 1950s and '60s, then this 7-disc DVD collection was made for you. It's a class act from start to finish, gathering 105 vintage video clips culled from a series of TV shows related to the Grand Ole Opry (with different corporate sponsors from year to year...) Although the smoothies and crooners of the Nashville Sound are well-represented, this collection digs amazingly deep into country's real past, bringing back vibrant images of craggy, rough-hewn hillbilly artists who wouldn't stand a chance in today's well-groomed, image-obsessed entertainment industry. Stars such as Jean Shepard, Hank Snow, Porter Wagoner and Kitty Wells -- heck, even icons like Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn -- they all have that weather-bitten look of folks who have real country roots and have seen their fair share of hard times. The songs are great, the musicianship and showmanship are stellar, and the glimpses into the changing tides of the country scene are fascinating. Although it's all below the surface, you can sense how many artists, particularly in the mid-'60s segments, were already relics, which makes their performances even sweeter and more precious. Big stars like Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, Tammy Wynette and Faron Young sing some of their biggest hits, exuding professionalism and confidence, while some of the then-newcomers show surprising flashes of humanity: Porter Wagoner's goofy exuberance in an early TV appearance (contrasted by his masterful command of the medium a few years later), Donna Fargo rushing through the sexually suggestive parts of "Happiest Girl," Jeannie Seely's discomfort with an awkward sexist joke from an oily emcee, Bill Anderson's desperate eagerness to please, Willie Nelson in 1965, chafing at a flat, hurried arrangement that crushes his jazzy phrasing, Loretta Lynn's explosive power in '68 and all of Dolly Parton's electrifying performances. Then there are the dazzling moments: Johnny Cash's impassioned version of the gospel oldie, "Were You There"; Grandpa Jones's live-wire attack during his fifty-zillionth performance of "Good Old Mountain Dew"; and fans of the Louvin Brother's will delight at seeing them in 1956, singing their hearts out on "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby." There are a lot of show-stoppers in this collection, and the sheer force of the collective charisma is stunning. Folks in the know will get a kick out of all the supporting players, as well -- Weldon Myrick, Floyd Cramer, every sideman you can think of filling out the studio bands, old-timers like Bashful Brother Oswald (backing Roy Acuff) and future newgrassers Richard Greene and Peter Rowan lurking in Bill Monroe's band... This set really is a historical treasure trove, with high-quality prints and beautiful sound quality... Again -- what can I say? This is an awesome archival collection, a must-have for historically-minded country fans! (Available directly through Time-Life.com; also available as individually-packaged single-disc sets...)

Various Artists "THE OTHER SIDE OF BAKERSFIELD, v.1" (Bear Family Records, 2014)
This swell two-volume set explores the rockabilly and "hillbilly bop" side of the Bakersfield/West Coast country sound, with tracks by well-known country artists such as Tommy Collins, Buck Owens and Tommy Duncan rubbing shoulders with little-known and dimly remembered locals such as Cliff Crofford, Alvadean Coker and Bill Woods. (Who?? Yeah: exactly!!) Curated by Bakersfield buff Scott Bomar, these discs are an obscuraholic's dream, digging deep into the Oakie/Arkie rural roots of the Central Valley's country scene; the beer-soaked honkytonk style of the 'Forties giving way to a raunchier, sweatier rock vibe. There are some great guitar riffs backed by thumping backbeats, giving fans a fuller picture of the sizzling musical stew that spawned Buck Owens' own Fender-friendly musical vision. Hillbilly and rockabilly fans alike will wanna pick these discs up, and not just for those old "Corky Jones" singles.

Various Artists "THE OTHER SIDE OF BAKERSFIELD, v.2" (Bear Family Records, 2014)
Although there are still a bunch of random unknowns on here -- folks like Al Hendrix, Lynn Billingsly, Larry Bryant and Lawton Jiles -- this second set seems more front-loaded with established artists trying their hands at this newfangled, greasy kids' stuff called rock'n'roll. Even future super-squares like Ferlin Husky were able to let their hair down on funky, uptempo early singles like "I Feel Better All Over," while honky-tonk veteran Johnny Bond sizzles through an amazingly robust rocker called "Three Or Four Nights." There was no shortage of hot rock'n'roll pickers available to back up country singers who wanted to plug in and go electric -- take for example Larry Thornton backing the suave western swing vocalist Tommy Duncan on the jazzy "I'll Be There Next Sunday," which is another album highlight. All told, this is particularly potent, generously programmed reissue disc, backed up with all the authoritative weight of Bear Family's fabled archival info... Highly recommended.

Various Artists "THE PANACHORD LABEL: EARLY COUNTRY MUSIC ON PANACHORD" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "PLAYBOY BOOGIE" (Krazy Kat Records, 2001)
Another one of the Krazy Kat gems, this time drawn from the catalog of Star-Talent Records, a teeny-tiny Dallas, Texas label that floated around the peripheries of the vibrant Big D Jamboree radio show in the late '40s and early '50s. The sound quality on most of these ancient recordings is fairly rough, but the material is priceless, capturing the rough-hewn, jovial mood of the early 'Fifties honkytonk crowd. As implied by the title, there's a bluesy streak throughout this disc, as well as a strong (but effective) penchant for novelty tunes. Most of the artists are real nonentities (which makes discovering them even more enjoyable) but the Talent label also had a few hits, notably by Riley Crabtree and Hoyle Nix. What marks this disc, though, is the sheer goofy fun of the songs -- it's well-programmed and very listenable. Recommended!

Various Artists "ROCK AND ROLL -- COUNTRY STYLE" (Collector Records, 2010)
A rock-solid, super-zingy obscuro-billy set with kooky stuff from the 1950s (...and '60s?) by a host of artists that nobody has ever heard of... I love this kind of stuff, and this particular album is a real standout. There are only a smattering of artists I knew of beforehand... Rose Maddox, Autry Inman, Jess Willard, Boots Faye... and the rest are all glorious nobodies, lively also-rans from the indie era of the early rock'n'roll era. The album title is misleading, since there's very little on here that could be characterized as "rock" music, but there sure is a lot of energy and a bunch of delightfully nutty, unusual songs. Another coup for the Boppin' Hillbilly series... definitely worth picking up!

Various Artists "THE ROSE AND THE BRIAR: DEATH, LOVE AND LIBERTY IN THE AMERICAN BALLAD" (Columbia Records, 2004)
Music critic Greil Marcus delves into the history of the American ballad, tracing the roots of Anglo-Celtic murder ballads and all-American disaster songs such as the "Omie Wise," "Barbara Allen," "Wreck Of The Old 97," etc. This album is a companion disc to a new set of essays by the same title, illuminating the use of story-songs in American popular culture. Although the album does have the overall feel of a college radio theme set that's gone on a little too long, it's still amazing how potent and immediate these old songs still seem. Marcus's selections are for the most part superior choices, particularly tracks by the Coon Creek Girls, Jean Ritchie, Mississippi John Hurt and a particularly haunting tune by Jelly Roll Morton ("Buddy Bolden's Blues"). The "through-line," as they say, is that these are all songs that tell a story, including many historical narratives and others that were tales floating around in the more general folk aether... There are also several songs that are interesting updates or re-contexualizations of old themes, and many of these leap out with surprising immediacy inside Marcus's intellectual framework. Among these newer songs are Jan & Dean's "Dead Man's Curve," a surf-teen tune that takes the disaster-accident theme and moves it into modern-day LA, Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska," Marty Robbins's still-compelling "El Paso," and -- most masterfully -- Bob Dylan's "Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts," a song that was explicitly crafted as a reworking of old folk themes. Some of the selections seem a bit forced -- Bobby Patterson's soul version of "Trial Of Mary McGuire," a Duke Ellington opus -- but perhaps if I pick up the book, the reasoning behind their inclusion will become much clearer. At any rate, this is mostly a pretty cool collection.

Various Artists "SHOULD HAVE BEEN HITS" (Koch/Little Darlin' Records, 2005)
A fun, funky set of obscuro recordings, drawn from the bottom drawers of the dusty file cabinets at Aubrey Mayhew's long-defunct indie label, Little Darlin'. These artists are all super-nobodies -- Dugg Collins, The Herbert Brothers, Joe Pain, Eddie Reday? Yeah, right. Of course, that's the attraction here: this is stuff that's way off the Nashville radar, and while some of it's pretty weak, a lot of it is great. There's some rough and rugged hillbilly boogie (on the 1953 cut "Hot Rod Race, Navy Style," which features a young Roy Clark on guitar), plenty of mopey, boozy jukebox honkytonk from the '60s and '70s, some great novelty songs (notably "Problem Solving Doctor" by Roy Weldon and the fabulous, Tommy Collins-styled "Too Light To Fight, Too Thin To Win," by Lee Howell. There's also some lame stuff, like Merv Shiner's belated attempt to imitate Marty Robbins, alongside truly surprising material like Larry Steele's civil rights anthem, "Why Don't They Want Me..." Chances are you are never going to hear any of this stuff on the radio or Internet any time soon, and that this disc won't be around all that long, either... So if you dig oddball, obscure material, snap this one up. It's a country keeper.

Various Artists "SOPPIN' UP THE GRAVY, v.1: A TASTE OF KING" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "SOPPIN' UP THE GRAVY, v.2: 4 STAR ROUNDUP" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "SOUTHEASTERN SWING BANDS: COMPLETE RECORDINGS" (BACM, 2005)
This set features rare singles from three little-known bands: the Swing Billies, the Hi Neighbor Boys, and Herald Goodman & his Tennessee Valley Boys (about half of whose recordings were gospel songs...) Haven't heard it yet, but I look forward to checking it out someday!

Various Artists "SOUTH OF THE BORDER" (BACM, 2005)
A slew of Mexican and Spanish-themed oldies from folks like Johnny Bond, Jim Reeves, Hank Snow, Bob Wills and a bunch of less well-known cowpunchers. If you like tunes like "El Paso" and "Rhumba Boogie," you're gonna love this collection.

Various Artists "STEELIN' IT: THE STEEL GUITAR STORY" (Proper Records, 2008)
A 4-CD box set exploring the wonders of the steel guitar, in country, blues, and Hawaiian music. The discs are arranged more or less inside each of these genres with some well-known songs and artists as well as some rarer cuts. A good overview of a great, old instrument, all at a bargain basement price.

Records Various Artists "STICKBUDDY JAMBOREE" (Bear Family, 2011)
I do like me some obscuro-country, and this collection of 1950s-'60s rarities from the independent Delta label sure qualifies as obscuro. It's pretty rugged, often sluggish material, and you can see why this Mississippi-based label didn't have many hits, or why there are hardly any artists on here that you've ever heard from. There are a couple of recognizable names: hillbilly twangster Jimmy Swan recorded one of his last singles for Delta, and smoothie Warner Mack made his debut here (a bouncy rockabilly zinger, "I Wanna Play House With You"). There are a few female voices here, always of interest to me, and a handful of novelty gems, such as "Don't Flirt With Me In Public (I'm A Married Man)" by Mac McQuinn and "Black Horse And A Blonde Headed Woman" by Rick Richardson. For the most part, though, this is a little too funky and ultra-obscuro, even for me.

Various Artists "THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF" (Shanachie/Yazoo Records, 2006)
A cool set of blues, gospel, and proto-country rarities from the early days of the record industry, harvested from the 78 RPM libraries of several of the world's old-school uber-collectors, folks who spent their youth in the 1950s and '60s canvassing the South, going door to door asking people if they had any old 78s they'd care to part with... This 2-CD set includes rare material that went unreleased over seventy years ago, and several songs that only exist today in one or two known copies, Holy Grail material found only on precious, whispered-about, highly prized solitary shellac and vinyl copies. Oh, I admit, I was suckered into buying this just because of the R. Crumb cover art -- that, plus the tagline about how this is "The Rosetta Stone Of Record Collecting" made me think this might be like the keeno Crumb-curated That's What I Call Sweet Music jazz collection from a couple of years ago... Other than the artwork, though, I'm not sure how much involvement Crumb has with this project... The provenance of this collection is a little fuzzy, but the dozen or so ubercollectors that contributed include folks like Dave Freeman, Dick Spottswood and Joe Brussard, who have been at this kind of thing for a while. And, boy, do they have some fun stuff! If you like old-timey music and rugged country blues, then this collection will definitely float your boat. It's great stuff. The liner notes are a hoot, too, full of plenty of knowing, self-deprecating jibes at the world of obsesso collector nerds, including a scary article about the Collyer Brothers, a pair of New York nutjob packrats who filled every cubic centimeter of their sprawling, four-story house with tons and tons of crap, bric-a-brac and junk, and actually died inside the labyrinth... That could never happen to me, say all the collector nerds who'll pick this set up... Oh, no. Of course not.

Various Artists "THE SUN COUNTRY BOX: COUNTRY MUSIC RECORDED BY SAM PHILLIPS: 1950-1959" (Bear Family Records, 2013)

Various Artists "THE SUN ROCK BOX: ROCK'N'ROLL RECORDED BY SAM PHILLIPS: 1950-1959" (Bear Family Records, 2013)

Various Artists "SWINGBILLIES: HILLBILLY AND WESTERN SWING ON MODERN/COLONIAL/FLAIR - 1947-52" (Ace Records, 2003)
A fine collection of old-school hillbilly tunes released on the LA-based Modern label (and its affiliate labels, Colonial and Flair). Interesting story here: Modern was a blues and R&B label run by the Bihari brothers -- Saul, Jules, Lester and Joe -- that made a few postwar forays into the country field and, finding it profitable, delved deeper just as the West Coast country scene was beginning to gel in the late 1940s. Included in this raspy, unruly set are the earliest known recordings of steel guitar whiz Jimmy Bryant, Louisiana crooner Jimmy C. Newman, and two tracks by Bakersfield bandleader Bill Woods, whose band acted as the cradle for West Coast bigshots Billy Mize and Buck Owens. Like many of these old-time hillbilly boogie/western swing compilations, this is definitely an acquired taste -- but for connoisseurs, this is a real treat.

Various Artists "SWING WEST! v.1: BAKERSFIELD" (Razor & Tie Records, 1999)
Various Artists "SWING WEST! v.2: GUITAR SLINGERS" (Razor & Tie Records, 1999)
Various Artists "SWING WEST! v.3: WESTERN SWING" (Razor & Tie Records, 1999)

Various Artists "THEY ALL PLAYED FOR US: ARHOOLIE RECORDS 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION" (Arhoolie Records, 2013)
A couple of years ago, the venerable Arhoolie label, one of the finest folkloric/roots-music labels next to Smithsonian-Folkways, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of in-store concerts held at its sister-company, Down Home Music. Now, two years later, they've put out a groovy 4-CD box set that includes vive hours of music from artist such as Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, Peter Rowan, Santiago Jimenez, Jr., Country Joe McDonald and the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, as well as reformed editions of long-lost legendary bands such as the Any Old-Time String Band and the Goodtime Washboard Band. It's a lively, diverse selection that reflects the breadth of Arhoolie's mission and the roster of artists who owe a debt to a label and a record store that for decades have spread the roots music gospel to the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. This collection is a benefit for the Arhoolie Foundation, a nonprofit that was set up to continue the legacy of Arhoolie's founder, folklorist Chris Strachwitz... And if you want, you could buy it through the Down Home Music website and throw some action their way as well.

Various Artists "TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC MAKERS v.2: HILLBILLY HOTSHOTS" (Magnet Publishing, 2002)
Let's hear it for copyright expirations! And for crazy British uber-collectors with lots of time on their hands. This Traditional Country series has soared up into the teens, but I picked up Volume 2 because the goofy song titles and high proportion of unfamiliar musicians made it look right up my alley. A handful of these artists have made it into the orbit of Bear Family and other ground-level labels -- Buddy Jones, Jess Willard, Texas Jim Lewis -- but others, such as Bob Eaton, Graham Bailey, Allen Flatt, etc. are a bit more of the beaten track. This is a nice set of oldies, burned (onto CDR, sorry) off of old 78s with good sound quality, and some of the sonic rough edges intentionally left intact -- no real skips or pops, but a nice, pleasant hiss that makes you feel like you've got the old Victrola cranked up on a Saturday night. This disc may be a little pricey for a CDR, but obscuro-country fans will be mighty happy to hear these odd old tunes. I'm not sure if the mailing address on the disc is accurate, but I bought this volume at Down Home Music and I think you can get other volumes in the series there as well. Recommended!

Various Artists "TREATING HER WRONG: SWEETHEART AND HEARTBREAK SONGS" (Jasmine Records, 2006)
For those of us interested in super-obscure hillbilly singers, and gal singers in particular, this disc is a real goldmine. The Beaver Valley Sweethearts? Betsy Gay? Jenny & Jill? Jeanie Peason? Never heard of 'em. Now, Melisa Monroe was the daughter of bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe and Margie Collie was Floyd Tillman's wife, but I'd never heard of them before, either. Charline Arthur and Helen Carter (of the Carter Family) are the most recognizable names... This isn't an earthshaking set, but it's genuine hillbilly music and the rediscovery of a slew of long-forgotten country gals is always a welcome thing, as far as I'm concerned... Good heart songs and a few surprisingly rough honkytonk numbers as well... Worth checking out!

Various Artists "THE VICTOR LABEL: CLASSIC OLD TIME MUSIC" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "THE VOCALION LABEL: CLASSIC OLD TIME MUSIC" (BACM, 2005)

Various Artists "WANDERER'S SWING - TEXAS DANCE HALL MUSIC" (Krazy Kat Records, 1994)
Another awesome entry in this fab western swing/honkytonk series. If you're lucky, you've already heard of Jerry Irby and Eddie Miller... but Rip Ramsey, Dub Adams or Grouchy & The Texas Pioneers?? Forget it! Don't even try to tell me you've heard of these guys before! Sure, these old singles from the late '40s and early '50s, on labels like Groovy and Humming Bird, are an obscurophiles wet dream... but they also rock! Great old country music from also rans, would-bes and never-weres that still has as much wallop now as it did back then. Highly recommended!

Various Artists "WESTERN SWING, HONKY TONK & BLUES HIGHLIGHTS" (Binge Disc/Bronco Buster)

Various Artists "WILL SING FOR FOOD: THE SONGS OF DWIGHT YOAKAM" (Mercury/Little Dog, 1998)
Pete Anderson, guitar player (and production wizard) for Dwight Yoakam's best efforts, organized this charity tribute album, with proceeds going to benefit the homeless (although I'm not sure which organizations were included; the CD doesn't say...) It's a nice album, though -- among the artists donating their time and talent are alt.hick and Top Country luminaries such as Kim Richey, Tim O'Brien, Sara Evans, David Ball, The Lonesome Strangers, The Blazers. Rhonda Vincent, and Bonnie Bramlett. Generally speaking, no one can do these songs as well as Dwight did the first time around, but these folks sure give it a go! Highlights include bluegrass neotraditionalist Rhonda Vincent pounding out "I Sang Dixie," and a typically sublime Gillian Welch/David Rawlings duet on "Miner's Prayer." Good stuff.

Various Artists "WIZARDS OF COUNTRY GUITAR -- SELECTED SIDES: 1935-1955" (Bear Family Records, 2011)

Various Artists "THE WORLD IS A MONSTER: COLUMBIA HILLBILLY: 1948-1958" (Omni Records, 2011)
A great set of post-WWII hillbilly oldies, culled from the Columbia Records archives, with tons of great obscurities, including little-known gems from big-name artists like Johnny Bond, Freddie Hart, Rose Maddox, Ray Price and Carl Story. There are raunchy songs, drinking tunes, cheerful cheating ballads and some really bizarre numbers as well, such as Chuck Wells' magnificent, over-the-top recitation, "The Barroom Girl" and Jack Rhodes clunky gospel-boogie sermon, "Eternity." The producers did a swell job avoiding well-known novelty numbers in favor of off-the-radar oddities with surprising bite, such as Carl Smith's "There's A Bottle Where She Used To Be," and the bluntly raunchy "A Shot In The Dark" by the normally-genteel George Morgan. Plus, there are a bunch of unknown artists and also-rans: fans of classic country and hillbilly novelty songs will find a lot to cheer about in this kooky, entertaining collection. Highly recommended!

Various Artists "YOU OUGHT TO SEE MY FANNY DANCE" (Bear Family Records, 2011)

Hick Music Index