Classic Country: Country Gold

Classic Country: Country Gold

ASIN: B00005AVG1

Track Listings

1. Ruben James - Kenny Rogers

2. Honky Tonk Angels - Dolly Parton

3. White Lightning - Waylon Jennings

4. Four in the Morning - Faron Young

5. Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson

6. Patches - Alabama

7. Try to Remember - Barbara Mandrell

8. Take This Job and Shove It - Johnny Paycheck

9. Heart You Break May Be Your Own - Patsy Cline

10. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town - Kenny Rogers

Tracks:

Hey, Good Lookin' - Hank Williams
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels - Kitty Wells
Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford
Why Baby Why - Webb Pierce, Red Sovine
I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
All I Have to Do Is Dream - The Everly Brothers
Hello Walls - Faron Young
Walk on By - Leroy Van Dyke, Leroy Van Dyke
I Fall to Pieces - Patsy Cline
Tender Years - George Jones
King of the Road - Roger Miller
Make the World Go Away - Eddy Arnold
Mama Tried - Merle Haggard
Hello Darlin' - Conway Twitty
Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn
Help Me Make It Through the Night - Sammi Smith
Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' - Charley Pride
Chantilly Lace - Jerry Lee Lewis

Tracks:

Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. - Donna Fargo
Eleven Roses - Hank Williams, Jr.
I Love - Tom T. Hall
Jolene - Dolly Parton
Before the Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender
Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell
San Antonio Stroll - Tanya Tucker
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) - Waylon Jennings
Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - Crystal Gayle
Gambler - Kenny Rogers
Do You Know You Are My Sunshine - The Statler Brothers
I Believe in You - Don Williams
Elvira - The Oak Ridge Boys
I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool - George Jones, Barbara Mandrell
Fourteen Carat Mind - Gene Watson
God Bless the U.S.A. - Lee Greenwood
Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses - Kathy Mattea
Timber, I'm Falling in Love - Patty Loveless

Customer Reviews:

Country gold standard.......2006-01-30

Mainstream, popular Country music is what you get on this double CD album. From the dawn of the 1950s, when commercial recording interests took a firm hold on this particular strand of America's musical tradition, to the end of the 1980s, when other styles started to squeeze Country out of the charts.

In the late 60s and early 70s, it was widely acknowledged that the two gods of Country were Johnny Cash and Jim Reeves (selling better than ever after his untimely death). So it is strange that Reeves's star has waned so quickly, and he is excluded from a compilation like this. That would have been unthinkable thirty years ago; now it is unremarkable.

On the other hand, Jerry Lee Lewis definitely does not belong here. When Tennessee Ernie Ford says "If you see me coming, better stand aside. A lot of men didn't, a lot of men died", you don't really take him seriously. When Lewis introduces himself as "The Killer", you get the uneasy feeling he really means it. His music is on the fringes of country and his attitude is on the edge of sanity.

Still, this is a good, representative collection and is available at bargain prices, so has to be recommended. I always take it when I drive through the Mojave or the Sierras. For me, this is music for the open road.

Four decades of country number ones.......2005-07-29

Only one of the thirty-six tracks here didn't make it to number one in the American country singles charts, that being God bless the USA, which the compilers understandably selected to represent Lee Greenwood here in preference to any of his country number one hits. In its way, that selection shows that number one is not the only thing that matters in the music business - some of the most famous songs in popular music never made it to number one in any chart. Nevertheless, the number one position does indicate a certain measure of popularity and this collection contains many great country classics.

This compilation, being by Hip-O, has easy access to the vaults of the record labels that are now part of the Universal group, so those labels dominate - however, Hip-O have licensed some tracks from the Sony / BMG group, so Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride and Eddy Arnold are included. The real surprise is that Reba McEntire and George Strait, two artists who each had several number one hits for Universal labels in the eighties, are omitted. You'd think it was easier for Hip-O to include them than to worry about Dolly and the others.

The tracks are in chronological sequence, beginning with Hank Williams in 1951 and ending with Patty Loveless in 1989. 1989 is an interesting and appropriate end-point, as that was the year when a new generation of singers changed everything in country music, or so it seemed. Of course, the new generation has recorded a lot of great music (though how much of it can truly be described as country is a matter for debate) but I know that many country fans regard 1989 as the beginning of the end of their kind of country music.

The compiler clearly likes the seventies best as there are fifteen tracks from that decade with seven tracks each from the fifties, sixties and eighties. I can well understand the compiler's preference, as it was a very good decade for country music, both at home in America and internationally.

With a compilation like this, it is always possible to argue about track selection - whether the song selected for the chosen artist is the best, whether some omitted artists should have been included and so on - but when you look at it overall, this is a brilliant compilation that provides a great introduction to four decades of country music - and it comes with liner notes by Rich Kienzle.

+ 1/2 stars...Nearly Forty Years of Classic Country.......2005-07-27

This 36-track collection chronologically covers nearly four decades of country music beginning with Hank Williams 1951 hit "Hey, Good Lookin'" and ending with Patty Loveless's 1989 hit "Timber, I'm Falling in Love." For any 2-CD set to adequately cover four decades is a nearly impossible task--especially when both discs run under sixty minutes.

This collection could easily have been expanded by an additional dozen or more tracks, allowing the compilers to focus more attention on country's golden era, namely the fifties and the sixties. There are only five tracks from the fifties and eight from the sixties, while the seventies--an era marked by crossover artists like Glen Campbell and Kenny Rogers--is represented by fifteen tracks (nearly half of the total).

In fact, the compilers of this anthology placed a lot of emphasis on crossover hits. Twenty of these No. 1 country hits also hit the top 40 on the pop charts, with "Sixteen Tons," "All I Have To Do Is Dream," "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Rhinestone Cowboy" placing No. 1 on both charts.

There's only one serious misstep in the song selection. While it DID reach the top of the country charts in 1972, Jerry Lee Lewis's versions of the Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace" simply is out of place. And personally, I could have done without Lee Greenwood's maudlin "God Bless the U.S.A." [Besides, it's the only song that didn't reach No. 1.] The only other flaw in this collection is that even though it runs through 1989, there are no artists from country's new traditionalism movement. Where's George Strait or Randy Travis?

With that said, this is an overall satisfying--albeit brief--look at four decades of country music. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Average customer rating:

A decent introduction to Johnny Cash

36 Classic Tracks
Johnny Cash
Manufacturer: Solid Gold
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Collection
Greatest!
Just as I Am
Cash: The Autobiography
The Essential Johnny Cash

ASIN: B000BFH4MQ
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Tracks:

Cry, Cry, Cry
Hey Porter
Folsom Prison Blues
So Doggone Lonesome
I Walk the Line
Get Rhythm
Train of Love
There You Go
Rock and Roll Ruby
Home of the Blues
Give My Love to Rose
Ballad of a Teenage Queen
Big River
Guess Things Happen That Way
Come in Stranger
Rock Island Line
Luther Played the Boogie
Down the Street to 301

Tracks:

Sunday Morning Coming Down
Country Boy
Thanks a Lot
Open Road
Boy Named Sue
Long Black Veil
Jackson
City of New Orleans
If I Were a Carpenter
Peace in the Valley
Ring of Fire
Story of a Broken Heart
Born to Lose
Cold Cold Heart
I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)
I Heard That Lonesome Whistle
I Was There When It Happened
If the Good Lord's Willing

Customer Reviews:

A decent introduction to Johnny Cash.......2005-11-12

I was in Tower today (not a record shop I visit very often I promise) and I was looking for a Johnny Cash compilation to buy. I've had a casual interest in his music over the past several years and with the upcoming movie out soon I thought I would finally break down and purchase a "hits" collection to see if I could really get into him. Well I almost walked out with Legend (a 21 song cd spanning his entire career) when I looked below and found this gem. Its a small box set containing two cds of some of his early and best work: Cry, Cry, Cry, Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk The Line, Ring Of Fire, and some really amazing tracks that I've never heard of. The cd only cost 2 dollars more and contained 15 more songs than the Legends cd. A great buy!!! By the way, this an import and the label is not Solid Gold its Union Square Music.
I also got the Folsom Prison cd which is amazing as well.
So today I became a Johnny Cash fan and I have these cds to thank for it.

Average customer rating:

Classic Country Instrumental Gold

Manufacturer: Excelsior
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0007TMKRK

Product Description

12 Classic Country Tracks

Average customer rating:

Decent but could have been better

The Copulatin' Collection, Vol. 1
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Vipers Nest Gold
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Copulatin' Blues
Banned : 20 Risque Songs From The 20s & 30s

ASIN: B000002XR2
Release Date: 1995-07-03

Tracks:

Good Bossom Bread - Eddie Johnson & His Crackerjacks
Stew Meat Blues - Lucille Bogan
Organ Grinder Blues - Clarence Williams
Don't Tear My Clothes - State Street Swingers
Elevator Papa, Switchboard Mama - Butterbeans And Suzie
Yo Yo - Walter Pichon
When You Were A Girl Of Seven - Tampa Red
I Can Dish It (Can You Take It?) - Blue Scott And His Blue Boys
It's Too Big Papa - Claude Hopkins
Shave 'Em Dry - Bessie Jackson
Pussy, Pussy, Pussy - The Light Crust Dough Boys
Let Me Squeeze Your Lemon - Charlie Pickett
Bye Bye Cherry - Artist Unknown

Customer Reviews:

Decent but could have been better.......2001-02-12

With less than a handful of vintage "dirty blues" compilations around, it's hard to complain about a bad one. This one may not be bad, but it is merely decent: At under 43 minutes and only 13 tracks there's a real lack of material here. Factual errors (Track 2 "Stew Meat Blues" is incorrect -- it's actually Bessie Smith's "I got what it takes (But it breaks my heart to give it away)" from 1929) and omissions (Track 13 "Artist Unknown" is a rare transcription of Gene Autry) are real flaws. As is the odd inclusion of Light Crust Doughboys' "Pussy, Pussy, Pussy" -- why here?, and why digitize such an awful copy of this 1938 Vocalion single when Rhino/Sony's "Hillbilly Fever! Vol.1" reveals the track in its pristine glory. And whatever happened to Volume 2 anyway? Not bad for twelve bucks, but look first for Mojo Record's "The Copulatin' Blues" or the 2CD "Them Dirty Blues", or the Sony/Columbia "Raunchy Blues: Hot Nuts and Lollypops" for compilations with a better edge.

Average customer rating:

Dakota Railroad Town Centennial
Sherwin Linton
Manufacturer: Black Gold Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAGD9A
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Average customer rating:

Heartland Centennial
Sherwin Linton
Manufacturer: Black Gold Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000CAGH6Y
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Average customer rating:

Classic Country: Country Gold, Vol. 2
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Wasted Days and Wasted Nights - Freddy Fender
Jukebox Charlie - Johnny Paycheck
Susie Q - Mickey Gilley
Happiest Girl in the Whole USA - Donna Fargo
Sally Was a Good Old Girl - Waylon Jennings
Look What They've Done to My Song - Billie Jo Spears
Moonlight Gambler - Frankie Laine
Please Release Me - Barbara Mandrell
Letter to Heaven - Dolly Parton

Average customer rating:

Easy-Listening Gold: Easy-Listening Country /20 Classic Tracks

Manufacturer: Reader's Digest
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0009T8856

Product Description

Various Artists / Easy-Listening Gold Label: Reader's Digest Year: 1993 Track Title 1. Here You Come Again -77/1 -- Dolly Parton 2. Face To Face-w/K.T. Oslin-88/1 -- Alabama 3. I Fall To Pieces-61/1 -- Patsy Cline 4. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town - Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, 69/ -- Kenny Rogers & The First Edition 5. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue-77/1 -- Crystal Gayle 6. Turn The World Around-67/1 -- Eddy Arnold 7. Somebody's Knockin'-81/8 -- Terri Gibbs 8. Dixie Road-85/1 -- Lee Greenwood 9. Born To Be With You-68/1 -- Sonny James 10. I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool - Barbara Mandrell w/George Jones -- Barbara Mandrell with George Jones 11. Islands In The Stream - Kenny Rogers w/Dolly Parton, 83/1 -- Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton 12. Welcome To My World-64/2 -- Jim Reeves 13. Try A Little Kindness-69/2 -- Glen Campbell 14. One Of A Kind Pair Of Fools-83/1 -- Barbara Mandrell 15. All I Have To Offer You Is Me-69/1 -- Charley Pride 16. Twentieth Century Drifter-74/10 -- Marty Robbins 17. I Believe In You=-80/1 -- Don Williams 18. Blue, Blue Day-58/1 -- Don Gibson 19. What's He Doin' In My World-65/1 -- Eddy Arnold 20. Gentle On My Mind-68/44 -- Glen Campbell