Charline Arthur "Welcome To The Party" (Bear Family, 1998)
A stellar collection of ultra-rare oldies by one of hard country's most elusive figures. Brassy, loudmouthed and a snarly, dynamic singer, Arthur demolished the traditional role of the passive, ladylike country "girl" singer. Back in the early '50s, when all the other gals were demurely performing in Kitty Wells-style gingham dresses, Arthur was wearing slacks, smoking cigarettes, and cussing Chet Atkins out in the RCA recording booth. It was probably the last habit that had the most to do with her swift fall from grace -- Arthur was dumped from the label in 1956, after having plugged away for several years without much commercial success. Admittedly, Arthur's bluesy, occasionally raunchy style was at odds with the expectations of the times, but it's a tragedy she wasn't allowed to grow as an artist -- her vocals and approach certainly prefigured the work of bluesy country/pop stylists like Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee, and (of course...) the rockabilly bop of Wanda Jackson. Notably, the singer whose voice most resembles Arthur is Skeeter Davis, who Atkins did succeed in taming -- you can hear similar attempts to soften and Nashville-ize Arthur's vocals throughout this disc. But uptempo or slowed down, Charline Arthur was a force to be reckoned with, and this CD should send a quiver through the hard country community -- check it out!
Johnny Bond "Country & Western: Johnny Bond Standard Transcriptions" (Bloodshot/Soundies, 2000)
Outstanding! One of the more jovial characters to come out of the Depression-era cowboy scene, by the 1960s, Johnny Bond was cranking out albums on the Starday label that emphasized a good-natured drunkard role, similar to Moe Bandy's persona in the late '70s. But back when these 1940s tracks were recorded, he was still giving it his all, and that included some swell jazzy-bluesy licks, along with all the chugga-chugga country accordion stuff. These 1944-'45 radio transcriptions highlighted his "western" image -- with peppy versions of chestnuts like "Goodbye Old Paint", "Red River Valley" and "Birmingham Jail," along with plenty of tailormaid Hollywood cowboy tunes, of the Sons Of The Pioneers variety. It's great stuff. One of the strongest discs in Bloodshot's fab "Soundies" series, this disc is a doozie. By the way, if you like this, you might also check out a similar collection on Binge Disc's Cattle Compact series.
Delmore Brothers "Freight Train Boogie" (Ace, 1993)
The whole hillbilly boogie phenomenon found its highest expression in these guys' work. The Delmores -- Alton and Rabon -- had been working together for years before they signed to the up-and-coming Cinncinnati country/R&B indie, King Records. Giving their old-fashioned "brother act" sound a major goose, the Delmore Brothers put hillbilly boogie on the map with a series of upbeat, blues-flavored tunes that were simultaneously peppy and mournful. "Freight Train Boogie", "Brown's Ferry Blues", and their mopey masterpiece, "Blues Stay Away From Me" all became classics in the country canon. In addition to their plain but plaintive harmonies, the Delmore Bros had a few secret weapons on their side, including the musical assist of other high-power hicks such as Zeb Turner, Wayne Raney and Jethro Burns backing them up incognito. This album collects the 1946-51 tracks that had the greatest influence on country music, and also in the development of rock and roll, a few years later. It's pretty tasty stuff.
Delmore Brothers "Sand Mountain Blues" (Rebel/County, 1994)
Delmore Brothers "Brown's Ferry Blues" (Rebel/County, 1995)
Folks who want to delve a little deeper into the Delmore's past will appreciate these discs, which collect a bunch of their more old-timey material. The recordings on Sand Mountain are traditionally-oriented tunes that were recorded during their stint on King, while Brown's Ferry Blues features even starker material from the 1930s, when they were playing on radio stations such as WSM in Nashville. The earliest Delmore Brothers records and radio appearances apparently had a great stylistic influence on bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe, as well as the other great "brother act" of the time, the Blue Sky Boys. Dark as their disciples may have been, few country acts were ever as genuinely downcast as the Delmore Brothers, and these early recordings may shock you with how stark and morose they sound. Great stuff, highly recommended.
Red Foley "Country Music Hall Of Fame Series" (MCA, 1991)
A tasty sampler of his best years, from 1944-1953, when the pop-oriented country crooner took over the role of emcee on the Grand Ole Opry. This disc is mercifully light on the gospel schmaltz which later would become the sole focus of his career, including instead tracks like the un-PC but catchy-as-all-getout "Tennesee Saturday Night," duets with Ernest Tubb and Kitty Wells, and "The Sugarfoot Rag," with hot picking by guitarist Hank Garland. A nice slice of Nashville history.
Lefty Frizzell "Look What Thoughts Will Do You" (Columbia Legacy, 1997)
Throughout the early 'Fifties, Lefty Frizzell was the great country vocalist, and although he himself idolized blues yodeller Jimmie Rodgers, it is no exaggeration to say that Frizzell is the vocal template that most modern country music is based on. From Dwight Yoakam and George Strait to any number of silly "hat act" pretty boys, Lefty's warmth and husky timbre, along with his stylized bluesy curlicues, is the model that the boys today base themselves on. He was also a collossal chartbuster during the '50s and '60s, racking up one hit after another without losing any of his hard country rootsiness. This 2-CD collection is probably the most accessible (and affordable) Lefty collection imaginable, packed to the brim with great tunes such as "If You've Got The Money Honey, I've Got The Time", "Always Late", "Shine, Shave, Shower" and others, including several previously unissued tracks that are also top-notch. In glorious Mono, this is one of the single best country reissues ever. Highly recommended.
Johnny Horton "Honky-Tonk Man" (Columbia Legacy, 1996)
Riding right on the edge of the '50s rockabilly boom, Louisiana's Johnny Horton is a much-beloved and much-mythologized country legend, at least in part because he lived fast and died young, in a 1960 car crash. At the time of his death, Horton was on the peak of commercial success, having recorded a series of #1 hits such as "North To Alaska" and "The Battle of New Orleans" which defined the early-'60s fad for "historical" saga songs. Thankfully, this 2-CD set doesn't focus solely on those recordings (which get a little corny), but also includes an impressive sweep of his earlier, more country, material from the late 'Fifties, when he first signed to Columbia. Horton wasn't a very powerful or emotive singer, but sure he did record a lot of great tunes. His connections to promoter Tillman Franks (who earlier helped Webb Pierce break into the business...) ensured that Horton had access to great material from some of the best hick songwriters of the late 1950s. There are other Johnny Horton reissues out there, but this is the one to shoot for.
