Reviews (32)

It's pretty good.
I don't really think its correct to label this as a "duets" album, since some of the performers don't even sing, they just play guitar or whatever, and the ones that do sing are rarely adding more than background vocals.Thats okay though, since Jerry Lee Lewis really is the star here.I'm surprised he sounds this good considering he's, what, 71 now?I mean, he can still play really well, and his voice sounds pretty good still.
A Rock and Roll Street Brawl
Make no mistake. The star of this CD is the piano playing of Jerry Lee Lewis. The boozy duets with George Jones, Merle Haggard, Ringo Starr and Keith Richards are as comfortable as your favorite slippers. But the true highlight of this CD is the street brawl between Jerry Lee's piano and the guitar of Jimmy Page, on "Rock and Roll". The track opens with a typical Page high octane riff, followed by the Killer saying, "This IS rock and roll!" You sense a battle brewing: the kid gunslinger (OK, middle-aged gunslinger), looking for the legend. And the legend doesn't back down. The battle for supremacy between the piano and the guitar rages at a furious pace, reminiscent of a John Wayne-Richard Widmark fist fight, rolling in a dusty street, both relishing the battle. One gets the sense that Lewis and Page call it a draw at the end, put their arms around each other, and walk back into the bar. This IS a new classic of rock and roll.

The Killer rocks on
Many duet albums have been released last couple of years, but this one is really something special. Jerry lee Lewis his piano playing and vocals are upfront and sound amazing, the guest artists show really respect for The Killers talent.
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Subjects:  1. Honky Tonk    2. Oldies    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock & Roll    6. Traditional Country    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Johnny Cash had been breaking new ground for a decade when Read more

Features

• Extra tracks
• Live
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (161)

Johnny Cash at His Best
This is Johnny Cash at his best. With the bio-pic "Walk The Line" making the cable TV circuit (I've watched it on HBO at least three times in the last week), people are going to start searching out Cash's albums. If you're a fan, like I am, please direct them to this honest, insightful album. The music alone is well worth the small price of this CD, but with the additional gems such as the extra photos, liner notes, and Johnny's banter between and during songs, this is by far one of the 20th century's musical classics. June Carter's wit shines through, however briefly, and her voice is as lovely and true as Cash's. Don't mistake this for your run-of-the-mill country album. This is the Man in Black at his darkest, playing prison songs to approximately 2,000 inmates. This is Cash bringing entertainment and inspiration to hardened men who are probably smiling and laughing for the first time in years.
One of the best CDs I own
This CD is an absolute blast to listen to. Not only is each and every one of the songs great, this CD also includes some of the onstage interaction between Cash, his band, and his audience that really livens things up. And this CD has very, very good sound that has been digitally remastered for the best quality of this recording to date. Crank up the volume on a good sound system and you can hear the prisoners shout all kinds of funny stuff. All in all, a very good portrait of a great entertainer.

Lots of Fun
It is ironic that even though this concert was given at a prison and most of the songs are about being destitute, this recording is fun to listen to. It really helps to have seen the movie, "Walk the Line." When you listen to the CD in the context of Cash's life and the reason he played at Folsom, this CD takes on a whole new dimension. I am not usually a fan of Country music, though I have been striving to care less about style and more about content, but this music has a lot of heart. It is not intricate, nor is it ingenious in its conception, but the passion is there. The only annoying thing is that if you are not careful, these songs get stuck in your head, especially "Folsom Prison Blues."
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Subjects:  1. Country    2. Country & Western    3. Country-Pop    4. Pop    5. Progressive Country    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rockabilly    8. Traditional Country    9. United States of America   

Editorial Review

As the frontman for the Mavericks and a member of Los Super Seven, Raul Malo has applied his Orbison-like delivery to an eclectic array of material. On this, his latest solo effort, the warbler enlists veteran producer Peter Asher to focus on romantic balladry, as string-laden arrangements surround Malo's tremulous voice on the opening title track (a '70s hit for songwriter J.D. Souther) and the soaring "Feels Like Home" (reprised as the closer in a duet with Martina McBride). The song selection highlights Malo's vocal range, as he finds the bittersweet essence in a slowed-down rendition of the Everly Brothers' "So Sad," a dramatic reading of the Bee Gees' "Run to Me," and a lilting take on Ron Sexsmith's "Secret Heart."He even tackles Etta James's signature tune, "At Last," its jazzy, smoky sophistication punctuated by a trumpet solo.The cover of Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" provides the album's main link to country, but even here the bedrock organ and soul choir sound closer to the church than the roadhouse.The stellar selection provides a superb showcase for Malo's shimmering voice. Read more

Reviews (36)

Depressive....
Raul Malo is probably the best singer around today and is also my
A gift from God
One wonders what it must be like to sing like Raul....really....can you imagine it?To hit those notes, to round those notes out, to put feeling into them...and he only gets better.
Wonderful
This is what music should be & do-----take you away to another place and time. The first 5 songs are my favorite especially Willie Nelson's 'Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground'. I thought no one could ever touch Willie's versions, but I was wrong. Breathtaking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Contemporary Country    2. Neo-Traditionalist Country    3. Pop    4. Progressive Country    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

This is not a review about Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon's hair. However--as any self-respecting fan knows--in country music, after proving you can pluck a guitar and carry a tune, the power of the right hairstyle is not to be underestimated. Johnny Cash, in fact, was famously vain about his locks--perhaps one of the few things he Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Soundtrack

Reviews (179)

Just Won't Play the Audio !!!!
Be prepared for disappointment if you buy this enhanced CD, and your PC is somehow excluded from playing the audio tracks.I have a 2 year old Sony Vaio desktop with all the bells and whistles, and a 3 ghz processor.I've played every audio and video cd and dvd without a problem at all.When I put this cd in I got the graphic screen and played the 2 videos fine.But there's no link and no way for me to access the audio tracks, whether through Windows Media Player, or Windows Explorer.Somehow the people who made this enhanced CD didn't make sure it was compatible with all PC's, even if you have a high end, fairly new machine.I'll be returning the CD ASAP.

Humbled
The acting was emotional and impressive, the singing was amazing and the movie was chilling and enjoyable. In fact, I can't stop watching it - it's like a train wreck everytime it comes on. My parents dragged me when I was a young child to a Johnny Cash/June Carter concert. As much as I hated the fact they couldn't get me a sitter, or leave me at someones house - I am truly touched now at the backstory to this concert I didn't want to go to, but enjoyed nonetheless. I wish I could go back in time to enjoy it knowing what I know now.

won't play on my computer
I listen to all music on my computer. I don't even have a CD player any more. This CD will not play on my computer. Therefore, great as the music was in the movie, this CD is worthless to me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Pop    3. Rock & Roll    4. Soundtrack    5. Soundtracks    6. Soundtracks & Film Scores    7. Traditional Country   

Editorial Review

It's a great and perhaps impossible challenge to encapsulate the highlights of Johnny Cash's vast musical catalog in a two-CD, 36-song collection like this. Yet, though it barely scratches the surface, 2002's Read more

Features

• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (70)

Sony censors Cash
Overall, this would have been a pretty good Johnny Cash compilation.
"Essential"for Cash fans
I have always loved Johnny Cash. He is defitnetly the best country music singer there ever was. This CD is an absoulutely perfectly done collection in honor of the artist's 70th birthday. It has all of his best songs,(but where's rusty cage?) From I Walk The Line to The Wanderer with U2. A great reprersentation of Cash's career. Buy this CD, you won't regret it.

Essential Johnny Cash
This is what country music should sound like. Most "so called" country music today all sounds the same. There is no mistaking the sound of johnny cash. This is a very good CD. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country    2. Country & Western    3. Country-Pop    4. Guitar    5. Pop    6. Progressive Country    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rockabilly    9. Traditional Country    10. United States of America    11. Vocals   

Editorial Review

A concept album about gigantic household appliances taking over the world? No such luck. As the images of Hank Williams, Bob Dylan and Sun-era Elvis floating in the background might indicate, this Nashville band is strictly old school, singing about unemployed riverboat workers, covering Woody Guthrie and plucking banjos like there was no tomorrow. Produced by David Rawlings, Read more

Reviews (7)

A Great Record
Having already bough and loved the last OCMS record I was expecting to love this and was not disappointed.While this is bluegrass, old timey music it is also inexplicably modern.Loving bluegrass will no doubt help you love this album, but I also think it is good for anyone who like good lyrics and strong, different instrumental.If you usually like rock or even punk you'd probably like this album.A great album to add to your music collection.

Best album yet...
"Eutaw" was a good album, but poor sound quality. It did not allow you to fully experience the greatness of Old Crow.
Bringing Back The Dead !!!
As I listened to this CD today for the first time it brought back memories of one of the BEST all time bands, The Grateful Dead. The CD reminds one of Jerry Garcia and Company ! Even the song titles of Cocaine Habit, Minglewood Blues, New Virginia Creper, and Don't Ride That Horse are so Dead Like. The opener, Down Home Girl starts the listener on the road that one does not want to end. OCMS you have one of the finest CDs out there. I am sure I will play it over and over and can't wait till your next release !!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Contemporary Folk    2. Neo-Traditional Folk    3. Pop    4. Progressive Bluegrass    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. String Bands   

Editorial Review

While Read more

Features

• Live
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (84)

I REMEMBER JOHNNY
I am a Johnny Cash fan from the very first time I heard RING OF FIRE played on a juke box.I have looked over and listened to the samples on this recording and all I have to say is WOW!!!! GREAT, GRAND, GLORIOUS.I've Gotta Have THIS CD also.I also have his other CDs.Love them all.

A flash from the past
I grew up on Johnny Cash's music, and this CD held great memories!It arrived in perfect condition as well.
NOW it makes Sense!!
This was one of the first albums I owned on Vinyl, and I loved it but there were parts that didnt make any sense.Now with the full concert on CD, with no censorship of the dialogue, it all makes sense and is just as enjoyable an album. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country    2. Country & Western    3. Country-Pop    4. Guitar    5. Pop    6. Progressive Country    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rockabilly    9. Spirituals    10. Traditional Country    11. United States of America    12. Vocals   

Editorial Review

With her fourth album, Australia's Kasey Chambers is expanding her realm. There are bigger sounds, including a flurry of electric guitars, and she has winningly created a whole new set of mysterious tensions. Eschewing the softer sound that had defined her earlier work, Chambers' innocent sounding voice is now set against a world of shadows and acute angles. The band also eases into a range of sophisticated grooves, from the noir-infused "Light up a Candle" to the barn burning "Got You." Chambers can still churn out catchy melodies, which she does at every turn (the chorus to "Sign on the Door" is unstoppable), though she keeps them from ever becoming cloying. Also with the expansive arrangements there's a dynamic quality to the album as a whole, as density gives way to open spaces. Indeed, Read more

Reviews (2)

Absolutely Divine
This is a phenomenal album that grows stronger w/each listen. From the opening, hypnotic "Colour of a Carnival" to the closing, heartfelt "Don't Look So Sad," there's nary a weak track. And while it's true that Kasey has eschewed some of the alt.country underpinnings of her previous works for a more mainstream approach, there's still plenty of twang here - "Light up a Candle," "Hard Road" and "Railroad," for instance, the latter of which chugs along a la Lucinda Williams' "Joy" (and feature an incredible vocal from Kasey). Other highlights include the rollicking "I Got You Now" and the absolutely divine "You Make Me Sing" ... plus "Dangerous," which - as all the songs here, actually - features a hypnotic vocal. Perhaps that's why the change in sonic colourings almost seems a moot point. Her voice is such an expressive instrument that, regardless of context, you come away entranced. I do, at any rate.

Lonely don't live here anymore
Kasey is back with a new cd.She's stepped farther way from her country and alt/country roots and approached the rock-tinged, singer/songwriter sound with her considerable song writing talents intact.She's accomplished this with more success and sincerity than either the Dixie Chicks or Allison Moorer did in their recent releases.
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Subjects:  1. Australia    2. Country-Folk    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

The best soundtracks are like movies for the ears, and Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Soundtrack

Reviews (465)

Hidden Gotcha
I liked this CD, but not every track.Beware, you cannot load it onto your computer.Had I known this, I would not have purchased the CD regardless of how much I like the soundtrack.
Great Music
Although O brother where art thou is not the best of Coen brother's films, this soundtrack is remarkable. "I' man of constant sorrow" is a logical hit, quite a catchy tune, but "Po Lazarus", "Big rock candy mountain" "I'll fly away" or "Down in the river to pray" give all sorts of bluegrass, country and gospel moods, all perfectly executed.
A surprise!
I love this CD. Which is a shocker. I can't stand blue grass, don't even like country. But the quality of singing voices and the immpeckable instrumental execution makes me an admirer. I bought this cd because I watched the movie and Goerge Clooney's 'singing' performance made me laugh. I smile alot when listening to this cd. Very well done. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bluegrass    2. Bluegrass-Gospel    3. Country Blues    4. Folksongs    5. Neo-Traditional Folk    6. Pop    7. Soundtrack    8. Soundtracks    9. Soundtracks & Film Scores    10. Traditional Bluegrass    11. Traditional Country   

Editorial Review

There are several Cash boxes available, but Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (42)

Cash, Johnny
If There Was A Box Set To Own This One Would Be It.

Great Collection - Still Missing a Few Songs
Overall this is a very good collection, and probably the best one that's easily available.It's also very reasonably priced for the number of songs on the collection.My only complaint is that even with all of those CDs, there's still a few key songs missing.Until there's a truly all-inclusive box set available, this one is pretty good.

Awesome.
Johnny Cash fans.. you will love this set.It's got a great booklet that comes with it.
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Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Country    3. Country Gospel    4. Country-Pop    5. Cowboy    6. Pop    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rockabilly    9. Traditional Country    10. United States of America   

Editorial Review

This introduction to the Man in Black's catalog is about as fine a one as can be found on one disc, primarily because the 21 classic tracks span J.R. Cash's entire career, from his first rockabilly single, "Hey, Porter"/"Cry! Cry! Cry!" (Sun Records, 1955), to his last significant alt-country tracks (American Recordings, 2003). Though Cash had his peaks and valleys in the studio, what shines brightly on this collection is how constant--how unwavering--his creativity remained, whether he was writing and performing original material or interpreting the work of others. His voice, too, remained a majestic thing of wonder, even as Cash often sang off-beat; settled his bass-baritone somewhere Read more

Reviews (42)

Great CD, missing one song though.
Cocaine Blues (from Fulsom County). If this song was on here it would make it superb, alas the CD is only fantastic!
The legend of Johnny Cash- JOHNNY CASH
This is a great collection of Johnny Cash's songs.It as almost equally divided in sections for parts of his life. When I bought this album, there were only three songs that I had not previously heard. The album opens with tunes of Cash's classic Tennessee-two-step format then progresses to his wonderful story-telling years. This CD is littered with tracks written by other artists: Jack Clemet, June Carter-merie Kilgore, Billy Edd Wheeler- Jerry Lieber, Shel Silverstein, Kris Kristofferson, Wayne Kemp, jimmy Webb, Bono, Chris Cornell, Geoff Mack, and finally- Trent Reznor. As many of you know Trent Reznor is the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails-a modern Hard Rock Band. The last song on the album-"Hurt"- was composed by Trent. The song is about drug addiction and general hardship. When performed by Johnny Cash, "Hurt" turns from a somewhat tangled emotional mess to a heartbreaking tale of a man questioning his own salvation. This album is a great collection of music and can be enjoyed by anyone from your grandmother to your grandson.

Great place to begin.
As a relative newcomer to the music of Mr. Cash, this album was recommended to me.It includes great examples from his entire career. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country    2. Country Gospel    3. Pop    4. Rock & Roll    5. Rockabilly    6. Traditional Country   

Reviews (42)

Definitely a must buy
I really think John Denver's songshas more to it then amazing melody and lyrics and ofcourse not to forget his voice.Its actually hard to compare him with other artists but I can definitely say that I feel the best listening to his songs. Although some of my other fav songs like love again are not included in this cd but still the cd has most of his best songs. The highlights of the cd are the unrealeased version of calypso and leaving on a jet plane. so, If you have heard his songs before or not, this cd is a must buy for all.

Sunshine Music Lives On
John Denver has melted hearts for generations with what can be described as "sunshine music".A mix of country, bluegrass, folk, and great pop sensibilities, Denver has always been the lucky peoples' choice (even if he is the critics' underdog as a singer songwriter).His voice is excellent. As though he would really need a defense, anyway, his collaboration with Pacido Domingo, one of the three tenors, is certain testimony to his vocal credibility.Cynics need not apply, for if some of his more sentimental songs are "sap," then at least we know he got his ingredients fresh from the best trees in Vermont.He created great soaring songs for lady and land.Some are orchestrated to perfection; others are homegrown prizes."Sunshine on My Shoulders," "Rocky Mountain High," and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" all resonate with articulate sweetness.He perfected ruggedness with "Thank God, I'm a Country Boy" and "Wild Montana Skies," but his serenades are also expert, including "Andromeda, (Welcome to My Morning)" and "Annie's Song".Subjectively, "Calypso" is no hokey homage, but a heartfelt classic that demonstrates a fine vocal range.Besides covering all of the classics, this C.D. collects some great, unfamiliar terrain."Fly Away" and "Sweet Surrender" are excellent songs that add to the scope of the album and his legacy. For those of us willing to stand our ground, his 'Definitive All-Time Greatest Hits' gives us all his famous songs and all the unfamiliar territory we might have missed.John may have left us early, but his portfolio of "sunshine music" has yet to be imitated much and never completely dismissed.
Appreciation later in life.....
I was never a 'fan' of John Denver in my growing up years.His music was a part of those years, but I took it for granted just hearing it on the radio. Now, some 20 years later, I can appreciate it more than ever. His beautiful mind, his thoughts, his feelings all come out in his music. My husband and I now own property in West Virginia and when I play 'Country Roads' it makes me cry.Because now I feel the love for that place just like he did when he wrote that heartfelt song.Take me home, country roads...to the place I belong - West Virginia! It makes my heart long for our beautiful mountain! All those songs of yesteryear now mean something to me. I love his style, his words, the arrangements. Just a must play cd long rides in the country or just listening to while cooking supper in the kitchen! Thanks John Denver for making songs that touch the heart! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country-Folk    2. Country-Pop    3. Folk-Rock    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter    9. Soft Rock    10. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Though this 1975 album cost Willie only $20,000 to record, it handed him the success he'd craved after years as a hit songwriter and modestly successful singer. By blending originals and vintage material, he created a timeless Western saga, one that originally left Columbia Records, who'd guaranteed him artistic control, skeptical. The label's doubts, amplified by the fact that Nelson had recorded the album in Texas with only his seven-piece touring band, evaporated after the album and two singles, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and "Remember Me," became huge hits and launched Willie into the stratosphere. This enhanced version preserves the original sequence, adding four bonus tracks. One, a brief snippet of Bach's "Minuet in G" from the 1986 Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (61)

Its alright, depends on what you're expecting
Not one of my favorites but still an important work for Willie Nelson fans.It is not a flashy studio recording - many of the tracks seem hardly more than Willie and his guitar. Oddly enough, I think I the bonus tracks are the best part of this recording for me.If you are looking for vintage Willie, however, this could be the recording for you.

Classical Greatness
I think Willie is a great singer but he has never been a personal favorite. This album, though, is among my favorites. In it, he demonstrates his skills as a lyricist, he mellow voice and his ability to narrate a song.
CD-Red Headed Stranger-Willie
This is the ONLY album I enjoy from beginning to end! Unlike other CDs', each song stands on its own merits. I am happy it came out in CD form---great quality recording!!!!Thanks! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country    2. Country & Western    3. Outlaw Country    4. Pop    5. Progressive Country    6. Traditional Country    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

With stunning album-length explorations of jazz and 1950s acoustic skiffle and a country-rockabilly collaboration with Linda Gail Lewis behind him, Van Morrison continues exploring classic country with compelling reinterpretations of standards from the 1950s to the 1970s. He reaches back over half a century for Hank Williams Sr.'s "Half As Much," "Your Cheatin' Heart," and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" and Webb Pierce's landmark honky-tonk hits "Back Street Affair," "There Stands the Glass," and "More and More." Moving to the mid-'60s, he capably explores George Jones's "Things Have Gone to Pieces" and Connie Smith's "Once a Day." The 1970s are his limit, however, as he probes Rodney Crowell's "'Til I Gain Control Again." Three Morrison originals blend nicely into this mix, as do two non-country favorites: Chuck Willis's "What Am I Living For" and a gleeful spin on Blue Lu Barker's 1938 jazzy, single-entendre favorite "Don't You Make Me High." Recorded in Ireland with uncluttered hard-country backing, Read more

Reviews (69)

Cross-genre master
Morrison has produced credible albums in Rock, Blues, and Jazz genres. Pay the Devil has the Irish soulster performing classic American country music and some originals that sound entirely appropriate between Hank Williams and Clarence Williams.
Sweet and Sharp - Deceptively Well Crafted
This album is deceptive - on first hearing in a setting with lots of distractions, it actually sounded unremarkeable, as if the songs were done almost casually, one or 2 takes each.But as I listened again, I was stopped when I heared that familiar sharp, plangent, emphatic and superbly modulated voice reaching for real feeling in "What Am I Living For?" - "hey, he cares about this stuff!" I said to myself.At the end of that song someone (Van?) says "hey, that was worth it."Indeed it was! - great country soul singing of a not-normally-country tune.The next tune, a Van original, "This Has Got To Stop," knocked me out - uncompromising deeply felt lyrics, rolling beat, syncopated shouts - a real Van Morrison song, country style.Then the rest of the record came clear to me.There are some great renditions of songs that should sound completely hackneyed, a la Ray Charles' "Modern Sounds," which may well have been the starting place for this record.And - the crucial test - his Hank songs add to the vocabulary.Van doesn't give anything away to any country singer, or even Ray.He channels that feisty, angry, hurt, caring persona into some great country music - this said by a guy (me) who owns 20+ each of Hank Williams and George Jones records, 30+ Ralph Stanley/Stanley Bros. records, and everything Merle Haggard, ever did, etc.

marking time
When Van Morrison is on his game-Astral Weeks, Moondance, Into the Music, Tupelo Honey etc. he's as good as it gets.When he misses, (A Period of Transition, Avalon Sunset) there are moments of brilliance, but the record never seems to come together.Pay the Devil has moments that are quite good (Your Cheatin' Heart, Big Blue Diamonds, Half as Much, What Am I Living For) but far too many misses. IMHO he misses badly in his interpretation of Rodney Crowell's Till I Gain Control Again.
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Subjects:  1. Contemporary Country    2. Country Boogie    3. Country-Pop    4. Country-Soul    5. Honky Tonk    6. Ireland    7. Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan    8. Neo-Traditionalist Country    9. Pop    10. Pop/Rock    11. Progressive Country    12. Rock    13. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

During the "folk music-scare" of the early 1960s, a bunch of white middle-class youths with names like the Greenbriar Boys and the Even Dozen Jug Band discovered the mountain music of the Stanley Brothers, Skillet Lickers, and Uncle Dave Macon and set about introducing it to the country's college kids. Four decades later, the members of OCMS fit the profile of those early revivalists, yet if anything they have tapped deeper into the primal elements of an American art form. As demonstrated on their debut, they have assimilated not just the sound--banjos, harmonicas, acoustic guitar and bass--but more importantly the haunting spirit of music that was made to keep hard times at bay. How else to explain their ability to take a well-worn chestnut like "CC Rider" and infuse it with an energy that reveals once again why it is a classic? Not content to live completely in the past, they wrote "Big Time in the Jungle," which, though it is about Vietnam, could easily be transposed to 2004's desert conflicts. Kindred spirit and producer David Rawlings (Gillian Welch's longtime collaborator) has kept their energy intact, but one can only wonder what sort of magic they must deliver live. Read more

Reviews (69)

Country music fan
The more I listen, the better I like it.Very hillbilly, but the songs are catchy and stay in your head.

A gem!
The editorial review above of this band is on target.OCMS' sound isinspired by traditional music (which I consider to be the pre-curser to bluegrass and less gimmicky).What gives it life is that it has been infused with the influences of a bunch of young guys,i.e. punk, blues, rock, country, rap, etc.It's what gives them their unique energy and style.It's what makes the old mountain songs sound new and fresh and what makes their brand new stuff sound like old mountain classics.My favorite is Tear It Down.
Very Solid
Altogather very good, although "Wagon Wheel" is a rip off of Bob Dylan's "Ride Me Mama" that was never released.Not to take anything away from them, their version is excellent.Good music for any fan of something real. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Contemporary Folk    2. Folk    3. Jug Band    4. Neo-Traditional Folk    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. String Bands   

Editorial Review

When George Strait's "She'll Leave You With a Smile" moved to the top of the country charts in early 2003, the handsome Lone Star crooner bested Conway Twitty for the most No. 1 singles by a solo artist. This collection of 50 chart-toppers, spanning 22 years, showcases the Cadillac of country singers at his best, blending traditional and contemporary stylings, but never straying too far from the core of his Texas barroom sound. "Fool Hearted Memory," from 1982, proves that Strait had his uncluttered production and straightforward vocal approach down from the start, no matter how many producers guided him to his peak. Through the years, the path to superstardom dictated that he trade the crisp Western swing of "Right or Wrong" and "Ace in the Hole" for squishy, mid-tempo crowd pleasers like "Check Yes or No" and "Write This Down." But he redeemed himself with such poignant heartbreakers as "So Much Like My Dad" and "…Smile." This retrospective's one new track, "I Hate Everything," about a man in a bar who's besotted more from pain than whiskey, doesn't match up with the singer's best material, but it's still got that irresistible Strait hook: average-guy sincerity wrapped in a down-to-earth heart. Read more

Reviews (110)

Great 50 Number Ones
If you love George Strait, and many of us do, this is a great collection of hits that have accompanied our own lives through many years. So many favorites from one of the very best!

George Strait 50 Number Ones
I love George Strait's music and have been enjoying this CD in my car driving to and from work every day.The CD has a lot of cuts on it I had never heard previously but you will love it.My only disappointment regarding the CD is the cuts are shorter I believe then you would find on one of his other CD's.
George Strait's 50 No. 1's
Disappointed that it did not have Amarillo by Morning or Something Special. They were number one and more popular than some of the songs on this CD. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Contemporary Country    2. Country    3. New Traditionalist    4. Pop    5. Western Swing Revival   

Reviews (8)

A Cut Above Country Radio Regulars
Charlie's latest has no weak tracks whatsoever.The title song is full of tongue-in-cheek humor and rebellion, hearkening to some of John Prine's best songs.It has one of the catchiest lines ever in country music:"Buy me a whiskey, get yourself stoned, we gonna have a good time." As usual, Charlie tells a great many stories in his songs:a unrepentant pleasure seeker lets it all hang out south of the border in "New Year's Day;" a man hits the skids emotionally in "The Bottom;" the narrator remembers his own broken childhood and admires his infant son in "Photograph;" a dissipated adult recalls his first drink and charts his own disgrace in "Something in the Water;" a girl weds a bad man in the haunting "Magnolia," a story-telling style that is reminiscent of Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying." Charlie Robison has more talent as a writer and performer than 99% of anyone in Nashville.Please buy this album; do yourself a favor.If you like songs deeper than your average mud puddle but still universally-applicable, this CD is for you!

Different, But Good
I found this album to be quite different then what I've come to expect from Charlie, but it is still good and worthy of attention."El Cerrito Place" is the best song on the album and I find myself listening to it over and over.If you are a Texas Country Music Fan or a Charlie Robison fan then you will like this album.Also, if you like Charlie, check out his brother Bruce Robison as well.

Charlie Robison's Best Yet
This is Charlie's best release yet.It features a wide range of songs that will keep everoyone happy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Country    2. Contemporary Country    3. Country    4. Pop    5. Progressive Country   

Editorial Review

With 41 tracks drawn from nine record labels, the two-disc Read more

Features

• Box set
• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (23)

The Essential? Yes, OF COURSE!
This CD is a definite essential to your music collection.Willie, as well as this 2 disc set, is timeless.The Essential is awesome because it has every great Willie song on it, and then some!Also, some tracks with guest singers add even more to this classic.

Classic Willie singing the blues
Great album. A must have if you are a Willie Nelson fan. The duets are incredible. Seven Spanish Angels with Ray Charles has to be one of the greatest duets of all time. And when Julio Iglesias sings "To all the girls i've loved before" I actually believe that there may have been quite a number (I still don't believe Willie when he sings that).

WOW Ten star winner
WOW....This two disc set is awseome. Last week I was listening to NPR's Fresh Air and heard Willie Nelson talking about a song that was obscure and low and behold its on this.Anyway this is a CD that I have had playing nearly nonstop since I bought it. Crisp clear recordings that seem ageless. And such a nice selection of songs from decades of performing.If you own just one of Willie Nelsons CD's this should be the one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country    2. Country & Western    3. Country-Pop    4. Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan    5. Outlaw Country    6. Pop    7. Progressive Country    8. Traditional Country    9. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Though he rose fro