« The title of this two-CD set is to the point but very appropriate. If someone unfamiliar with the genre were to ask what country music was all about, this would serve as a fine primer.... » PEC – DIRTY LINEN Presse Anglaise
« The title of this two-CD set is to the point but very appropriate. If someone unfamiliar with the genre were to ask what country music was all about, this would serve as a fine primer. The 40s were seminal years for the genre, and the 36 tracks in this set (by as many artists) cover important developments : bluegrass, honky-tonk, West Coast, Western swing, country boogie, and the arrival of Hank Williams. The 32-page bilingual booklet gives background information on both the styles and the artists, and the track selection is fascinating. The first CD leads off with Jimmie Davis singing « You Are My Sunshine » and then goes straight to obscure WWII songs such as Johnny Bond’s « Draftee Blues », Denver Darling’s « Modern Cannonball », and Texas Jim Robertson’s « Last Page Of Mein Kampf ». Singers who were big stars are juxtaposed with others who are nearly unknown or forgotten : Gene Autry and Carolina Cotton, for example. This is a superb overview of the burgeoning styles that came to play such a crucial role in the music’s history. » PEC – DIRTY LINEN Presse Anglaise
