John Anderson 2
Artist: John Anderson
Community Score: 9.00

His second album (obviously), this traditionally minded package contrasted with the bulk of the material released in the same Urban Cowboy-influenced time period. His cover of Lefty Frizzell's "I Love You a Thousand Ways" shows his roots nicely, and "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)" is simply classic. ~ Tom... Read More

Talk to My Heart
Artist: Johnny Bush

Johnny Bush's second album after a 1994 comeback from an obscure neurological disorder that affected his voice finds the honky-tonk singer challenging his voice with a set of uptempo, tenor-led songs. In the opener, a Ray Price nugget named "Please Talk to My Heart," Bush places his voice front-and-center, proving it's just as expressive as it... Read More

King of the Road - BEAR FAMILY
Artist: Roger Miller
Traveling Through
Artist: Dick Curless

Traveling Through was the last record Dick Curless ever made, and it's a winner. Recorded in 1994, in Brookfield, MA, the album is a rootsy, stripped-down collection of country, blues and gospel tunes. Throughout the album, Curless is in fine voice, wrenching out emotion from each of the songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

The Very Best of Buck Owens, Vol. 2
Artist: Buck Owens
Community Score: 8.00

The Very Best of Buck Owens, Vol. 2 contains all the essential Owens songs the first volume didn't cover, including "Above and Beyond," "Love's Gonna Live Here," "My Heart Skips A Beat," "Cryin' Time," "Buckaroo," and "Big in Vegas." Like its predecessor, the collection spans from 1959 to 1971, and features an excellent cross-section of his... Read More

The Very Best of Buck Owens, Vol. 1
Artist: Buck Owens

The Very Best of Buck Owens, Vol. 1 contains a great deal of Buck's most essential songs, including "Under Your Spell Again," "Act Naturally," "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail," and "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line." The set runs from 1959 to 1971, picking up a good cross-section of his biggest hits along the way. The compilation is a perfect... Read More

Cup of Loneliness: The Classic Mercury Years
Artist: George Jones

George Jones is widely considered the greatest singer in country music -- as well as one of the greatest singers in American popular music -- and while his style gradually grew richer and more nuanced, he arrived pretty much fully formed, a force of nature, as Mercury's 1994 double-disc set Cup of Loneliness proves. Over the course of 48 tracks... Read More

Honky Tonk Girl: Collection
Artist: Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn's three-disc box set Honky Tonk Girl: Collection has the requisite rarities, but the real strength of the set is how it offers all of her essential tracks -- from 1960s "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl" to 1988's "Who Was That Stranger" -- in one place. Not only are her classic hits like "Fist City" and "Coal Miner's Daughter" included, but... Read More

King of the Honky-Tonk: From the Original Master Tapes
Artist: Webb Pierce
Community Score: 5.00

No one ever accused Pierce of being a singer's singer; neverthless, his classic country oeuvre is totally individualistic, which is really more important. Any fan of '50s fiddle-and-steel honky tonk will want this collection, which features such Pierce immortals as "There Stands the Glass," "Slowly," a rollicking 1954 remake of Jimmie Rodgers'... Read More

The Very Best of Frankie Miller
Artist: Frankie Miller
This Time
Artist: Dwight Yoakam
Community Score: 5.00

Six years after his monumental debut recording, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., Dwight Yoakam is still delivering the goods. After inadvertently (and unwillingly) being credited with creating the new traditionalist movement, Yoakam takes his hard-edged country influences from Buck Owens, Johnny Horton, Ray Price, and Merle Haggard and expands... Read More

Health & Happiness Shows
Artist: Hank Williams

The double-disc set Health & Happinesss Shows collects eight complete radio shows that Hank Williams recorded in 1949, when his career was just taking off. Throughout the collection, Williams sounds energetic and vibrant, even during his between-song stage patter which is nearly fascinating as the music. It's a set that is designed for... Read More

Seminole Wind
Artist: John Anderson
Community Score: 10.00

As his comeback, John Anderson didn't just stumble upon a couple of hit singles, he produced a solid album, full of twangy rubble raisers and moving, yearning ballads. Including the number one hit "Straight Tequila Night," the environment-inspired title cut, and the tender, pleading "Let Go of the Stone," this album catapulted Anderson back to... Read More

Wild & Blue
Artist: John Anderson
Community Score: 10.00

The occasional use of strings in this album was probably master-minded by former Don Law protege Frank Jones, who co-produced it. Twin fiddles and steel guitar dominate, though, especially in a remake of Ferlin Husky's "The Waltz You Saved for Me," featuring Emmylou Harris. It includes "Swingin'" and a new version of Lefty Frizzell's "Long Black... Read More

Legendary Hits
Artist: Roger Miller

This lesser known 20-track collection contains all the big hits, such as "King of the Road," "Dang Me," "England Swings" and "Chug-A-Lug." It's hard to argue with any of the selections, and Miller's amazing song writing range, from the goofy "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd" to the very serious "Husbands and Wives" is well represented.... Read More