His Greatest & His Best
Artist: Merle Haggard

Haggard's tenure on MCA was brief but productive. Highlights, all included here, were "If We're Not Back in Love by Monday," "Leonard" (a tribute to songwriter Tommy Collins), and "Misery and Gin." ~ Dan Cooper, All Music Guide Read More

Amazing Steel Guitar: The Buddy Emmons Collection
Artist: Buddy Emmons

Amazing Steel Guitar: The Collection is a terrific 16-track collection that covers Buddy Emmons' entire career. A couple of strong songs might be missing, but all the necessary items -- including "Raisin' the Dickens," "Country Boy Bounce," "Four Wheel Drive," "Where or When," "Cherokee (Indian Love Song)," "Witchcraft," "There Will Never Be... Read More

America's Song Butchers: The Weird World of Homer & Jethro
Artist: Homer & Jethro

Country music has a long and rich tradition of cornball jokes calculated to make audiences laugh and groan at the same time, and few if any acts mined this vein with greater results than Homer & Jethro. No one would ever accuse Homer & Jethro of having a subtle or sophisticated sense of humor, but their twangy parodies of various country and pop... Read More

A Christmas Present
Artist: Merle Haggard

While Hag keeps the mood light with selections such as "Santa Claus and Popcorn" and more traditional fare, he also has some bite with the high and lonesome "Daddy Won't Be Home for Christmas." His matter-of-fact tale about layoffs at the factory, "If We Make It Through December," has become timeless in tough times. ~ Dennis MacDonald, All Music... Read More

The Family Bible
Artist: Merle Haggard

This is a nine-track condensation of Merle Haggard's 1971 inspirational double album, Land of Many Churches, which featured vocal backup from Bonnie Owens and the Carter Family, whose credits have been omitted on this no-frills version. Haggard is appropriately reverent on such standards as "Precious Memories," "Amazing Grace" and "The Old... Read More

Remembering Merle
Artist: Doc & Merle Watson

Remembering Merle is an affectionate tribute to Doc Watson's deceased son, featuring several songs -- which were all recorded live between 1970 and 1976 -- that showcased his work. Doc and Merle touch on a number of different genres, from folk and blue to rockabilly, all the while demonstrating the younger Watson's considerable talent. ~ Thom... Read More

Bop A Hula
Artist: Jimmy C. Newman

Forty-seven songs cut by Jimmy C. Newman for Dot Records between late 1953 and February of 1958, showcasing the singer in his early prime -- Newman's recordings go back to 1946, but these were the ones where he hit his stride. The sound is a mix of Cajun and country, with the strong influence of Ernest Tubb, whom Newman grew up idolizing along... Read More

Swingin' Our Way
Artist: Buddy Emmons
Kern River
Artist: Merle Haggard
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