The Very Best of Country Gold
Customer Review: Country rocks!
If you like country music then this is the compilation for you. It haseverything that traditional country fans enjoy to some great tunes thatanyone would be unable to resist. Classics such as ‘Harper Valley PTA’ and’ Let Your Love Flow’ ensure that this compilation can and will be enjoyedby anybody who listens to this album. Listen and Enjoy!

Customer Review: Definitive set of country classics
I am not really a country music fan, having never bought a country album before, or not intentionally anyway! I was given this by a friend, and i had no idea what i was missing out on. Apart from all the classics that you know but never knew you really liked, from Jolene to Islands In The Stream to Stand By Your Man, there’s all manner of styles and tempos from the brilliant “Misty” by Ray Stevens, probably the best track on the collection, to Ralph Stanley’s now classic bluegrass classic “Man Of Constant Sorrow”.

I’ve since bought the “O Brother Where Art Thou” album, which is also superb, and together they’ve satisfied my new passion for Americana.

This would make a great Christmas present i’d say, as it’s novel and surprisingly good.

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The All Time Greatest Classical Album
Such a thing as the title promises isn’t possible, but even if it were, this wouldn’t be The All Time Greatest Classical Album. Rather, this is a set of 29 tracks offering 2-and-a-half hours of music drawn from the Sony and Columbia archives–a wide range of famous themes from the classics, plus some from the movies and stage. While John Williams’ Star Wars can be argued to be in the classical tradition, James Horner’s “Rose” from Titanic sounds very odd indeed following “Nimrod” from Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Equally, Sarah Brightman singing “Time to Say Goodbye” really has no place here, and while Jos? Carreras delivers a stirring account of Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma!” the aria is unnaturally and very abruptly faded. What this set does deliver is a lot of very well-known music in good performances by major stars, among them Kiri Te Kanawa, Pl?cido Domingo and Jacqueline du Pr?. However, the documentation is so sparse as to not even credit the orchestras and conductors involved. Considering the many similar collections around, both The Best Classical Album in the World Ever and especially The A-Z of Classical Music offer better introductions to the classics. –Gary S. Dalkin

Customer Review: Mixed in every regard, but one to which I’m very grateful.
Some of everything makes an odd soup.
In this case, Nessum Dorma fades out as if it was badly cropped from a longer recording and there’s a cough in the middle of disc 1 track 12, but this double CD first introduced me to Sarah’s Intimate Version of “Con Te Partiro”, disc 2 track 1. You can get this on a Sarah Brightman CD instead. Just be sure it’s not the duet with Andrea B. No offence to him, but this one track is gorgeous as sung by just her.
There are good tracks to have on both discs, and at least two to avoid: Sony blasphemously make Fur Elise an orchestral piece, and it’s lousy, and there’s The Dance Of The Knights, which sounds like sweaty men in heavy armour leaping around indecently assaulting abused instruments with inappropraite bows and plectra.

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Home - 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards

2Steppin.com - Where country music and the Army feel right at home.

My Life’s Been a Country…USA
Customer Review: All our live’s have been country songs!
For all the Chris Cagle fans out there this new album delivers! If you are interested in good music and haven’t listen to Chris before, this is a must buy for you! Chris has the ability to make his listeners laugh, cry and dance with each of his albums. When it comes to love songs nobody sings them better!

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All Time Greatest Country Songs
Customer Review: All Time Greatest ?
Although there can never be a definitive greatest album of Country … this one gets pretty close. On first listening I thought a few tracks were a bit of an “iffy” choice, in either they where not really Country or I had heard better versions by other artists… but when listened to in it’s entirety …I was taken on a really wonderful journey through the range & depth of Country Music.

I would strongly recommend buying this album other Greatest will be along but I doubt if they will give anymore enjoyment than this one.

Customer Review: extremely good
This cd set is very good - a lively, happy collection of country music. It makes you want to ‘jig along’ with it & makes you feel good. Also a great ’singalong’ set of recordings for all budding singers. Even if you don’t intend singing in public, just a lovely set of songs to sing to. The contents is varied & is a great selection for the country fan. One you will play time & time again.

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Flaming Star/Wild in the Country: Original Soundtrack

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The Definitive Country Collection
Customer Review: A Laser-Activated Taste of Nascar, Bourbon and Grits
Country Music is one of the very few artforms native to the U.S.
and George Jones is Country Music.
His beautifully expressive voice, often wistful but equally at home in revelry, is a noble mouthpiece of the human heart.

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Moving Up Country
Scottish folk troubadour James Yorkston might not quite smell like the latest underground hero, but his debut album, Moving Up Country, is a quietly stunning testament to the enduring creativity of a musical form many thought long dead and buried. Newly signed to Domino Records, Yorkston claims no knowledge of label mainstays like Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Smog–but his music contains definite parallels, demonstrating an individuality of voice, an experimental urge, and a dry humour that so many traditional singer-songwriters lack. Meanwhile, his backing band, The Athletes, fill in his countryside tales with flourishes of twanged banjo, screeching harmonica, and whirring Wurlitzer organs. “St. Patrick” could almost be a long-lost Nick Drake rarity, deftly balancing its wistful lyrical edge with a blossoming musical beauty. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the fast-paced “I Spy Dogs” find Yorkston romping through a bawdy, half-cut tale of bar-room trouble-making. As it happens, the only disappointment here is the omission of “The Lang Toun”, the fantastic nine-minute epic that preceded the release of Moving Up Country, and still sounds like Yorkston’s defining moment to date. Still, an impressive debut, and a worthy addition to the Domino roster.–Louis Pattison

Customer Review: A grower
For those mellow evenings when you’re maybe feeling a little down, or a little knackered - this is the ideal calmer. Laid-back, alt-country that isn’t quite morose but certainly not upbeat - in some ways almost jazz-like. The album is worth buying if only for the majestic and melodic Tender To The Blues. Wonderful.

Customer Review: Two scoops of accoustic loveliness.
If you’re reading this, do yourself a favour and buy this record. James’ delicate and intricate accoustic guitar and vocal arrangements are set off by the various and varied backing instruments and harmonies of the athletes.
Tender and St Patrick are my favourite tracks, tho everyone’s a little gem.
At turns haunting, at others rousing, with a homegrown feel to it - this is how music should be. And he’s a Fifer too! Gaun the neeburs!

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Little Nashville Country Music Entertainment

Country Music, U.S.A. - Google Books Result

Scottish Country Dancing
Customer Review: Bargain of the week! A real treat.
Scottish and Irish dance music gets to me maybe because my Father was Irish and my Mother was part Scottish. I danced at school from an early age and was formally taught and I continued well into my twenties and I danced to some good live bands. I am a hi fi enthusiast and a musician and I have a decent collection of Scottish and Irish music on tape and CD but this CD which I only received this morning and am listening through for the second time is my favourite Scottish dance band recording now.

The recording quality is good with plenty of depth and correct tonal balance with the amp bass and treble controls set at flat and stereo is excellent. Equipment used Denon PMA355UK amp with Marantz CD5400 player and Technics RP-F350 phones. Believe me, my set up soons shows up poor recordings. Sounds good in the car too.

I was feeling really depressed earlier(lost my husband just before Christmas)this music has cheered me up and I even tried to dance but at 66 years young I soon got tired.

As usual free super saver was despatched before estimated date so CD and DVDs ordered with it arrived early and at under ?3 a real bargain and I must admit I was a bit worried about the price and whether the recording would be poor but it is first class.

Thank you Amazon and can I have this dance please
Customer Review: Bouncy & Brilliant Bobby Does Again
Bobby Crowe and his SCD are one of the best bands to dance to, but unfortunately do not issue many CDs. This one is better than the recent issues by any other band. The dances are well timed, well played(with excellent lift where required) and the tunes are well selected to suit each dance. My favourite versions of the Eightsome Reel and ‘Holin Bus’ for sure. However the “piece de resistance” is the faultless recording of Highland Cathedral, immense chords, plus the harmony, weel dun Bob.

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Continue …

The Golden Age Of American Rock’n'Roll - Special Country Edition
Customer Review: How Country Music lived with Rock n’ Roll.
In the mid ’50s, Country Music was in real danger of going out of business. Its niche markets were overwhelmed by the new raw sounds of Rock n’ Roll demanded by of all things, by teenagers.

The first track on this superb compilation, White Lightnin’ by George Jones captures the way Country Music blended the new sound into a distinct beat, keeping the lyrics distinctly Country. That sound just about kept Country alive long enough for the tunes and melodies to grow back, and the successive tracks are distinctive in that they have something to say, and a memorable sound that could catch the ear on radio or get a quarter into a jukebox.

What the songs said wasn’t new, but it was now more evocative because the songs linked in with things like urbanisation, and the loss of rural roots. Detroit City echoes the loss with its great line “by day I make the cars, and by night I make the Bars”, even El Paso, with it’s Mexican sounds hints of the old lost West.

Also crowding in were songs that spoke of unrequited love or adultery. Heavy stuff. Wrapped up in a great arrangement is the classic Walk on By, not the Dionne Warwick bit of fluff, but the darker Leroy Van Dyke track of adulterous love.

Whatever the theme, and they weave around the usual mix, the arrangement, tempo and delivery matches. Jim Reeves on the telephone with He’ll Have To Go, and the frenetic Flowers On the Wall with the Statlers one step ahead of descending into a nervous breakdown caused by the loss of a woman.

The tracks range from 1956 to 1965, a long time in any music.From Ray Prices classic shuffle Crazy Arms to Roger Millers scat in King of the Road.

Country Music is often portrayed as samey, boring and trite. These songs sold in their hundreds of thousands, tackling issues other genres wouldn’t touch. And they did it in a way that meant as soon as you heard the guitar chords of I Fall To Pieces you stop and remember that it’s Patsy. Country Music can evoke memory and emotion.

This ACE collection is a very worthy entrant in the Golden Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll Series. Buy it now.

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Peterson, Richard A.: Creating Country Music

Bayou Country
Customer Review: One of the all-time classice
Bayou Country is and remains one of the Classic Rock albums of all-time. Creedence Clearwater was and remains probably the Greatest American Rock and Roll band ever.
Bayou Country is the second of 7 albums that CCR recorded in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
The album starts off with “Born on the Bayou, which in my mind is the best song John Fogertry ever wrote. Born on the Bayou mixes Rock and blues. The guitar licks are classic.
Bootleg is next. Bootleg is a nice little accoustic song.
Its fun to listen to
Graveyard Train is next and it shows Fogerty messing with the Blues. Graveyard train gets a little lengthy but is still worth listen.
Good Golly miss Molly is a cover of the Little Richard song. CCR does the song justice, its a great cover of a classic song.
Penthouse Pauper is next and it is also worth the listen.
Next is Fogerty’s brightest moment. one of the Classic songs of all-time…………..Proud Mary.
Many people prefer the cover by Ike and Tina Turner. As good as their version is I will always prefer the CCR version better.
Keep on Choolin is next and another solid song.
Creedence Clearwater came at a time when the charts were dominated by British bands. For the first time in over half a decade, an American band was recording #1 songs.
CCR sold more singles in the 60’s that ANY American band.
Bayou Country along with Green River, Willie and the Poorboys and Cosmos Factory are and always will be classics.
John Fogerty is probably the greatest American writer of the 60’s and probably for all-time.

Customer Review: An absolute classic album
From the very first bars of the title track, you know this is going to be a great album and it doesn’t disappoint. The raw, yet melodic voice of John Fogerty provides an awesome mix of blues and rock which really capture the listener. There are some lengthy tunes on this album which draw mainly from the bands bluesy influences, these seem to take a while to get to their destination but are no worse for the fact. There is a (in my opinion) terrible cover of Good Golly Miss Molly which would have been left out, but I’m sure others like it.

The real gem in this album is the all-time classic track, Proud Mary (covered by Ike & Tina Turner - a classic of theirs too), it is worth buying this album for this one track alone.

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