Search - Tom T Hall :: Ultimate Collection

Ultimate Collection
Tom T Hall
Ultimate Collection
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (24) - Disc #1

His songs are among the most familiar in country music, yet he hasn't even recorded some of them. He counts bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs and novelist Kurt Vonnegut among his friends. He has been the most unusual singer-s...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Tom T Hall
Title: Ultimate Collection
Members Wishing: 5
Total Copies: 0
Label: Hip-O Records
Release Date: 6/12/2001
Album Type: Original recording remastered
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop
Styles: Outlaw Country, Singer-Songwriters
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 731455613124

Synopsis

Album Description
His songs are among the most familiar in country music, yet he hasn't even recorded some of them. He counts bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs and novelist Kurt Vonnegut among his friends. He has been the most unusual singer-songwriter...one who didn't recycle himself after the first album. He married folk music's narrative drive to country music's melodicism and economy. And when Alan Jackson took his song "Little Bitty" to the top of the country charts in 1996, it proved that it's always a little premature to write off Tom T. Hall.Country music began with narrative ballads, but no one has stretched the medium or used it as a vehicle to say something trenchant about the human condition like Tom T. Hall. If most country songwriters look inward, he looks outward with ironic detachment. He was raised on traditional bluegrass music, and still says that it's his favorite music, but bluegrass is rife with judgmentalism. Tom T. Hall's music is almost entirely free of judgments. He relates the story, leaving you to draw what conclusion you will.

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Member CD Reviews

LISA M. (LISACHERIE) from BERLIN, PA
Reviewed on 3/21/2010...
Gave this CD to my Father, as a gift. He loves it and plays it all of the time. Says it is one of his favorite CD's. If you love a storytelling song, this is one of the best CD's for that.

CD Reviews

Quality Tom T
Robert L. Henry Jr. | Paden City, WV United States | 12/10/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This collection, for the most part, is solid. Most of Tom T's biggest hits for Mercury are found on this collection. However, where is "Sneaky Snake"? Also this collection goes into Tom's RCA days after Mercury. I believe this collection could have went farther into this recording period of Tom's career. However, despite a song or two left off the collection it is a
good cd of Tom's work. Tom T Hall was one of the finest country singers of the 70's and this collection serves him justice."
The last great story teller in song
Mark Blackburn | Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada | 01/06/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

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The Thinking Man's country music song-writer, Tom T. Hall was no more "just a country music composer" than Mark Twain was "just a country writer." As a gifted lyricist, Hall continued the great, Mark Twain story-telling tradition -- teasing us endlessly with humorous and astute observations of human frailties -- distilling it down into `artless' treasures of the song writer's art.



As with the greatest, non-theatrical lyricist of them all -- fellow southerner Johnny Mercer - Tom T. Hall's best work, such as the opening track of this terrific compilation -- the "Ballad of Forty Dollars" it's all so deceptively simple! "Heck, I could have written that!" Lyric writing never looked so easy and fun.



If it's still true that the world will always welcome lovers as time goes by --- it feels equally good about great storytellers, who can go anywhere and are never strangers --- especially those who touch our hearts through poems set to music.



The reader must indulge this frustrated poet for one minute as he closes his eyes to recite, (from 'memory imperfect') five short stanzas of lyric writing perfection.



As Frank Sinatra said of Fred Astaire's dancing in "That's Entertainment"): "You can wait around forever but you may never (experience) the likes of this again."



High art . . . disguised as the simple reflections of a grave-digger:



----



The man who preached the funeral said it really was a simple way to die.

He just laid down to rest one afternoon and never opened up his eyes.

They hired me (and Fred and Joe) to dig the grave and carry up some chairs.

It took us seven hours and I guess we must have drunk a case of beers.



I guess I ought to go and watch them `put him down' -- but I don't own a suit.

And anyway, when they start talking `bout the "fire in hell" -- well, I get spooked.

So, I'll just sit here in my truck and act like I don't know him, when they pass.

And anyway, when they're all through I've got to go to work and mow the grass.



Well, here they come -- and who's that ridin' in that big ol' shiny limousine?

Look at all that chrome, I do believe that that's the sharpest thing I've seen.

That must belong to his great uncle, someone said he owned a big ol' farm.

When they get parked I'll mosey down and look it over, that won't do no harm.



Well that must be the widow in the car and would you take a look at that!

That sure is a pretty dress, you know some women do look good in black.

Well, he's not even in the ground and yet they say his truck is up for sale.

They say she took it pretty hard, but you can't tell too much behind the veil.



Well, listen: Ain't that pretty when the bugler plays the military taps?

I think that when you's in the war they always had to play a song like that.

Well here I am, and there they go, I guess you'd have to call it my bad luck --

I hope he rests in peace; the trouble is, the fellow owes me forty bucks.



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