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Dim Lights, Thick Smoke & Hillbilly Music: Country & Western Hit Parade 1955
Various
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke & Hillbilly Music: Country & Western Hit Parade 1955
 
  •  Track Listings (31) - Disc #1

For many years, we'd received requests to do a truly definitive country series, but it wasn't until the success of our year-by-year R&B/Soul series, Blowin' The Fuse (now Sweet Soul Music) that we decided we needed to ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Various
Title: Dim Lights, Thick Smoke & Hillbilly Music: Country & Western Hit Parade 1955
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Bear Family
Original Release Date: 1/1/2009
Re-Release Date: 11/24/2009
Album Type: Import
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 4000127169600

Synopsis

Product Description
For many years, we'd received requests to do a truly definitive country series, but it wasn't until the success of our year-by-year R&B/Soul series, Blowin' The Fuse (now Sweet Soul Music) that we decided we needed to do something comparable for country music. The first six volumes of Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music, took us from 1945 - 1950, and were released in 2008. Now the story continues, and will eventually end in 1970. The series has been compiled with today's fans in mind. Yes, the big hits are there, but so are the classic performances that weren't necessarily big hits at the time, but became influential in the years ahead. Every volume has incredibly detailed behind-the-scenes stories, fabulously rare photos, and an ongoing history of country music set against the backdrop of the broader American music business. The booklets alone are 72 pages! Definitive? You bet!Superlatives are often overplayed - although the many superlatives used in connection with the unrivalled BEAR FAMILY releases over the years are more than well justified - but such words of praise reach new heights with Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music which spotlights the Country & Western Hit Parade.1955: The hits include Fess Parker's original Ballad Of Davy Crockett, Webb Pierce's In The Jailhouse Now, Johnny Cash's Cry, Cry, Cry, Faron Young's Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young, Tennessee Ernie's Sixteen Tons, and Porter Wagoner's original hit version of Satisfied Mind. The rarities include Jimmy Dean's Big Blue Diamonds, Arthur Smith's Feudin' Banjos (the original version of Dueling Banjos from the movie 'Deliverance') and George Jones' Why Baby Why ...never reissued unedited before! 31 songs in all!
 

CD Reviews

Views of a Country outsider
Eliminator Man | Plymouth, MN | 06/28/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to this CD was like visiting a foreign country for me. I was born in 48, started listening to RnR with Elvis, started listening to Blues and Jazz in the 60s. I never had a good thing to say about country. I don't really like almost any of the country that has come out in the last 30 years or so. Just don't get it. I have purchased the entire Bear Family history of RnB from 1946 through 1970. Much of that, especially the older stuff was new for me. I was a Chicago Blues fan in particular and a lot of that old RnB escaped my notice. But Bear Family got me into a whole new musical love.



So I was hoping for the same by trying one of the ones in the Country series. Thought I'd start with the most recent first; at least I'd recognize a few songs. I've got to say that many of these remind me of old blues stuff from the early 50s: simple arrangements with room to breath, understated songs of great emotional power. I've considered for several years trying to find a good country collection from the 50s and early 60s and I think this is it. I'll buy backwards from 55 and for sure buy the next batch when it comes out. Lots of fun here. This one is loaded up on my Ipod next to John Coltrane, Charlie Patton, the Rolling Stones and Muddy Waters."
Fantastic!
Robert Lett | Richmond, Va United States | 12/28/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Typical Bear Family quality, great sound and really lavish books/liner notes. Every single one of these sets so far(they began this series with 1945) are just mind blowingly good,but this one (1955) is just starting to touch on the early George Jones and Johnny Cash years so I am a little partial to this over the rest. I am real excited about the next batch and hoping Bear extends this series thru the seventies....Great stuff!"