Roy Acuff – The Early Albums Collection – 4CD

Born in Maynardville, Tennessee on 23rd November 1903, Roy Claxton Acuff - later to be known as 'The King of Country Music' - came from a family that included medics, preachers, politicians and musicians among its ranks. The young Roy learned to play a number of instruments from an early age, although as a youth he favoured the harmonica and the Jew's harp. Whilst recovering from an illness, Acuff honed his skills on the fiddle and would play daily on the porch of his house; he was influenced by the likes of Fiddlin' John Carson and Gid Tanner. His first professional engagements were to provide entertainment at Dr. Hauer's Medicine Show. The show could not afford microphones, so Acuff learned to sing loud enough to be heard above the crowds. This skill went on to assist him when performing for early radio broadcasts. Having recorded dozens of albums between the 1940s and the late 1970s, Roy received numerous awards during his career. He was the first living inductee into the 'Country Music Hall Of Fame' and was awarded the 'National Medal of Arts'. He was given a lifetime achievement award by the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts - the first Country music star to receive this honour. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and two separate museums were named in his honour; 'The Roy Acuff Museum' In Opryland and 'The Roy Acuff Union and Library' in his hometown of Maynardville. This 4CD set brings together the finest recordings made by Roy Acuff across his career, featuring as it does 10 complete, original LPs totalling over five hours of truly unique country music. Serving as both a fine introduction to this great performer's work, and as a welcome reminder of just how good Roy Acuff's timeless recordings still sounds today, this delightful collection will fit in perfectly with the collections of music fans of all genres.

Track Listing:

CD1:
1. Dance Around Molly - 2:38   2. Black Mountain Rag - 2:50   3. Pretty Little Widow - 2:44   4. Smoky Mountain Rag - 2:46   5. Gray Eagle - 2:44   6. Lonesome Indian - 2:31   7. Bully of the Town - 2:46   8. Polk County Breakdown - 2:44   9. The Great Speckled Bird - 2:42   10. Wabash Cannon Ball - 2:40   11. Pins and Needles (In My Heart) - 2:42   12. The Precious Jewel - 2:59   13. The Great Titanic - 2:37   14. Come Back Little Pal - 2:28   15. The Wreck on the Highway - 2:55   16. Night Train to Memphis - 2:01   17. The Great Judgement Morning - 3:10   18. Lonely Mound of Clay - 2:42   19. Fire Ball Mail - 2:13   20. I'm Building a Home (In the Sky) - 2:17   21. Where You There When They Crusified My Lord - 2:31   22. How Beautiful Heaven Must Be - 2:22   23. The Uncloudy Day - 2:05   24. Thank God - 2:17   25. Jesus Died for Me - 2:20   26. Hold to God's Unchanging Hand - 2:21   27. Take My Hand, Precious Lord - 2:36   28. Shake My Mother's Hand for Me - 2:31   29. Where I Could Go But to the Lord - 2:20   30. Where the Soul Never Dies - 2:30   31. Lord Build Me a Cabin in Glory - 2:27   32. This World Is Not My Home - 2:32

CD2:
1. Great Speckled Bird - 2:52   2. The Wreck on the Highway - 2:43   3. Fireball Mail - 2:31   4. The Precious Jewel - 2:44   5. Pins and Needles (In My Heart) - 2:42   6. Tennessee Waltz - 2:54   7. Wabash Cannonball - 2:33   8. Freight Train Blues - 2:36   9. Wait for the Light to Shine - 2:31   10. Low and Lonely - 2:31   11. Searchin' for Happiness - 2:17   12. I Don't Care (If You Don't Love Me) - 2:21   13. The One I Love (Is Gone) - 2:33   14. So Many Times - 2:23   15. Come and Knock (On the Door of My Heart) - 2:37   16. They'll Never Take Her Love From Me - 2:23   17. Don't Know Why - 2:16   18. Nero Played His Fiddle While Rome Burned - 2:42   19. Thanks for Not Telling Me - 2:27   20. Write Me Sweetheart No. 1 - 2:19   21. Once More - 2:33   22. Great Speckled Bird No. 2 - 2:38   23. That Glory Bound Train - 2:42   24. This World Can't Stand Long - 2:40   25. I Saw the Light - 2:39   26. Tell Mother I'll Be There - 2:36   27. The Pale Horse and His Rider - 2:44   28. Were You There When They Crucified My Lord - 2:49   29. I'll Reap My Harvest in Heaven - 2:39   30. Thank God - 2:56   31. The Great Shining Light - 2:37

CD3:
1. Great Speckled Bird - 2:40   2. Fireball Mail - 2:08   3. Precious Jewel - 3:13   4. Pins and Needles (In My Heart) - 2:33   5. Wreck on the Highway - 2:25   6. Unloved and Unclaimed - 2:25   7. Wabash Cannonball - 2:34   8. Don't Make Me Go to Bed and I'll Be Good - 3:40   9. Old Age Pension Check - 2:37   10. Night Train to Memphis - 2:23   11. Lonely Mound of Clay - 2:30   12. Automobile of Life - 2:44   13. Sunshine Special - 2:37   14. Tennessee Fox Chase - 2:00   15. Oh, Lonesome Me - 2:40   16. Sally Goodin' - 2:56   17. Wreck on the Highway - 3:32   18. Indian Love Call - 2:11   19. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - 2:43   20. Good Old Mountain Dew - 2:18   21. I Saw the Light - 2:14   22. Wabash Cannonball - 2:39   23. Hillbilly Fever/Fort Worth Rag - 6:20   24. Wabash Cannonball - 2:27   25. There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight - 3:33   26. Before I Met You - 12:52

CD4:
1. Things That Might Have Been - 2:24   2. The Streamlined Cannonball - 2:29   3. Blues in My Mind - 2:43   4. I'm Building a Home - 2:14   5. It's Too Late Now - 2:31   6. No Letter in the Mail - 2:51   7. The End of the World - 3:10   8. Branded Wherever I Go - 2:08   9. My Tears Don't Show - 2:35   10. As Long as I Live - 2:54   11. Do You Wonder Why - 2:57   12. Low and Lonely - 2:01   13. Budded Roses - 3:11   14. If Brother Jack Were Here - 3:50   15. Put My Little Shoes Away - 2:54   16. The Letter Edged in Black - 3:10   17. Two Little Orphans - 2:52   18. Shut Up in the Mines - 3:03   19. Great Titanic - 2:33   20. Little Rose Wood Casket - 2:43   21. Down in the Valley (Birmingham Jail) - 3:17   22. Give My Love to Nell - 4:19   23. Red River Valley - 3:01   24. Zeb Turney's Girl - 3:05