Track Listing

1. Great Speckle Bird
2. Steel Guitar Blues
3. Just to Ease My Worried Mind
4. Lonesome Old River Blues
5. Precious Jewel
6. It Won't Be Long (Till I'll Be Leaving)
7. Wreck on the Highway
8. Fireball Mail
9. Night Train to Memphis
10. Prodigal Son
11. Not a Word from Home
12. I'll Forgive You, But I Can't Forget You
13. Freight Train Blues
14. Wabash Cannonball
15. Jole Blon
16. This World Can't Stand Long
17. Waltz of the Wind
18. Sinner's Death (I'm Dying)
19. Tennessee Waltz
20. Black Mountain Rag

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26724 in Music
• Released on: 2008-02-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com essential recording
He may have failed in his attempts at professional baseball and the governorship of Tennessee, but the "King of Country Music" did manage to become the biggest star of his era. This 20-song collection opens with 1936's "Great Speckle Bird," the gospel number that first brought him fame, and includes his biggest 1940s hits. Acuff combined elements of old-time, string-band, and hillbilly music (adding Dobro and then harmonica), forging an emotional, pure, polished sound; his lonesome voice was capable of great sensitivity as well as a jocularity carried over from his medicine-show days. The gloomy "Wreck on the Highway" marks a highlight, as do remakes of his early hits, "Freight Train Blues" and the Carters' "Wabash Cannon Ball." --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

Very skimpy-Grt. Hits CD offers more
At a running time of just over 50 minutes, this one could've had a lot more added on to it. You get the bare-bones essential, gotta have type of stuff such as "Wabash Cannonball" & "The Great Speckled Bird", but missing are many of the selections that came from his long in print Greatest Hits CD such as "The Devil's Train", "Waiting For My Call To Glory" and many other fine selections.

"Lonesome Old River Blues" & "This World Can't Stand Long" are presented in alternate takes from their better known versions. I have always felt an "essential" set should provide the versions that were "hits" not alternate takes as this set would serve as an intro to Acuff's music-not an overview of alternate takes.

One plus is everything here is in it's original unaltered mono version-no fake stereo. In short, if you're not familiar with Acuff, this is not a bad set, but the Greatest Hits CD on Columbia offers a broader selection. Columbia, in the future, let Bear Family handle the alternate takes & stick with official versions on domestic releases.

Great CD
Here's another fine offering by Columbia Country Classics; and this one covers the Father of the Grand Ole Opry. These are original recordings and considering the technology of the time, these are quite good. Of course, the set includes his signature "Great Speckled Bird" and "Wabash Cannonball", but there are other gems, including "The Precious Jewel", "Wreck on the Highway", and "Night Train to Memphis". To make the collection ever more interesting, is the inclusion of three previously unissued alternate takes of: "Steel Guitar Blues", "Lonesome Old River Blues", and "This World Cant Stand Long". Roy was never afraid to show a little emotion, and he never held-back when perfroming, and this CD showcases those talents. Country Music lost one of its greatest treasures with the passing of Mr Acuff; here's your chance to own a little of that magic.

The Esential Roy Acuff"
I received the CD "The Essential Roy Acuff (1936-1949)" in just a few days after ordering. It had selections That I heard in the 1940's and my fokes had some of them on old 78 RPM records like "The Great Speckle Bird" "Wreck On The Highway" "Night Train To Memphis" "Fireball Mail" "Wabash Cannon Ball" "The Precious Jewel" and others. As with age the records bit the dust. Cracked, broken and just wore out. I was glad to fine some of these old country classics on CD's with very good sound quality.