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An earnest, often largely orchestrated gospel-ish album This Lusty Land is his earliest inspirational foray. If you only know ol' Ern from "Sixteen Tons" and the Davy Crockett theme, or from his appearance as a Branson, MO dwelling ghost on the Simpsons, you're really missing out on a singular vocal talent – a man who cut some of the greatest hillbilly pop and proto-rockabilly vocal tunes ever! 12 tracks in all: "John Henry", "Trouble In Mind", "Chicken Road", "The Rovin' Gambler", "In The Pines", "Nine Pound Hammer", "The Last Letter", and more.

A pair of obscure soundtracks, both with a western theme – fitting together surprisingly well on a single CD! Hud is one of Paul Newman's finest early moments on screen – scored beautifully here by Elmer Bernstein, who shows a surprisingly deft ear for guitar lines – spun out in ways that are almost more folksy than the usual soundtrack of this type, and a real change from some of the jazzier, more dramatic Bernstein work of the late 50s. The CD features both film tracks that are mostly guitar, and alternates for a chamber orchestra – plus a few bonus tracks by other artists too. Titles include "Flower Bed", "Quarantine Sign", "Lonely Corrals", "Bonaparte's Retreat", and "Prelude". Next is Nathan Van Cleve's score for The Lonely Man – an obscure Anthony Perkins western, with a sweet title track sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford! The instrumental numbers carry the spirit of the theme nicely – a warm, slightly romanticized Hollywood version of the west – often using acoustic guitar and harmonica alongside more conventional orchestrations. Titles include "Losing The Stallion", "The Trek", "The Prodigal Father", "The Deserted Bonanza", and "Death At The Bonanza".

A masterpiece mixture of sound effects and loungey orchestration! Wild stuff featuring "found objects" from a surplus store – like saws, whistles, sirens, and other junk – plus the great arrangements of one of Capitol's best bandleaders. (In case you're not familiar with Jack Fascinato, he worked on all of Tennessee Ernie Ford's best records.) The sound is very groovy, and very "pre-industrial". Titles include "An Old Saw", "Latin Hardware", "Adios Castanets", "Oily Boid", and "Sweepy Time".