A collection of classic country that's got way more to offer than the "depressing" in the title might make you think – not tracks that are purposely over the top and full of bad feeling – but instead the kind of well-crafted work that makes postwar country some of the most carefully emotive music of the time! The set's overflowing with themes of love and loss, but handled with a mature, honest, very human approach – never wallowing too much in depression, and instead often coming across with a slightly redemptive spirit in the realization of the loss. The set features 30 tracks in all – and titles include "Letter Edged In Black" by Hank Snow, "Teardrops & Empty Arms" by Texas Ruby, "A Church A Courtroom & Then Goodbye" by Patsy Cline, "Lonely Street" by Don Gibson, "Call Of The Wedding" by Goldie Hill, "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight by George Jones, "Tramp On The Street" by Carlisle Brothers, "The Old Crossroad Is Waitin" by Rose Maddox, "Lonely Side Of Town" by Kitty Wells, "Are You Afraid To Die" by Stanley Brothers, and "I'm Reading Yaur Letter Again" by Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper. CD

One of two unique albums from Willie Nelson – recorded during a brief time when Atlantic Records was dabbling in country, and called on Willie and gave him the freedom to work in a way he wasn't able to do while at RCA! This material's almost a lost chapter in Willie's career – sandwiched between his long runs at RCA and Columbia, and representing a moment when Nelson was keenly in touch with all the new energy on the Austin scene – using it to infuse his already great songwriting with bolder energy in the vocals and instrumentation, and a more badass approach overall! Titles here include the classics "Whiskey River" and "Shotgun Willie" – plus "Slow Down Old World", "Devil In A Sleepin Bag", "You Look Like The Devil", "Bubbles In My Beer", "She's Not For You", "So Much To Do", and "Local Memory". This version features a bonus LP of all sorts of rare tracks recorded during the same sessions – titles that include "Both Ends Of The Candle", "Under The Double Eagle", "I Gotta Have Something I Ain't Got", "I'm So Ashamed", "I Drank All Of Our Precious Love Away", "Save Your Tears", and two takes of "My Cricket & Me", plus alternates of titles on the album. LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from The Holy Modal Rounders – the group's fifth album, and a set that shows them moving into a slightly more subtle style than before – but still with plenty of their trademark touches intact! The work often has a sweetly folksy feel – one that conjures up the city-to-country modes of some of the Marin County bands of the time – with some sensitive lyrics and instrumentation, all produced beautifully down in Nashville by the legendary Bob Dorough – who was doing some surprising rock projects around this time. Despite the joke of the title, there actually is a timeless quality to this set – one that might almost make the record a good place to start if you've always been curious about the Rounders, but a bit intimidated by the fame of their earlier classics. Titles include "Black Bottom", "Spring OF 65", "Boobs A Lot", "Alligator Man", "City Blues", "The Whole World Oughta Go On Vacation", and "Melinda". (Rock, Folk/Country) LP, Vinyl record album

A wild mix of late 60s/early 70s Nashville songcraft and worldly psychedelic country rock from Rex Allen Jr! Rex is the son of the legendary cowboy singer Rex Allen – and later on he carried the old man's wandering western troubadour torch – but this lost record is darker, stranger and groovier than we would have imagined! The weirdness is in the lyricism – Allen sings in a husky smooth baritone about youth rebellion, LSD, Vietnam, the face of mortality and topical concerns of the era – but he approaches it in the straightforward country music tradition. There are no metaphors – the words aren't surreal, they're severe – and we love it! The production is by Steve Singleton, another legacy candidate – his pops helped resurrect Jerry Lee Lewis and handled other left of center, difficult to pigeonhole country classics with Tom T Hall and Charlie Rich. With Rex he provides unfussy, steel accented honky tonk arrangements with trippy washes of organ, harpsichord and mellotron. Almost certainly too tough a tab to dissolve in the culture of its time – way too weird for country, way too country for the weirdos – now's the time to savor this one! Titles include all from the original LP plus 3 bonus tracks from other SSS recordings – "The Younger Generation", "I Back Up", "The Children", "Other Husbands And Wives", "Home Song (Dreams OF What May Come)", "The Father Needs A Man", "Black Skies", "The Corners OF My Life", "Blow The Winds Away", "Country Comfort", "Two Worlds Collide" and more. CD