If you've only heard George Jones in later years, when he was the king of the heartbreaking ballad, you'll find plenty here to discover – as his early recordings for Starday Records are something else entirely – and almost have George hitting a rockabilly mode at times! This set's got some of Jones' best early singles for the Texas label, plus some overlooked gems – wrapped together to offer a wonderfully vibrant picture of a superstar in the making – already a singer with a voice that few folks could match, equally well-suited to catchy upbeat numbers and some of the more heartfelt tracks that offset things nicely. Titles include "Accidentally On Purpose", "Tall Tall Trees", "No Money In This Deal", "Too Much Water", "If I Don't Love You", "Why Baby Why", "Eskimo Pie", "How Come It", "Accidentally On Purpose", "Hold Everything", "Maybe Little Baby", "Rock It", "Mexican Boogie", "Gonna Come Get You", "Taggin Along", "That's The Way I Feel", and "You Gotta Be My Baby". CD

One of the great early moments from Kinky Friedman – and a record that ranks right up there with some of the more groundbreaking early 70s work from artists like Steve Young, Guy Clark, or even Willie Nelson! Nelson actually produced a few tracks – and the record features some work by him, Waylon Jennings, and Tompall Glaser – on titles that include a great version of "They Ain't Makin Jews Like Jesus Anymore", plus "Something's Wrong With The Beaver", "Rapid City South Dakota", "Popeye The Sailor Man", "Homo Erectus", and "Before All Hell Breaks Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from John Prine – his Atlantic debut, done at a time when he was emerging from the second generation of the Chicago folk scene – with a style that set the tone for countless singer/songwriters in years to come! The record has immediate appeal to ears tuned towards hip country, folk, and the more personal side of rock at the time – as Prine sings his material with a wry wit that's simultaneously heartbreaking, with support from the great Reggie Young on guitar and Bobby Emmons on organ – plus work on two tracks from scenemate and soon-to-be-star Steve Goodman on guitar. Titles include the seminal "Hello In There" – a tune that's hard to believe was written by a 24 year old – plus "Six O'Clock News", "Sam Stone", "Donald & Lydia", "Illegal Smile", "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore", and "Far From Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from John Prine – his Atlantic debut, done at a time when he was emerging from the second generation of the Chicago folk scene – with a style that set the tone for countless singer/songwriters in years to come! The record has immediate appeal to ears tuned towards hip country, folk, and the more personal side of rock at the time – as Prine sings his material with a wry wit that's simultaneously heartbreaking, with support from the great Reggie Young on guitar and Bobby Emmons on organ – plus work on two tracks from scenemate and soon-to-be-star Steve Goodman on guitar. Titles include the seminal "Hello In There" – a tune that's hard to believe was written by a 24 year old – plus "Six O'Clock News", "Sam Stone", "Donald & Lydia", "Illegal Smile", "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore", and "Far From Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking album from the young John Hartford – not really folk, not really country – but a unique hybrid of both, and done with a good ear for unique sounds as well! Hartford's a really unique artist, especially at this key point in his career – and he's working here with producer David Bromberg, who himself was also helping to reinvent acoustic music at the time. The Warner Brothers placement of the record is key – as Hartford's got this sense of the past, mixed with the irony of the present – one which strongly echoes some of the hip rock contemporaries on the label, particularly the up and coming brand of post-Sunset LA talents. Titles include "Turn Your Radio On", "Up On The Hill Where They Do The Boogie", "First Girl I Loved", "With A Vamp In The Middle", and "Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible early work from Willie Nelson – quite different from his outlaw material of the 70s, but equally compelling in its own sort of way! As you'd guess from the title and cover, the set came out at a time when Willie was a real up-and-coming songwriting in country music – responsible for hits for artists like Faron Young, Patsy Cline, and others – and finally given the chance to start as a singer on his own. Willie's style is as amazing as his songs – very different than the mainstream, and often inflected with plenty of jazz – which, for some odd reason, as wonderful as it sounds, is what also kept Nelson away from stardom for most of the 60s. Yet don't let that put you off at all, as the presentation of the material is sublime – completely personal, almost heartbreaking, and still with all those charms that most of the rest of the world didn't discover with Willie for another decade or so. Titles include "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Crazy", "Mr Record Man", "One Step Beyond", "Wake Me When It's Over", "The Part Where I Cry", "Hello Walls", and "Darkness On The Face Of The Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little set that definitely aims to stake out its own little territory – with a groove that lives up surprisingly well to the title! The music here is way funkier than you might expect – and comes from a time when many popular singers were working in studios staffed by cats who were pretty darn cool – and had a great ear for picking up some of the best musical undercurrents from other scenes – including some of the best soul and funk that was really breaking out in the US at the start of the 70s! As a result, many of these tracks have unexpectedly funky rhythms at the bottom – way different than the kind of backings that you might have heard in country soul records from a few years before – and different too than the redneck rock that was becoming more popular with some of the bigger acts on the charts. You're bound to recognize a few bigger names here – as the set's not just country artists – and as usual, the Light In The Attic crew have done a stunning job of putting the whole thing together. Titles include "LA Memphis Tyler Texas" by Dale Hawkins, "Georgia Mountain Dew" by Johnny Adams, "Light Blue" by Bobby Darin, "I Wanta Make Her Love Me" by Jim Ford, "Hawg Frog" by Gray Fox, "Fire & Brimstone" by Link Wray, "Street People" by Bobby Charles, "Bayou Country" by Gritz, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, and "Studspider" by Tony Joe White. (Funky Compilations, Folk/Country) CD

A groundbreaking album from the young John Hartford – not really folk, not really country – but a unique hybrid of both, and done with a good ear for unique sounds as well! Hartford's a really unique artist, especially at this key point in his career – and he's working here with producer David Bromberg, who himself was also helping to reinvent acoustic music at the time. The Warner Brothers placement of the record is key – as Hartford's got this sense of the past, mixed with the irony of the present – one which strongly echoes some of the hip rock contemporaries on the label, particularly the up and coming brand of post-Sunset LA talents. Titles include "Turn Your Radio On", "Up On The Hill Where They Do The Boogie", "First Girl I Loved", "With A Vamp In The Middle", and "Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry". CD