The Country Classics

It’s been a while since we wrote the last time. we moved ‘The Country Classics’ to a new server for faster and better service. Having said that, today’s review is “Stonewall Jackson - The Very Best Of Stonewall Jackson. I’m glad we received this CD and every track is great. Some songs are heard almost daily on Willies Place, XM13, like “Life To Go”, “Muddy Water” and “Smoke Along The Track”. For country music fans this is an easy CD to sing along with, since you probably know every song by heart.

Here is the track list:
1. Waterloo
2. Life to Go
3. Wound Time Can’t Erase, A
4. I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water
5. Smoke Along the Track
6. B.J. The D.J.
7. Mama’s Bible
8. Here’s to Hank
9. Blues Plus Booze (Means I Lose)
10. Help Stamp Out Loneliness

Some of the songs date back to 1948 in one way or another. When these songs were relased most air time was given to BJ The DJ, Smoke Along The Track, A Wound Time Can’t Erase, Muddy Water, and Waterloo. The CD distributed today comes from Sony Music Custom Marketing Group, or from Gotham Distributing Corp.

Stonewall Jackson was born November 6, 1932, in Tabor City, North Carolina. It is his real name, not a stage name or nickname. Jackson was the first artist to join the Grand Ole Opry before obtaining a recording contract. He signed to Columbia Records and debuted in 1958 with Don’t Be Angry. The song, in my opnion, should be one this CD, but unfortuntely it is not. Don’t Be Angry received a lot of air time, well throughout 1959, and has been covered by more artists than we can name.

Just thinking of Stonewall Jackson takes me back many years. I can always recall the musical intro to Smoke Along The Track, and the words to BJ The DJ. In Stonewall Jackson’s later years he sued the Grand Ole Opry for age discrimination. He was a member of the Opry for over fifty years. His music is timeless and priceless. we highly recommend The Very Best Of Stonewall Jackson.

As a side note my wife and I decided to rescue two old homes and revitalize them to their former glory. One can be seen on Historic Warsaw’s website. Both homes are over 100 years old, and it is easy to imagine the days when Stonewall Jackson and many other country music artists released their debut songs. Perhaps this music played again in these two old homes, where it once played before, years ago.