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ol Ma Hand gave me a cheapo comp of thee original picker for Christmas; I was wondering if anybody knows a good best-of or two I could get? i LOVE this guy; known about him for years as "the dude who wrote Sixteen Tons" but really had no clue that he was such an incredible player. Django meets Bob Wills territory - totally effortless command, you can just see him rilling off another walking-blues fusillade of country phrases while (as roomie put it) doing his taxes at the same time. effortless mastery with a big ol' wink and a grin. "Nobody" totally hilarious and sad at the same time, "Hominy Grits" his first-person grown-up retelling of "Roly Poly", and all those guitar rags and whatnot.... i'm in love.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 30 December 2002 00:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Used to be a pretty good Rhino comp disc floating around, but I haven't seen it lately. Pretty sweet stuff, and it might serve as an upgrade from what you're talking about.

― Lee G (Lee G), Monday, 30 December 2002 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Get the compilation on Razor & Tie, I'm at work and forget the name, but's fabulous. Also search: Delmore Brothers.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 30 December 2002 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Speedy West's Stratosphere Boogie is also in this vein (and also on Razor & Tie) if you like really cool-ass country guitar.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 30 December 2002 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

AMG lists about 1000 albums but the comps above sound promising. His lyrics and singing veer towards CORNBALL. His guitar playing can too, but not as much. It seems like he walks the line sometimes, narrowly, just before plunging into total embarrassing-dad goofiness; but pulling up like he knew what he was doing all along. And totally CHUCKLING at himself the whole time! Do you realize how hard that it to pull off in ANY art form?! Horatio Sanz can do it, maybe. The guy who plays "Fes" on That 70s Show. But they can't play guitar.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 31 December 2002 04:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Razor & Tie comp is called Sweet Temptation 1946-1953. Also search: Folksongs of the Hills, Back Home, Songs of the Coalmines, availale together on a Bear Family CD. Good liner notes on both releases too.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 31 December 2002 05:27 (twenty-two years ago)

eleven months pass...

Merle Travis: S&D

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 4 December 2003 01:27 (twenty-one years ago)

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