Though this is not Acuff's best recorded music, there is still plenty for his fans here as Bear Family has done its usualcomplete and immaculate job in compiling all of Roy's Capital,Decca and MGM recordings into this neat 2-CD set with 57 songs(hopefully a future bos set will document his Columbia career). The cuts here were done from 1953 to 1968 and as Otto Kitsinger points out in his extensive notes, much of the material Acuff recorded for Decca and Capital was simply not appropriate for Roy's style. An album worth of recuts of past hits like PINS & NEEDLES,PRECIOUS JEWEL,GREAT SPECKLED BIRD etc. is not bad, but generally considered inferior to the old Columbia cuts. The 58 gospel session for MGM is more interesting. Band members for most of these sessions included JESS ESTERHASY,BROTHER OSWALD,HOWDY FORRESTER,JIMMY RIDDLE and JOE ZINKAN. As usual, great documentation from this German label. LITTLE MOSES,WHERE COULD I GO,TIED DOWN,16 CHICKENS AND A TAMBOURINE,SWAMP LILY, CRAZY WORRID MIND,ALONG THE CHINA COAST,RIVER OF CRYSTAL,GOODBYE MR. BROWN,THE GREAT TITANIC,FIRE BALL MAIL,JESUS DIED FOR ME.
