Riley Puckett was one of the biggest and most popular names in the "Golden Age" of old-time and country music, known especially for his singing and dynamic guitar picking as a member of Gid Tanner's Skillet Lickers. He made a lot of solo records as well, that range from first-rate to pretty drab. Unlike many other artists of all musical genres whose later works never quite lived up to their early recordings, Puckett was an exception: his later songs for Bluebird in the late 1930s were a lot more interesting than his early efforts for Columbia in the 1920s. This 2nd Puckett re-issue for the British Archive label is not as worthwhile as the first (BACM-040, $ 15.00) which was a mix of Bluebird & Columbia cuts. 20 of the 22 tracks here are from the Columbia 78s, and just a handful give a really good idea of Puckett at his best. There's still room for a really good compilation of Puckett's many fine songs from his Bluebird days.
