Country Music Hall Of Fame: Grandpa Jones
Grandpa Jones's death in 1998 robbed country music of its last link to the folk songs, vaudeville, and hokum from which it partly came. There's little in the way of darkness or pain here and there are some awkward flirtations with '50s mainstream country, but songs like "Rattler's Pup," "Mountain Dew," "Eight More Miles to Louisville," and "Old Towzer" are endlessly engaging. They're also a catechism on where country music came from, even if they don't tell us much about where it's headed. Listen too for Grandpa's hayseed banjo and Paul Yandell's tiny, perfect guitar solos.--Colin Escott