Essential Carl Smith 1950-1956
The "gentleman honky-tonker" pulls off a rather difficult feat on these 20 tunes: he polishes up the primitive honky-tonk style of Hank Williams and mentor Ernest Tubb without completely pulling up the roots. He achieves a refined and graceful sound without resorting to overblown arrangements, oceans of strings, or sappy material; he handles delicate ballads with sensitivity, not sentimentality. Much of his success results from his tight-knit, subtly charming band, which includes electric guitarist Sammy Pruett and pedal-steel man Johnny Sibert. Tubb gave Smith his first chart-topper, "Don't Just Stand There," while the expressive "Are You Teasing Me" comes from the Louvin Brothers. Little-known Freddie Hart provided Smith's biggest hit, "Loose Talk," and Boudleaux Bryant, Nashville's original full-time songwriter, penned  five of these gems. Rather than ignore tradition, Smith infuses it with elegance.--Marc Greilsamer