The Very Best Of Buck Owens, Vol.1
Today he's heralded as a traditionalist who rejected the Nashville Sound's pop-rock concessions, but the real secret behind Owens's enormous success is that he embraced rock & roll more completely than any other country contemporary. The 16 hits here trace Owens and his Buckaroos as they move from more rural-sounding hits such as "Under Your Spell Again" to the rockabilly-inspired rhythms (Owens backed Gene Vincent for awhile) of his driving "freight train" sound, a series of classic singles that always sounded modern, electric, and decidedly urban. Volume 1 barely scratches the surface, but if you've never had your heart skip a beat when Don Rich cranks that driving electric lead to "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail," then you've just got to hear this.--David Cantwell