Southbound
The Vanguard recordings of Doc Watson are to folk music what the Carter Family is to country. Through a vigorous touring and recording schedule in the '60s, Doc introduced millions to songs that have since become standards for artists like Bob Dylan, Richard Buckner, and Gillian Welch. Here Doc puts on a clinic as a composer and player. Songs like "Blue Railroad Train," "Last Thing on My Mind," and the immortal "Tennessee Stud" offer particularly strong examples of Watson's flash flood flat picking and understated, colloquial singing, not to mention his interpretive skills. Nor should his son Merle's contribution be overlooked.--Roy Francis Kasten