Country Legends
If Don Gibson is mentioned these days, it's usually as the country songwriter responsible for standards like "I Can't Stop Lovin' You," "Sweet Dreams," and "Oh Lonesome Me." This CD is a reminder that Gibson was also a commanding, sensitive singer who first put those titles--and eight others included here--in the Country Top 10. ProducerChet Atkinsonly lightly sweetened these early Nashville Sound tracks, allowing Gibson's affecting style plenty of room. His greatest performance might be on "Sea of Heartbreak," a Hal David-penned number that's a small lesson in controlled vocal emotion. In addition to Gibson's most notable hits, this collection also offers several fine album tracks (a stylishly low-key version of "Camptown Races," the midtempo near-rocker "It Has to Be"). Astonishingly, the liner notes point out, Gibson has yet to be inducted into country's Hall of Fame. If nothing else, though, this reissue should help reset the balance in appreciation of Gibson's work.--Rickey Wright