Heroes of Country Music, Vol. 2: Legends of Honky Tonk (1996)

About this title: In many ways, the honky tonk years of the '40s and '50s represent the real golden era of country music. Fashioned from the early string band and hillbilly sound of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, honky tonk, with its more overt blues sensibilities, took country music to its rootsy extreme, before the lush production values of the Nashville sound arrived on the scene. Honky tonk also gave air to music's picaresque backbone: the tavern culture thriving on the outskirts of town. This Rhino roundup provides a fine sneak peak into that smoke-filled and beer-soaked world. Featuring many ... read more

Tracks:

1. Honky Tonk Blues [Paris/Poindexter]
2. The Last Letter [Griffin]
3. It Makes No Difference Now [Tillman]
4. Walking the Floor Over You [Tubb]
5. Born to Lose [Brown/Daffan]
6. Drivin' Nails in My Coffin [Irby]
7. Honky Tonkin' [Williams]
8. Tennessee Saturday Night [Hughes]
9. I Love You Because [Payne]
10. Sick, Sober and Sorry [Atchison/Hazelwood]
11. The Wild Side of Life [Carter/Warren]
12. Baby I'm Ready [Smith/Wilson]
13. Car Hoppin' Mama [Thompson]
14. Juke Joint Johnny [Moore]
15. Just Can't Live That Fast (Any More) [Frizzell/Johnson]
16. Pick Me Up on Your Way Down [Howard]
17. A Girl I Used to Know [Clement]
18. Pop a Top [Stuckey]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.