The Foundation of Country Music
A. Wolverton | Crofton, MD United States | 07/01/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's hard to describe just why the Carter Family appeals to so many people 71 years after this music was recorded. The Carters were simple mountain people, they only used two instruments, and their leader, A.P. Carter, was not much of a singer. These are simple songs that have few chord changes and sometimes sound quite ragged...but they are priceless! Nearly every country artist of any stature has named the Carter Family as a huge influence, usually labeling them as the founders of country music. Once you hear them, you'll know why. The themes are all common country themes: family ("I Have an Aged Mother"), Christianity ("On the Rock Where Moses Stood," "Where Shall I Be," "Room in Heaven for Me"), and of course love ("When I'm Gone"). Listen to where it all started."