Faron Young was one of the greatest honky-tonkers who ever lived. Such a man, we figured, deserves a real, honest-to-goodness anthology: 41 tracks, every one of his hits for Capitol--many of them never on CD--with notes by... more » Grammy-winning writer Colin Escott. A 'Collectors' Choice Music' release!« less
Faron Young was one of the greatest honky-tonkers who ever lived. Such a man, we figured, deserves a real, honest-to-goodness anthology: 41 tracks, every one of his hits for Capitol--many of them never on CD--with notes by Grammy-winning writer Colin Escott. A 'Collectors' Choice Music' release!
CD Reviews
An underrated artist and a great collection!
Mark Janovec | Hudson, WI United States | 11/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When looking back at the history of county music, many people somehow ignore the importance of Faron Young's career. And for many years, Faron's catalog was subjected to incomplete "best ofs" and "greatest hits" discs that either were way too short or focused on his later, lesser years at Mercury Records (which, admittedly, produced some great songs too).Even though the Bear Family box set is the complete collection of all of Faron's Capitol recordings, it's $90 (or more) price tag can scare away the more casual fan. This 2-CD set is the perfect compromise for those on a budget, since it collects all of the hit singles from that crucial ten year period but is comprehensive enough to satisfy most appetites. For those with even tighter budgets, the Country Music Foundation has a nice 1-CD set of Faron's Capitol years called "Live Fast, Love Hard: Original Capitol Recordings" that covers most of the essentials, but lacks the depth of this set.And while this 2-CD set eventually convinced me that I needed Bear Family's 5 disc set, I still retained this collection for it's portability. Whether you're looking for the perfect starter to your Faron Young collection, or looking to upgrade from a single disc set, look no further than this 2-disc set. You won't be disappointed."
A voice better than I remembered
John R. Gray | Grove City,, OH United States | 12/31/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had forgotten how pure was Faron Young's voice. I play this two cd set as much, if not more, than any other in my large collection. It is a soft and pleasant trip down memory lane of the 1950's and 1960's, and well worth the price."
Absolutely the best
Gary Schlager | Texas | 04/29/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Faron Young may have had the best voice ever in country music. The earliest recordings on this album are pure country, the quality is superb, and the range of his voice is stunning. A number of the later recordings, made at the beginning of the rock-and-roll era are not true country, but, once again, the quality of his voice is something to appreciate. Fantastic!!
This may be the best country music I've ever heard."
An EXCELLENT collection
Rhys M. Berryman | Sun City, CA (USA) | 06/11/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Until I heard this album (CD), I had forgotten how many great songs Faron Young had recorded! This compilation includes some real treasures, and the recording quality is excellent, too. If you ever liked anything by Faron Young, you will love this album!"
A brilliant retrospective of Faron Young's golden era
A. Christy | 03/07/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Complete Capitol Hits of Faron Young delivers just what it promises - a comprehensive collection of the Hillbilly Heartthrob's greatest songs from his days at Capitol Records. When buying old country albums, it's more often advisable to go for a greatest hits collection like this, because these artists generally pre-date the creation of cohesive albums. Their songs were released individually, and meant to be listened to as stand-alone pieces, not in relation to an entire album of other music. Additionally, most country musicians of the time also released a lot of not-so-great material, so buying a hits collection is an ideal way to avoid this. On this compilation, the listener can trace Faron Young's musical progression, from an original honky-tonk sound (his voice is startlingly similar to Hank Sr.'s) to a more polished, produced crooning style in the later tracks. Notable songs include "I Can't Wait For The Sun To Go Down," (who knew they used "spoon" as a verb in the '50s?), "I've Got Five Dollars And It's Saturday Night," "Alone With You," "Love Has Finally Come My Way," "Hello Walls," and "The Comeback." Of course, it's a hits collection, so all of the songs are pretty notable in their own right. This collection has something for everybody - rollicking honky-tonk songs, crooning love songs, and down-and-out lonely-man songs, all delivered in Faron's distinctive twang. It's a great introduction to Faron Young, or to country music in general, but will also delight collectors of vintage country."
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1