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VARIOUS ARTISTS
Songs Of The Louvin Brothers (Universal)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Their career as a recording duo was relatively brief, but the influence of Charlie and Ira Louvin, The Louvin Brothers, is nearly immeasurable. While Ira died in a car accident in 1965, some three years after the duo broke up, Charlie maintained a steady string of hits into the seventies, and lives on today. His niece, Ira's daughter Kathy, acted as a co-executive producer with Carl Jackson for this project, as well as performing on one of the Louvin's classic compositions.
A glance at the list of performers who turned out for this project is probably the best indication of the Louvin's influence. Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart and, of course, producer and constant guiding presence Carl Jackson, are just a few of the giants of country music who appear here. Jackson assembled some amazing combinations as he sought to match voices that could handle Charlie and Ira's parts, and in every case, he succeeded in finding just the right pair for each song.
This is a terrific tribute, as well as a great introduction to the songs of the Louvin Brothers for those who missed them. If it doesn't send you in search of the originals, well, you're missing out on something special. Just the same, though, this collection is something special in itself, and belongs in every country collection.
Track List:
Intro To Charlie & Ira * Joe Nichols & Rhonda Vincent/Cash On The Barrelhead * Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell/My Baby's Gone * James Taylor & Alison Krauss/How's The World Treating You * Vince Gill & Terri Clark/I Can't Keep You In Love With Me * Merle Haggard & Carl Jackson/Must You Throw Dirt In My Face * Ronnie Dunn * Rebecca Lynn Howard/If I Could Only Win Your Love * Glen Campbell & Leslie Satcher/When I Stop Dreaming * Kathy Louvin & Pamela Brown Hayes/I Wish You Knew * Linda Ronstadt & Carl Jackson/The New Partner Waltz * Patty Loveless & John Randall/Are You Teasing Me * Harley Allen & Dierks Bentley/I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby * Larry Cordle, Carl Jackson & Jerry Salley/You're Running Wild * Dolly Parton & Sonya Isaacs/The Angels Rejoiced * Marty Stuart & Del McCoury/Let Us Travel, Travel On * Pam Tillis & Johnny Cash w/The Jordanaires/Keep Your Eyes On Jesus
© 2003 - Shaun Dale