Sleeve Notes:
A mere glance at the artistes on this album is bound to more than fulfil the promise in the title, for if ever an assembly of Country Giants was well named, then this collection surely is.
Getting off to a great start with that eternal Jim Reeves classic “Distant Drums” the album puts everyone (country music fans or not) into just the right mood. Following on from the legendary Jim come contributions from Dottie West, Waylon Jennings, Connie Smith, Skeeter Davis, Hank Snow and a couple of beautiful tracks by Jerry Reed; on one he teams up with the renowned Chet Atkins in a memorable rendition of “All I Ever Need Is You”.
There are, of course, numerous highlights in this collection. One highlight is provided by Jim Reeves with his haunting “Roomful of Roses”, a song that really sums up Reeves’ uncanny power in interpreting a lyric to its fullest potential.
Lyrics are a very vital part of country music, for in many cases they relate stories of love, frustration and longing in a way that so-called “pop songs” can never achieve. Simple in melody and context, they nevertheless have a tremendous appeal to music lovers everywhere. In this particular collection the prime exponents of country music prove their worth as Country Giants, and their songs as giant country music compositions.
Label: RCA Camden CDS 1153
