VA - Classic Country (3CD, 2016)

Varese pulls together eighteen original recordings by the original artists for a decade-spanning collection of country and country-pop crossover hits that range from Johnny Cash's 1956 Sun recording of "I Walk the Line" to Lynn Anderson's 1970 "Rose Garden." There doesn't seem to be any particular theme here some of these tracks have been anthologized frequently, while others have made more sporadic appearances. Most of these tracks found crossover success on both the country and pop charts, but a few hit only for country. Mostly, Varese seems to have picked eighteen excellent tracks, sequenced them more for listenability than strict chronological order, and added informative notes about each song.

Track List:

CD1:
1. You're Still The One - Shania Twain
2. Rhinestone Cowboy Glen Campbell
3. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
4. Crazy - Patsy Cline
5. Girl Crush - Little Big Town
6. I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow - The Soggy Bottom Boys
7. Lovesick Blues - Hank Williams
8. Traveller - Chris Stapleton
9. Blue Bayou - Linda Rondstadt
10. We've Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton
11. Please Mr. Please - Olivia Newton-John
12. The Bottle Let Me Down - Merle Haggard
13. Changing Heart - The Byrds
14. Black Water - The Doobie Brothers
15. Angel From Montgomery - John Prine
16. Sail On - The Commodores
17. The Race Is On - George Jones
18. Every Which Way But Loose - Eddie Rabbitt
19. Daddy's Hands - Holly Dunn
20. Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell

CD2:
1. Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus
2. To Know Him Is To Love Him - Emmylou Harris
3. Take Your Time - Sam Hunt
4. Constant Craving - Kd Lang
5. Convoy - C.W. McCall
6. Dance The Night Away - The Mavericks
7. Walkin Man - Seasick Steve
8. Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn
9. Fishin' In The Dark - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
10. Guitars, Cadillacs - Dwight Yoakam
11. Life's A Dance - John Michael Montgomery
12. Indian Love Call - Slim Whitman
13. I Walk The Line - The Everly Brothers
14. Skinny Dippin' - Whitney Duncan
15. From Here To Eternity - Michael Peterson
16. Willin' - Little Feat
17. Till The End - Vern Gosdin
18. Cheatin' Heart Cafe - David Lee Roth
19. Flight 602 - Chicago
20. Foggy Mountain Breakdown - Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs

CD3:
1. The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
2. Whiskey River - Willie Nelson
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band
4. Don't Ya - Brett Eldredge
5. Are You Alright? (Radio Edit) - Lucinda Williams
6. Walkin' After Midnight (feat. The Jordanaires) - Patsy Cline
7. Forever And Ever, Amen - Randy Travis
8. Love Hurts - Gram Parsons
9. King Of The Road - Roger Miller
10. Here's A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares) - Travis Tritt
11. Paint Me a Birmingham - Tracy Lawrence
12. Hello Walls - Faron Young
13. Sam Stone - John Prine
14. Labelled With Love - Squeeze
15. Blanket On The Ground - Billie Jo Spears
16. The Last Thing On My Mind - Tom Paxton
17. Cowgirl In The Sand - The Byrds
18. My Tennessee Mountain Home - Maria Muldaur
19. Fairytale - The Pointer Sisters
20. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams