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Since they cost so damn much, I'm pretty leery of buying Bear Family boxes on a whim -- but based on the great Carl Smith LPs I already owned, I knew this would be a winner. Sure enough, this is stunning material -- sweet, weepy, romantic heartsongs along with a healthy slathering of upbeat, poppy honkytonk. If other BF boxes struck you as too monochromatic, give this one a try: Smith is a powerful stylist, and his '50s band was as good as it got. Highly, highly recommended.

Here's another epic collection by the Bear Family; and like all of their other products, this one is worth every dime. Carl Smith has to be the most underrated voices in country music, and it's unbelievable that he is not remembered and revered more today. This collection encompasses the early years (up to 1960) and begins with his early "Hank-style" and progresses as Carl becomes comfortable with his own smooth vocals that are immediately recognizable. There are 5 discs here of just plain old good country music. All of Carl's early hits are here, and intertwined on the discs, are a few beautfully arranged gospel standards that are reminiscent of the glory days of true country music. To make this 5 CD set even more complete, there are a few duets included with none other than Carl's wife (at the time) June Carter. I wont go into detail listing songs; check out the details on the box cover. But you can rest assured, that this collection does not have a bad song or even a bad recording on it. As with other Bear family products, this set includes a large booklet detailing the discography of Carl Smith, along with some great forgotten photos. There may be cheaper Carl Smith compilations, but none so complete.