Collector's Choice has come up with another of their delectable double CDs of essential material by the country legend
Faron Young. There are 41 tracks that document the ten years he spent with Capitol. During that time,
Young went from being an opening act who recorded minor hits to an international superstar. Virtually all his major -- and most secondary-choice -- tracks are here, from his first hit, "Goin' Steady," to
Tommy Collins' "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" to
Joe Allison's anthemic "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" to
Willie Nelson's "Three Days."
Young wrote most of the tracks here, either alone or in collaboration with other performing artists such as
Marvin Rainwater ("I Miss You Already") and
George Jones ("Let Him Know"). But the most revelatory aspect of
Young's single sides for Capitol is their remarkable consistency, not only in quality but in sound, lyrical concerns, arrangement, and presentation.
Young created a formula for himself and it worked, yet despite his uniform approach, he always sounded fresh and new. Like
Hank Williams,
Young's work, as documented here, is not only timeless but sounds right on time. All the passion, pathos, and melancholy of these honky tonk songs informed two -- perhaps even three -- generations of country music stars, though most would never acknowledge it. If you can only have one
Faron Young collection, let this be it. [If two discs of
Young's greatest are too much for you, the Country Music Foundation has a single CD collection that is wonderful as well called Live Fast, Love Hard: Original Capitol Recordings,1952-1962, with great notes. Either way, you canot go wrong.] ~ Thom Jurek