Here are the complete recordings of Jim Edward, Bonnie and Maxine Brown. This vocal trio emulated the line-up of The Carter Family, albeit with an emphasis on modern honky-tonk country and, later, unabashed crossover pop.
Their vocals are mesmerizing, and in their early RCA Victor recordings (heard on the first two discs of this exhaustive set), they achieve a compelling blend of old and new. They go through a bland pop period with their biggest hit, "The Three Bells." The early '60s finds them returning to a folk-pop style, and they end their career with some distinguished recordings that fall more into the folk and country side.
The first CD contains all their recordings for the Fabor label, then switches to their stunning early run with RCA Victor. Highlights of their early Victor sides are several songs written for them by Ira and Charlie Louvin.
"I Take The Chance," their Victor debut, is as good a "cheatin' song" as country has ever produced. It perfectly captures the moral dilemma of infidelity. Sure, it's a bit judgmental, but Ira Louvin always excelled as a writer when he threw some down-home sermonizin' into the mix.
"A Man With A Plan," on the other end,is among the most outrageously riqsue songs of 1950s country music. A paean to loose sex, cruising, rock 'n' roll and un-Christian behavior, it still packs a punch, heard 50-plus years after its creation.
Other Louvin-penned songs here are "The Last Thing I Want," "Just As Long As You Love Me" and "You Thought, I Thought." The Louvin Brothers memorably covered a Browns original, "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow," on their excellent covers LP, Ira and Charlie, in 1958.
In-between are several unusual songs from established Nashville writers. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant contribute the atmospheric, creepy "Getting Used To the Blues," a song that, like Don Gibson's "Give Myself a Party," is an ode to giving up on love.
Hugh Ashley, son of legendary old-time musician Clarence Ashley, wrote "Goo Goo Da Da," also covered by Bill Carlisle.
"I Guess I'm Crazy" is a cover of Werly Fairburn's 1955 Columbia recording, penned by its performer.
"Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" was co-written by Texas renegade songwriter-producer Jack Rhodes, who also wrote "A Satisfied Mind," "Woman Love," "Action Packed" and another Browns side, "Preview of the Blues."
"I'm In Heaven," heard here in two versions, is a nice song by (I think) Nashville cleffer Hod Pharis.
There are some duff novelty sides, especially amongst the pre-RCA sides (tracks 1-16), but the vocalizing is consistently fine, and the Chet Atkins-produced early RCA material is uniformly strong.
above via here.
