Search - Tennessee Ernie Ford, Kay Starr, Helen O'Connell :: Tennessee Ernie Ford: Masters 1949-1976

The stellar talent of Ernie Ford

allemande | Columbia, MO USA | 02/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is a peculiar thing to be writing about a now long out-of-print CD set, but there are still copies of this to be had, and no other reviews at this site, so here goes.

First, my five-star rating is an automatic one, since no other collection of Ford's music containing more than half this amount of music currently exists. That said, it is certainly a good collection. In fact, given the superlatives in this set, one can hardly imagine why it was available for so short a time. The only explanation I can offer is that its distributor, EMI/Capitol, is widely known for the practice of issuing, then suddenly withdrawing lots of recordings.

There is a wide range of styles and moods in this set, amply demonstrating that Ernie Ford was a versatile and sophisticated performer. He appears to have ridden the cornpone circuit until 1955, when "Sixteen Tons" gave him his first Number One hit and Capitol's biggest selling record to date. Afterward, Ford successfully traversed multiple styles of music.

The "cornpone" comment above was not a derogatory one. Certainly, Ernie Ford spent the first phase of his career in the country vein, but he was a master and worked with some fabulous session musicians, so these recordings are not to be dismissed. After "Sixteen Tons", however, things became even more interesting. Highlights in this set (my personal ones, anyway) include "River of No Return", which raises goosebumps with ghostly session voices backing Ford's stoic but resigned baritone in a song of lost love. "Dark As a Dungeon" is another song about coal mining (sadly lesser-known than "Sixteen Tons")which could have been maudlin in another singer's care, but shines here courtesy of Ford's personality and sheer good will--not to mention that voice!

One more song I must mention is "Rainy Night in Georgia". Yes, Brook Benton had the big hit record here, and rightly so. But Ernie Ford's recording is arguably just as good. Ford doesn't seem to have been aiming at the Top Ten with this recording but, rather, straight for the heart. Bullseye!

I should note quickly that none of Ernie Ford's justly popular sacred/gospel recordings are here, but since they are widely available otherwise (via the Gaither organization, Curb records, et al.) this is not an issue.

The sound of these discs is quite good, and there is well-written and -illustrated book to read while you enjoy the music. There are but fifty tracks over the three discs when at least eighty would have comfortably fit but, as mentioned earlier, there simply isn't any competition for this set.

And finally, to answer "Music Fan", who wrote the only other entry here: Try Amazon Marketplace or ebay. Seriously, this one is worth your time and money, and no one knows if or when a better selection of Ernie Ford's music will be available."