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Bear Family Records - BCD 15475 - Don Gibson - Singer, Songwriter 1949-1960  4 CD's

The 11 years covered in this first of two Don Gibson retrospectives by the German Bear Family label are the most captivating in his career. Beginning in 1949, Gibson began recording as part of the hillbilly jump band Sons of the Soil for Mercury. From the moment Gibson's lead vocal comes through the mix it is evident that even if he wasn't writing a lot of songs at the time, he was performing them as if they were his. Early on he issued four tracks, including the underground classic "Automatic Mama," a rockabilly prototype. A year later, Gibson & His King Cotton Kingfolks were at RCA working with Stephen Sholes and they issued eight sides that offered a more complex version of the Sons' style of country, bluegrass, and pop, with just a shade of jump thrown in. In 1952, Gibson moved to Columbia as a solo artist and recorded with Don Law and Troy Martin, and guitarist Chet Atkins, which is where his mature voice began to take shape, as evidenced by his first songwriting credit, "No Shoulder to Cry On," and a smoking version of Johnnie Masters' "Walkin' in the Moonlight." His chart success was evident, too, placing tracks steadily in the Top 40 of Billboard's country chart In 1955 Gibson moved again to MGM, where he recorded his first true smash and a bona fide country music classic: "Sweet Dreams." Yet it wasn't until he returned to RCA in 1957 that Gibson made of himself a living legend in recording arguably the greatest two-sided single ever issued in the history of the genre: "Oh, Lonesome Me" b/w "I Can't Stop Loving You," which sold not only for him, but was redefined by Ray Charles on his legendary Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music album. The late MGM period and his reunion with RCA is exhaustively documented here with alternate and unissued takes as well as unreleased tracks. Gibson was fortunate enough to be a big enough star when players like Floyd Cramer, Atkins, Rusty Kershaw, Buddy Harman, and Bob Moore were redefining the Nashville studio sound. The gospel tracks here -- from the albums No One Stands Alone and That Gibson Boy, as well as Sweet Dreams, which he re-recorded three more times before the end of 1960 -- were all so far above the bar artistically that it was difficult for critics to define Gibson, hence his crossover into the pop world where he influenced a young Gram Parsons among many others. In all there are 122 tracks on this four-CD set, and a fine booklet that offers exhaustive and accurate track information and a fine biographical essay. The sound is fine and the packaging, like all of German Bear Family's boxes, is exquisite. But it's in the music that the truth of Gibson's legend is borne out and on CDs two and three are where the songwriter finally eclipses the singer, though the singer remains a force of nature capable of interpreting any song in a personal and original way; just check out Gibson's read of Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On." This is essential for serious fans of the legendary music and for any Gibson collector because of its wealth of previously uncollected material. Volume two focuses on the years 1961 to 1968 and contains more gems, but this is the defining one.

cd 1
1. (00:02:50) Don Gibson - I Lost My Love
   2. (00:02:57) Don Gibson - Why Am I So Lonely
   3. (00:02:42) Don Gibson - Automatic Mama
   4. (00:03:13) Don Gibson - Cloudy Skies
   5. (00:02:50) Don Gibson - I Love No One But You
   6. (00:02:50) Don Gibson - Carolina Breakdown (instrumental)
   7. (00:02:40) Don Gibson - Roses Are Red
   8. (00:02:21) Don Gibson - Wiggle Wag (instrumental)
   9. (00:02:21) Don Gibson - Dark Future
  10. (00:02:33) Don Gibson - Just Let Me Love You
  11. (00:02:26) Don Gibson - A Blue Million Tears
  12. (00:02:42) Don Gibson - Red Lips, White Lies And Blue Hours
  13. (00:02:23) Don Gibson - Sample Kisses
  14. (00:02:42) Don Gibson - No Shoulder To Cry On
  15. (00:02:31) Don Gibson - Let Me Stay In Your Arms
  16. (00:02:14) Don Gibson - We're Stepping Out Tonight
  17. (00:02:46) Don Gibson - Waitin' Down The Road
  18. (00:02:24) Don Gibson - Walkin' In The Moonlight
  19. (00:02:16) Don Gibson - I Just Love The Way You Tell A Lie
  20. (00:02:39) Don Gibson - You Cast Me Out (Forevermore)
  21. (00:02:49) Don Gibson - Symptoms Of Love
  22. (00:02:21) Don Gibson - Selfish With Your Kisses
  23. (00:02:27) Don Gibson - Ice Cold Heart
  24. (00:02:34) Don Gibson - Many Times I've Waited
  25. (00:02:42) Don Gibson - The Road Of Life Alone
  26. (00:02:43) Don Gibson - Run Boy
  27. (00:02:35) Don Gibson - Sweet Dreams
  28. (00:02:39) Don Gibson - I Must Forget You
cd 2
1. (00:02:17) Don Gibson - Ah-Ha
   2. (00:02:29) Don Gibson - It Happens Everytime
   3. (00:02:30) Don Gibson - I Ain't Gonna Waste My Time
   4. (00:02:09) Don Gibson - I Ain't A-Studyin' You, Baby
   5. (00:02:20) Don Gibson - I'm Gonna Fool Everybody
   6. (00:02:08) Don Gibson - I Believed In You
   7. (00:02:16) Don Gibson - What A Fool I Was For You
   8. (00:02:27) Don Gibson - You're The Only One For Me
   9. (00:02:16) Don Gibson - I Love You Still
  10. (00:02:20) Don Gibson - Everything Turns Out For The Best
  11. (00:02:22) Don Gibson - I Can't Leave
  12. (00:02:23) Don Gibson - Sittin' Here Cryin'
  13. (00:02:35) Don Gibson - Too Soon To Know
  14. (00:01:52) Don Gibson - Pretty Rainbow
  15. (00:01:56) Don Gibson - Blue Blue Day
  16. (00:02:26) Don Gibson - Tell It Like It Is (version 1)
  17. (00:02:33) Don Gibson - Oh Lonesome Me
  18. (00:02:40) Don Gibson - I Can't Stop Loving You
  19. (00:02:15) Don Gibson - Tell It Like it Is (version 2)
  20. (00:02:29) Don Gibson - It Has To Be
  21. (00:02:32) Don Gibson - Give Myself A Party (version 1)
  22. (00:02:26) Don Gibson - Look Who's Blue
  23. (00:02:39) Don Gibson - Bad Bad Day
  24. (00:02:16) Don Gibson - I Can't Leave
  25. (00:02:34) Don Gibson - Take Me As I Am
  26. (00:02:46) Don Gibson - Heartbreak Avenue
  27. (00:02:32) Don Gibson - We Could
  28. (00:02:14) Don Gibson - If You Don't Know
  29. (00:01:54) Don Gibson - Sweet Sweet Girl
  30. (00:02:41) Don Gibson - Blues In My Heart
  31. (00:02:38) Don Gibson - Give Myself A Party (version 2)
cd3
1. (00:02:23) Don Gibson - Taller Than Trees
   2. (00:02:22) Don Gibson - Satisfied (version 1)
   3. (00:02:02) Don Gibson - Wait For The Light To Shine
   4. (00:02:34) Don Gibson - Faith Unlocks The Door
   5. (00:02:31) Don Gibson - Evening Prayer
   6. (00:02:36) Don Gibson - Lord, I'm Coming Home
   7. (00:02:24) Don Gibson - Satisfied (version 2)
   8. (00:02:01) Don Gibson - Climbing Up The Mountain
   9. (00:02:49) Don Gibson - Where No One Stands Alone
  10. (00:02:55) Don Gibson - Known Only To Him
  11. (00:02:34) Don Gibson - My God Is Real
  12. (00:02:03) Don Gibson - That Lonesome Valley
  13. (00:02:24) Don Gibson - Who Cares (For Me) (version 1)
  14. (00:02:08) Don Gibson - When Will This Ever End
  15. (00:02:11) Don Gibson - Sweet, Sweet Girl
  16. (00:02:35) Don Gibson - A Stranger To Me (version 1)
  17. (00:01:36) Don Gibson - Won't Cha Come Back To Me
  18. (00:02:08) Don Gibson - A Stranger To Me (version 2)
  19. (00:02:01) Don Gibson - As Much
  20. (00:02:15) Don Gibson - Who Cares (For Me) (version 2)
  21. (00:02:44) Don Gibson - I Wish It Had Been A Dream
  22. (00:02:21) Don Gibson - Ages And Ages
  23. (00:01:57) Don Gibson - Even Tho'
  24. (00:02:21) Don Gibson - Didn't Work Out, Dit It
  25. (00:02:09) Don Gibson - It's My Way
  26. (00:03:12) Don Gibson - Almost
  27. (00:02:01) Don Gibson - Do You Think
  28. (00:02:02) Don Gibson - Foggy River
  29. (00:02:14) Don Gibson - Midnight
  30. (00:02:10) Don Gibson - Lonesome Old House
cd 4
 1. (00:02:13) Don Gibson - Don't Tell Me Your Troubles (version 1)
   2. (00:02:08) Don Gibson - I Couln't Care Less
   3. (00:02:19) Don Gibson - Don't Tell Me Your Troubles (version 2)
   4. (00:02:24) Don Gibson - Heartbreak Avenue
   5. (00:02:20) Don Gibson - Big Hearted Me
   6. (00:02:28) Don Gibson - Maybe Tomorrow
   7. (00:01:57) Don Gibson - Everybody But Me
   8. (00:02:12) Don Gibson - I'm Moving On
   9. (00:02:48) Don Gibson - Just One Time
  10. (00:02:44) Don Gibson - I May Never Get To Heaven
  11. (00:02:31) Don Gibson - Lonely Street
  12. (00:02:41) Don Gibson - On The Banks Of The Old Ponchartrain
  13. (00:01:51) Don Gibson - Why Don't You Love Me
  14. (00:02:35) Don Gibson - If I Can Stay Away
  15. (00:02:01) Don Gibson - Never Love Again
  16. (00:03:22) Don Gibson - The Streets Of Laredo
  17. (00:02:39) Don Gibson - My Love For You
  18. (00:02:01) Don Gibson - My Hands Are Tied
  19. (00:02:26) Don Gibson - It Only Hurts For A Little While
  20. (00:02:27) Don Gibson - (I'd Be) A Legend In My Time
  21. (00:02:12) Don Gibson - Far Far Away
  22. (00:02:15) Don Gibson - Foolish Me