The Carter Family: 1927-1934

• Track Listing

T's not too much to say that in the late '20s the trio of A.P. Delaney Carter, his wife Sara, and his sister-in-law Maybelle changed the course of country - and popular - music. They did it with haunting harmonies, fine guitar playing and a vast repertoire of murder ballads, gospel tunes, love songs, and Appalachian folk melodies which would be covered by musicians for decades. And this wasn't just the often derided 'hillbilly' music; this was something timeless, that defies definition and which still resonates. Our five-CD collection is the most complete collection of their early output - from the initial 1927 Bristol 'Big Bang' sessions to their depression-era recordings. Even today, Sara Carter's voice sounds aching, yet empowered. Whether they're yodelling through The Foggy Mountain Top, singing a feminist anthem like Single Girl, Married Girl, or harmonizing with Maybelle on Worried Man Blues, you can hear the Carters' huge influence on country music. A must-have

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