Kitty Wells - The Best Of (20th Century Masters)

Kitty Wells rose to prominence in the country field while it was primarily a man's world with her pre-feminist

anthem "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", opening the doors for those who followed, like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Although she started performing as a teenager, it wasn't until she was in her 30's that Decca A&R man Paul Cohen brought her in to record her hit as an answer to Hank Thompson's "The Wild Side of Life". From there she became a country superstar with her solo work and her duets with Red Foley (these are represented here with "One by One" and "As Long As I Live").

The songs here range from 1952 to 1965 and all have a simple, effective, early country sound (with some great pedal steel playing) that highlights Kitty's sweet voice. As I've said before, this is the sound that I prefer in country music - where it was early enough to still be a bit raw and more folk/Americana/bluegrass influenced and not as slick and over-produced (and jokey) as some of the later sounds (though "Heartbreak U.S.A." comes close with the unnecessary backing vocals).

Everything here is strong, though highlights include "Makin' Believe", which I recognized immediately, though I'm not sure whether I've heard Kitty's or another's version in the past, and the classic "I Can't Stop Loving You", which she introduced. The shaming "Will Your Lawyer Talk To God" and "You Don't Hear" show how 60's C&W should be done.

I know that Kitty also delved into straighter bluegrass as well as country and definitely want to explore more from this early talent.