Eddy Arnold
's approach to
country
and his rich, expressive baritone voice always seemed closer to
pop
singers like
Bing Crosby
and
Perry Como
than it did to more rustic
stars like
Hank Snow
Ernest Tubb
, and he worked with
songwriters out of New York as much or more than he used Nashville ones. His approach reaped dividends, certainly, and he charted countless hits in an a truly astounding seven-decade career, and if he was never fully embraced by the public as a
singer, he brought a kind of urbane dignity and grace to
music in the bargain, prefiguring the so-called Nashville
countrypolitan
sound as early as 1955. This expansive seven-disc, 166-track box charts
Arnold
's
RCA Victor
years from 1951 to 1955, and it reveals a fascinating transformation from
's early tenure as a hillbilly singer to his later stance as the man who melted
together into what was essentially a whole new musical form. The early stuff here, like the opening track
"Tennessee Hillbilly Ghost,"
is surprisingly sturdy and energetic, and shows that
could have easily made a successful career out of the rustic material that most
singers turned to, but he was really after something else, and possessing a near faultless ear for a good song, he went in an entirely different direction, and by the time he recorded songs like
"I Walked Alone Last Night,"
with its beautiful string ensemble backing, he was just a sweater or two away from being
. Still,
never completely turned his back on Nashville, keeping his home base there, and he continued to record songs like
Floyd Tillman
"I Love You So Much It Hurts"
Merle Travis
' lovely
"Bayou Lullaby,"
giving them a kind of easy and sincere smoothness. He also foresaw the urban
folk revival
in 1955 when he released a wonderful album of traditional material, and his beautifully orchestrated and elegantly dressed up re-imagining of
folk
classics like
"The Wayfaring Stranger,"
which is included here, are among his finest tracks. Also worth noting are
's versions of the slow waltz
"I Wish I Knew,"
"(Now and Then, There's) A Fool Such as I,"
the organ-laced
"You Always Hurt the One You Love"
Tommy Dilbeck
"This Is the Thanks I Get (For Loving You),"
which is represented here in five versions that show the evolution of
's approach to the song. As usual,
Bear Family Records
captures it all, and this is simply a gorgeously produced and annotated set that no
fan will want to skip. ~ Steve Leggett