BELATED DISCOVERY OF AN EXCELLENT RECORDING

I HAVE OWNED CHARLIE RICH'S 1967 ORIGINAL ALBUM OF HANK WILLIAM'S TUNES FOR MANY YEARS BUT HAD NEVER "REALLY" GIVEN IT MY FULL ATTENTION. WHEN THIS CD CAME OUT WITH THE "R&B TRACKS" WHICH I DID APPRECIATE, I CAME TO REALIZE HOW GREAT CHARLIE'S SINGING OF THE WILLIAM'S TUNES REALLY IS. PROBABLY "MY HEART WOULD KNOW" IS THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY DONE SONG BUT CHARLIE RICH RARELY DOES ANYTHING POORLY. I NOW RECOMMEND THIS CD TO ANYONE WHO APPRECIATES FINE SINGING AND ESPECIALLY TO "RICH" FANS WHO HAVE IGNORED THESE SONGS. THE ADDED TRACKS OF "ANYTIME," "DON'T COME KNOCKING ON MY DOOR," AND THE UNDUBBED "ONLY ME" ARE WELCOME ADDITIONS TO THE RARE RELEASE OF NEW MATERIAL BY CHARLIE. CHARLIE RICH WAS ONE OF AMERICA'S FINEST AND MOST "SOULFUL" SINGERS WHOSE "BEST" SONGS ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IF YOU CAN FIND "THE COMPLETE SMASH SESSIONS" CD, BUY IT FOR "THE BEST YEARS" TRACK ALONE ALTHOUGH THIS ALBUM CONTAINS MATERIAL CHARLIE CONSIDERED SOME OF HIS BEST EFFORTS.

WHY CHARLIE RICH IS NOT IN BOTH THE "ROCK AND ROLL" AND "COUNTRY MUSIC" HALLS OF FAME IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION AND A TRAVESTY. PERHAPS THIS CD WILL HELP CONVINCE THE "POWERS THAT BE" OF HIS INCREDIBLE ABILITIES AS A SINGER, SONGWRITER AND PIANIST THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY THESE INSTITUTIONS.