A slightly woozy notion of "tradition" has some success

Twelve great artists of today! Twelve classic songs of yesterday! Putting aside the hint of self-congratulatory back-patting and slightly woozy notion of "tradition," a great singer plus a great song still equals a great spin, and this disc features several.

Alison Krauss' lush-yet-wafer-thin vocals are so perfectly matched to The Browns' "The Three Bells," that the original nearly disappears in her wake. Randy Travis' cover of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" won't make you forget The Hag, but will remind you of the greatness of both singers and the song they share. On the picker's side, Chet Atkins, Vince Gill and Mark Knopfler embroider Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Oh, Lonesome Me," in a superb display of guitar playing.

Two new tracks, including an all-star jam penned by Marty Stuart, link the traditional form to the current milieu. Guests include Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Pam Tillis, Merle Haggard, Earl Scruggs and more. Overall, a nice tip of the cowboy hat.

A well done tribute to real country music

This is a excellent cd . I can put it on and never have to skip one track . That's a rarity now days .

Standout songs include : 'Til I can make it on my own , Cold Cold Heart, Mama Tried , but the best song on here is The Three Bells . The bass on this song will pure shake the room .Allison Krauss may have even surpass the original by The Browns. Gone out of my mind sounds as if it were written when country was country not this pop country we have now.
I miss the traditional sound of country music . I have quiet a few traditional country music albums ,and the music represented here would fit right in .

Same old train closes this cd out in fine fashion .It has 13 diffrent singers and musicians including Emmylou Harris & Merle Haggerd himself . This CD was dedicated to the late Tammy Wynette and is a wonderful tribute to the music she did for so many years. I dissagree with the other reviewers who say this is a marketing scheme . It is far from it . It is a loving tribute to a long gone form of music that I sorely miss. If you are a lover of traditional music then please get this one .

There is no such thing as "too country"!

I am writing this review before I own this album--I heard it tonight for the first time, and the Doug Stone cut blew me away! Gone Out of My Mind brings to mind "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and a lot of other sad country songs I've heard over the years. Since I don't own the CD yet(I'm ordering it right now!!), I don't even know who wrote this song--but anybody that's ever cried over a good Merle or George song can appreciate the emotions behind the lyrics of this song. I also loved Trace Adkins' version of "I Never Go Around Mirrors". This album is not perfect, and it may have been conceived by a marketing major, but the thrust behind the music on this album is unchanged and unaltered from the days when "country" music was actually different from all the rest. As a lover of all music, especially a good sad song--I recommend this album as a primer for young fans of "new" country. They have already shown some taste, now we just have to urge them on in the right direction. Thanks for listening to me, and thanks in advance for listening to really great music.