The Essential Carl Smith (1950-1956)

The Essential Carl Smith covers the singer’s mid-‘50s prime, when hits like “Let’s Live A Little,” “Loose Talk,” and “Hey Joe!” made him a fixture on the Grand Ole Opry. Smith’s early years on the Opry coincided with Hank Williams’ final years, and their music shares many of the essential qualities that make for immortal ‘50s honky-tonk: a solid, unhurried swing, unadorned instrumentation, and of course, an endless supply of tender and woeful ruminations. Even as the later songs on The Essential Carl Smith abut the late-‘50s electrification of country music, Smith always maintained a humbler, more relaxed approach to his material than Williams. Gentle ballads like “I Just Dropped In to Say Goodbye” and “This Orchid Means Goodbye” owe as much to Bing Crosby as they do Ernest Tubb. But Smith was never better than on “Let’s Live a Little” and “It’s a Lovely, Lovely World,” sweet songs with strong melodies that require only one listen before you know them by heart.