20 Old-Time Favorites

20 Old-Time Favorites are late-'60s recordings by this early bluegrass and country music institution, and although he had already been playing professionally for three decades, Hylo Brown sounds neither worn out nor unenthusiastic about doing things the old-fashioned way. While the bluegrass world was going progressive all around them, Brown and his Blue Ridge Mountain Boys stick to the basics, keep the tempos reasonable and the solos within the easily recognizable perimeters of the basic chords. Listeners who enjoy country music, old-timey, or bluegrass should check out this artist if they haven't discovered him already. He combines some of the best aspects of all these musics into his own unique style. The rich sentimentality and ironic humor of country & western lyrics is blended with an instrumental sound that is heavy on the acoustic axes associated with bluegrass, such as banjo and dobro, handled with aplomb by Sid Campbell and Dale Brotherington, respectively. Two of the best tracks come right in a row, namely the abbreviated "Intoxicated Rat" and the profound "Ace in the Hole."