I received this set as a Christmas gift from my wife, and have since listened to the set in its entirety several times. Once again, the Bear Family has outdone themselves. These are "live" perfomances recorded for the US Air Force radio program "Country Music Time" in the late 50's and early 60's-just when Reeves was at the peak of his career. The sound quality overall is superb, and was obviously re-mastered with great care and attention to detail. These shows, as I recall, were originally released to radio stations on 16 inch transcription discs, and the sound has been restored beautifully. As far as the material itself, the listener gets a rare chance to hear Jim perform some of his greatest hits as well as his lesser-known material in an intimate "live" setting. One can also see the evolution of his music as the years progressed, also, from the variety of backup musicians used for these programs. The shows from the later years feature the Blue Boys as Jim's exclusive instrumental accompaniment, and the listener will find that these four guys were quite a tight unit--the piano stylings of Dean Manuel complement Jim's smooth vocals beautifully. One also finds that Leo Jackson, the lead guitar player, must have had recently discovered tremolo around that time, and in my opinion, sometimes used it a bit too much. But all in all, it is a great opportunity to hear Jim and the Blue Boys at their finest. There is also an interesting array of guests on these shows, including Archie Campbell, the Louvin Brothers, Jean Shepard, and a few lesser-known acts as well. One in particular that stands out is a young lady named Harvey June Van, who gives a standout, if not bone-chilling perfomance of the old story-song classic, "Butcher Boy"--this one will jump out at you !! This set is well worth the investment for the Reeves fan, and an important addition to their collection as well. It paints a pretty accurate picture of Country Radio programs of the 50's and 60's, and it gives the listener a whole new insight into Jim Reeves, the performer, from the fiddle and steel guitar days to the pop days. A "MUST HAVE" for the Reeves fan!
Having been a Jim Reeves fan for years, I have many of his albums, PLUS the Bear Family collection of sixteen CD's, which cover every song Jim recorded, plus demos, Mary Carter paint ads, etc. So, there's nothing left, I thought. I figured this album must be junk, as the price was so cheap. Wrong!!! If you enjoy Jim Reeves, get this one. Hearing him "live" gives his music a new dimension. Don't miss it.
