It was a dream commission... the budget label of Universal Music asked me to not only write, but also compile 2 CDs of the best Country music from their vast catalogue. It meant presenting the best of the old (Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, the Louvin Brothers, Merle Haggard) with spritely newcomers like the Shires, Darius Rucker, Kacey Musgraves and Lady Antebellum.

It meant pulling down CDs I hadn’t played in a long time to remind me just how good Joe Ely, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and Gram Parsons really were. Volume I went down well, so it was on to Volume II. There was even a launch party in 2015... A long time ago: Compact Discs and launch parties!

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