Country on Compact Disc : The Essential Guide to the Music

Country on Compact Disc is the first book to cover the entire spectrum of country music on compact disc - from the classic records of pioneers like Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, and Bill Monroe to the latest hits from hot chart toppers like Garth Brooks, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, and Vince Gill. In frank, witty, incisive reviews, the book sifts out the indispensable from the intolerable, pointing fans to the treasures and steering them clear of the fool's gold.
Compiled by Nashville's Country Music Foundation, Country on Compact Disc brings together the most knowledgeable writers covering American music, including Nick Tosches, Chet Flippo, Colin Escott, Ben Fong-Torres, and Robert K. Oermann. All told, the reviewers cover more than 2,000 compact discs and 500 country artists, offering pithy summations of each artist's style and CD output. As a counterweight to their opinions, Country on Compact Disc also indicates whether albums have achieved gold (500,000 units sold) or platinum status (1 million sold). Useful appendixes include a listing of the top rated CD's by artist and an index of all #1 country hits since 1944, cross-referenced to their appearance on CD. Backed by the archival resources and expertise of the CMF, Country on Compact Disc is an essential reference for all lovers of country music.