The Faron Young Collection 1951-62

Faron Young was one of the coterie of country stars who came to prominence in the early ‘50s as the popularity of honky tonk country was reaching its height, becoming one of the genre’s most prolific and colourful hit-makers over subsequent decades, racking up over 80 country chart entries through until 1979. This great-value 60-track 2-CD set comprises all his A sides plus selected B sides from the crucial formative first decade and more of his career, when he established his reputation and built up a formidable army of fans with a string of more than 30 hits, all of which are, of course, included here. Among them are the classic No. 1s “Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young”, “Alone with You”, “Country Girl” and “Hello Walls”. He was one of the country artists who made several sorties into the rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll markets in search of pop success during the heyday of the rock ‘n roll explosion, and his fine, if unsuccessful, efforts in this direction are naturally also included. It’s an entertaining anthology, which captures the essence of his distinctive talent as he progressed from his honky tonk roots towards the smoother Nashville sound of the ‘60s.