Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 10/30/2007
Marty Robbins was the last performer to play in the
Grande Ole Opry's famous historic
Ryman Auditorium when he appeared there in March of 1974 (conversely, a week later he was the first performer to play the new
Opry), and while it would be presumptuous to place too much significance on that appearance, it is fitting that
Robbins, of all of Nashville's
country superstars, was perhaps the most expansive stylistically, embracing at one time or another everything from
cowboy ballads to
calypso in his approach, and he remained a maverick in that regard throughout his entire career. This low-key, 14-song set collects highlights from several appearances
Robbins made at the
Opry between 1963 and 1967, and includes live versions of several of his big hits, most notably 1961's bluesy
"Don't Worry," 1959's gunfighter ballad
"El Paso," a version of his cover of
Gordon Lightfoot's
"Ribbon of Darkness" (complete with nervous whistling) which gave
Robbins a hit in 1965, and a wonderful and stark rendition of the traditional ballad
"Red River Valley." Part
country, part
folk, part
pop, and always centered,
Robbins was unique at all times, and this collection, while it probably isn't essential, shows the ease at which he brought all these strains together in a natural and seamless manner.
~Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
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