The liner notes go. The Carter family hold the position of being the most celebrated and most influential vocal harmony group in the history of country music. Ever since the days of the early colonial settlers, singing families had developed as part of America's musical heritage. With the development of the recording industry and the increase in the sales of radio and phonograph equipment, in the twenties and thirties, the Carters took their traditional folk ballads into thousands of homes throughout the country. On this album you can hear twenty of their best recordings. The songs are played and sung by Alvin Pleasant 'Doc' Carter, his wife Sara Carter (nee-Dougherty) and Maybelle Carter (nee-Adlington married to Alvins brother Ezra).
I have to admit that, although I am a fan of the Carters, I do prefer my folk a little more weird and a little more crudely religious. Think Becky and Sandy meets Rev. Merrill Ted Burns Sr wrapped up in a little of The Braillettes and Isabel Baker. Now I certainly am not a person of religion, in fact the complete opposite but when it comes to 'down home' traditional music I don't think there'a anything better than a self-published album of religious nonsense.
