Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

The influence of country duo Charlie and Ira Louvin defies under-estimation with stars such as the Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, James Taylor, Gram Parsons and countless others building upon the musical foundations laid by the pair in the years between 1951 and their demise as a duo in 1962. The Louvins' trademark sharp note singing style and straightforward pre-new country sound - the boys' harmonies and Ira's substantial mandolin playing taking centre stage - is lovingly documented in this four disc, 108 song collection that highlights why the Louvin Brothers rightfully hold an important place in the annals of modern music. Whilst their sound essentially remained constant for the length of their career, there is a healthy variety contained within the pair's back catalogue that will interest the hard line and casual country fan alike. As you would expect, there is a generous amount of lovesick numbers such as "Tennessee Waltz", the wonderfully bitter "Must You Throw Dirt In My Face" and "How's The World Treating You?" which are all performed with the kind of believability few artists have been able to pull off since. Perhaps more intriguingly, this collection contains a raft of Christian songs that, far from adopting any sort of cosy country sentimentality, are as hard-hitting as they come. For instance, topics such as spiritual warfare, diminishing church numbers and timely conversion are covered in the likes of "Satan Is Real" (from the seminal 1959 album of the same name), "They've Got The Church Outnumbered" and "Last Chance To Pray" respectively whilst countrified versions of "This Little Light Of Mine" and "Nearer My God To Thee" also stand out. Also included within this gargantuan package is a 24 page illustrated booklet which charts the personal and musical lives of the brothers and, whilst it could be argued that the unnamed author focuses too heavily on Ira's destructive alcohol addiction to give a somewhat sensationalist tang to proceedings, it adds further weight to the argument that the Louvin Brothers remain one of the most significant musical acts of all time.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.