Reviewed by Paul Davis

Discovered by producer Steve Sholes (the man responsible for signing such notables as Elvis Presley, Hank Snow, Jim Reeves, the Blackwood Brothers and George Beverly Shea) to RCA Victor saw more than the mythical "meal ticket" in the raw, rural sounds of early Eddy Arnold. He masterfully fashioned him into a million selling giant of popular art. It was on the foundation of Eddy Arnold that the likes of the Nashville Sound were to be built. One of the true greats of country music, crooner Eddy Arnold has sold his wares in their millions since the '40s. These five CDs of 120 tracks capture the complete essence of the Eddy Arnold sound of the period 1944-1950. So, there should be hopefully much more to come. Hit songs paraded again include "It's A Sin", "I'll Hold You In My Heart", "Anytime", "Bouquet Of Roses" and "Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me", plus a healthy helping of gospel material which were always to be evident in the decades that followed. Indeed one of RCA's earliest long playing albums was a collection by Arnold of Fanny Crosby compositions.

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