MOP Linff magazine
April 2019
Lefty Frizzell Life: The Complete Recordings
As none other than Merle Hag-gard proclaimed, Lefty Frizzell just may have been the great-est honky-tonk singer of all time, offering "The soul of Hank Williams, the appeal of Johnny Cash, and the charisma of Elvis." This boxed set offers ample evidence. The numbers alone tell the tale: 20 CDs with 361 tracks (including 31 newly added) totaling 867 minutes of playing time including an audio book on Lefty's life written (and read) by his brother, along with a 264-page deluxe hardcover book on his career and discography. Backing Frizzell was a who's who of guitar greats; Grady Martin was a stalwart, while Harold Bradley and Hank Garland often lent stellar support. Ernie Harvey picked the steel on one of Leo Fender's pioneering "electric tables," while steel ace Don Helms played on Lefty's classic "Long Black Veil." Frizzell himself fatuously picked a '49 Gibson SJ-200 with a custom neck and inlays by Paul Bigsby, setting country An Article From fashion for decades to come. — MD
