Absolutely the Best
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Fuel 200 Records
Forty-seven years after it hit the top of the charts, Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons" remains as poignant and powerful as ever. "You load sixteen tons and what do you get?" Ford laments, "One day older and deeper in debt."
If "Sixteen Tons" had been the only song Ford recorded, his place in country-music history would be assured. But, as this new compilation from Fuel 2000 Records shows, Ford's career consisted of much more than that classic.
While Ford lacked the song-writing prowess of Hank Williams or the sheer vocal power of Jim Reeves, he sang with a directness and sincerity that endeared him to his fans. He also displayed a willingness to venture into uncharted musical waters and fuse the classic country sound with other genres. "Sixteen Tons," for example, features a jazzy melody and instrumental background that makes the song soulful.
Ford's diversity is seen elsewhere on Absolutely the Best. The CD includes "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" -- the type of story song that is now legendary in the annals of country-western -- as well as a version of the blues standard "Stack-O-Lee," which mixes Bob Wills-style swing with the New Orleans piano boogie of Champion Jack Dupree or Amos Milburn.
Of course, Tennessee Ernie Ford isn't given much respect in today's culture of disposable, cookie-cutter "country" music, and that's nothing less than a crime because modern "country" fans could learn a thing or two about hard work, persistence and dedication to craft from legends like Ford.
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