Storyteller, Poet, Philosopher

Amazon.com
If you hear Tom T. Hall's name and immediately think of "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine" or "Harper Valley P.T.A.," this box set will be a revelation. The overview may begin with "Old Dogs," but it quickly turns to his keenest, most enduring work. Hall is the Raymond Carver of country songwriters: like no one before or since, he writes vignettes that are at once incredibly sad and funny, acute in detail, deep in common, human wisdom. Focusing on his strongest and frequently overlooked material, this overview is a tribute to Hall the narrative craftsman, the journalist of the interiors and exteriors of country life. "Harper Valley P.T.A." might not be here, but the memorable stories are: "I Flew over Our House Last Night," "Spokane Motel Blues," "I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew," and what just might be his finest tale, "I Hope It Rains at My Funeral." From his great satirical work to his honest love songs, all are rendered in an inimitable, true colloquial voice. --Roy Kasten

Storyteller, Poet, Philosopher,Tom T. Hall,Mercury Nashville,Country,Country & Western,Country-Folk,Country-Pop,Pop,Progressive Country,Singer/Songwriter

Average customer rating: Storyteller, Poet, Philosopher--Tom T. Hall Quality Collection, but Interesting Song Selection An interesting, but incomplete, collection A wonderful retrospective album from one of the best The perfect compilation of music by the storyteller

Storyteller, Poet, Philosopher Tom T. Hall Manufacturer: Mercury Nashville ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Country Folk | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Essential Tom T. Hall: Twentieth Anniversary Collection-The Story Songs Country Songs for Children In Search of a Song/The Rhymer and Other Five and Dimers Tom T.Hall - Greatest Hits No. 2 Ultimate Collection ASIN: B000001EDY Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

1. Old Dogs, Children, And Watermelon Wine
2. Magnificent Music Machine
3. A Million Miles To The City
4. I Washed My Face In The Morning Dew
5. The Hitch-Hiker
6. Ballad Of Forty Dollars
7. I Hope It Rains At My Funeral
8. Turn It On, Turn It On, Turn It On
9. Strawberry Farms
10. Watergate Blues
11. I Want To See The Parade
12. 100 Children
13. The Year That Clayton Delaney Died
14. The Son Of Clayton Delaney
15. The Old Side Of Town
16. I Can't Dance
17. Last Of The Drifters
18. Mama Bake A Pie (Daddy Kill A Chicken)
19. A Week In A Country Jail
20. Spokane Motel Blues
21. Homecoming
22. Ravishing Ruby
23. Hello, We're Lonely
24. Down At The Mall
25. Fox On The Run

Tracks:

1. Shoeshine Man
2. Flat-Footin' It
3. Old Five And Dimers Like Me
4. Willy The Wandering Gypsy And Me
5. More About John Henry
6. Give Her My Best
7. Pamela Brown
8. I Flew Over Our House Last Night
9. Molly And Tenbrooks
10. The Monkey That Became President
11. That's How I Got To Memphis
12. Mama's Got The Catfish Blues
13. I Like Beer
14. Day Drinkin'
15. That Song Is Driving Me Crazy
16. Salute To A Switchblade
17. Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn
18. Subdivision Blues
19. America The Ugly
20. Hang Them All (Get The Guilty)
21. Levi Jones
22. Faster Horses (The Cowboy And The Poet)
23. I'm Forty Now
24. Deal
25. Me And Jesus

Amazon.com

If you hear Tom T. Hall's name and immediately think of "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine" or "Harper Valley P.T.A.," this box set will be a revelation. The overview may begin with "Old Dogs," but it quickly turns to his keenest, most enduring work. Hall is the Raymond Carver of country songwriters: like no one before or since, he writes vignettes that are at once incredibly sad and funny, acute in detail, deep in common, human wisdom. Focusing on his strongest and frequently overlooked material, this overview is a tribute to Hall the narrative craftsman, the journalist of the interiors and exteriors of country life. "Harper Valley P.T.A." might not be here, but the memorable stories are: "I Flew over Our House Last Night," "Spokane Motel Blues," "I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew," and what just might be his finest tale, "I Hope It Rains at My Funeral." From his great satirical work to his honest love songs, all are rendered in an inimitable, true colloquial voice. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews:

Storyteller, Poet, Philosopher--Tom T. Hall.......2005-05-18

First of all, Tom T. Hall is a great person and a gentlemen as I got to meet him when he was just getting started, traveling with his friend Jimmy C. Newman whom he wrote "D.J. for a Day", and "Artificial Rose". At the time that I met him, he had his first hit "Harper Valley P.T.A." with Jeannie C. Riley which was a number one hit.
This collection is the best overview of his career. Many of his albums are not out of print and this group represents his top 20 singles and album cuts. This is a "must have" collection for the Tom T. Hall fans; the Rod McKuen of country music.

Quality Collection, but Interesting Song Selection.......2003-12-26

Once again, another Quality Collection from Tom T but as with other collections, obvious songs associted with Tom T are missing. The two most blanant obmissions are "Sneaky Snake" and "I Love", I would have thought these two songs could have been included since they are two of his biggest and well known songs. Also there is no order to the selections, it is like they threw the songs in a pile and drew them out with their eyes closed. The booklet included has a Bio on Tom T but no track to track insight or information about the songs.
However, given the fact that much of Tom T's music is unavailable or unissued on CD this is a refreshing collection, 50 songs included in the set and just about every track is worthy of being included. It just does not make sense to leave out some of the singer's biggest hits. However, if you buy the old Greatest Hits Vol 2, which includes the big songs left off this box set, in addition to this box you will have the best songs from this country legend

An interesting, but incomplete, collection.......2002-12-29

Before I bought this, I had Greatest hits 1 and 2 on CD - they were once available as a single CD - but I wanted more of Tom's music, so I bought this box. It is an extremely interesting collection of songs (as I expected) but it doesn't include all the classics. There are enough great songs of Tom's that could have filled a third CD of equal standard to the first two.

Many of his greatest hits are included, including Old dogs children and watermelon wine (my favorite), Faster horses (one of several hits missing from Greatest hits 1 and 2), I like beer, 100 children, Ballad of forty dollars and The year that Clayton Delaney died. You also get Tom's versions of some songs he wrote but which have been covered by others, including I washed my face in the morning dew, Margie's at the Lincoln Park Inn, Pamela Brown and That's how I got to Memphis. Three duets are included, these being Last of the Drifters (with Johnny Cash - it originally appeared on one of his albums), Molly and Tenbrooks (with Bill Monroe) and Hello we're lonely (with Patti Page). Elsewhere, the two CD's are filled with great songs, some of which I'd never heard before and which provide great entertainment.

The obvious omissions are I miss a lot of trains, I care, I love, Country is, The little lady preacher, Who's gonna feed them hogs, Sneaky snake, Little bitty and Harper Valley PTA. However, don't let the omissions put you off buying this - there are plenty of tracks here that are not available on any other CD. It is interesting that Tom suggests (in the booklet) that he never recorded Harper Valley PTA, saying that he didn't need to - yet a version is available on Ultimate collection (which is not that - like every other Tom T Hall collection, it misses some essentials).

As I write this, it is not possible to buy one Tom T Hall collection that contains all the essentials, but this is a great place to start. Most of the omissions I listed can be found on Greatest hits 2.

A wonderful retrospective album from one of the best.......1999-08-11

I've enjoyed the work of Tom T. Hall since I was 5 or 6 years old and my dad played "Sneaky Snake" for me. His songs still impress me so much; at his best, he'll make you laugh and cry and shrug and smile, all in the same song. His voice and his stories couldn't be more real. I grew up in Kentucky and, as long as I have Tom T.'s songs to listen to, I'll never be too far away. This is a really good collection of some (but not all) of his best work. Recommended highly.

The perfect compilation of music by the storyteller.......1998-11-26

The title of this boxed set says it all. On the box set are many of his classics ranging from hits to album cuts. There are great liner notes by Robert K. Oermann, who compiled the set and the songs speak for themselves. If you want to listen to country storytelling at its best, pick this collection up. The songs on this collection are what he should be remembered for and they confirm that he is the storyteller.

Music Album:

1. Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Box of Music
2. Sweet Talk & Good Lies
3. The Ballad of Sally Rose [Import]
4. The Best of Joe Ely
5. The Capitol Years: Ode to Bobbie Gentry [Import]
6. The Cold Hard Truth
7. The Delbert and Glen Sessions 1972-1973 [Original recording remastered]
8. The Desert Rose Band
9. The Essential Doc Watson [Live]
10. The Great Divide

Music Album