Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The clean-cut John Hartford, who dons the cover of RCA Country Legends, offers quite a contrast to the scruffy photo of the singer on Aereo-Plain just a few years later. One might be lulled into believing that this young man attended Republican rallies and offered no threat to the establishment. But the selections, chosen from several RCA albums recorded between 1966 and 1968, belie the image. While far from the counterculture figure of his Aereo-Plain days, songs like "Untangle Your Mind" and "The Girl With the Long Brown Hair" show him on his way. Hartford's idiosyncratic humor shows up on "Big Blue Balloon" and "Whose That," while his ability to write catchy melodies surfaces on "Corn Cob Blues" and, of course, "Gentle on My Mind." Certain traits, like Hartford's low-guttural delivery of lyrics, make cameos here, but clearly RCA and producer Chet Atkins kept certain eccentricities in check. There are also odd touches, like the trumpets on "I'm Still Here," but overall the production and arrangements are better than one might expect from a major studio with an oddity like Hartford. RCA Country Legends provides a good snapshot of this long-out-of-print material. Thankfully, Rich Kienzle and Dave Samuelson's liner notes remind everyone of Hartford's central role in the birth of newgrass. Sure, he eventually became part of the establishment, but in the late '60s and early '70s he threatened it. RCA Country Legends offers an excellent portrait of Hartford's early work and will be eagerly snatched up by fans.
© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr124,99/month
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
Originally released 1967. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
Originally released 1970. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Felton Jarvis, Producer - John Hartford, Composer - John Hartford, Lyricist - John Hartford, Performer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Album review
The clean-cut John Hartford, who dons the cover of RCA Country Legends, offers quite a contrast to the scruffy photo of the singer on Aereo-Plain just a few years later. One might be lulled into believing that this young man attended Republican rallies and offered no threat to the establishment. But the selections, chosen from several RCA albums recorded between 1966 and 1968, belie the image. While far from the counterculture figure of his Aereo-Plain days, songs like "Untangle Your Mind" and "The Girl With the Long Brown Hair" show him on his way. Hartford's idiosyncratic humor shows up on "Big Blue Balloon" and "Whose That," while his ability to write catchy melodies surfaces on "Corn Cob Blues" and, of course, "Gentle on My Mind." Certain traits, like Hartford's low-guttural delivery of lyrics, make cameos here, but clearly RCA and producer Chet Atkins kept certain eccentricities in check. There are also odd touches, like the trumpets on "I'm Still Here," but overall the production and arrangements are better than one might expect from a major studio with an oddity like Hartford. RCA Country Legends provides a good snapshot of this long-out-of-print material. Thankfully, Rich Kienzle and Dave Samuelson's liner notes remind everyone of Hartford's central role in the birth of newgrass. Sure, he eventually became part of the establishment, but in the late '60s and early '70s he threatened it. RCA Country Legends offers an excellent portrait of Hartford's early work and will be eagerly snatched up by fans.
© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 00:39:17
- Main artists: John Hartford
- Composer: John Hartford
- Label: Buddha Records
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Country
(P) 2001 Buddha Records
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.