Porter Wagoner (1927-2007) was country when country music was really country. During the late 1950s and through the 1960s, he placed dozens of songs on the country charts, including two number ones, “A Satisfied Mind” and “Misery Loves Company.” His syndicated television show ran from 1961-1981. During the 1970s, he was Dolly Parton’s regular duet partner. Even his clothes shouted country music.

Real Gone Music has now released a two disc, 40-song collection that includes all of his country top 40 hits, titled The Definitive Collection. It comes with a booklet, which contains a nice history of Wagoner and his music.

Be well advised: this is not your modern day slick pop/rock country music. It is classic old-time country with songs of love lost, hard drinking, and painful lessons of life. While the sound has been enhanced through modern technology, the music is from another era and will appeal to fans of the post-Hank Williams time period.

Wagoner always had a smooth delivery that could tell a story. He mainly relies on ballads and they still draw the listener into the world he has created through his music. He rarely wrote his own material, but was a master of taking other people’s compositions and making them his own.

Songs such as “Trademark,” “Legend Of The Big Steeple,” “Cold Dark Waters” “The First Mrs. Jones,” and “I Just Came To Smell The Flowers” are a country music history lesson.

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