The Best of Country [Columbia]

Though it doesn't deserve the definitive title The Best of Country, Columbia's 48-song box set does collect memorable songs from some of country music's innovators and early stars, including Gene Autry, Johnny Horton, Red Skelton, and Don Gibson. The Carter Family's "My Texas Girl," Claude King's "Wolverton Mountain," the Statler Brothers' "Flowers on the Wall," and Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" are some of the set's standout tracks; songs from Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Carl Butler, Stonewall Jackson, and Floyd Tillman add to the collection's credibility. Overall, The Best of Country is a worthwhile compilation, even if its name is a little too ambitious.