Doc & Merle Watson - Watson Country (1996)

This collection is drawn from the albums Watson recorded for Flying Fish between 1980-1984. As the title implies, it features a selection of traditional country tunes and newer songs done in a country style. It has the smooth Nashville production characteristic of his albums of the time, but that's not really a flaw -- even if it takes some of the leather out of his playing, having a full backing band extends his appeal beyond the hillbilly curtain, and to many ears, that's a good thing. Everyone sounds comfortable and plays great, with Mark O'Connor and Sam Bush being a few of the musicians contributing. A nice range of writers are covered here too, including Jimmie Rodgers, Merle Travis, Tom Paxton, the Delmore Brothers, and Dan Fogelberg. Doc recorded many albums in this style, but for newcomers this is a nice sampler of his middle years.