While the Carter Family is certainly worthy of deeper exploration, this 25-song compilation provides a very useful overview of the work of one of country music's cornerstone artists. Beginning in the late 1920s, Sara, Maybelle, and A.P. Carter delivered to the rest of the world British and Irish ballads that had been preserved in remote Appalachian regions. By fusing the concept of hillbilly string music with the vocal harmonies of religious music and then attaching this fusion to these timeless songs, they helped give country music its foundation, both sonically and spiritually. As a result, many of these tunes have become distinctively American staples of popular music. --Marc Greilsamer