The Maddox Brothers & Rose belong in that upper echelon of performers whose contributions shaped country music for the ages. The difference is that the Maddox Brothers & Rose have not been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, never charted a national hit, and are far from being household names. The artists who credit their influence include Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton, to name only a couple. Their outrageous appearance (they popularized the garish Nudie suits that would later become the uniform of country stars), risqué material, and crazed performances punctuated by brother Cal's maniacal cackle made the group one of the most exciting and innovative acts of its time. They were rockabilly before such a thing existed, and Rose Maddox's brash, assertive style opened up new possibilities for women in country music beyond Patsy Montana's comparatively demure cowgirl image. The Most Colorful Hillbilly Band in America collects on four discs the group's complete Columbia recordings, plus early solo recordings by Rose, the Rosie & Rhetta singles, and a few stunning sides by the Maddox Brothers alone. There are many classic performances, from intense readings of sacred songs to hillbilly rock & roll to wild revisionist covers of current hits. The band's loose, energetic playing and surreal sense of humor make for some of the most awe-inspiring music of its era. This is the first legitimate release of this material on CD, and certainly the most complete anthology of the band's studio recordings ever assembled. Damn the charts -- if you want to know about '50s country, this box set belongs in your collection.

Recording date 1952-1958. 4CD Box Set.

Bear Family Records.Release: 1998. Remastered.




Track Listing:

        Most Colorful Hillbilly Band In America Songs DISC 1:
	1.	I'll Make Sweet Love to You	
	2.	Take These Shackles From My Heart	
	3.	Cocquita of Laredo	
	4.	Wedding Blues	
	5.	Empty Mansions	
	6.	Little Willie Waltz	
	7.	Hiccough Song, The	
	8.	Green Grow the Lilacs	
	9.	No Help Wanted	
	10.	Hearts and Flowers	
	11.	Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown	
	12.	Just Over the Stars	
	13.	I'm a Little Red Caboose (On the Choo Choo)	
	14.	These Wasted Years	
	15.	Nightingale Song, The	
	16.	I'd Rather Die Young (Than Grow Old Without You)	
	17.	Kiss Me Quick and Go	$0.99	
	18.	On Mexico's Beautiful Shores	$0.99	
	19.	I Won't Stand in Your Way	
	20.	Wooin' We Will Go, A	
	21.	Life That You've Led, The	
	22.	Kiss Me Like Crazy	
	23.	Just One More Time	
	24.	Second Choice	

		Most Colorful Hillbilly Band In America Songs DISC 2:
	1.	Beautiful Bouquet	
	2.	Kiss From Your Lips, A	
	3.	My Child Has a Billy Goat	
	4.	Time Is Spring, The	
	5.	Breathless Love	$0.99	
	6.	Hasty Baby	
	7.	There's No Right Way to Do Me Wrong	
	8.	Birthday Card Song, The	
	9.	You Won't Believe This	
	10.	Forever Yours	
	11.	I Could Never Stop Loving You	
	12.	Fountain of Youth	
	13.	Marry Me Again	
	14.	Poor Little Heartbroken Rose	
	15.	I Wonder If I Can Lose the Blues This Way	
	16.	Waltz of the Pines	
	17.	I've Got Four Big Brothers (To Look After Me)	
	18.	I Gotta Go Get My Baby	
	19.	Rusty Old Halo, A	
	20.	No More Time	
	21.	Wild Wild Young Men	
	22.	Hoot-Owl Melody, The	
	23.	Was There a Teardrop	
	24.	I'm Gonna Be Loved Tonight	

		Most Colorful Hillbilly Band In America Album DISC 3:
	1.	Words Are So Easy to Say	
	2.	Wild Wind	
	3.	Hummingbird	
	4.	When the Sun Goes Down	
	5.	I'll Find Her	
	6.	It's a Dark, Dark Place	
	7.	Away This Sie of Heaven	
	8.	I Wish You Would	
	9.	Let This Be the Last Time	
	10.	Old Black Choo-Choo	
	11.	Tall Man	
	12.	Hey Little Dreamboat	
	13.	Burrito Joe	
	14.	False Hearted	
	15.	By the Sweat of My Brow	
	16.	Ugly and Slouchy	$0.99	
	17.	Paul Bunyan Love	
	18.	Death of Rock 'N Roll, The	
	19.	Your Sweet, Mean Heart	
	20.	I'll Go Stepping Too	
	21.	Did You Ever Come Home	
	22.	Looky There Over There	
	23.	Let Those Brown Eyes Smile at Me
	
		Most Colorful Hillbilly Band In America CD DISC 4:
	1.	Take a Gamble on Me	
	2.	Tomorrow Land	
	3.	Old Man Blues	
	4.	1-2-3-4 Anyplace Road (Somewhere U.S.A.)	
	5.	Love Is Strange	
	6.	Short Life and Its Troubles, The	
	7.	My Life With You	
	8.	Dig a Hole	
	9.	Let Me Love You	
	10.	Donkey Song, The	
	11.	Stop Whistlin' Wolf	
	12.	Way With God Is So Beautiful, The	
	13.	Keep on Talking (Tell Him Everything)	
	14.	Precious Memories	
	15.	I Saw the Light	
	16.	Someone to Care	
	17.	Dear Lord Take My Hand	
	18.	He Leadeth Me	
	19.	Keep on Talking (Tell Him Everything)	
	20.	How Can You Refuse Him Now	
	21.	No One Knows (What Faith Can Do)	
	22.	Take My Hand, Precious Lord	
	23.	Swing Low, Sweet Chariot	
	24.	Just Over the Stars	
	25.	Bringing in the Sheaves