The Best of Don Williams: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection)

NEW Combo BLUWAVS CD and FLAC FILE

The seductive music of Don Williams has an insulated quality about it that makes it hard to resist. It's as if the world is swirling out of control around the Gentle Giant, yet he barely raises an eyebrow, blithely singing his soft, calming tunes. Give a Hot Country Star these songs, and their simple truths about love, faith, and country life would seem like platitudes. However, in the caress of Williams's warmhearted baritone, they come off as sincere, timeless nuggets of wisdom. With the barest of accompaniment, Williams took 10 of these 12 songs to the top of the country charts (while the remaining pair reached No. 2) in the '70s and '80s. Though he penned hits for many others, his own smashes usually came courtesy of writers such as Bob McDill and Wayland Holyfield, though Williams, a Texas native, clearly relates to their unpretentious, bucolic sentiments. Throughout, Williams gives good ol' boys back their good name and women back their dignity, and through the strength of his quiet determination, he makes such conventional concepts sound unfailingly hip. --Marc Greilsamer