I'm gonna group my recent listening into a couple categories?

Old Country vinyl from the Record Show
I went to a record show a couple weekends ago and this time ended up finding a stack of fine country albums, along with a couple other things. Last time I went, it was mostly jazz and R&B, but not much luck that way this time, but instead grabbed a stack, including the following...

Johnny Cash: Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous
Classic Sun Records Johnny Cash record from the 50s. His last record for Sun, includes classics like I Walk the Line, Ballad of a Teenage Queen and Big River. Great stuff from a lergend.

The Fabulous Johnny Cash
His first Columbia record after leaving Sun. Its got Don't Take Your Guns to Town, one of my favorite all time Cash songs. A bit more polished than his Sun stuff, but not much. Cash is one of those great artists with huge catalogs you can grab cheaply in the used bins and always uncover a few great songs you?ve never heard before.

Wanda Jackson: Cream of the Crop
This ain't rockabilly Wanda, this is 60s country Wanda, but she's still got a great voice and can pick a song. A Girl Don't Have To Drink To Have Fun is a little tune I hadn't heard before that is rapidly becoming an AA favorite in these parts.

Wanda Jackson: Salutes the Country Music Hall of Fame
Wanda digs into a treasury of classic country and comes up with nothing but winners here. Jealous Heart, You Win Again, Jambalaya and more, a really great listen.

Willie Nelson: Shotgun Willie
Can?t believe I never had a copy of this one. It doesn't have the big hits of some of his other work, but start to finish, Willie's in great form here. The title track is great, as is the rest. If you're a Willie Nelson fan and haven't listened to this one yet, hurry up and get busy.

Lyle Lovett and his Large Band
Lyle's one of those artists I've checked in and out on over the years, but have always enjoyed. This one slipped past me the first time, but I'm really sorry it did now that I?ve heard it. His big band and jazz leanings are all over this record, along with his country drawl and great lyrics. Excellent record.

Dwight Yaokam: Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room
Excellent outing from one of my favorite modern country artists. Of course, it's that he don't sound modern at all that makes me like his work, but whatever. He's on top of his game on this record, featuring a duet with Buck Owens as well as Maria McKee. If you like Honky Ton style music, Dwight's been leading the pack for this era and this one's a keeper.

Recent vinyl gems
Well, I also was digging through my records and was grabbing out a few things that somehow stood out, stuff that was well-pressed, packaged, and had great music, stuff that I just really appreciated as vinyl releases over the last several years. Here's a few that stood out to me...

Bonnie Prince Billy: Sings Greatest Palace Music
This 2 LP set is well recorded and pressed and serves as a rerecorded, more polished production of songs from Palace, Palace Brothers and whatever other names the guy was going by when he did them first. Loyalists may take issue with the Nashville sound on these tracks, but I like most all of them, and in comparison to the originals, I'd say its about 50-50 for me, which I like best.

Air: 10,000 hz Legend
This one has really grown on me over time. It was quite a departure for Air at the time, much more somber and drawn out. It's another great vinyl release from a band that always seems to put out great recordings. A couple nice selections featuring Beck as well.

The Congos: Heart of the Congos
Fantastic heavy vinyl 2 LP reissues with extra 12" versions on side 4. An all-time reggae favorite from the Congos with Lee Perry handling production. If you're a reggae fan and a vinyl fan, this is a serious must-have.

OutKast: Aqumini
OK, the pressing is less than stellar, but damn, a three LP set for close to 10 bucks! And, it's probably their finest outing in my opinion. In fact, all the OutKast stuff is available in cheap multi-vinyl sets. Grab as many as you can find, which should be easy since they're readily available.

Went through a few more, but I'm tired of writing now, so that's enough. Who's next?