As I admitted in another thread, I listen mostly to a lot of old 45s that I find. A few that I thought were quite good from recent buys:
Jambalaya (On The Bayou) by The Blue Ridge Rangers (1972). Lots of bands have cut this, but this version may be the most traditional.
Someone Like You by Eric Clapton (1975). It didn't chart, but really represents Clapton's relatively mellow mid 1970s to early 1980s period.
Warm Your Heart by The Drifters (1954). Mostly known by the beach music crowd, it's pretty good for a close slow dance.
Gone, Gone, Gone by The Everly Brothers (1964). Up tempo and not the usual ballad stuff you often remember the Everlys for.
Don't Make Me Pay For His Mistakes by Z.Z. Hill (1971). Powerful blues from a late-era blues master.
Oooh! My Soul by Little Richard (1958). Helped set his signature sound.
I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton (1982). Whitney Houston had a bigger hit with this, but Dolly wrote and released the original.
Hip-Billy Boogie by Les Paul (1948). Up tempo and proves the kids these days falsely discount a master.
East Bound And Down by Jerry Reed (1977). Fun song that brings back memories of Smokey And The Bandit.
Boogie In The Dark by Jimmy Reed (1954). An up tempo boogie woogie like you don't hear anymore - from a super blues artist.
If you're into good original folk songs by artists just breaking out of their regional fan base, consider a duo named "Neptune's Car". They're from New England, but I stumbled upon them in Bethabara NC when my wife and I decided to see who was playing in the music hall out there. The poorly advertised concert drew only a few customers, but they gave us their professional best anyway. Metal and Alt heads may not go for their sound, but I found it nice not to be pounded on.
