Customer Rating: 
Summary: Not Patsy Cline
Comment: I heard some Rose Madox and it sounded real good, like Patsy Cline. This sounds more like old Carter Family Stuff, the quality is not that good and not as smooth. If you like old Carter Family Stuff you might like this. But the cooler stuff must have been recorded in latter years.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great band.
Comment: I agree with the previous reviewer that the material on her could have been better treated by the record company. This was a really fun, wild, shameless band with a very progressive sound for the time. Theirs is still my favorite rendition of "Water Baby Boogie" and it's essentially rock and roll, ten years early.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A glimpse back
Comment: Here is one of the most unique "bands" you'll ever hear, playing some of the finest "Rockabilly" before "Rockabilly" existed! I have to admit I'm not a big fan of the "banter" between the musicians and Rose in the middle of the songs, but it is necessary as that was their delivery. With that aside, the Maddox Brothers (and yes, Rose to) were a big influence on Merle Haggard, and any Haggard fan needs this album to understand that Jimmie Rodgers was only part of Merle's influence. The Maddox Brothers were true heroes of the misplaced "Okies", as they were dustbowl survivors (and California immigrants) as well. It is amazing to hear the upbeat and excitement provided by these folks despite their roots and the hardships they endured; no doubt, it endeared them to the thousands of dissplaced Mid-Westerners who ended up on the west coast. There are 27 songs here (over an hour of music) and in their original form. I think you'll enjoy this CD and the musical history it provides. Give it a listen. B+
Customer Rating:
Summary: Too many mistakes for 5 stars.
Comment: First off, I must say the music included here is some of the craziest, most outlandish honky tonk music ever recorded. I have never heard music performed that was so good.But the problem here doesn't lay with the music. The problem lies with the cd itself. Music this important deserves better treatment.
The biggest problem is the fact that the song "I Want to Live and Love" is here twice, once under it's name and once under the name "New Mule Skinner Blues." That is an almost unexcusable error in a collection this important. (Their version of "New Mule Skinner Blues" is on Volume 2).
Next, no where in the booklet is there any recording dates or even a simple explanation of what label the music was recorded for. It says they were signed to Columbia records in 1951, but it also says the recordings included here were recorded between 1946 and 1951.
The sound quality is alright for recordings this old.
A release this important deserves better.
I still recommend this collection, but I wish it was taken more seriously by Arhoolie Records.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Up-tempo rocking country
Comment: There has never been anybody quite like this family band. These recordings were made between 1946 and 1951, but although they pre-date rock'n'roll, they have a definite good time rock'n'roll feel to them.Almost relentlessly upbeat, the songs include great covers of the Hank Williams classics Move it on over, Honky tonkin' Another great cover is Faded love, the Bob Wills song which Patsy Cline later made her own, but whereas Patsy's version is very emotional, Rose and the boys do it in a much more upbeat style. If you want sad music , you won't find it here. I love Patsy's version, but I also love the version here.
Philadelphia lawyer was written by Woody Guthrie but became one of Rose's trademark songs. Rose recorded it several times in her long career, but this version with the brothers is the first.
Rose sings lead on most of the songs, except Fred on four songs and Don on another. The mood is still the same - listen to them all on Whoa sailor, with Fred on lead and Rose coming in on a few lines.
There are so many great songs here. I want to live and love (their theme song) actually gets in twice, because the record company made a mistake and included it as track 12 where they meant to put New mule skinner blues, as indicated by the track listing. It also appears correctly as the last track on the CD. This mistake is acknowledged in the notes for volume 2, where all the tracks are as listed, beginning with New mule skinner blues.
Do not let that mistake put you off. There are still 26 excellent upbeat songs to get those toes tapping. If you can't get enough, there are 30 more on volume 2.
