When one is exploring the country genre for the first time, you need not go any further than right here. Buck Owens is and was country music at it's finest. Very simple 5 and sometimes 6 piece band, with the million dollar sound. You want to talk about 2-part harmonies, Buck and his friend Don Rich (lead guitarist, fiddle, and accompanying vocals) had a chemistry when it came to their Bakersfield sound. Sadly the world lost Don Rich way to early in his career, and unfortunatly it also affected Buck and his career for a while. Then came Dwight Yoakum who brought Buck out of semi-retirement and started a Buck Owens renewal of his career with the Streets Of Bakersfield, a song that couldn't have said it better about Buck and the whole Bakersfield sound. Whatever critics have said in the past, weather it be good or bad there was no mistaking when you heard a Buck Owens song. I highly suggest to anyone starting a country music cd collection that this become one of your first purchases. Enjoy.