Sony's Essential Marty Robbins highlights 40 remastered tracks recorded during the singer's lengthy tenure with Columbia, following the major paths Robbins' 30-year-career took. Starting with his first number one country single, "I'll Go On Alone," in 1952 and the crossover pop collaborations of the era with Mitch Miller and the Ray Conniff Orchestra, the package wraps up with his final Top Ten country single from 1982, "Honkytonk Man." Ample space is given to the much revered gunfighter ballads of the early '60s and several Billy Sherrill-produced singles in the mid-'70s. While these discs contain a wealth of Robbins material from which to choose, Essential only hints at the singer's ability to easily grasp and interpret varied stylistic genres of music. With that in mind, Sony's 1991 Essential Marty Robbins: 1951-1982 is still the recommended set as it features an extra ten tracks. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
Buddy Emmons (Guitar (Steel)), Floyd Cramer (Piano), Hank Garland (Guitar), Johnny Gimble (Fiddle), Marty Robbins (Piano), Buddy Spicher (Fiddle), Dick Hyman (Piano), Ed Shaughnessy (Drums), Al Caiola (Guitar), Tony Rizzi (Guitar), Tommy Allsup (Guitar), Mitch Miller (Producer), Pete Drake (Guitar (Steel)), Grady Martin (Guitar), Billy Mure (Guitar), Bill Pursell (Organ), Bill Pursell (Piano), Si Zentner (Trombone), Steven Berkowitz (A&R), Don Arnone (Guitar), Ken Bell (Guitar), Larry Butler (Piano), Hillous Butrum (Guitar), Clay Caire (Drums), Jerry Carrigan (Drums), Frank Carroll (Bass), Floyd Chance (Bass), Charlie Daniels (Guitar), Frank Driggs (Photography), Ray Edenton (Guitar), Gregg Geller (Compilation Producer), Walter Haynes (Producer), Bob Johnston (Producer), Frank Jones (Producer), Don Law (Producer), Kenny Malone (Drums), Kenny Mims (Guitar), Bob Montgomery (Producer), Richard Morris (Marimba), Richard Morris (Bells), Richard Morris (Vibraphone), Tony Mottola (Guitar), Ron Oates (Keyboards), Bill Pittman (Guitar), Allan Reuss (Guitar), George Richey (Guitar), Hargus "Pig" Robbins (Piano), Don Roth (Guitar), Billy Sanford (Guitar), Steve Schaeffer (Bass), Billy Sherrill (Producer), Jerry Shook (Guitar), Henry Strzelecki (Bass), James Stroud (Drums), Pete Wade (Guitar), James Farmer (Guitar (Steel)), Jerry Byrd (Bass), Harold Carmack (Piano), Farris Coursey (Drums), Louis Dunn (Drums), Rich Kienzle (Liner Notes), Dale Potter (Fiddle), Jack Pruett (Guitar), Jimmy Rollins (Guitar), Slim Harbert (Bass), Bob Moore & His Orchestra (Bass), Howard Fritzson (Art Direction), Vic Anesini (Mastering), Andrew Ackers (Piano), Norbert Putman (Bass), Hank Parker (Photography), Sandy Speiser (Photography), Slick Lawson (Photography), Floyd Lanning (Guitar), Ted Romersa (Drums), Donald Slayman (Fiddle), Snuff Garrett (Producer), Philip Stephens (Bass), Bob Jones (Design), Elizabeth Reilly (Photo Research), Tom Choi (Package Manager), John R. "Ricky" Jackson (Project Director), Frover Lavender (Fiddle), Owen Nradley (Piano), Hilmer J. Timbrell (Guitar), Jack Wade (Guitar), Joe Knight (Guitar)
