Various – Exposed Roots - The Best Of Alt. Country

I agree that there is virtually no cohesiveness. And the selection is uneven. Past that, there are some great standout tracks, and for that reason I recommend it. Mati Hari Dress is an odd topic, and a very appealing song. And of course, Lucinda Williams, BR5-49, Gillian Welch, and Whiskeytown are killer. The disappointments are the major acts like Gram Parsons and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. I prefer the more minor gems such as "Gravity of the Situation", "Weightless", "Talk Like That", and especially "Too Much Pork For Just One Fork". I give it a strong four stars.

A very uneven, and for the most part not particularly alternative, country compilation. Whereas most compilation albums strive for some sort of theme - however loose in some cases - this one is just a bunch of completely unrelated artists from different eras, styles, genres even, with no flow whatsoever. There are a handful who are typically considered to be in the "alt. country" sub-genre - Whiskeytown, Freakwater, The Handsome Family and Lambchop, to name a few - but many of the artists are solidly in the mainstream and have been for years, even decades. I mean, Johnny Cash doing "Folsom Prison Blues"? Maybe a selection from those last few American Recordings albums he did would have fit, but "Folsom Prison Blues"? Great tune, granted, but alt. country? C'mon...

There are good songs here but, overall, if you're looking for a consistently good alternative country compilation, you're better off checking out something along the lines of Various - Sounds Of The New West (The Best Of Alternative Country) by Uncut Magazine.