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This box set is tricky to rate and review. If you are a fan of very hard core country music-mostly in the honky tonk tradition- this set rates five stars. If you aren't all in with that kind of music, this set isn't for you. Vernon Oxford's recordings were too country for country radio in the mid 60's, when he first came on the scene. Since country music became increasingly commercialized and pop from that point forward and Oxford didn't change his style at all, his music drifted further and further from the mainstream. But it was great in its own way. Oxford's style is basically a less powerful and more vulnerable version of Hank Williams. He is accompanied throughout this set by top notch session musicians and the songs he recorded were written by top Nashville songwriters, in some cases especially for Oxford. There are few covers in this set other than an album of Hank Williams songs done fairly late in Oxford's career in England, where he had a following. To those who love this kind of music, two of the attractions of this set are the mostly unfamiliar, original compositions and the unwavering country sound to these recordings. Steel guitar is a constant presence and fiddles often appear on Oxford's records. The backing musicians are great and appear to be playing at the top or their form. There is an intensity to these recordings that probably comes from the fact that both Oxford and the musicians were motivated more by a love of the music they were performing than by delusions of chart topping grandeur. For most of Oxford's career he recorded in major studios, particularly RCA, and the production is excellent. Oxford's only two modest hits, the great "Shadows of My Mind" and the novelty "Redneck" are included. Fortunately the former is more representative of what is in this set. This is serious music performed by a singer who was great at it but came along about fifteen years too late.