I first stumbled upon Bill Morrissey in the public library music room. No, I didn't actually run into one of the great folk singers of American music. Instead I stumbled up one of his CD's. I was searching for some interesting music and often found myself checking out a wide variety of CD's from the library. One afternoon I checked out Morrissey's first album. I was immediately hooked by his story telling ability and his gravely voice that seemed able to capture so many different emotions.

Hard to believe but that self-titled first album was released twenty years ago. To celebrate and capture the remarkable career that followed Rounder Records has released a compilation CD properly entitled "The Essential Collection." The CD includes 17 classic Bill Morrissey songs plus three new songs.

These twenty songs capture the amazing talent and consistency that Morrissey was able to sustain over the course of his career. The collection begins with the first song from his first album, and one of my favorites, Barstow - a playful yet melancholic song about a man who "pissed his twenties away" but promises his sweetheart "if you take me back this time baby, I promise I'll stay." As you can probably tell already, if you are looking for happy-go-lucky bubble gum pop music you have come to the wrong place. No, what Morrissey produces is beautiful, poignant, but often heartrending stories of those for whom life hasn't quite worked out.

These Cold Fingers is a particularly poignant song. It hits you in the gut from the start:

Gina left town with the first snow of the year
He drove her to the airport in his Ford
And he tried to propose as he ordered one more beer
but the PA drowned his words and it was time for her to board

But Morrissey doesn't leave it there like a caricature of a country western song. Instead he twists the knife a little deeper:

The dog can't move no more, surprised he made it till spring
His pain won't go away and the pills don't do a thing
You've known that old hound longer that you've known any of your friends
And no matter how you let him down he'd always take you back again
So it's one tall glass of whiskey, one last drink for old time's sake
The dog just lays in bed and watches every move you make
Wrap him in his blanket, hold him once more close to you
Lead him out behind the barn with a borrowed .22

I will confess that those lyrics will more often than not bring a tear to my eye.

But before you get the impression that Morrissey is all death and depression, he will lighten things up a bit. Letter From Heaven is a comical look at what heaven might look like:

Mama Cass has dropped some weight
and Charlie Parker's clean
Django's fingers have both gone straight
and they've got driving lessons for James Dean

One of the new songs, Fifty, is a light hearted reflection on the realization that he has reached half a century. Cold Cold Night and Long Gone are both touching love songs but the former is sweet and simple while the later has the flavor of an Irish Jig. Robert Johnson tells the story of that famous musician with a dark blues sound while Joe Turner Blues covers the sound of Mississippi John Hurt and has a playful delta blues sound.