Brother Duets

The advent of better recording and amplification technology led to a more musical, less shouted style of duet singing. Most of the most prominent and influential practitioners of this style were brothers, and many people claim that brothers have voices that blend better together. If what you like is great singing, you should start here.

Delmore Brothers
Freight Train Boogie

This is an import, and it's a little pricier than some of the other selections. The Delmores went through several phases--this collection emphasizes the "country boogie" period that is very similar to rockabilly. All the Delmore Brothers eras featured great harmony singing.

Everly Brothers
Cadence Classics

Their music wasn't, in the strictest sense, country. They were more a country duet backed by a rock 'n' roll band. Beautiful singing in the tradition of the Louvin Brothers is the rule here.

Louvin Brothers
When I Stop Dreaming

Ira Louvin was undoubtedly a mean, rotten bastard, but he was also a great songwriter, a pretty good mandolin player, and he possessed a spectacular tenor harmony voice, the likes of which has never been heard before or since. The Louvins' near-telepathic interplay resulted in intricate vocal arrangements that are simply the most beautiful ever heard in country music.

The Louvins were vastly influential, and this collection is one of a handful of absolutely essential country recordings. Emmylou Harris has covered at least a half dozen Louvins songs, and you'll find their songs on albums by artists as diverse as BR5-49 and Elvis Costello. Some of the gospel songs have to be heard to be believed. There's a ton more from where this came, and a follow-up collection from Razor and Tie would be most welcome.