The 1964 solo debut record from Doc Watson didn’t just define guitar flat-picking for his generation and those to come (check “Black Mountain Rag”), but it also straddled American music traditions with amazing aplomb. Just try classifying this record: is it folk? Country? Bluegrass? The truth is, it’s all of those things, and more. It’s hilarious (“Intoxicated Rat”), mournful (“Little Omie Wise”), defiantly joyful (“Sittin’ on Top of the World”), starkly existential (“Country Blues”), and even goofy (“Born About Six Thousand Years Ago”). But most of all, it’s Doc Watson, the first and perhaps most lasting salvo from an American music giant. And, as such, it’s one of the fundamental albums of American roots music, and a profound and deeply enjoyable listening experience.
