Porter Wagoner & Pamela Gadd - Something To Brag About

Porter Wagoner is and always will be a legend in country music. With his bright spangled jackets and distinguished silver hair, he is forever associated with the Grand Ol' Opry and credited with the launching of Dolly Parton's career. But Porter remains a great singer and performer, and he sings here with fellow Opry regular and bluegrass maven Pam Gadd on old familiar country duets, giving them a few new twists but retaining that good ol' sound.

Porter Wagoner can sing a duet. As good as he's always been alone, when his voice is paired with a fine female vocalist, he's gold. Here he's paired with bluegrass singer Pam Gadd, and the result is, indeed, magical.

Indeed, the only spot on this disc where the lights dim somewhat is on the Cash/Carter romp, "Jackson." While Porter and Pam do a bang-up job on this song, there was always a tongue-in-cheek humor to it and a true sense of play when Johnny and June sang it that's missing from this new version. The song seems much darker when June isn't putting the humorous tease in the woman's part. Still, that's only one track, and it's still pretty good.

Duets like these are staples of country music. There's some lyin', some cheatin', and a lotta lovin', and that's what makes a pretty darned solid little country album. From the sadness of "My Elusive Dreams" to the optimism of "We're Gonna Hold On," this is a fine disc.