This 2-CD set, for the first time, anthologizes both the Vanguard Records and Sugar Hill Records periods of Doc s discography in one compilation. Covering the years 1962 to 2005, this compilation succinctly encapsulates what made Doc Watson so special. Whether he was covering a traditional song hundreds of years old or taking a turn on brand new composition, Doc authenticated everything he touched. And despite his world renown as a first-rate guitar player, one that influenced a wide swath of players who followed behind him, his honeyed, welcoming voice was equally idiosyncratic. Doc was a brilliant anomaly: here was a legendary man that was as easy with an entire audience as if he was conversing with his next door neighbor. If there ever was an Americana royalty, this blind man from Deep Gap, NC - a man whose professional career didn t start until he was nearly forty Doc Watson was as fit to wear a crown as any musician.