This compilation focuses on the two musical streams known as lukthung and morlam, the Thai equivalent of country music (traditional, but filtered through a layer of pop). But you'll also find some purely modern pop ditties, semi-classical pieces, and the famous Thai Elephant Orchestra. A strong collection. Good liner notes.

Try any track. Fo's Picks: 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 14, 17, 19

1. 3:57 – steady midtempo bounce
2. 3:18 – relaxed fem vox, slinky rhythm
3. 2:33 – fast pickin', like thai bluegrass
4. 4:21 – odd intro, then upbeat pop
5. 3:25 – relaxed ballad, husky fem vox
6. 2:14 – elephants playing percussion!
7. 7:03 – lilting fem vox + mouth-organ
8. 3:44 – very bouncy & upbeat, cool
9. 3:57 – bubblegum pop hit from 2001
10. 3:17 – warbly vox, much keyboard
11. 3:20 – slow karaoke-style ballad
12. 3:43 – fast happy funeral percussion
13. 2:47 – pop ballad, complex melody
14. 3:33 – "cha-cha" style, deadpan vox
15. 4:08 – uptempo with breezy vox
16. 6:03 – bowed strings, drunk rhythm
17. 3:58 – warbly, like Ethiopian pop
18. 2:36 – lowdown soul, very Western
19. 3:40 – cool xylophone strut

[ Fo ] – 9/17/03