Bulletin - October 2008
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
The Browns
->
Hank Williams + Book, DVDS
| MY FIRST 90 YEARS PLUS 3
by Ken Nelson |
● BOOK $28.98 |
Hardbound 352 pages, recommended
Counts as six CDs for
shipping. Here we have an autobiography of long time Capitol records
producer, talent scout etc. Ken Nelson, the man behind many of the label's
key Country and Rock & Roll records of the 1950's - '60s. Working with
such greats as Gene Vincent, Roy Acuff, Faron Young and Wanda Jackson,
Nelson has plenty of good stories to tell. Going through his entire life
from his birth during World War I through his vacations with family and
friends in his 90's. Not the best edited and constructed of
autobiographies (due probably to the tiny publishing company that put it
out) this is nonetheless and interesting read, especially for fans of the
behind the scenes machinations of which Nelson was such a huge part. (JM)
|
| NOTE: Unless otherwise noted all
DVDs offered are in NTSC format which means that they will not play on a
European DVD players unless you have a multiple format player. |
| JOHNNY CASH |
Sandbeach 2313 |
Music In Review |
● DVD $13.98 |
65 mins, black & white/ color, highly recommended
Fascinating minute documentary about Johnny Cash that focuses primarily on
Johnny's music and how it deveoped over the years. It includes archive
interviews with Johnny plus recent interviews with critics, record
producers and fellow musicians like "Cowboy" Jack Clement, Dave Ferguson,
Peter Cooper, W.S. "Fluke" Holland, Bob Wooton and others. Includes
excerpts of many Cash live performances ranging from the 50s through the
90s. (FS)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Time Life 19261 |
Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar |
● DVD $17.98 |
107 mins, recommended
No surprise, this is one of those
quickie b-pictures that us music fans are so used to sitting through
waiting for those occasional magic performances from one of our favorite
recording stars. There were dozens -- if not close to a hundred--of these
made in the '50s and '60s capitalizing on the appeal of the Country or
Rock 'N' Roll stars that were thrown into the scripts willy-nilly. This
one has a little more appeal for me, since I am a lifelong fan of the Dead
End Kids/ Bowery Boys, and this features Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey (way
past their prime), not to mention Arnold Stang ("It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad
World, etc.) as the main protagonist. As the boys go through their
shenanigans, you get Country greats put on a show, with the likes of Kitty
Wells, Webb Pierce, Lefty Frizzell, Bill Monroe, Faron Young, Minnie
Pearl, Little Jimmie Dickens and Homer & Jethro. That's just the big
names; this also features quite a roster of great lesser-known Country
artists like Merle Kilgore (as emcee to the big show), Dottie West and
about a dozen more. Filmed in Nashville in 1965, and even with all its
hokey-ness, it is an interesting time capsule. At a time when we seem to
be losing a member of the old guard every week (Billy Walker who just
passed is also in this), it's nice to see so many in their prime. (JM) 107
mins, recommended No surprise, this is one of those quickie b-pictures
that us music fans are so used to sitting through waiting for those
occasional magic performances from one of our favorite recording stars.
There were dozens -- if not close to a hundred--of these made in the '50s
and '60s capitalizing on the appeal of the Country or Rock 'N' Roll stars
that were thrown into the scripts willy-nilly. This one has a little more
appeal for me, since I am a lifelong fan of the Dead End Kids/ Bowery
Boys, and this features Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey (way past their prime),
not to mention Arnold Stang ("It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, etc.) as
the main protagonist. As the boys go through their shenanigans, you get
Country greats put on a show, with the likes of Kitty Wells, Webb Pierce,
Lefty Frizzell, Bill Monroe, Faron Young, Minnie Pearl, Little Jimmie
Dickens and Homer & Jethro. That's just the big names; this also features
quite a roster of great lesser-known Country artists like Merle Kilgore
(as emcee to the big show), Dottie West and about a dozen more. Filmed in
Nashville in 1965, and even with all its hokey-ness, it is an interesting
time capsule. At a time when we seem to be losing a member of the old
guard every week (Billy Walker who just passed is also in this), it's nice
to see so many in their prime. (JM)
|
| THE BROWNS |
Collector's Choice 923 |
The Complete Hits |
● CD $14.98 |
21 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended
The Browns are one
of those great groups that people just don't seem to appreciate much
anymore. Personally, I am a big fan of theirs and hope that this
collection gets some people to check them out again, or--even better--for
the first time. The Browns had a whole mess of great songs in the 1950s -
early '60s and as of this writing, Jim Ed Brown is still going strong with
his sisters long retired. This collection follows this fantastic Country
harmony family's work from their twangy roots through their huge Countrypoliton successes. Chet Atkins scored his first number one as a
producer with the Browns version of The Three Bells, a hauntingly
beautiful track that holds up well to this day. Most of their stuff still
holds up well and this has much of their best. You get tracks like the
lively Looking Back To See, the vocal dynamics of I Heard The
Bluebirds Sing, and two great covers of Louvin Brothers weepers I
Take The Chance and Just As Long As You Love Me. When it comes
to their lush crossover hits, besides Bells there's fine renditions
of Scarlet Ribbons/ The Old Lamplighter, and (my mom's favorite)
Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On. Since they were always on the
lookout for quality songs (even though Jim Ed was a good songsmith
himself) they have some adventurous song choices with covers of songs by
Roger Miller, Chip Taylor, and J.D. Loudermilk. Fantastic sound throughout
that does justice to the beautiful harmonies. (JM)
THE BROWNS: Beyond The Shadow/ Big Daddy/ Coming Back To
You/ Everybody‘s Darlin‘, Plus Mine/ Here Today And Gone Tomorrow/ I Hear
It Now/ I Heard The Bluebirds Sing/ I Take The Chance/ I Will Bring You
Water/ I‘d Just Be Fool Enough/ Just As Long As You Love Me/ Looking Back
To See/ Meadowgreen/ Money/ Oh No!/ Scarlet Ribbons (for Her Hair)/ Send
Me The Pillow You Dream On/ The Old Lamplighter/ The Three Bells (les
Trois Cloches)/ Then I‘ll Stop Loving You/ Would You Care
|
|
HOYT "SLIM"
BRYANT & HIS WILDCATS |
B.A.C.M. 245 |
Volume 2 |
● CD $13.98 |
30 tracks, highly recommended
Complementing B.A.C.M. 178
this is another fine collection of Western flavored music by this
excellent group that that evolved from Clayton McMichen's Louisville-based
Georgia Wildcats. Slim Bryant and His Wildcats were staples on Pittsburgh
radio and television during the '40s and early '50s. Taking its vocal cues
from California's close-harmony Western trios, the Wildcats were
particularly notable for their hot take-off guitar, fiddle and accordion
solos. Like the first volume this is drawn from a series of more than 200
radio transcriptions made in the mid/ late 40s. The material ranges from
close harmony vocals in the mould of The Sons Of The Pioneers to hot
instrumental workouts. Bryant's solid guitar is abetted by fiddler Ken
Newton, accordionist Al Azzaro and bassist Loppy Bryant. Tracks include
Columbus Stockade Blues/ West Winds/ Barbara Polka/ I Might Have Known/
There'll Be Some Changes Made/ Ida Red/ Bessie james/ Detour, etc.
Sound is excellent and there are informative notes by Kevin Coffey. (FS)
HOYT "SLIM" BRYANT & HIS WILDCATS: A Bicycle Built For
Two/ Are You Tired Of Me Darling/ Baby Doll/ Barbara Polka (instr.)/
Bessie James/ Closing Theme/ Columbus Stockade Blues/ Detour/ Don't
Trouble Me/ Durang's Hornpipe (instr.)/ Have I Waited Too Long/ Headin'
For The Great Divide/ I Love You So Much It Hurts Me/ I Might Have Known/
I Only Want A Buddy, Not A Sweetheart/ Ida Red (instr.)/ Is It Too Late
Now/ Listen To The Mocking Bird (instr.)/ My Heart's Still In Mexico/ Old
Joe Clark (instr.)/ Opening Theme/ Over The Santa Fe Trail/ Rosalita/ Some
Must Win, Some Must Lose/ Swingin' On An Old Rope Swing/ That Pioneer
Mother Of Mine/ The Last Letter/ There'll Be Some Changes Made (instr.)/
West Winds/ When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
|
| WILF CARTER |
Gusto 0877 |
Montana Slim |
● CD $7.98 |
10 tracks, 27 mins, r ecommended
Here we have a re-issue of
Wilf "Montana Slim" Carter's fifth full-length album, originally issued
way back in 1964 on the Starday record label. This Canadian Country music
star had a long road behind him by this point, but was still a great
talent. His years show in his hit song Grand Dad's Yodeling Song
inspired by the birth of a grand son from his daughter. In retrospect Wilf
was a whippersnapper at this point, he would live to the ripe old age of
92, and would continue to perform live up until 1991! At the time of these
recordings, Wilf was a big start on the Calgary Stampede radio show as
well as a popular guest on Country singer Tommy Hunter's TV show. Other
fine tunes on this One Golden Curl/ Lonesome For My Baby Tonight/ The
Little Shirt My Mother Made For Me, all display his sentimental and
heartfelt style. (JM)
|
| DENVER DARLING |
B.A.C.M. 246 |
Volume 3- Cowboy Jack |
● CD $13.98 |
The third collection of western flavored songs from
engaging Illinois born singer and songwriter Denver Darling. This features
25 tracks recorded for radio transcriptions in the 1940s and includes a
mix of old favorites, versions of recent hits and some originals. He is
accompanied by a fine band which includes fine fiddle and guitar (the
latter possibly Tony Mottola). Includes Great Speckled Bird/ Can You
Ever Forgive Me/ Cowboy Jack/ Carless Love/ In The Land Where We'll never
Grow Old/ Jesse James, etc. Fine sound and good notes by Kevin Coffey.
DENVER DARLING: Back In The Saddle Again/ Be Nobody's
Darling But Mine/ Can You Ever Forgive Me/ Careless Love/ Columbus
Stockade Blues/ Corine Corina/ Cowboy Jack/ Crawdad Song/ Don't Hang
Around Me Anymore/ Great Speckled Bird/ I'm Gonna Miss Your Kiss At
Christmas/ In The Baggage Coach Ahead/ In The Land Where We'll Never Grow
Old/ Jesse James/ Leven Miles From Leavenworth/ Little Footprints In The
Snow/ Lost And Found/ Montana/ New River Train/ Precious Jewel/ Sierra
Serenade/ Strawberry Blonde On A Strawberry Roan/ Wabash Cannonball/ When
I Take My Vacation In Heaven/ Will Your Promise Be Forever
|
| ART DICKSON |
B.A.C.M. 243 |
|
● CD $13.98 |
26 tracks, recommended
Entertaining collection of western
songs performed by Oklahoma singer Dickson accompanied by various groups.
Dickson apparently had a fairly lengthy musical career performing in
several different styles but settled on western music in the late 30s. He
never recorded commercially and these tracks are all taken from radio
transcriptions - presumably from the early/ mid 40s and while his trained
voice is a little off putting the accompanying harmonies and instrumental
work are excellent. Songs include Lonesome Days/ When Cookie Yells/ I'm
Gonna Have A Cowboy Wedding/ Chant Of The Wanderer/ Close To Heaven/ He's
Gone Down The Long, Long Trail/ Tired Little Wrangler/ Blue Ranger/ All
Day On the Prairie, etc. (FS)
ART DICKSON: A Dogie's Lullaby/ A Sinner's Prayer/ All
Day On The Prairie/ At The Old Barn Dance/ Blue Ranger/ Chant Of The
Wanderer/ Cindy/ Close To Heaven/ Don't Expect Me Home In The Morning/
He's Gone Down The Long, Long Trail/ I'm Gonna Have A Cowboy Wedding/ Jack
O' Diamonds/ Lonesome Days/ Move On, You Lazy Cattle/ My Little Cow Pony
And I/ No Good Son-Of-A-Gun/ No Letter Today/ Singin' On The Range/ Take
That Night Train To Memphis/ Tired Little Wrangler/ When Cookie Yells/
Whoa Mule, Whoa/ Whoopee-Ti-Yi-Yo/ Would He Ride On A Roundup In Heaven/
You Nearly Lose Your Mind/ You're From Texas
|
| THE HOT CLUB OF
COWTOWN |
Shout Factory 10984 |
The Best Of The Hot Club Of Cowtown |
● CD $15.98 |
20 tracks, 63 min., essential
The aptly-named HCC distill
western swing and 1930's club jazz (think Stephane Grappelli and Django
Reinhardt) into a vital music so pure it floats. This trio consists of
Elana James on violin, Jake Erwin on upright bass, and the extraordinarily
talented Whit Smith on guitar. Sure they can cover traditional fare such
as Ida Red and make it seem simultaneously timeless and modern, but
they also write with a pen seemingly borrowed from bygone days. And how
many western swing outfits would or could cover an Aerosmith song (in this
case, Chip Away The Stone), and make it seem as if it must be a
cover of a Bob Wills 78 rpm? Musical precision without the usual
accompanying obsessiveness to kill the spirit. Magic without any tricks.
(JC)
|
| GEORGE JONES |
Golden Stars 5602 |
Early Years |
● CD $19.98 |
Three CDs, 39 tracks, highly recommended
This is Jones at
the beginning of his career, the personification of hard-drinking East
Texas honky tonk in the very era when the citified Nashville sound was
taking off. From his very first crudely-recorded song, No Money in This
Deal from 1954 through to the last cut on disc three you know that
this is music untouched by the "Nashville Sound". It includes some of his
early hits like Why Baby Why/ What Am I Worth/ Just One More and
You Gotta Be Baby along with lesser known but equally fine songs like
Still Hurtin'/ Your Heart/ Boat Of Life/ Don't Stop The Music/ All I
Want To Do and others including his great version of Jimmie Rodgers'
Any Old Time, his monumental gospel song Cup Of Loneliness
and a couple of fine duets with Jeanette Hicks. There are four bonus
tracks - a live recording of Color Of The Blues and his three
rockabilly rceordings that were issued as by Thumper Jones. Poignantly
forlorn music from one of country's greatest. Generally fine sound quality
bearing in mind that some of these tracks weren't recorded very well. If
you missed out on the great Mercury two Cd set that came out in 1996 and
is long deleted this is the best representation of his early sides. But
why only 39 tracks on three CDs? (FS)
|
| LAURIE
LEWIS & THE RIGHT HANDS |
Spruce & Maple 2004 |
Live |
● CD $14.98 |
| First live album from this brilliantly talented Bay Area
musician accompanied by her crack band The Right Hands. 18 tracks
including Alaska/ Just A Lie/ Val's Cabin/ Love Chooses You/ Going To
The West/ Without My Walking Stick, etc.
|
| LULU BELLE & SCOTTY |
Gusto 0821 |
Sweethearts Of Country Music |
● CD $7.98 |
Reissue of Starday 206 featuring 10 songs from the early
60s - mostly new versions of songs they had popularized earlier. Includes
Pretty Red Shoes/ The Brown Mountain Light/ What You Don't Know Won't
Hurt You/ Sunday School/ The Empty Christmas Stocking, etc.
|
| ROSE MADDOX |
Gusto 0871 |
Rosie! |
● CD $7.98 |
10 tracks, 27 mins, recommended
They don't make them like
Rose Maddox anymore. The star of the sensational western swing band Maddox
Brothers & Rose steps away from her pack of brothers for this great solo
album. Originally released on Starday in 1970, this album is a mix of
Country weepers like Faded Love and Get it Over and upbeat
material like Rocky Top and The Key's in The Mailbox. Also
includes what I think most would consider her signature song,
Philadelphia Lawyer. Because of all the different labels that had a
cut of recordings like these, the CD itself looks like a NASCAR car, with
all the different logos on it; kind of fitting, I suppose.. (JM)
|
| CHUBBY PARKER |
B.A.C.M. 244 |
And His Old Time Banjo - Classic
Recordings, 1927-1931 |
● CD $13.98 |
21 tracks, 64 mins, highly recommended
A truly delightful
collection of songs from Indiana born performer Frederick R. "Chubby"
Parker who was one of the first old time performers to become regionally
famous through the power of radio. Parker was a fine singer with a high,
clear voice and acccompanied himself with deft tenor banjo playing to
which he sometimes added harp rack harmonica. Much of his material was
from an earlier era - some from the 19th century and included old-time
comic songs, minstrel songs and some that sound like they originated in
the British music hall. Apart from his version of Froggy Went A
Courtin' which he called King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O
which achieved legendary status through its appearance on Harry Smith's
"Anthology Of American Folk Music', very few of his other recordings have
been reissued so this release is particularly welcome and includes songs
like The Year Of Jubilo/ Bingo Was His name? Drill Ye Tarriers Drill/
The Old Wooden Rocker/ You'll Hear The Bells In The Morning/ Davey
Crockett (no relation to the song made famous by Fess Parker)/And
That Was Irish Too/ Oh Susanna, etc. Excellent sound and informative
notes by Tony Russell. (FS)
CHUBBY PARKER: A Rovin Little Darkey/ And That Was Irish
Too/ Bib A Lollie Boo/ Bingo Was His Name/ Davey Crockett/ Drill Ye
Tarriers Drill/ Get Away Old Maids Get Away/ Grandfather's Clock/ I'm A
Stern Old Bachelor/ In Kansas/ King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O/ Kissing
Song/ Nickerty Knackerty Now Now Now/ Oh Dem Golden Slippers/ Oh Susanna/
See The Black Clouds A Breakin' Over Yonder/ The Irish Christening/ The
Old Wooden Rocker/ The Year Of Jubilo/ Whoa Mule, Whoa/ You'll Hear The
Bells In The Morning
|
| RALPH STANLEY II |
Lonesome Day 013 |
This One Is Two |
● CD $16.98 |
11 tracks, 36 mins, recommended
When you are a son and
nephew of the Stanley Brothers, you have some mighty big boots to try and
fill. I had heard and enjoyed Ralph II accompany his father on a couple of
releases and found him plenty talented; with this CD, though, he isn't
taking up the family Bluegrass tradition. Iinstead, he takes a sidestep,
delving into a more modern Country approach. Although this is not as good
as I had hoped based on the recordings with his father, it's still rather
good. Ralph II sings in a deep rich Baritone akin to Randy Travis and he
accompanies it with a variety of acoustic and electric instruments. As
well as composing a few himself, he also pulls from a wide songwriting
pool, with Lyle Lovett's L.A. Country, Towns Van Zandt's
Loretta, and Tom T. Hall's Train Songs, reaping the best
results. Jim Lauderdale guests on L.A. County as well. (JM)
|
| ERNEST V. STONEMAN |
5-String Produtions 1 |
The Unsung Father Of Country Music,
1925-1934 |
● CD $34.98 |
Two CD set, 46 tracks, essential
Ernest V. Stoneman was
one of the best, most prolific and most popular pre war country performers
but comparitively little of his output has been issued on CD so this
collection is particularly welcome. 46 tracks featuring traditional
ballads, breakdowns, Tin-Pan Alley songs, sentimental favorites, humorous
ditties, two part skits and gospel songs recorded between 1925 and 1934.
The singing is fine and includes several duets with his wife Hattie
(including the delightful Mountaineer's Courtship which first
appeared on Harry Smith's seminal "Anthology Of American Folk Music") and
group vocals on the religious songs. There are solo songs with Ernest
accompanying himself on harmonica and autoharp as well as string band
sides featuring superb accompanying musicians like Earl Sweet or Bolen
Frost on banjo and Kahle Brewer or Eck Dunford on fiddle. The set includes
his 1925 hit version of The Titanic as well as many other songs and
tunes that have become country and bluegrass standards. In addition to his
prolific musical output Stoneman was prolific in other ways and fathered
23 children though only 13 lived to be adults but a number of these became
musicians and as The Stoneman Family became quite popular in the 50s, 60s
and 70s. One of his daughters provides the introduction to the 44 page
hard cover booklet that accompanies this splendid set. Sound quality is
superb and the booklet has extensive biographical notes, rare photos and
memorabilia and full discographical details and a discussion of each
performance. (FS)
ERNEST V. STONEMAN: A Message From Home Sweet Home/ All
I Got's Gone/ All I've Got's Gone/ Are You Washed In The Blood?/ Burial Of
Wild Bill, The/ Flop Eared Mule/ Goodbye, Dear Old Step Stone (1927)/
Goodbye, Dear Old Stepstone (1928)/ He Is Coming After Me/ Hop Light
Ladies/ I Am Resolved/ I Know My Name Is There/ John Hardy/ Lightning
Express, The/ Long Eared Mule/ Mountaineer's Courtship/ New River Train/
Nine Pound Hammer/ No More Good-byes/ Old Joe Clark/ Old Time Corn
Shuckin' Part 1/ Old Time Corn Shuckin' Part 2/ Once I Had A Fortune/
Possum Trot School Exhibition Part 1/ Possum Trot School Exhibition Part
2/ Ramblin' Reckless Hobo/ Religious Critic, The/ Say, Darling, Say/
Sourwood Mountain/ Sweeping Through The Gates/ The Face That Never
Returned/ The Fate Of Talmadge Osbourne/ The Old Hickory Cane/ The Orphan
Girl/ The Raging Sea, How It Roars/ The Railroad Flagman's Sweetheart/ The
Resurrection/ The Road To Washington/ The Spanish Merchant's Daughter/
There's A Light Lit Up In Galilee/ Titanic, The/ Too Late/ West Virginia
Highway/ When The Snowflakes Fall Again/ Wreck Of The Old '97, The/ Wreck
On The C&o, The
|
| STRINGBEAN |
Gusto 0873 |
A Salute To Uncle Dave Macon |
● CD $7.98 |
14 tracks, highly recommended
Gusto has gone and put out a
big bushel full of Stringbeans. Since the Stringbean single and double CD
collections that came out a couple of years ago did so well, it looks like
they have decided to re-issue his old catalog onto CD. In the fashion of
those earlier collections, these are all at a budget price for the benefit
of your country-collecting budget. Stringbean was a prot e g e of Uncle Dave
Macon, so it made perfect sense for him in 1963, when his career was
really taking off, to pay homage and put out this album of all Macon
covers; the results are pretty wonderful. Don't take ole' String lightly
cause of his comedy, Stringbean was a hell of a banjo picker. Gems from
the Macon songbook like Ida Red/ Hesitation Blues/ I'm the Man Who Rode
the Mule Around the World/ John Henry/ Cripple Creek, and more. Now if
you have the "Barn Yard Banjo Pickin'" two CD set, then you have every
track on here except for Take My Hand Precious Lord, and Over
The Mountain; if you don't, then this is an outstanding CD to pick up.
(JM)
|
| STRINGBEAN |
Gusto 0874 |
Way Back In The Hills Of Old Kentucky |
● CD $7.98 |
12 tracks, highly recommended
Here we come to (at least
alphabetically) the last of the Stringbean re-issues. This one originally
came out in 1964 and ranks up there with the best of this lanky
five-string banjo playing phenomenon. Big Ball In Nashville/ Poor Ellen
Smith/ Old Cumberland Gap/ The Roving Gambler/ Black Eyed Susy/ Little
Sally Goodin'/ Banjo Pickin' Girl/ Rye Whiskey, and Honey Babe I'm
Bound To Ride are all the tracks exclusive to this release. Of all of
the re-issues, I would say this one and the "Salute to Uncle Dave Macon"
CDs are the most essential of the batch. (JM)
|
| STRINGBEAN |
Gusto 0875 |
More Of That Rare Old Time Banjo Pickin' &
Singin' |
● CD $7.98 |
14 tracks, highly recommended
This is another of the great
Stringbean albums in this re-issue series. Originally from 1961, this
features "14 Native American mountain folk ballads by the star of the
Grand Ole Opry." Includes great cuts like Sinner Man, Where You Gonna
Hide/ I Intend To Make Heaven My Home/ Chewing Gum/ Suicide Blues/ Wanda,
and Lord I'm Coming Home, that are exclusive to this disk. The
remaining tracks were on the two CD set released earlier. (JM)
|
| STRINGBEAN |
Gusto 0878 |
Hee Haw Corn Shucker |
● CD $7.98 |
10 tracks, recommended
Continuing on with the Stringbean
re-issue project, we get this fine outing from 1971, when Stringbean was
riding high as a star on the hit T.V. show Hee Haw. You remember him: he
was the scarecrow in the cornfield and he also played a mean banjo. This
features a mix of traditional Bluegrass and comedy numbers. About 1/3 of
the material here was also on the two CD set, with notable exceptions like
Chewin' Chewing Gum/ Banjo Pickin' Girl,/ Big Ball in Nashville,
and Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy. Stringbean had already been a
long standing star on the Grand Ole Opry, so he was at the peak of his
career; unfortunately, it would be tragically cut short within two years
of this album. (JM)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collector 4527 |
Rockin' With A Boppin' Feel, Vol. 2 |
● CD $16.98 |
30 tracks, recommended
In spite of the CD title this is not
a collection of rockabilly or rock 'n' roll but obscure uptempo country
and bluegrass from the 50s and 60s. There are no classic performances here
but also no duds - just a solid collection of tracks - most making their
first appearance on CD. Includes sides by Howard Collins, Paul & McRady (a
fine unissued demo of wash Machine Boogie), Gig Dry & Western
String Band, Rod Morris, Benny Winn & The Nigh Riders, Jim Parker, The
Porter Brothers, Howard Writesel & The Write Ones, Carl Stevens, Marvin
Kerry, etc. (FS)
DON ABERCROMBIE: Little Bitty Mama/ BILL ANDREW & THE
MALLARD TRIO: Guitar Polka/ THE CARTERS: Why/ HOWARD COLLINS: Friday
Blues/ COWBOY BOBBY & THE WESTPORT KIDS: Just a Captain Cowboy/ GIG DRY &
WESTERN STRING BAND: Hey Pa/ LEE EDMOND & THE SWINGING TRAVELERS: Secret
Leave/ BLAZE FURY: Gower Guitar Boogie/ BOBBY HANKINS & THE BLUE BOYS:
Honky Tonk Queen/ JOHNSON & HARTE: Pick Rickin'/ MARVIN KERRY: Sha-Marie/
BOB LEERS: You Took My Love/ NEIL MATTHEWS: Six Days On the Road/
MISSISSIPPI WUNDER BOY: Nashville Dream/ CECIL MOORE & THE DIAMONDBACKS:
Wind It Up/ ROD MORRIS: House of Glass/ LEE NOLAN & UNCLE ED BRYANT & BIG
SANDY BOYS: Alimony Blues/ JIM PARKER: Did I Do Alright/ PAUL & MCRADY:
Wash Machine Boogie/ BUTCH PAULSON & THE ROVIN' GAMBLERS: Take A Look/
ARCHIE POR & ART UTLEY WITH THE RHYTHM RANGERS: You're Not Fooling Anyone/
THE PORTER BROTHERS: Fruitpicker, The/ TEX ROE: Wonderful THing Called
Love/ IRVIN & MARIE RUSS: Suits Me/ CARL STEVENS: Hillbilly Man/ NEIL
SWANSON: Company's Comin'/ RAY WHISNANT: I'm a Fool Over You/ BENNY WINN &
THE NIGHT RIDERS: I'm Free/ THE WRIGHT BROTHERS: Think I'll Go Back Home/
HOWARD WRITESEL & THE WRITE ONES: A 1-2
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Country Stars 55551 |
Yodeling Memories - 24 Country Yodeling
Classics |
● CD $10.98 |
24 tracks from the 20s through the 50s - mostly familiar
items along with a few lesser known titles.
REX ALLEN: Happy Yodelin' Man/ ROSALIE ALLEN: Yodelin'
Boogie/ GENE AUTRY: Blue Yodel, No. 5/ Hobo Bill's Last Ride/ ELTON BRITT:
That's How The Yodel Was Born/ CLIFF CARLISLE: Hobo Blues/ WILF CARTER: My
Swiss Moonlight Lullaby/ Yodeling Memories/ SLIM CLARK: Take Me Back To
Old Montana/ THE DEZURIK SISTERS: Go To Sleep My Darling/ HANK LOCKLIN:
Born To Ramble/ J.E. MAINER'S MOUNTAINEERS: Yodelin' Mountaineer/ FRANKIE
MARVIN: I'm Gonna Yodel My Way To Heaven/ EMMETT MILLER: Lovesick Blues/
BILL MONROE & HIS BLUEGRASS BOYS: Mule Skinner Blues (blue Yodel, No. 8)/
PATSY MONTANA: Cowboy Rhythm/ TEX MORTON: My Sweetheart's In Love With A
Swiss Mountaineer/ RILEY PUCKETT: Peach Pickin' Time Down In Georgia/
GOEBEL REEVES: Yodelin' Teacher/ JIMMIE RODGERS: Standin' On The Corner
(blue Yodel, No. 9)/ T For Texas (blue Yodel, No. 1)/ ROY ROGERS: Heading
For Texas And Home/ HANK SNOW: Wanderin' On/ SLIM WHITMAN: There's A
Rainbow In Every Teardrop
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Delta 26454 |
Roots Of Bluegrass |
● CD $8.98 |
30 tracks, 69 mins, recommended
This represents the roots
of Bluegrass, but not necessarily the deepest roots, since all of the
tracks here come from only the Starday label vaults; but, lots of great
old tunes nonetheless, starting off strong with the Stanley Brothers
"Little Maggie," then running through fine cuts from the likes of
Stringbean (two tracks), Jim Eanes (four tracks), Connie & Joe (two
tracks), Buzz Busby five tracks), the Country Gentlemen (five tracks), the
Kentucky Travelers (3 tracks), Bill Harrell (three tracks), etc. More
detailed notes would be appreciated, but otherwise this is a great deal.
(JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Documents 223001 |
Country & Western |
● CD $19.98 |
Available again after being out of print for a while.
Another remarkably priced box set from Documents featuring 200 tracks on
10 CDs featuring a retrospective of country music from 1928 to 1951. This
appears to be an abbreviated version of the 20 CD set "History Of Country
Music" and without any notes. Though hardly a rigorous history of country
music since there are many artists missing it certainly is a nice way to
get a fairly extensive collection of country recordings covering most of
the major styles and including a number of tracks not available elsewhere.
It even throws in a few black blues performers for good measure. Sound
quality is fine. Performances are presented chronologically and among the
many artists featured are Jimmie Rodgers, Buel Kazee, Nelstone's
Hawaiians, Jules Verne Allen, Clarence Ashley, Jimmie Davis, The Delmore
Brothers, Milton Brown, Bob Wills, Gene Autry, The Shelton Brothers, Sons
Of Dixie, Roy Acuff, Al Dexter, Bob Wills, Jimmy Wyble, Johnny Bond, Hank
Penny, Ocie Stockard, Spade Cooley, Dickie Jones, Eddie Miller, Tex
Williams, Bill Haley, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Floyd Tillman, Tommy Duncann,
Johnny Hicks, Hank Williams, Richard Prine and many more.
ROY ACUFF: Fireball Mail/ Great Speckled Bird/ I Saw The
Light/ Wabash Cannonball/ Wreck On The Highway/ JULES VERNE ALLEN: The
Days Of '49/ The Dying Cowboy/ SHELLEY LEE ALLEY: Low Down Blues/ THE
ARMSTRONG TWINS: Mandolin Boogie/ KOKOMO ARNOLD: The Twelve's/ CLARENCE
ASHLEY: The House Carpenter/ CHET ATKINS: Canned Heat/ GENE AUTRY: Back In
The Saddle Again/ Colorado Sunset/ Don't Fence Me In/ Guns & Guitars/ I'll
Go Ridin' Down/ Sioux City Sue/ South Of The Border/ Take Me Back/ That
Silver-haired Daddy Of Mine/ Tumbling Tumbleweeds/ You Are My Sunshine/
JOHNNY BOND: Birmingham Jail/ Mean Mama Boogie/ Out On The Open Range/ Red
River Valley/ Sick, Sober & Sorry/ Ten Years/ BILLY BRIGGS: Panhandle
Shuffle/ MILTON BROWN: Mama Don't Allow It/ Taking Off/ CLIFF BRUNER: It
Makes No Difference Now/ CLIFF CARLISLE: Pan American Man/ THE CAROLINA
TARHEELS: Peg & Awl/ CARTER & YOUNG: A Lazy Farmer Boy/ THE CARTER FAMILY:
Bye & Bye/ John Hardy/ Wildwood Flower/ THE CHUCK WAGON GANG: After The
Sunrise/ TINY COLBERT: Holes In My Soles/ SPADE COOLEY: Boogs Boogie/
Indian Summer/ Oklahoma Stomp/ Shame On You/ Yodeling Polka/ DAVE &
HOWARD: Serves' Em Fine/ JIMMIE DAVIS: Rockin' Blues/ LINK DAVIS: Texas
Swing/ THE DELMORE BROTHERS: Brown's Ferry Blues/ Peach Steel Boogie/ AL
DEXTER: Hoky Tonk Blues/ Pistol Packin' Mama/ Saturday Night Boogie/ THE
DIXIE RAMBLERS: He's An Army Man/ K. C. DOUGLAS: Mercury Boogie/ TOMMY
DUNCAN: Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy/ Gamblin' Polkadot Blues/ DICK DYSON:
You Waited Too Long/ RED FOLEY: Freight Train Boogie/ Tenessee Saturday
Night/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: Anticipation Blues/ I'll Never Be Free/ Mr. &
Mississippi/ Mule Train/ Ocean Of Tears/ Shotgun Boogie/ Smokey Mountain
Boogie/ Stack-o-lee/ THE FORT WORTH DOUGH BOYS: Sunbonnet Sue/ GRAYSON &
WHITTER: Tom Dooley/ JACK GUTHRIE: Oklahoma Hills/ BILL HALEY: A Yodller's
Lullaby/ Candy & Women/ Cotton Haired Gal/ My Mom Heard Me Crying/ Rose Of
My Heart/ Rovin' Eyes/ The Covered Wagon/ Wreck On The Highway/ Yodel Your
Blues Away/ HAWKSHAW HAWKINS: Dog House Boogie/ JOHNNY HICKS: Hamburger
Hop/ ADOLPH HOFNER: Alamo Rag/ PAUL HOWARD: Drinking All My Troubles Away/
BILLY HUGHES: Cocaine Blues/ JOHN HURT: Frankie & Johnny/ JACKSON COUNTY
BARN OWLS: Bake That Chicken Pie/ I Wonder How/ JESSE JAMES: Darling I
Don't Understand/ DICKIE JONES: Diggin'/ THE JUBILEERS: The Right String/
DICK JUSTICE: Brown Skin Blues/ BUELL KAZEE: The Butcher's Boy/ THE
KENTUCKY RAMBLERS: Ginseng Blues/ PEE WEE KING: Bull Fiddle Boogie/ EDDIE
KIRK: Candy Kisses/ THE LONE STAR PLAYBOYS: Steel Guitar Bounce/ SAM
MCGEE: Railroad Blues/ EDDIE MILLER: Don't Break My Heart/ THE MILLER
BROTHERS: Miller's Boogie/ Shadows On My Memories/ MODERN MOUNTANEERS:
Everybody's Rockin'/ BILL MONROE: Blue Moon Of Kentucky/ THE MONROE
BROTHERS: All The Good Times/ PATSY MONTANA: I Want To Be A Cowboy's
Sweethear/ TOMMY MOONEY: Bingo Boogie/ BILL MOUNCE & THE SONS OF THE
SOUTH: I've Been Drafted/ I've Found A New Baby/ NELSTON'S HAWAIIANS:
Mobile County Blues/ NELSTONE'S HAWAIIANS: Just Because/ LEON PAYNE: I
Love You Because/ HANK PENNY: I'm Gonna Change Things/ Penny Blows His
Top/ Time Will Tell/ Won't You Ride/ ERNEST PHIPPS: Don't Grieve After Me/
If The Light Has Gone/ Shine On Me/ THE PICKARD FAMILY: Get Away From That
Window/ JIMMY PRINCE: Live & Let Live/ RICHARD PRINE: Adam's Apple/ RIP
RAMSEY: Wanderers Swing/ TEX RITTER: I'm Wasting My Tears On You/ Jingle
Jangle Jingle/ Rye Whiskey/ JACK RIVERS: Dear Oakie/ THE RIVERSIDE
RAMBLERS: Dissatisfied/ JIMMIE RODGERS: Blue Yodel No. 5/ Blue Yodel No.
8/ High Powered Mama/ Hobo Bill's Last Ride/ Jimmie's Texas Blues/ Lullaby
Yodel/ My Little Old Home/ No Hard Times/ Somewhere Down Below/ Train
Whistle/ Treasures Untold/ ROY ROGERS: Cowboy Night Herd Song/ TOMMY
SARGENT: Steel Guitar Boogie/ ANDY SCHRODER: Prairie Dog Ramble/ TOMMY
SCOTT: Gonna Paint The Town Red/ THE SHELTON BROTHERS: On The Owl Hoot
Trail/ ARTHUR SMITH: Guitar Boogie/ CARL SMITH: I Overlooked An Orchid/
SONS OF DIXIE: Don't Ever Go Wrong/ THE STANLEY BROTHERS: The Fields Have
Turned Brown/ OCIE STOCKARD: Cow Town Boogie/ JIMMIE TARLTON: Slow Wicked
Blues/ TEXAS RUBY: Don't Let That Man Get You Down/ THE TEXAS TOP HANDS:
12th Street Rag/ HENRY THOMAS: Old Country Stomp/ HANK THOMPSON: Whoa
Sailor/ FLOYD TILLMAN: Slippin' Around/ MERLE TRAVIS: Cincinnati Lou/
Merle's Boogie Woogie/ Missouri/ Nine Pound Hammer/ No Vacancy/ Sixteen
Tons/ ERNEST TUBB: Walkin' The Floor Over You/ You Nearly Lose Your Mind/
WESLEY TUTTLE: With Tears In My Eyes/ JOHNNY TYLER: Oakie Boogie/ THE
VILLAGE BOYS: Boogie Woogie In The Village/ THE VILLAGEBOYS: Old Joe Is At
It Again/ GEORGE WADE: Think A Little/ JIMMY WAKELY: Mine All Mine/ JOE
WERNER: Running Around/ JIMMIE WIDENER: I've Got The Hesitation Blues/
That's My Lindy Lou/ JIMMY WIDENER: I Hear You Knockin'/ CURLEY WILLIAMS:
Fiddlin' Boogie/ HANK WILLIAMS: Hey Good Looking/ Honky Tonk Blues/ Honky
Tonkin'/ I Can't Help It/ I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Living/
Jambalaya/ Long Gone Lonesome Blues/ Lost Highway/ Moanin' The Blues/ Move
It On Over/ My Bucket's Got A Hole In It/ Why Should We Try Anymore/
You're Gonna Change/ TEX WILLIAMS: Drop Dead/ I Got Texas In My Soul/
Smoke Smoke Smoke/ BOB WILLS: Faded Love/ Liza Pull Down The Shades/ New
San Antonio Rose/ Roly Poly/ What's The Matter With The Mill/ JOHN LEE
WILLS: Rap Mop/ JOHNNIE LEE WILLS: Milk Cow Blues/ JIMMY WYBLE: Goodbye My
Heart/ No More Blues/ Taking My Time
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Jasmine 3579 |
Henpecked Daddies - Fussin' An' Feudin' |
● CD $12.98 |
24 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
Here we have yet
another fantastically absurd Country music collection from Jasmine. Songs
about folks fussin' and a-fightin', cheatin', gossipin' naggin', and of
course Mothers in-Law! Mostly told from the male perspective, with such
songs of woe like The Honeymoon's Over by Chuck Murphy, She Hit
The Ceiling, When I hit the Door by Ray Melton, Poison Pie by
Joe Bill, Behave, Be Quiet or Be Gone by Roy Duke, and also one
with a patriotic slant, I'd Rather Die For My Country (Than Live With
My Wife) by good old Red River Dave. You do get a number or two from
the female angle like The Nettles Sisters With The Rodeo Tone Twisters
doing Alibis, but in general this is one for the boys. I thoroughly
recommend picking this one up, it's more fun than a sack full of possums
and a jug of corn squeezins. Astute and entertaining liner notes by Al
Turner. (JM)
SKEETS BENNETT: Mean Mean Woman/ JOE BILL: Poison Pie/
AL DEXTER: Move Over Rover/ ROY DUKE: Behave, Be Quiet Or Begone/ ROCKY
BILL FORD: I'm A Hen Pecked Man/ UNCLE BOB HARDY AND HIS HAYLOFT FROLIC:
There Ain't No Use In Dreamin'/ LOUIE INNIS AND THE STRING DUSTERS: She's
Mean To Me/ LEODIE JACKSON AND HIS SWINGSTERS: That Naggin' Wife Of Mine/
BENNY LEADERS AND THE RANGER TRIO: Naggin' Woman/ LULU-BELLE AND SCOTTY:
Hang Out The Front Door Key/ RAY MELTON AND HIS COUNTRY ALL- STARS: She
Hit The Ceilin' (when I Hit The Door)/ CHUCK MURPHY: The Honeymoon Is
Over/ THE NETTLES SISTERS WITH THE RODEO TUNE TWIS: Alibis/ JIMMIE
OSBORNE: Nag, Nag, Nag/ GLENN OWENS AND HIS BAND: Don't Tell My Wife I'm
Here/ RED RIVER DAVE: I'd Rather Die For My Country (than Live With My
Wife)/ REESE SHIPLEY: Middle Age Spread/ LENDON SMITH WITH THE JESTERS:
Women/ LEON TASSIN WITH CHARLIE STUCKLEY'S WESTERNER: Get A Move On Baby/
LES THOMAS & MAY HAWKS: Jealousy Vs. Bossy/ THE THREE SHIF'LESS SKONKS:
Pukin' My Heart Out Over You/ JOHNNY TYLER AND THE RIDERS OF THE RIO
GRANDE: Tell A Woman/ JOE WHEELER: Ain't That Just Like A Woman/ THE
WILLIS BROTHERS: Alimony
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Official 5053 |
Decca Hillbilly |
● CD $17.98 |
32 tracks, highly recommended
Another great collection of
up tempo hillbilly from Official Records - this time featuring recordings
made in the 50s for Decca. There are some well known names like Ernest
Tubb, Webb Pierce, Justin Tubb & T. Texas Tyler and lots of lesser known
artists like Charlie Adams, Glenn Douglas, Gary Bryant, Al Coker, etc. but
all of it's excellent with fine honky tonk vocals, sawing fiddles and
soaring steel and electric guitars. Some of the tracks can be considered
borderline rockabilly. No notes but booklet has label shots and sound
quality is superb. (FS)
CHARLIE ADAMS: T. T. Boogie/ JACK BRADSHAW: Flirting
With You/ GARY BRYANT: I'm Just Wild About You/ VERNON CLAUD: Daylight
Angel/ AL COKER: Let's Do it Again/ GLENN DOUGLAS: Let it Roll/ What Cha'
Don't Do To Me/ ARLIE DUFF: Home Boy/ JIM EANES: In a Little Spanish
Restaurant/ Wiggle Worm Wiggle/ BILLY GRAY: Okie Blondie/ BILLY JACK HALE:
Your Eyes/ AUTRY INMAN: Brown Eyed Baby/ Uh-Huh Honey/ JIMMY & JOHNNY:
'Till The End of The World/ Sweet Singing Daddy/ JIMMIE LOGSDON: I Wanna
Be Mama'd/ LONZO & OSCAR: See Saw Baby/ WEBB PIERCE: In the Jailhouse Now/
WAYNE RANEY: 40th & Plum/ RICKY RIDDLE: Drivin' Down the Wrong Side of the
Road/ I'm a Whip Crackin' Daddy/ RED SOVINE: Juke Joint Johnny/ ERNEST
TUBB: Have You Seen (My Boogie Woogie Baby)/ Thirty Days/ JUSTIN TUBB: All
Alone/ I'm a Big Boy Now/ Ooh La La/ T. TEXAS TYLER: Hot Rod Rag/ Scratch
& Itch/ Ten-Ten-Tennessee Line/ TEX WILLIAMS: Roses & Revolvers
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Old Hat 1006 |
In The Pines - Tar Heel Songs And Fiddle
Tunes |
● CD $16.98 |
Fabulous new collection of old time country music from
North Carolina recorded between 1926 and 1936 including old time fiddle
and banjo tunes, folk songs and murder ballads, gospel hymns, mountain
blues and more. Although about half the tracks have been reissued before
ths sound quality is vastly superior to most previous reissues and the
titles here all have the context of being from North Carolina. 24 tracks
including sides by "Dock" Walsh, Carolina Ramblers String band, Ben
Jarrell, Carlie Parker & Mack Woolbright, The Grady Family, Clarence
Greene, Whitter-Hendley-Small, E.R. Nance Family and others. Includes 24
page illustrated booklet with notes on all the performers and songs and
rare vintage photos.
THE BLAKENSHIP FAMILY: Working On The Railroad/ THE BLUE
RIDGE MOUNTAIN ENTERTAINERS: Honeysuckle Rag/ THE CAROLINA BUDDIES:
Mistreated Blues/ THE CAROLINA RAMBLERS STRING BAND: Johnson City Hop/
That Lonesome Valley/ THE CAROLINA TAR HEELS: My Home's Across The Blue
Ridge Mountains/ THE CAULEY FAMILY: New River Train/ CRANFORD & THOMPSON:
Otto Wood/ THE DIXON BROTHERS & MUTT EVANS: Are You Sure?/ THE GRADY
FAMILY: Carolina's Best/ GRAYSON & WHITTER: Tom Dooley/ CLARENCE GREEN:
Little Bunch Of Roses/ HENDLEY-SMALL-WHITTER: A Pretty Gal's Love/ THE
HIGHLANDERS: Richmond Square/ BEN JARRELL: Jack Of Diamonds/ FRANK JENKINS
& HIS PILOT MOUNTAINEERS: Sunny Home In Dixie/ MAINER'S MOUNTAINEERS: The
Longest Train/ E.R. NANCE FAMILY WITH CLARENCE DOOLEY: Sweet Freedom/ THE
NORTH CAROLINA COOPER BOYS: The Rose With A Broken Stem/ CHARLIE PARKER &
MACK WOOLBRIGHT: Will, The Weaver/ THE PROXIMITY STRING QUARTET: Lindy/
THE RED FOX CHASERS: Mountain Sweetheart/ DOCK WALSH: In The Pines/ WILMER
WATTS & THE LONELY EAGLES: Banjo Sam
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smithsonian Folkways 40093 |
Classic Old Time Music From Smithsonian
Folkways |
● CD $11.98 |
29 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended
Smithsonian
Folkways has a deep vault full of amazing American roots music. Here is an
excellent sampler of old-time music, presented in a fabulous package with
deep notes and stellar sound. Doc Watson, Dock Boggs, Clarence Ashley,
Maybelle and Sarah Carter, Wade Ward, J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers, Red Clay
Ramblers, Sam and Kirk McGee, and so many more. This is a 70-minute music
history lesson that is as fascinating as it is pleasurable to listen to.
(JM)
CLARENCE ASHLEY: Little Sadie/ ETTA BAKER & CORA BAKER:
Jaybird March/ FRANK BODE & TOMMY JARRELL: Susannah Gals/ DOCK BOGGS:
Country Blues/ ANDY CAHAN: Ship In The Clouds/ GAITHER CARLTON: Look Down
That Lonesome Road/ MAYBELLE CARTER & SARA CARTER BAYES: I'm Leaving You
This Lonesome Song/ COUSIN EMMY: Bowling Green/ DAVID & BILL: Going Down
The Road Feeling Bad/ ROSCOE HOLCOMB: Trouble In Mind/ THE IRON MOUNTAIN
STRING BAND: Sugar Hill/ CLARK KESSINGER: Wednesday Night Waltz/ J.E.
MAINER: Concord Rag/ SAM & KIRK MCGEE WITH ARTHUR SMITH: Late Last Night/
THE NEW LOST CITY RAMBLERS: Bill Morgan And His Gal/ Cyclone Of Rye Cove/
John Brown's Dream/ THE OLD RELIABLE STRING BAND: Streets Of Glory/ GEORGE
PEGRAM: John Henry/ THE RED CLAY RLAMBERS: House Of David Blues/ MIKE
SEEGER: Bonapart's Retreat/ LES SEXTON: Pretty Polly/ ARTHUR SMITH WITH
SAM & KIRK MCGEE: Don't Let Your Deal Go Down/ THE SPARE CHANGE BOYS:
Policeman/ JOHN W. SUMMERS: Fine Times At Our House/ GORDON TANNER: Down
Yonder/ JOE & TOMMY THOMPSON: Love Somebody (soldier's Joy)/ WADE WARD:
Chilly Winds/ DOC WATSON: Carroll County Blues
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smithsonian Folkways 40193 |
Classic Old-Time Fiddle |
● CD $11.98 |
38 tracks, 79 mins, highly recommended
The title really
says it all: classic Fiddle music pulled from the vast and amazing
Smithsonian vaults. Nobody on here is anywhere near a household name, but
if you know great old mountain music (officially Southern Appalachian
String band music,) you will recognize the greats here. If you don't know
yet, this is a perfect place to start. Compiled by fiddler Jake Krack and
Folkways archivist Jeff Place, you get a richly annotated collection
featuring just one outstanding performance after another, many making
their first appearance on CD. Recordings span 50 years (1951-2001), with
the bulk coming from sessions in the '60s and '70s. Doesn't matter when it
was recorded, though; everything on here is 100% old-timey. Fantastic cuts
by Clark Kessinger, Doug Wallin, Bill Hicks, Arthur Smith with the McGee
Brothers, Wade Ward, Marion Sumner, Eck Robertson, and many more. Plus you
get luminaries like Doc Watson, and Mike Seeger popping up on occasion to
lend some accompaniment. (JM)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stampede 5002 |
I'm Ready - Featuring Eddie Cochran |
● CD $22.98 |
32 track collection of mostly country and western swing
from the early/ mid 50s that feature Eddie Cochran, either on vocals,
guitar or other instrument. In addition to a couple of tracks under his
own name he is also featured with Chuck Foreman, Don Deal, Hank Hammer,
Jess Willard, Jerry Capehart and Hank Cochran. Includes 12 page
illustrated booklet with detailed notes.
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Starday NA 2047 |
Back Street Affair |
● CD $5.98 |
10 tracks, 26 mins, recommended
Nashville/ Starday/ Gusto
records are in the process of re-issuing a whole lot of signature albums
from back in the day, putting them out in no frills packaging to maximize
affordability. Hitting on all of the cornerstones of Country songwriting
topics, here we get ten swell sneakin' around/ cheating songs. They say
that happy songs sell records and sad songs sell beer, so Schlitz probably
owes a royalty to Starday for putting out this collection. Classics like
Back Street Affair by Eddie Wilson, Don't Monkey With Another
Monkey's Monkey by Johnny Paycheck, Down on the Corner of Love
by Buck Owens, I'm the Man by Red Sovine, You're Back Again
by George Jones, etc. (JM)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Starday NA 2051 |
Lonesome Jailhouse Blues |
● CD $5.98 |
10 tracks, 26 mins, highly recommended
Here we have
another re-issue from the Nashville records vaults, this time of a
compilation from the lat '60s of Country Prison songs and murder ballads.
Starting off with probably the most notorious of the Outlaw Country
performers, David Allen Coe, and his autobiographical Doin' My Time,
then leading through a ten-spot of tales of vice and punishment. Also
including the all-time craziest murder ballad Knoxville Girl,
stunningly performed by the great Hylo Brown, who racks up three tracks
total. This also features strong cuts by Pee Wee King & Redd Stewart, Carl
Story, Joe Maphis, The Stanley Brothers, Bill Dudley, and Billie Morgan.
(JM)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Starday NA 2052 |
Truck Driver's Queen |
● CD $5.98 |
10 tracks, 24 mins, recommended
This collection is
dedicated to the "wives and girlfriends of truck drivers everywhere";
yeah, lets just hope the former don't find out about the latter, otherwise
these guys will really be out on the road. All in all we have a nice
little budget priced collection of truck driving oldies but goodies.
Features Moore & Napier with the title track, the trucker's lament Hot
Rod Kids and Woman Drivers, plus two more. Also Reno & Smiley and
their four songs with "road" in the title, and then Jimmy Logsdon evens
out the set with two strong cuts; Truck Drivin' Daddy, and Gear
Jammer. Since this is a straight re-issue of a compilation that
Nashville records put out in the '60s, you get a great cover with a cool
truck stop beauty posing next to a big rig--classic. (JM)
|
| JIMMY WAKELY |
Jasmine JASBOX 19-4 |
A Rainbow At Midnight |
● CD $32.98 |
Four CD set with 120 tracks providing an in depth
retrospective of the recordings made in the early/ mid 50s by this popular
western singer. It includes many of his hits from this period Peter
Cotton Tail/ My Heart Cries For You/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/ The Gods Were
Angry With Me and others including his million selling #1 hit duet
with Margaret Whiting Slipping Around. It includes collaborations
with Nelson Riddle, Frank DeVol, Karen Chandler, Mary Ford and others and
includes 12 page booklet with notes by Robert Nickora. (FS)
JIMMY WAKELY: Along The Santa Fe Trail/ Another Fool
Steps In/ Are You Mine?/ Are You Satisfied?/ At The Close Of A Long, Long
Day/ Bandera Waltz/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/ Bimbo/ Blue Shadows On The
Trail/ Blue-nosed Mule/ Bright-eyed And Bushy-tailed/ Call Of The Canyon/
Carry Me Back To The Lone Prairie/ Christmas Polka/ Crazy Arms/ Cryin'
Just For You/ Did You Write A Letter To Your Sweetheart?/ Don't Be Lonely/
Dust/ Each Step Of The Way/ Enter And Rest And Pray/ Everyone Knew But Me/
Giant/ God Be With You/ God Will Take Care Of You/ Gonna Walk With My
Lord/ Goodbye Little Girl/ I Belong To You/ I Don't Know Why I Love You
(but I Do, Do, Do)/ I Like The Wide Open Spaces/ I Love You/ I Love You So
Much It Hurts/ I Stopped Livin'/ I Went To Your Wedding/ I Wish I Had A
Nickel/ I'll Never Do A Thing To Hurt You/ I'm Gonna Marry Mary/ If Santa
Claus Could Bring You Back To Me/ If You Would Only Be Mine/ In The
Garden/ In The Jailhouse Now/ It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/ It Is No
Secret/ It's A Lonely Trail/ It's Christmas/ It's Lonely On The Trail/
Jim, Johnny, And Jonas/ Joy To The World/ Keep A Light In Your Window/
Keep No Secrets/ Let The Lower Lights Be Burning/ Let's Go To Church (next
Sunday Morning)/ Let's Walk Into The Future/ Lorelei/ Love Song Of The
Waterfall/ Makin' Believe/ Mine All Mine/ Mississippi Dreamboat/ Mona
Lisa/ Mr. Easter Bunny/ Music By The Angels/ My Heart Cries For You/ My
Heart Has Plenty Of Room/ O Come All Ye Faithful/ O Little Town Of
Bethlehem/ Old Soldiers Never Die/ One Has My Name (the Other Has My
Heart)/ Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind/ Pale Moon/ Peter Cottontail/ Pine Top's
Boogie/ Please Have Mercy/ Pot Of Gold/ Pride/ Rainbow At Midnight/ Red
River Valley/ Roundup For The Lord/ Show Me The Way/ Sierra Nevada/ Silent
Night, Hold Night/ Slipping Around/ Softly And Tenderly/ Someday You'll
Call My Name/ Steal A Penny From A Beggar/ Steppin' Out/ Take Me Back To
My Boots And Saddle/ Take My Hand, Precious Lord/ Tattletale Blues/ Tellin'
My Troubles To My Old Guitar/ Thanks/ The Easter Egg Parade/ The First
Noel/ The Gods Were Angry With Me/ The Hand That Swept The Stars/ The
Lord's On My Side/ The Lord's Prayer/ The Old Rugged Cross/ The Rosary/
The Solid South/ The Touch Of God's Hand/ There's A Gold Mine In The Sky/
There's That Same Old Lovelight/ This Orchid Means Goodbye/ This-a-way,
That-a-way/ Till The End Of The World/ Tonight You Belong To Me/ Too Late/
Too Many Sweethearts/ True Love/ Twilight Time In Tennessee/ We'll Rest At
The End Of The Trail/ When He Grows Tired Of You/ When I Say Goodnight/
When I Stopped Lovin' You/ When It's Harvest Time, Sweet Angeline/ Won't
You Ride In My Little Red Wagon/ Yellow Roses/ You Have A Kiss With A
Punch/ You Took My Name/ You're Only In My Arms
|
| HANK WILLIAMS |
Time Life 80031 |
Unreleased Recordings |
● CD $39.98 |
Due late October. This release promises to be the best and
most important release of this year and quite possibly of the 21st
century. In 1951 Hank recorded a series of 72 15 minute radio shows with
his Drifting Cowboys sponsored by Mother's Best Flour. These recordings
were almost lost but a couple of sets of the original 16" acetates used
for the shows survived and have been embroiled in legal entanglements for
many years though copies of these shows have circulated underground among
Williams collectors. The legal issues have finally been sorted out and
these incredible recordings will finally see the light of days starting
with a three CD set of 54 tracks. Each show included a song by Hank, an
instrumental by the Drifting Cowboys and a gospel trio or quartet by Hank
& the boys. The shows also included pitches for Mother's Best flour which
included some great repartee from Hank showing that he was far from the
morose figure you might expect from his tragic life story and his sad
songs but was a warm, funny and intelligent person. I don't know if this
first release features any of the talk, but, if not, hopefully it will
appear on future releases. Over the course of these shows Hank not only
sang his own songs but also performed around 40 songs that he never
recorded commercially! Although these were other artists' songs once Hank
performed them he owned them! I've heard most of this material on low
quality mp3s and can assure you that this is Hank at his very best. This
is the release that Hank Williams fans have been waiting many years to
finally see released and I know I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.
HANK WILLIAMS: At The First Fall Of Snow/ Blue Eyes
Crying In The Rain/ California Zephyr/ Cherokee Boogie/ Cold, Cold Heart/
Cool Water/ Dear John/ Drifting Too Far From The Shore/ Dust On The Bible/
From Jerusalem to Jericho/ Gathering Flowers For The Master's Bouquet/
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You/ Hey, Good Lookin'/ I Can't Help
It (If I'm Still In Love With You)/ I Can't Tell My Heart That/ I Dreamed
That the Great Judgment Morning/ I Heard My Savior Calling Me/ I'll Fly
Away/ I'll Have A New Life/ I'll Sail My Ship Alone/ I'm Gonna Sing/ I'm
So Lonesome I Could Cry/ I've Got My One Way Ticket To The Sky/ If I
Didn't Love You/ Just When I Needed You/ Lonely Tombs/ Low And Lonely/ May
You Never Be Alone/ Mind Your Own Business/ Next Sunday Darling Is My
Birthday/ On The Banks Of The Pontchartrain/ On Top Of Old Smoky/ Pictures
From Life's Other Side/ Pins And Needles (In My Heart)/ Precious Lord, Take
My Hand/ Seaman's Blues/ Searching For A Soldier's Grave/ Softly And
Tenderly/ Tennessee Border/ The Blind Child's Prayer/ The Old Country
Church/ The Pale Horse And His Rider/ The Prodigal Son/ There's Nothing As
Sweet As My Baby/ Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine/ Wait For The Light To
Shine/ Wedding Bells/ When God Dips His Love In My Heart/ When The Fire
Comes Down/ When The Saints Go Marching In/ Where He Leads Me/ Where The
Soul Never Dies/ Why Should We Try Anymore/ You Blotted My Happy
Schooldays
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