COUNTRY,
BLUEGRASS & OLD-TIMEY
Roy
Acuff -> The Armstrong Twins
| ROY ACUFF |
Ace CDCHD 988 |
Once More It's Roy Acuff/ King Of Country
Music |
● CD $18.98 |
Reissue of Roy's first two albums issued on his own Hickory
label. The first album featured 12 tracks original issued as Hickory singles
between 1957 and 1960 including Once More/ I Don't Care (If You Don't
Love Me)/ So many Times/ They'll Never Take Her Love From Me/ Don't Know
Why/ Thanks For Not Telling Me, etc. The second LP includes remakes of
some of his most popular songs of the 30s and 40s.
ROY ACUFF: (Today) My Love Came Back To Me/ Come And Knock
(On The Door Of My Heart)/ Don't Know Why/ Don't Make Me Go To Bed And I'll
Be Good/ Fireball Mail/ I Don't Care (If You Don't Love Me/ Lonely Mound Of
Clay/ Nero Played His Fiddl/ Night Train To Memphis/ Once More/ Pins And
Needles (In My Heart)/ Searchin' For Happiness/ So Many Times/ Thanks For
Not Telling Me/ The Automobile Of Life/ The Great Speckled Bird/ The Old Age
Pension Check/ The One I Love (Is Gone)/ The Precious Jewel/ The Wreck On
The Highway/ They'll Never Take Her Love From Me/ Unloved And Unclaimed/
Wabash Cannonball/ Write Me Sweetheart
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Ace CDCHD 999 |
Sings American Folk Songs/ Hand-Clapping
Gospel Songs |
● CD $18.98 |
Ace's second collection of Roy Acuff's recordings for his
own Hickory label. This one features his fifth and sixth albums issued in
1963. Most of these recordings have never appeared on CD before.
ROY ACUFF: Birmingham Jail/ Budded Roses/ Build Me A Cabin
In Gloryland/ Give My Love To Nell/ Glory Is Coming/ I Saw The Light/ I'll
Fly Away From Here/ It's All Right Now/ Jesus Died For Me/ Little Rose Wood
Casket/ Mother Was A Lady/ Put My Little Shoes Away/ Red River Valley/ Shut
Up In The Mines/ Somebody Touched Me/ Thank God/ The Glory Bound Train/ The
Great Titanic/ The House Of The Rising Sun/ The Letter Edged In Black/
Travelling The Highway Home/ Turn Your Radio On/ Wait For The Light To
Shine/ Zeb Turney's Gal
|
| ROY ACUFF |
ASV CDAJA 5244 |
The King Of Country Music |
● CD $11.98 |
Great collection of 25 tracks recorded between 1936 and 1947
by this country music pioneer with his Crazy Tennesseans and his Smokey
Mountain Boys.
ROY ACUFF: Be Honest With Me/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/
Brother Take Warning/ Eyes Are Watching You/ Freight Train Blues/ Great
Speckled Bird/ I'll Forgive You But I Can't Forget/ I'll Reap My Harvest In
Heaven/ Jole Blon/ Living On The Mountain Baby Mine/ Low And Lonely/
Muleskinner Blues/ Night Train To Memphis/ Not A Word From Home/ Pins And
Needles/ Precious Jewel/ Prodigal Son/ Streamlined Cannon Ball/ Wabash
Cannonball/ Wait For The Light To Shine/ Waiting For My Call To Glory/ We
Live In Two Different Worlds/ Worried Mind/ Wreck On The Highway/ Write Me
Sweetheart
|
| ROY ACUFF |
B.A.C.M. 089 |
In The Shadow Of The Smokies |
● CD $13.98 |
Complementing the recent box set of Roy's early recordings
(Proper Box 70 - King Of Country Music - $24.98) this is another superb set
of early sides featuring 23 tracks recorded between 1940 and 1952.
ROY ACUFF: Blue Eyed Darling/ Branded Wherever I Go/ Bully
Of The Town (instr.)/ Devil‘s Train/ Farther Along/ Grey Eagle (instr.)/ In
The Shadow Of The Smokies/ It‘s Too Late Now To Worry Anymore/ My Tears
Don‘t Show/ No One Will Ever Know/ Pale Horse And His Rider/ Pliney Jane/
Pretty Little Widow (instr.)/ She Isn‘t Guaranteed/ Short Changed In Love/
Songbirds Are Singing In Heaven Tonight/ Steel Guitar Chimes/ Ten Little
Numbers/ That Glory Bound Train/ Things That Might Have Been/ This World
Can‘t Stand Long/ Wonder Is All I Do/ You‘re My Darling
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Bear Family BCD 15652 |
King Of Country Music |
● CD $41.98 |
57 tracks, 149 min. recommended
After Acuff left Columbia in
1953, over the next five years he recorded for Capitol, Decca and MGM. This
double CD begins with his 1953-1955 Capitol recordings with the Smoky
Mountain Boys including Tied Down, Lonesome Joe (actually a
version of the Cajun number Poor Hobo), and the aching ballads
Don't Say Goodbye and Jimmy Work's That's What Makes The Jukebox
Play. His version of Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper's I Closed My
Heart's Door, is issued for the first time. The Capitol remakes of
Acuff's favorites are fine. the first 1955 Decca sessions featured two flat
Acuff duets with Kitty Wells, backed by Johnny and Jack's band. The second
and final Decca session featured the wretched novelty I Like Mountain
Music, but also the wrenching and heartfelt Plant Some Flowers By My
Grave. The MGM gospel album included such standards as Where the Soul
Never Dies and This World Is Not My Home. Don't be confused by
the photos; the booklet includes some photos predating the music within.
Notes by Otto Kitsinger. (RK)
ROY ACUFF: Along The China Coast/ Come Back Little Pal/
Crazy Worried Mind/ Don't Judge Your Neighbor/ Don't Say Goodbye/ Fire Ball
Mail/ Hold To God's Unchanging Hand/ How Beautiful Heaven Must Be/ I Closed
My Heart's Door/ I Closed My Heart's Door/ I Like Mountain Music/ I Wanta Be
Loved/ I'm Building A Home (in The Sky)/ I'm Planting A Rose/ Is It Love Or
Is It Lies/ It's Hard To Love/ Jesus Died For Me/ Little Moses/ Lonely Mound
Of Clay/ Lonesome Joe/ Lord Build Me A Cabin/ Night Train To Memphis/ Oh
Those Tombs/ Pins And Needles (in My Heart)/ Plant Some Flowers By My
Graveside/ Please Daddy Forgive/ River Of Crystal/ Rushing Around/ Shake My
Mother's Hand For Me/ Six More Days/ Sixteen Chickens And A Tambourine/
Streamline Heartbreaker/ Sunshine Special/ Swamp Lily/ Sweep Around Your Own
Back Door/ Take My Hand, Precious Lord/ Thank God/ That's What Makes The
Jukebox Play/ The Great Judgement Morning/ The Great Speckled Bird/ The
Great Titanic/ The Night Spots (of The Town)/ The Precious Jewel/ The Thief
Upon The Tree/ The Unclouded Day/ The Wreck On The Highway/ This World Is
Not My Home/ Tied Down/ Wabash Cannon Ball/ Were You There When They
Crucified My Lord/ What Do You Think About Me/ What Will I Do/ Where Could I
Go (but To My Lord)./ Where The Soul Never Dies/ Whoa Mule/ Goodbye Mr.
Brown/ Mother Hold Me Tight
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Cattle 254 |
Two Dozen Times The King Of Country Music |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks covering sides from 1936 to 1949.
ROY ACUFF: Beautiful Brown Eyes/ Blue Ridge Sweetheart/
Blues In My Mind/ Bonnie Blue Eyes/ Dance Around Molly (Inst.)/ Doin' It The
Old Fashioned Way/ Easy Rockin' Chair/ Golden Treasure/ Gone, Gone, Gone
(But Not Forgotten)/ Gonna Have A Big Time Tonight/ I Heard A Silver
Trumpet/ I Talk To Myself About You/ I Think I'll Go Home And Cry/ I'll
Always Care/ It's Just About Time/ It's So Hard To Smile/ Let Me Be The
First To Say I'm Sorry/ Lonesome Indian (Inst.)/ My Mountain Home Sweet
Home/ Polk County Breakdown (Inst.)/ Smoky Mountain Rag (Inst.)/ That
Beautiful Picture/ What Would You Do With Gabriel's Trumpet?/ You'll Reap
Those Tears
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Cattle 255 |
The Rare Masters By The King Of Country
Music |
● CD $18.98 |
23 tracks from 1939 to 1950.
ROY ACUFF: A Vagabond's Dream/ Answer To Sparkling Brown
Eyes/ Are You Thinking Of Me Darling?/ Come Back Little Darling/ Don't Wait
'Til Judgement Day (To Cast Your Sins Away)/ Heartaches And Flowers/ I
Called And Nobody Answered/ I Gambled And Lost/ I Know We're Saying Goodbye/
I Wish I Had Kissed You Goodbye/ It's All Right Now/ Jesus Died For Me/
Money Won't Buy This Soul Of Mine/ Mother's Prayers Guide Me/ Po' Folks (All
The Time)/ Tennessee Central (Number 9)/ The Day They Laid Mary Away/ The
Midnight Train/ There's A Big Rock In The Road/ We Planted Roses On Our
Darling's Grave/ When They Take That Last Look At You/ Will The Circle Be
Unbroken (My Family Circle)/ You Are My Love
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Columbia CK 39998 |
Columbia Historic Edition |
● CD $7.98 |
Another superb collection - this one features 16 great sides
recorded between 1936 & 1951 by this great and important performer. Includes
4 from his first recording sessions in 1936 including his original recording
of Wabash Cannonball with vocals by the mysterious Sam "Dynamite"
Hatcher who also played harmonica with the group. Acuff's group was one that
helped popularise the sound of the dobro and these sides feature two of the
best - Clell Sumney and Pete "Oswald" Kirby. Sumney really gets to work on
the wonderful 1937 recording of Steel Guitar Blues . Other tracks
include Ida Red/ Streamlined Cannonball/ I'll Be Alone/ When I Lay My
Burden Down/ Weary Lonesome Blues/ Freight Train Blues , etc. Five
tracks have never been issued before. A must!
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Columbia CK 48956 |
The Essential Roy Acuff, 1936-1949 |
● CD $9.98 |
20 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended
This is a fabulous
collection of 20 early recordings by this country music pioneer who was the
first inductee in the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Acuff's group was one that
helped popularize the sound of the dobro and these sides feature two of the
best - Clell Sumney and Pete "Oswald" Kirby. Sumney really gets to work on
the wonderful 1937 recording of Steel Guitar Blues. The set includes
the classic Great Speckle Bird recorded at Roy's first session in
OCtober, 1936 and 1947 remakes of two of his most popular songs Wabash
Cannonball and Freight Train Blues. Other songs featured include
Just To Ease My Worried Mind/ The Precious Jewel/ Wreck On The Highway/
Night Train To Memphis/ Not A Word From Home/ Jole Blon/ Waltz Of The Wind/
Tennessee Waltz and others. Good sound and informative notes from Colin
Escott. (FS)
ROY ACUFF: A Sinner's Death (I'm Dying)/ Black Mountain
Rag/ Fireball Mail/ Freight Train Blues/ Great Speckle Bird/ I'll Forgive
You, But I Can't Forget You/ It Won't Be Long (Till I'll Be Leaving)/ Jole
Blon/ Just To Ease My Worried Mind/ Lonesome Old River Blues/ Night Train To
Memphis/ Not A Word From Home/ Steel Guitar Blues/ Tennessee Waltz/ The
Precious Jewel/ The Prodigal Son/ This World Can't Stand Long/ Wabash Cannon
Ball/ Waltz Of The Wind/ Wreck On The Highway
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Jasmine 3532 |
Hear The Mighty Engine Rush |
● CD $11.98 |
23 of Roy's sides from the 40s - I Couldn't Believe It
Was True/ Weary Lonesome Blues/ The Pale Horse And His Rider/ Steel Guitar
Blues/ Railroad Boomer/ The Southbound Train/ Tennesee Waltz/ Honky Tonk
Mamas, etc.
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Proper BOX 70 |
King Of Country Music |
● CD $25.98 |
4 CDS, 101 tracks, highly recommended
Invaluable collection
devoted to the early recordings of this great country pioneer featuring all
of the important recordings he made between 1936 and 1950 including all his
early hits and the many songs that have been covered by numerous other
artists. Includes four from his first recording sessions in 1936 including
the first recording of what was to become his trademark song - the Carter
Family's Wabash Cannonball with vocals by the mysterious Sam
"Dynamite" Hatcher who also played harmonica with the group - a later
recording of this song from 1947 with Acuff doing the vocals is also
included. Acuff's group was one that helped popularise the sound of the
Dobro and these sides feature two of the best - Clell Sumney and Beecher
"Pete" Kirby. Sumney (later known as Cousin Jody) appears on the earlier
sessions (1936-1938) and turns in some impressive playing particularly on
the instrumental Smokey Mountain Rag and the hot honky tonk numbers
like Shout Oh Lulu/ Honky Tonk Mamas and Steel Guitar Blues
and also contributes the chime like fills heard on the ballads. Kirby who
appears on the sessions from 1939 on also turns in some fine work. Some of
the later sessions feature Jimmy Riddle on accordion or harmonica and Tommy
Magness takes over the fiddle chores from Acuff. Roy's material included
traditional songs, Carter Family songs honky tonk, pop songs and gospel and
includes many songs that have become country standards like Great Speckle
Bird/ Freight Train Blues/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/ You're The Only Star In My
Blue Heaven/ Streamlined Cannonball/ Be Honest With Me/ Drifting Too Far
From The Shore/ Will The Circle Be Unbroken/ Be Honest With Me/ Fireball
Mail/ We Live In Two Different Worlds/ Prodigal Son/ Waltz Of The Wind
and many others. Sound quality is decent though a little too much of the
high end has been cut off and the set includes a 40 page illustrated booklet
with biographical and discographical details. (FS)
ROY ACUFF: A Sinner's Death (I'm Dying)/ A Vagabond's
Prayer/ An Old Three Room Shack/ Answer To Sparkling Eyes/ Are You Thinking
Of Me Darling/ Automobile Of Life/ Be Honest With Me/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/
Black Mountain Rag/ Blue Ridge Sweetheart/ Blues In My Mind/ Bonnie Blue
Eyes/ Brother Take Warning/ Charming Betsy/ Come Back Little Pal/ Dance
Around Molly/ Doin' It The Old Fashioned Way/ Drifting Too Far From Shore/
Easy Rockin' Chair/ Eyes Watching You/ Fireball Mail/ Fly Birdie Fly/
Freight Train Blues/ Freight Train Blues/ Golden Treasure/ Gone Gone Gone
(But Not Forgotten)/ Gonna Have A Big Time Tonight/ Great Speckle Bird/
Heartaches And Flowers/ Honky Tonk Mamas/ I Called And Nobody Answered/ I
Heard A Silver Trumpet/ I Know You're Saying Goodbye/ I Talk To Myself About
You/ I Think I'll Go Home And Cry/ I'll Always Care/ I'll Forgive But I
Can't Forget/ I'll Reap My Harvest In Heaven/ I'm Building A Home/ Ida Red/
It Won't Be Long (Til I'm Leaving)/ It's All Right Now/ It's Just About
Time/ It's So Hard To Smile/ Jesus Died For Me/ Just To Ease My Worried
Mind/ Let Me Be The First To Say I'm Sorry/ Living On The Mountain Baby
Mine/ Lonesome Indian/ Low And Lonely/ Lying Woman Blues/ Mother's Prayers
Guide Me/ Mule Skinner Blues/ My Mountain Home Sweet Home/ New Greenback
Dollar/ Night Train To Memphis/ Not A Word From Home/ Old Age Pension Cheque/
One Old Shirt/ Our Own Jole Blon/ Pins And Needles (In My Heart)/ Po' Folks
All The Time/ Polk County Breakdown/ Red Lips/ Sad Memories/ Shout Oh Lulu/
Smoky Mountain Rag/ Smoky Mountain Rag/ Steamboat Whistle Blues/ Steel
Guitar Blues/ Stuck Up Blues/ Tennessee Central (No.9)/ Tennessee Waltz/
That Beautiful Picture/ The Broken Heart/ The Day They Laid Mary Away/ The
Midnight Train/ The Precious Jewel/ The Prodigal Son/ The Streamlined
Cannonball/ There's A Big Rock In The Road/ Wabash Cannonball/ Wabash
Cannonball/ Wait For The Light To Shine/ Waiting For The Call To Glory/
Walkin' In My Sleep/ Waltz Of The Wind/ We Live In Two Different Worlds/
Weary River/ What Would You Do With Gabriel's Trumpet/ When I Lay My Burden
Down/ When They Take The Last Look At You/ Will The Circle Be Unbroken/
Worried Mind/ Wreck On The Highway/ Write Me Sweetheart/ Yes Sir That's My
Baby/ You Are My Love/ You'll Reap These Tears/ You're The Only Star In My
Blue Heaven/ You've Gotta See Mama Every Night
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Roots Of Country 11001 |
Night Train To Memphis |
● CD $14.98 |
Two CD set with 28 early sides - Charming Betsy/ When I
Lay My Burden Down/ Mule Skinner Blues/ Black Mountain Rag, etc.
|
| ROY ACUFF |
Tee Vee 6001 |
The King Of Country Music |
● CD $12.98 |
20 tracks, 55 min., recommended. Classic recordings from the
40s and 50s - in electronic stereo - Great Speckled Bird/ Waiting for the
Light to Shine/ I Saw the Light/ The Great Shining Light/ The Great
Judgement Morning/ Wabash Cannonball/ Be Honest With Me/ Fireball Mail.
If you're going to buy one Acuff album, this is certainly the one to get
since these are really his most important recordings. Previously released as
Columbia LP 16596, budget presentation.
|
| CHARLIE ADAMS |
Bear Family BCD 16312 |
Cattin' Around |
● CD $21.98 |
30 tracks from the early/mid 50s by Texas singer and his
band The Western All Stars.
|
| THE ALABAMA
SACRED HARP SINGERS |
Rounder 1503 |
Sacred Harp Singing |
● CD $15.98 |
Field recordings made for the Library Of Congress in 1942 by
Alan Lomax and George Pullen Jackson.
|
| RED ALLEN |
Rebel 1127 |
Keep On Going - The Rebel & Melodeon
Recordings |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 61 minutes, essential
Since most of the great
bluegrass music from the '40s and '50s has migrated to compact disc,
bluegrass labels are finally rescuing and digitizing lost classics from the
'60s. Most newcomers to traditional bluegrass probably never heard of Harley
"Red" Allen from southeastern Kentucky, but longtime enthusiasts have always
considered him one of the music's finest lead tenors, easily comparable with
Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury, Paul Williams and Bobby Osborne.
Although some of Allen's music migrated to compact disc, the bulk of it
doesn't represent what he was all about, such as his 1955-58 M-G-M records
with the Osborne Brothers. A celebrated 1964 Folkways album, currently
available on Smithsonian-Folkways, de-emphasizes Allen's vocals to better
showcase his then-partner, the brilliant, unorthodox mandolinist Frank
Wakefield. Now, at last, Allen's finest moments on record are once again
available on two long-promised Rebel collections. The first, "Keep On Going:
The Rebel and Melodeon Sessions" gathers all of Allen's recordings from
April 1963 to fall 1965, excluding the Folkways sessions. Four tracks from
an Allen-Wakefield demo session (three previously unreleased) kick off the
set, followed by the duo's only Rebel single, Little Birdie b/w
Faded Memory. When Wakefield joined the Greenbriar Boys, Allen recruited
an existing trio, Bill and Wayne Yates and banjo player Bill Emerson as his
new "Kentuckians." Their sole Melodeon album was a certified classic and its
songs became a resource for amateur pickers: Hello City Limits/ Sad and
Lonesome Day/ Down Where the River Bends/ Worry My Life Away/ I Don't Know
Why and Journey's End, among others. This set recovers one
unissued song from those sessions: Ralph and Peggy Stanley's If That's
the Way You Feel. This album concludes with Allen's final Rebel session
featuring the Yates Brothers, banjo player Porter Church and the astounding,
volatile fiddler Scotty Stoneman. Their cover of Bill Monroe's Close By
is worth the price of the disc. Jon Hartley Fox provides a deft overview of
Allen's life and musical career during this period. (DS)
|
| RED ALLEN |
Rebel 1128 |
Lonesome And Blue - The Complete County
Recordings |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 71 minutes, essential
The second in Rebel's
two-disc survey of bluegrass great Red Allen's '60s output combines two
albums originally on David Freeman's County label. "Bluegrass Country",
recorded in December 1965 and produced by David Grisman, finds Allen working
with his Kentuckians of the era: Wayne Yates on mandolin, his brother Bill
on bass, and Porter Church on banjo. Fiddler Richard Greene, soon to
electrify Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, augmented the session. Allen
primarily covered older bluegrass and lesser-known country songs: Are You
Waiting Just for Me/ Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On/ Heaven/ Summertime Is
Past and Gone/ That's How I Can Count on You/ Purple Heart, and I'm
On My Way Back to the Old Home, among others. This reissue includes an
unreleased track, the Louvin Brothers' Seven Year Blues. All but one
of these tracks make stereo debuts here. Nine months later Allen returned to
New York for his second County album, "Red Allen and the Kentuckians", with
Church, Dobro player Craig Wingfield, and bassist Jerry McCoury. Producer
David Grisman played mandolin. Again, Allen's choices were little-known
bluegrass and country songs, including We Live in Two Different Worlds/
Love Gone Cold/ Have You Come to Say Goodbye/ No Mother or Dad, and
Send Me Your Address from Heaven. Allen even cut Kokomo Arnold's Milk
Cow Blues, which he probably lifted from Bob Wills. A Roy Acuff song,
Branded Wherever I Go, makes it first appearance here. Allen lived until
1993, but outside of an album and two singles with J.D. Crowe and a one-shot
single for Robert Trout's King Bluegrass label, he never made music this
good again. Jon Hartley Fox's notes detail how both County albums came
together. By the way, the title of this CD is misleading. Allen cut a third
County LP accompanied by old pros like Frank Wakefield and Don Stover and
newcomers like Kenny Kosek. Allen was in top form and the music is quite
good, but the results were probably a little too 'over the top' for David
Freeman's conservative tastes. The sessions were shelved, but eventually
surfaced on a Japanese LP. (DS)
|
| RED ALLEN |
Smithsonian Folkways 40127 |
The Folkways Years, 1964-1983 |
● CD $15.98 |
A 28 tracks retrospective of this brilliant bluegrass singer
including his 1964 Folkways album "bluegrass" (Folkways 2408 with Frank
Wakefield, Bill Keith, etc), six previously unissued tracks from the
"bluegrass" sessions and ten tracks from later albums released between 1979
and 1981 with Vassar Clements, Marty StuartBuddy Griffin & others.
|
| RED ALLEN &
FRANK WAKEFIELD |
Acoustic Disc 11 |
The Kitchen Tapes |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, 49 mins, essential Recorded live in 1963 by David
Grisman & Peter Siegel, these performances have achieved legendary status
over the years among bluegrass affcionados; they were, says Grisman in his
liner notes, "my curriculum; I wore them out trying to learn picking and
singing bluegrass style. The original recordings recorded "in a Hyattsville,
Maryland kitchen, surrounded by wives, kids, thawing steaks and guitars",
are made available to the public for the first time. The sound here is fine,
considering the circumstances, and the performances are amazing, taking us
back to a time when it was possible to hear in the voices and picking of
these two giants of bluegrass history sounds as old as the hills and at the
same time astonishingly inventive and brand new. Allen was among the finest
traditional singers in the history of bluegrass; he was also, as is amply
demonstrated here a great and underappreciated bluegrass guitarist.
Wakefield demonstrates his mastery of the traditional bluegrass repertoire
here, but it is on his five originals that he demonstrates why Grisman has
said that Frank split the bluegrass mandolin atom. The numbers include an
early version of his classic New Campton Races, Well Enough Alone
and Catnip, as well as two Wakefield originals never commercially
released until now, I Can't Forget Old What's Her name and Hey Mr
Mando. This disc is at the same time a provileged glimpse of bluegrass
history and a permanent record of two all time great bluegrass musicians
doing what they do best. Not coincidentally it should serve as a
demonstration to future generations of aspiring pickers just as it did David
Grisman. (RP)
|
| REX ALLEN |
B.A.C.M. 013 |
The Arizona Cowboy |
● CD $13.98 |
20 tracks recorded in the 40s and early 50s by this popular
cowboy singer.
REX ALLEN: A Petal From A Faded Rose/ Albuquerque Polka/
Blues In My Mind/ Don't Cha/ Feudin & Fightin'/ Honolulu Boogie/ Hot Time In
New Orleans Tonight/ I Ain't Gonna Cry No More/ I Gotta Have My Baby Back/
I'm So Alone With The Crowd/ Little Brown Shoes/ Mister & Mississippi/
Naggin'/ Over Three Hills/ Sentimental Fool/ Take It Back And Change It For
A Boy/ Ten More Miles To Go/ Too Lee Rollum (I'm An Arizona Cowboy)/ Yodelin'
Crazy/ You Drifted
|
| REX ALLEN |
B.A.C.M. 051 |
Song Of The Hills |
● CD $13.98 |
B.A.C.M. second collection devoted to this popular and
prolific western star features a varied selection of material including
bluesy swing, cowboy songs, songs with girl choruses and orchestras and more
REX ALLEN: Afraid/ Always You/ As Long As The River Flows
On/ Broken Down Merry Go Round/ Chime Bells/ Cottage In The Clouds/ Further
Along/ Hootin‘ And Howlin‘/ Jambalaya/ Loaded Pistol/ Miranda Doaks/ No One
Will Ever Know/ Rack Up The Balls Boy/ Ragtime Melody/ Song Of The Hills/
Tag Along/ Tennessee Tears/ Till The Well Goes Dry/ Tuck Me To Sleep In My
Old Tucky Home/ Two Faced Clock/ Waltz Of The Roses/ Who Shot The Hole In My
Sombrero
|
| REX ALLEN |
B.A.C.M. 083 |
The Voice Of The West |
● CD $13.98 |
B.A.C.M.'s third collection of this popular Western singer
features 26 tracks drawn from radio transcriptions made in the late 40s
REX ALLEN: Buffalo Gals/ Covered Wagon Trail/ Cowboy’s
Heaven/ Cowboy’s Lullaby/ Dreaming Of My Texas Home/ Happy Yodeling Man/ I
Left My Heart In Texas/ Little Old Sod Shanty/ Little Ranch House On The Old
Circle B/ Lonely World/ Low Rollin’ Hills/ Me And My Burro/ Mellow Mountain
Moon/ Melody Of The Plains/ My Music Mountain Home/ Pop Goes The Weasel
(Instr.)/ Red River Valley/ Ridin’ Towards The Red Setting Sun/ Rock Me To
Sleep In My Rocky Mnt Home/ Tears On My Old Guitar/ The Range In The Sky/
Wastin’ Time/ Way Out West In Texas/ When It’s Prayer Meeting Time/ When The
Bloom Is On The Sage/ When The Roses Bloom Again
|
| REX ALLEN |
Bear Family BCD 15284 |
Voice Of The West |
● CD $21.98 |
The complete sessions for Jack Clement's JMI label, done in
March, 1972. Bear Family released this on LP as "Boney Kneed, Hairy Legged
Cowboy Songs" (BFX 15024), which was originally issued as "Rex Allen Sings"
(JMI 4003 from 1973). However, this contains the complete sessions including
four previously unissued songs including Merle Haggard's Today I Started
Loving You Again & Bob McDill's Catfish John . 16 great cowboy
songs in all with minimal backing including a beautiful Streets Of Loredo
with just accoustic guitar backing, + fiddle medley featuring Johnny Gimble,
+ Braggin' Drunk From Wilcox/ Little Joe The Wrangler/ Moonshine Steer
, etc. Excellent sound. (GM)
|
| REX ALLEN |
Bloodshot BS 801 |
Last Of The Great Singing Cowboys |
● CD $13.98 |
Previously unissued radio transcriptions from 1946-49 when
Allen was a regular on Chicago's WLS Barn Dance - Arkansas Traveler/ Way
Out West Is CallingHeadin' For The Open Range/ Riding Down To Mexico,
etc.
|
| REX ALLEN |
Jasmine 3506 |
Riding All Day - The Life Of A Cowboy |
● CD $11.98 |
|
REX ALLEN: Bad Brahma Bull/ Chiquita/ Cielito Lindo/
Covered Wagon/ Dreaming Of The Western Plains/ Girl I Left Behind Me/ Going
Back To My Texas Home/ Headin' For The Open Range/ Hold On Little Doggie/
Home On The Range/ I Want To Be A Cowboy's Dream Girl/ Life Of A Cowboy/
Little Girl Dressed In Blue/ Memories Of The Range/ Mountain Home/ My Cross
Eyed Girl/ My Miss By The Swiss Chalet/ Night Time In The West/ Partners Of
The Saddle/ Ridin' Down The Canyon/ Riding All Day/ She Buckaroo/ Strawberry
Roan/ When The Campfire Is Low On The Prarie/ Yodelin' Crazy
|
| ROSALIE ALLEN |
B.A.C.M. 135 |
The Yodeling Queen |
● CD $13.98 |
25 sides by this fine singer and top class yodeler who was
known as "Queen Of the Yodelers" though only a couple of tracks here feature
yodeling. The first 12 tracks are from a rare 1955 LP recorded with Shorty
Warren's Western Rangers doing hits of the 40s and early 50s like he
Taught Me How To Yodel/ Have You Ever Been Lonely/ When My Blue Moon Turns
To Gold Again/ Your Cheatin' Heart/ I'll Keep On Loving You, etc. The
remaining tracks are from singles recorded between 1945 and 1953 featuring
fine vocals and varied arrangements ranging from Western to straight country
to pop. Includes Castaway/ I Gotta Have You/ I'd rather Be A Cowgirl/ He
Lived In Texas, She Lived In Arkansas (a duet with Billy Williams)/ I
Wanna Sit, etc. Only one track duplicates Cattle 226 ($18.98).
ROSALIE ALLEN: Castaway/ Columbus Stockade Blues/
Cranberry Kisses & Strawberry Hugs/ Ding Dong Polka/ Green As Grass/ Have I
Told You Lately That I Love You/ Have You Ever Been Lonely/ He Lived In
Texas She Lived In Arkansas/ He Taught Me How To Yodel/ Hills Of Pride/ I
Gotta Have You/ I Laughed At Love/ I Wanna Sit/ I‘d Rather Be A Cowgirl/
I‘ll Keep On Loving You/ Jealous Heart/ Just A Sailor‘s Sweetheart/ My Adobe
Hacienda/ My Old Familiar Heartache/ Spanish Polka/ Tears On My Pillow/
Tennessee Waltz/ When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again/ Whoa Sailor/ Your
Cheatin‘ Heart
|
| ROSALIE ALLEN |
Cattle CCD 226 |
The Hillbilly Yodel Star Of The 1940s |
● CD $18.98 |
26 track collection of sides from the 40s by one of the most
popular yodeling artists of the late 40s and early 50s. Includes commercial
recordings and sides from radio transcriptions.
ROSALIE ALLEN: Aha! San Antone/ Along The Lonely Trail/
Believe Me, I'll Be Leaving You/ Don't Wait Too Long To Forgive (duet With
Denver Darling)/ Guitar Polka (old Monterrey)/ He Lived In Texas (and She
Lived In Arkansas)
/ Hitler Lives/ I Can't Tell That Lie To My Heart/
I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart/ If I'd Only Been True To You/ Letters
From Home/ Mama What'll I Do/ Me Go Where You Go, Amigo/ Mountain Polka/
Never Trust A Man/ Put Your Arms Around Me/ Rose Of The Alamo/ Take It Back
And Change It For A Boy/ When A Cowgirl Is Happy/ When You're In Love/ Wide
Rollin' Plains/ Yodel Your Troubles Away/ You Ain't Got No Time For Me/ You
Ain't Where You Come From Now/ TEX GRANDE AND HIS RANGE RIDERS: No Letter
Today
|
| TERRY ALLEN |
Sugar Hill 1047 |
Lubbock (On Everything) |
● CD $15.98 |
Previously on Terry's own Fate label. CD reissue of Terry's
self-produced 2-LP set originally on the Fate label. 20 cuts.
|
| TERRY ALLEN |
Sugar Hill 1057 |
Smokin' The Dummy/ Bloodlines |
● CD $15.98 |
18 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended
Terrific collection
of country rock from this outstanding singer/ songwriter/ sculptor/ painter/ screnwriter/ piano player! Originally issued on Terry's own Fate label in
1980 and 1984, I never heard them when they first came out so this reissue
came as a pleasant surprise. Terry's music occupies some of the same musical
landscape as his friend and musical compadre Joe Ely with tales of life on
the road and the joys and misery of the Texas experience - often told with a
wicked sense of humor. Terry is a fine singer with a soulful voice, his
songs have memorable melodies and he is accompanied by a coterie of great
Texas & California musicians (Lloyd Maines, Jesse Taylor, Joe Ely, Ponty
Bone, Richard Bowdan and others). Among the highlights here are The Heart
Of California/ Whatever Happened To Jesus (and Maybellene)?/ Helena Montana/
Bloodlines/ Gimme A Ride To Heaven Boy and Ourland but they're
all good. Definitely makes me want to check out Terry's other albums. (FS)
|
| THE ALLEN BROTHERS |
Document 8035 |
Complete Recordings, Vol. 3 : 1932-34 |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 71 mins, highly recommended
The last volume of
the Austin Brothers' complete recordings finds Austin and Lee-nothing if not
consistent-pumping out more songs of drunkenness and mild indecency. If
here, at the end of their career, they're stiff flogging some of the same
songs-yet another version of "Salty Dog"-you don't hold it against them. At
least they're good songs, and the boys sure do have a nice beat. Sound on
all three volumes is fine. (DW)
THE ALLEN BROTHERS: Allen Brothers' Rag/ Allen's Lying
Blues/ Baby When You Coming Back Home/ Chattanooga Mama/ Daddy Park Your
Car/ Drunk And Nutty Blues/ Hey Buddy, Won't You Roll Down The Line/ Long
Gone From Bowling Green/ Mercy, Mercy Blues/ Midnight Mama/ Midnight Mama/
Misbehavin' Mama/ New Deal Blues/ Padlock Key Blues/ Please Pay In Advance/
Red Hot Rambling Dan/ Red Pajama Sal/ Rough Neck Blues/ Salty Dog, Hey Hey
Hey/ Skippin' And Flyin'/ Slipping Clutch Blues/ The Prisoner's Dream/ When
A Man's Got A Woman
|
| THE AMAZING RHYTHM ACES |
Collector's Choice CCM 122 |
Stacked Deck/ Too Stuffed To Jump |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, highly recommended
What a treat - the first two
albums by one of the finest country rock bands of the 70s finally on CD. The
Aces were an outstanding group featuring the distinctive and expressive lead
vocals of Russell Smith who also wrote the majority of the songs here. Smith
was a terrific songwriter and this set includes the groups biggest hits
which he wrote - Third Rate Romance/ Amazing Grace (Used To Be Her
Favorite Song) and the wonderful The End Is Not Sight. But there
are lots of other good ones like The "Ella B"/ Anything You Want/ My
Tears Still Flow/ King Of The Cowboys/ Typical American Boy/ These Dreams Of
Losing You and others. The only tracks not written by Smith or other
group members feature superb treatments of the traditional Life's Railway
To Heaven and Charlie Rich's Who Will The Next Fool Be. A winner!
(FS)
|
| TOM ANDERSON/ AL ROGERS |
Cattle 319 |
Two Short-Lived Hillbilly Careers |
● CD $18.98 |
12 songs each by two utterly obscure singers about whom
nothing is known. Anderson with his group The Deep Valley Boys was recorded
in 1953 and '54 and is a fine honky tonk singer with a nice Hank Williams
inspired yodel on some of his songs. Al Rogers is accompanied by the Rocky
Mountain Boys on his 12 songs recorded between 1949 and 1954. He is a much
less interesting singer who sounds a lot like Bing Crosby!
TOM ANDERSON: A Million Tears/ As The Hands Go 'round The
Clock/ Everybody's Beau/ If Your Heart Had A Window/ Love Goes On Like A
Ball Game/ My Heart Couldn't See/ My Heart's In A Whirl/ My Worried,
Troubled Mind/ Night Time/ No More Blues From You/ Sweet Love/ The Moon And
I/ AL ROGERS: All Alone, All Alone/ All The Time/ Deep Water/ Gee, But It's
Lonesome Out Tonight/ Honky-tonk Heaven/ I Ain't Spoken Fer/ I'm Gettin'
Nowhere, Fast/ It Wouldn't Be The Same (without You)/ Never To Be Forgotten/
Shuffle-boogie Bellhop/ Too Blue To Care/ Workin' Man's Blues
|
| ANY OLD TIME STRING
BAND |
Arhoolie CD 433 |
I Bid You Goodnight |
● CD $12.98 |
25 tracks, 79 min; recommended
Welcome CD reissue of this
popular Bay area all woman string band's two albums, originally recorded in
1978 and 1980. This group were notable for their spirited exuberance, wide
ranging and diverse repertoire, and great sense of fun.The group on the
first, Arhoolie, album consisted of Kate Brislin, Genny Haley, Valerie
Mindel, Sue Draheim, and Suzy Rothfield, all fine instrumentalists and
singers in a variety of styles. The second album, recorded for Bay Records,
was minus Suzy and Valerie, included bassist Barb Montoro, and continued to
stretch their repertoire. They performed everything from old time string
band pieces from the repertoires of Tommy Jarrell, Uncle Dave Macon and The
6 and 7/8ths String Band to cajun dance tunes and songs to Bessie Smith
blues to Carter Family classics to The Bahamian anthem I Bid You
Goodnight to novelty numbers such as Home In Pasadena and
C-U-B-A. It's nice to have both their hard to find albums together on
this generously programmed CD. Outstanding cuts abound; here are some of my
personal favorites - Dear Companion (haunting lead vocal by Kate
Brislin), Valse De Orphelin (wonderful twin fiddle by Suzy (Rothfield)
Thompson and Sue Draheim, compelling lead vocal by Suzy), The Carter
Family's Hello Stranger and D. L. Menard's I Made A Big Mistake.
(RP)
|
| THE ARMSTRONG TWINS |
Arhoolie 9046 |
Mandolin Boogie |
● CD $9.98 |
17 tracks, 45 mins, highly recommended
It's a real delight
to finally have Floyd & Lloyd on CD! There were many fine brother duets in
the history of country music but Floyd & Lloyd Armstrong were the only
twins. Originally from Arkansas they moved to California in the 40s where
they recorded a series of great 78s for the Four Star label in the late 40s
and early 50s. The first 10 tracks are from this period and feature some
truly dynamic performances with great rural harmonies and instrumental work
spearheaded by Lloyd's driving mandolin leads and featuring Floyd's sturdy
guitar accompaniment. The material ranges from the traditional gospel song
Mother's Only Sleeping to the wonderful novelty song Beetle With A
Boogie Beat with some truly inspired mandolin from Lloyd. Other songs
from these sessions include Mandolin Boogie/ Mandolin Rag/ Sparkling Blue
Eyes/ Address From Heaven and others including a beautiful version of
the Stanley Brothers' It's Never Too Late. The last seven tracks are
from 1979 when the brothers reunited, after a period away from music,
following the release of their old recordings on Old Timey. While not as
sparkling as their earlier sides there is still some fine singing and
playing on songs like Eight Thirty Blues/ Just A Country Boy/ Old Three
Room Shack/ Beautiful Brown Eyes and more with dobro and bass
accompaniment. Booklet includes affectionate notes by Chris Strachwitz. My
only complaint is that Arhoolie should have include more of the duos early
sides - I think they recorded at least 20 tracks. (FS)
|
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