|
COUNTRY,
BLUEGRASS & OLD-TIMEY
Frankie
Laine -> The Lonesome River Band
| FRANKIE LAINE |
Bear Family BCD 15632 |
On The Trail Again |
● CD $21.98 |
29 tracks, 77 min., good
Even before Marty Robbins and
Johnny Cash started raking in the bucks on gunfighter ballads, Western
crooner Laine was cutting some of the classics in the '50s: Moonlight
Gambler, High Noon, Mule Train, even a pop hit with Your
Cheatin' Heart. Not all of them are included here, but one can't
complain about the abundance of catchy songs of the period, 1952s-1962. Ghost
Riders, Rawhide, The 3:10 to Yuma, even Gunfight at
the O.K. Corral provide plenty of action and a lot of shootouts of the
musical variety. Excellent sound. (
LK)
|
| K.D. LANG |
Sire 25724 |
Shadowland |
● CD $12.98 |
Some Nashville folk dismiss k.d. for her brushcut and
Opryland bag lady garb, ignoring the real problems: such lack of
conviction in her singing that every number rings false. This is a bungled
attempt to honor the early 60s Patsy Cline sound, using Patsy's producer
Owen Bradley and some of Nashville's best 1960 A-Team pickers. They're
great. So's the material. But inept, superficial stabs at classics like Don't
Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes and Peggy Lee's Black Coffee, a
fine torch song, exemplify the underlying phoniness. The syrupy strings
conjure up the Nashville Sound at its worst. And the much-hyped Honky
Tonk Angels' Medley with Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn and Brrenda Lee
should've been titled Much Ado About Nothing. Why waste great
talents on such a total nonentity? (RK)
|
| K.D. LANG &
THE RECLINES |
Sire 25441 |
Angel With A Lariat |
● CD $12.98 |
First U.S. album by Canadian singer and her band. Ms Lang is
a powerful singer though a bit one dimensional in her performance. The
songs are mostly originals by various band members and includes elements
of country, western swing, rock, Cajun and even polka.
|
| ROY LANHAM |
Bear Family BCD 16116 |
Sizzling Strings - The Fabulous Guitar |
● CD $21.98 |
24 tracks, highly recommended
Most knew him for his quarter
century as guitarist with the Sons of the Pioneers, as the the man who
replaced the group's original guitarist Karl Farr in 1961. That was hardly
Roy Lanham's entire career. He played the rich, full chord work on the Fleetwoods' Mr. Blue and his talents for country jazz differed from
Jimmy Bryant, Jimmy Wyble or Hank Garland. Influenced by jazzman George
Barnes, Lanham first gained notice leading the Whippoorwills, a vocal
harmony and string jazz act that anticipated Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks
by a good quarter century. After winding the group down in 1955 to replace
Jimmy Bryant on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree, Lanham recorded
instrumental LPs, for Dalton, NRC and Sims, the latter two reissued intact
here. The 1959 "Sizzling Strings" from NRC consisted of 12
swing, pop and jazz numbers including Stompin' At the Savoy, Sophisticated
Swing, Lover and Slipped Disc recorded with a
reconstituted instrumental Whippoorwills including original mandolinist
Doug Dalton and bassist Dusty Rhoads, with Jimmie Widener on rhythm
guitar. The LP quickly became a collectors' item. In 1963, Lanham recorded
"The Fabulous Roy Lanham" with Rhoads on rhythm guitar, bassist
Red Wooten and drummer Muddy Berry for Oklahoma-based Sims Records. Along
with a few arrangements from the Whippoorwills' repertoire, the LP also
featured a unique mix of country, pop (Holiday For Strings and We'll
Be Together Again) and even cool California bop (Roy's Blues).
Lanham's guitar is tremendous throughout and comes through admirably, as
does Dalton's mandolin work. What we need now, is a Whippoorwills reissue.
Excellent notes by Rich Kienzle, who interviewed Lanham a decade ago, when
he was still largely viewed as a member of the Pioneers. (AK)
|
| JIM LAUDERDALE |
Upstart 35 |
Persimmons |
● CD $15.98 |
Highly regarded Nashville singer and songwriter.
|
| DOYLE LAWSON
& QUICKSILVER |
Sugar Hill 3774 |
I Heard The Angels Singing |
● CD $15.98 |
Another finely crafted gospel album from this extremely
talented and influential band. Songs include The Holy City/Stormy
Waters/The Little Mountain Church House/In The Shelter Of His Arms/I Heard
The Angels Singing/He's My Guide/The Little White Church/The City Where
Comes No Strife/Rock Of Ages/Hide Thou Me. (RP)
|
| THE LEAKE COUNTY
REVELERS |
Document 8030 |
Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 : 1929-30 |
● CD $15.98 |
21 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended. Vol. 2 (1929-1930)
rounds out the Reveler's recorded history, with much the same mix of
waltzes, breakdowns, weepy old parlor songs--(A) Picture No Artist Can
Paint --and blues (they were, after all, from Mississippi) as on Vol.
1. The real standout here is Georgia Camp Meeting, Kerry Mills'
monster 1897 cakewalk hit: the boys' balance of drive and precision is
masterful. This is perhaps the best version of the song ever recorded, and
there were many. All in all, one of the most charming '20s string bands,
yet no wimps. The sound on both volumes is good-for Document. (DW)
|
| CHRIS LEDOUX |
Capitol 96499-2 |
Western Underground |
● CD $12.98 |
This is yet another cowboy music release by Chris, featuring
Cadillac Cowboy/ This Cowboy's Hat/ Thank The Cowboy For The Ride...well,
you get the picture. Some of the songs capture the spirit like Riding
For A Fall/ The Last Drive-In, but others are contrite and hokey. But
overall it's listenable and solid, though far from inspiring. (PG)
|
| ERNIE LEE |
Bronco Buster 9021 |
The Kentucky Baladeer |
● CD $19.98 |
20 tracks, recommended
Ernie Lee never had a big hit, and
today is best remembered for his recording of Hominy Grits, a
bluesy, laid back recording that remains his best work. Surprisingly, you
won't find that song here, but Lee is a workmanlike and pleasing vocalist
on his cover of Lefty's If You've Got The Money, I've Got the Time,
recorded for Mercury. The pop oldie I Never See Maggie Alone Headin'
Home to Old Kentucky and One, Two Three Four, Five come from
RCA and feature Chet Atkins on lead guitar, Homer and Jethro and Jerry
Byrd on steel. Jethro's swinging mandolin break on Kentucky is a
truly great moment. Lee's own Mercury recording of Doggone Long Gone
Blues isn't bad, though it's pretty derivative of Hank Williams. The
inspirational song One Little Candle was hardly worth including
(and omitting Hominy Grits?) but I'm Always Longing For You
Baby, is pretty hot and Wrong Number, with Jerry Byrd on steel,
is a pleasing ballad, and I've Got My Heart on A Budget and How
Come You Never Answer are better yet, with more hot playing from Chet
and Jerry Byrd nearly as good as Lee's vocals. Lee wasn't a star, but for
fans of early 1950s country, this isn't bad at all. (RK)
ERNIE LEE: Crazy Game of Love/ Doggone Long Gone Blues/ Don't Think it
Ain't Been Fun Dear'Cause it Ain't/ Headin' Home (to Old Kentucky)/ How
Come You Never Answer/ I Never See Maggie Alone/ I'll Never Stand in Your
Way/ I'm Always Longing for You Baby/ I'm Not Lonesome Anymore/ I'm in a
Kissing Mood/ I've Got My Heart on a Budget/ If You've Got the Money I've
Got the Time/ One Little Candle/ One; Two; Three; Four Five Foot Six/
Tried and Found Guilty/ Ukulele Baby/ While You're out Cheating./ Wrong
Number/ Your Left over Kisses/ Your Train
|
| JOE
"CANNONBALL" LEWIS |
Cattle 323 |
You've Been Honky Tonkin' |
● CD $18.98 |
20 tracks, 52 mins, highly recommended
This one's a real
find - Lewis is a very fine singer from Laurel County, Kentucky whose
earnest expressive vocals owe a bit to King's Cowboy Copas. Stylistically
the records recorded between 1951 and 1954 are a mixture of the string band
hillbilly sound and more mainstream honky tonk with some superb accompanying
musicians. Joe's fondness for railroad songs earned his nickname and there
are several fine ones here - Railroad Engineer, Train Whistle
Nightmare and Calling Out My Name - the latter cow-ritten with
his friend Jimmie Skinner with some fine train whistle imitations by Joe.
The title track is a super hot country bopper with dynamite electric guitar
and steel and this set also includes his fine original recording of his own
composition Since I Met You which has become a country and bluegrass
standard having been recorded by Flatt & Scruggs and Carl Smith among
others. Other tracks include the moving WWII weeper Missing In Action
- a duet with Ray Brandenburg with some lovely mandolin work by Shorty
Whittaker, the lively Truck Drivers Night Run Blues which features
some unexpected yodeling and the straight ahead bluegrass number (Down
The) Road To Love. As you may gather there's a lot of variety to Joe's
music and just about every track here is a winner. His lack of success is a
real puzzle - he's a lot better than many of the hitmakers from that era.
(FS)
JOE "CANNONBALL" LEWIS: (down The) Road To Love/ Before I
Met You/ Calling Out My Name/ Cold And Lonely Heart/ I Wonder If I Can Lose
The Blues This Way/ I'd Be Sweet Talkin' You/ I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse
Down/ I'm Mighty Hard To Beat/ Missing In Action/ Only In Dreams/ Railroad
Engineer/ Still Around/ Take Me Back For Ol' Times Sake/ Train Whistle
Nightmare/ Truck Drivers Night Run Blues/ Trust Me Again/ What's The Use/
Whatever Has Become Of You/ You've Been Honky Tonkin'/ Yours To Claim
|
| LAURIE LEWIS |
Flying Fish 406 |
Restless, Rambling Heart |
● CD $15.98 |
The Bay Area's own, Laurie is one of the hottest bluegrass
fiddlers around and possessor of a unique and expressive voice as well.
She wrote 7 of the songs here. Each displays another facet of her
songwriting skill, from the haunting Maple's Lament to the rousing
fiddle tune Stealin' Chickens to the gospelish Haven Of Mercy
to the upbeat, uptempo I'm Gonna Be The Wind to the evocative Greenfields
. She also sings the honky tonk classic Cry, Cry Darlin' in fine
style and she and co-producer Tim O'Brian of Hot Rize harmonize on a
pretty country song called Here We Go Again . Supported by a cast
of Bay Area talent, Laurie's first solo album is a real treat, one to be
recommended to bluegrass and country fans as well as admirers of
traditional oriented singer songwriters. (RP)
|
| LAURIE LEWIS |
Flying Fish 515 |
Singin' My Troubles Away |
● CD $15.98 |
|
| LAURIE LEWIS |
Flying Fish 487 |
Love Chooses You |
● CD $15.98 |
This is Laurie's second solo album for Flying Fish, and is
more polished and fuller sounding than the first, owing in part to its
being produced in Nashville, and in part to the controlled strength and
beauty of Laurie's vocals. Eight of the ten cuts are Laurie Lewis
originals, including the title cut and three other gorgeous ballads. They
are The Point Of No Return (great vocal duet with Alan O'Bryant), Old
Friend, an ode to friendship, and the smoky, jazz flavored I'd Be
Lost Without You. The Hills Of My Home is the only really
bluegrassey number, and it showcases Laurie's fiddling, as does the
traditional medley The Women Of Ireland/Ryestraw. I Don't Know
Why and Texas Bluebonnets are uptempo country, and so is The
Light, an eerie tale of returning from the netherworld. When The
Nightbird Sings is an affecting original by Mark Simos. Throughout,
Laurie is backed by some of Nashville's finest, including co-producer Russ
Barenberg, Buddy Emmons, Jim Horn, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Alan O'Bryant,
and others. Kathy Mattea has already recorded the title cut, and there is
ample other evidence to suggest that this record is a giant step in the
right direction for Laurie's career. (RP)
|
| LAURIE LEWIS |
Rounder 0300 |
True Stories |
● CD $15.98 |
13 tracks, 50 min., recommended
Laurie's first effort on
Rounder offers up thirteen examples of her unique meld of country,
bluegrass, and folk including a gorgeous honkytonkish original You'll
Be Leaving Me, a wonderful cajunized version of Roy Forbes Still A
Fool, two moving laments to love lost entitled Knocking On Your
Door Again/ Swept Away, and an inspired acappella version of The
Mill, among others. Laurie explores less often heard aspects of her
vocal talents with the torchy So Beautiful, and belts out a tough,
gritty Slow Learner in a hard country-rockabilly style. All in all,
another demonstration of Laurie's versatility in several styles, her great
songwriting skills, and singing. She is accompanied by her Grant Street
bandmates, along with other Bay Area music luminaries. RP)
|
| LAURIE LEWIS |
Rounder 0400 |
Earth & Sky - Songs Of Laurie Lewis |
● CD $15.98 |
16 tracks, 64 min., highly recommended
This is a collection
designed to highlight Laurie Lewis's impressive gifts as a songwriter. And
that it does - very nicely indeed. Twelve of the numbers were previously
released on Flying Fish albums, and four tracks are issued here for the
first time. All of the tracks are well chosen, displaying, as they do,
intelligence, insight, and musical accompaniment indebted to bluegrass,
western swing, Celtic tunes and other roots sources. Featured selections
include Girlfriend, Guard Your Heart, Fine Line, The Bear
Song, and Magic Light as first time issues, plus Don't Get
Too Close, Old Friend, The Point of No Return, and Haven
of Mercy among the reissues. Absolutely delightful music in the new
grass/Americana mold. Not to be missed. (DH)
|
| LAURIE LEWIS
& KATHIE KALLICK |
Rounder 0318 |
Together |
● CD $15.98 |
13 tracks, 40 min., highly recommended
This outstanding set
was originally released in 1991 on the Kaleidoscope label, and God bless
Rounder for reissuing it. The two featured artists have long known one
another, having performed together with the Good Ol' Persons ensemble in
the mid-70's. Then, still friends, they performed separately for more than
a decade. This reunion finds both in particularly fine form, their voices
and their stringed instruments blending with the subtle assurance of a
sister duet. Among the wonderful, bluegrass-tinged numbers are Going Up
the Mountain, Don't You See That Train, The Touch of the
Master's Hand, Count Your Blessings, and Little Annie.
But the highlight of the set has to be Hideaway, one of the best
new love songs I've heard in years. Don't miss this one. (DH)
|
| LAURIE LEWIS &
TOM ROZUM |
Rounder 0340 |
The Oak & The Laurel |
● CD $15.98 |
13 tracks, 52 min.; recommended
The sparse, almost stark
production on this collection of duets brings out the best in Laurie's
singing, and also highlights the vocal and instrumental abilities of Tom Rozum, longtime member of Laurie's band Grant Street and her frequent duet
partner. Much of the repertoire is traditional, from The Carter Family to
duets from the brothers Louvin and Everly, to the fiddle tunes Sleepy
Eyed John and Tom and Jerry, to inspired originals by
songwriters Mark Simos, David Olney, David West, Peter Rowan, plus
Laurie's own beautiful waltz, Clark and Hazel, written to observe
the 50th wedding anniversary of friends and local bluegrass enthusiasts
Clark and Hazel Delozier. The two standout items on the album are Teardrops
Falling In The Snow, a song first recorded by Molly O'Day, and an
autobiographical song written by the great bluegrass and oldtime banjo
player entitled Poor Country Boy. The album is moody, the tone
throughout is bittersweet, the material is uniformly strong, Laurie's
singing is vibrant, and Tom Rozum demonstrates what a fine lead and
harmony singer and instrumentalist he is. (RP)
|
| TEXAS JIM LEWIS |
Cattle 221 |
Western Swing Nostalgia |
● CD $19.98 |
24 tracks from radio transcriptions recorded in the mid to
late 40s by this fine California based band with a western swing flavor
featuring the excellent lead vocals of Lewis, outstanding lead guitar work
of Jack Rivers and fine steel from Tommy Sargent. - Wabash Cannonball/
Dragging The Steel/ Spanish Two-Step/ A Year Of City Living/ Jennie Lind
Polka/ Rolling Along/ Blues Stay Away From Me/ Listen To The Mocking Bird/
Broken Heart For Sale, etc.
|
| TEXAS JIM LEWIS |
Country Routes 26 |
Texas Jim Lewis & His Lone Star Cowboys |
● CD $16.98 |
31 track collection drawn from rare radio transcriptions
from 1942 to 1947. Most of the tracks feature him with a large group from
the soon to be formed Spade Cooley band. Includes There's A New Star In
Heaven/ Happy Cowboy/ Timber Trail and others.
|
| THE LIGHT CRUST
DOUGHBOYS |
Bronco Buster 9019 |
Western Swing Memories |
● CD $19.98 |
20 tracks 53 minutes adequate
This collection of 1936-1941
Doughboys material is the only anthology currently available, which
presents some problems. The Doughboys' material was pretty eclectic, which
means you get the usual mix of good and bad pop songs and hot
instrumentals. One can live decades and not miss out without hearing The
Bartender's Daughter or Don't Lie to An Innocent Maiden. Their
excellence comes to the fore on the instrumentals, including the 1940 Rainbow
and South, both featuring Zeke Campbell's pioneering electric lead
guitar and Cecil Brower's hot fiddling. Nearly as good is the instrumental
Stumbling featuring the acoustic (not electric) guitars of Campbell
and Dick Reinhart. Brower also dominates the fiddle song Cripple Creek,
showing off his capabilities on the traditional favorite. A few oddities
actually made it onto the collection. I Want A Feller, sung by male
vocalist Ramon DeArman, certainly has interesting connotations as does She's
Too Young to Play With the Boys is equally interesting. Little
Honky Tonk Headache and Mean Mean Mama From Meana, early honky
tonk novelties, feature slightly stodgy vocals from Joe Ferguson, but hot
fiddling from Brower. 1941's The Little Bar Fly, sung by J.B.
Brinkley, is likewise interesting. As for Three Little Kittens,
sung by band announcer Parker Willson with cutesy-poo falsetto voices, the
less said the better. This isn't the best vintage Doughboys CD that could
be done, but at the moment, it's all that's available. (RK)
THE LIGHT CRUST DOUGHBOYS: Bear Creek Hop/ Cripple Creek/ Don't Lie to an
Innocent Maiden/ Good Gracious Gracie!/ Have I Lost Your Love Forever
(Little Darling)/ I Want a Feller/ It's Your Worry Now/ Let's Make Believe
We're Sweethearts/ Little Hillbilly Heart Throb/ Little Honky Tonk
Headache/ Mean Mean Mama (from Meana)/ Rainbow/ She's Too Young (to Play
with the Boys)/ South/ Stumbling/ The Bartender's Daughter/ Three Naughty
Kittens./ When the Moon Shines on the Mississippi Valley/ Why Did You Lie
to Me?
|
| THE LILLY BROTHERS |
Prestige 9919 |
The Prestige/ Folklore Years, Vol. 5 - Have
A Feast Here |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 75 mins, recommended Delightful collection of
traditional country music with that classic old time "brother"
sound drawn from two Prestige LPs originally issued in 1963 and '64. 12
cuts feature the duo with great bluegrass banjo player Don Stover and has
more of a bluegrass flavor on titles like Bluegrass Breakdown/ Miller's
Cave/ Rollin' On/ Foggy Mountain Breakdown and others. The other 11
are just the duo with a bass player and brings to mind the sound of The
Blue Sky Boys or The Monroe Brothers on tracks like Goodbye Maggie/
Long Black veil/ Weeping Willie Tree/ Rosewood Casket and others. (FS)
|
| THE LILLY BROTHERS |
Rebel 1688 |
With Don Stover - Early Recordings |
● CD $15.98 |
CD reissue of County 729. A superb collection
of traditional bluegrass recorded for the Event label in 1956 and '57.
Only four of the songs were originally issued on Event 45s - the rest were
unissued until their issue on County some years ago. Everett and Mitchell
Lilly provide beautiful high mountain harmonies and accompany themselves
on guitar and mandolin. They are joined by the outstanding banjo playing
of the underrated Don Stover whose accompaniments are always tasteful and
imaginative and never flashy. A few tracks also feature fine fiddling by
the obscure Dave Miller. The material was traditional songs along with
material from the Carter Family and Bill Monroe. The titles might seem
overly familiar but at the time of these recordings had not yet become the
chestnuts they later became and sound fresh and exciting. Includes Bring
Back My Blue Eyed Boy/ Southern Skies/ Wheel Hoss/ John Henry/ Little
Annie/ Riding On My Savior's Train, etc. Excellent sound and
informative notes. (FS)
|
| BIG BILL LISTER |
Bear Family BCD 16374 |
There's A Tear In My Beer |
● CD $21.98 |
30 sides by this distinctive Texas vocalist who was closely
associated with Hank Williams for a couple of years and first recorded
several of Hanks' songs including Countrified/ The Little House We
Built and There's Tear In My Beer featured in this collection
accompanied by members of The Drifting Cowboys. This set features his
first tracks recorded for the San Antonio based Everstate label in 1949
and Capitol sides recorded between 1951 and '53.
|
| LIVEWIRE |
Rounder 0281 |
Wired! |
● CD $15.98 |
|
| HANK LOCKLIN |
Bear Family BCD 15730 |
Please Help Me I'm Falling |
● CD $99.98 |
Four discs, 123 tracks, recommended
Hank who? That's right.
Hank Locklin, best known for his 1958 hit Send Me The Pillow That You
Dream On and 1960's Please Help Me, I'm Falling, has been
forgotten by most people. You can't easily find his Four Star recordings
including those done with Hank Williams's Drifting Cowboys. Until now his
best RCA material's been just as elusive. This set covers his 1955-1964
RCA period, the earliest sides little more than run of the mill honky
tonk. His first hit was a rather ordinary cover of George Jones's hit Why
Baby Why in 1956. Some non-hits at the time were better than his hits,
examples being Seven or Eleven and You Can't Never Tell .
Locklin despite his hard country roots could easily handle the new
Nashville Sound, most notably on Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On
in 1958. His 1958 Foreign Love LP is here, along with Please
Help Me, I'm Falling, a hit for Locklin and the debut of pianist Floyd
Cramer playing the "pedal piano" style invented by the song's
composer, Don Robertson. Other Locklin hits, among them From Here to
There to You, Happy Birthday to Me the schmaltzy Happy
Journey and We're Gonna Go Fishin' are covered as are all his
LPs including Irish Songs, Country Style, the Tribute to Roy
Acuff and The Ways of Life . Don't look for unreleased sides;
every Locklin RCA recording of the era was issued. Otto Kitsinger did
excellent research in the booklet, which includes the usual detailed
discography. (RK)
|
| HANK LOCKLIN |
Bear Family BCD 15953 |
Send Me The Pillow You Dream On |
● CD $85.98 |
3 CDs, 66 tracks, recommended
This followup to the earlier
Bear Family Locklin RCA set returns to the beginning, covering the years
1948-1954 starting with his first single for Gold Star and two 1948-49
Royalty singles as well as one song that appeared on a DJ 78. The complete
Four Star recordings make up the bulk of the set including the original Send
Me The Pillow, which all but hard-core Locklin fans probably never
knew realized existed. It's not on a level with the later RCA version yet
Locklin wasn't a bad honky tonk singer. A lot of songs here are pretty
respectable material, particularly the uptempo numbers. His yodeling on Born
to Ramble is particularly nice. That didn't matter. Nothing he did in
Texas sold nationally, and even when he started recording in Nashville,
even though studio bands backing him included Chet Atkins and the Drifting
Cowboys, the sales weren't any better. It wouldn't be until Atkins took
him to RCA and began producing him that he found his niche. The set
includes a 31 page book by Kevin Coffey based on interviews with Locklin
and others involved in his career. Also includes many extremely rare
photographs. (RK)
|
| HANK LOCKLIN |
Collectables 5873 |
Please Help Me I'm Falling |
● CD $13.98 |
14 RCA cuts including his biggest hits.
|
| JIMMIE LOGSDON |
Bear Family BCD 15650 |
I Got A Rocket In My Pocket |
● CD $19.98 |
31 tracks, 73 minutes, good
Jimmie Logsdon, alias Jimmie
Lloyd, enjoyed two distinct identities as a honkytonk singer and a
rockabilly from 1951 to 1958. This, the definitive Logsdon collection,
assembles his rare 1951 Harvest 78 (his first record) and 27 Decca, Dot,
Starday and Roulette sides. The early Logsdon was a straight ahead Hank
Williams honkytonker, reflected in the Harvest single that helped him land
a contract with Decca. He did some respectable work there, including Let's
Have A Happy Time, Jimmie Davis's Where The Old Red River Flows
and the impressive (and previously unissued) One Way Ticket to Nowhere.
One problem was the overemphasis on a Hank Williams sound, and flat
material like I Wanna Be Mama'd and the two tedious 1953 postmortem
Hank tributes. The Dot and Starday sides are equally mediocre, but Logsdon
regained his power with Roulette as rockabilly Jimmie Lloyd. Where the
Rio De Rosa Flows in 1957 and 1958's Rocket in My Pocket
(featured in the film "The Right Stuff") both aged well. The hot
band on Rocket featured Grady Martin, Harold Bradley, Hank Garland,
Floyd Cramer and other Nashville regulars. Along with rare photos, Colin
Escott's notes are based on a new interview with Logsdon. Check out the
inside back cover: a strange photo of Logsdon with a string-tie wearing
Raymond Burr. (RK)
|
| THE LONESOME PINE
FIDDLERS |
Bear Family BCD 16351 |
Windy Mountain |
● CD $21.98 |
26 tracks, highly recommended
Previously available as a limited edition on a Bear Family subsidiary
label. This album features The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers during their
transition from old time music to bluegrass, and contains some of the finest
early bluegrass recorded in the 50's. The first four cuts feature Bobby
Osborne, Larry Richardson, Ezra Cline, and Ray Morgan playing some
exceptional traditional bluegrass, including the original version of Pain
In My Heart. The next twenty-two cuts were made for RCA and feature
various combinations of Melvin and Raye Goins, Ezra, Curly Ray, and Charlie
Cline as well as Paul M. Williams, Charles Parker, James Carson, James
Roberts, and Albert Punturi. The Goins Brothers, Williams, and the Clines
form the core group, and the music is outstanding. Curly Ray has gone on to
fame with Ralph Stanley and is one of the finest fiddlers in the business,
as is his brother Charlie, who also plays banjo on some selections here.
Ezra Cline does most of the bass work and is ostensibly the band leader.
These twenty-six cuts, which were unavailable until this reissue, comprise
some of best bluegrass ever. Highly recommended. (RP)
|
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