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COUNTRY,
BLUEGRASS & OLD-TIMEY
Buck
Owens -> Vernon Oxford
| BUCK OWENS |
Bear Family BCD 16850 |
Act Naturally - The Buck Owens Recordings,
1953-1964 |
● CD $139.98 |
Bear Family does the giant of Bakersfield country music
Buck Owens which means it's done right! Five CDs with 159 tracks in an LP
sized box with an 84 page hard cover book. It ranges from his earliest
known demos through such ground-breaking early Capitol hits as Under
Your Spell Again/ Above And Beyond/ Excuse Me (I Think I've Goyt A
Heartache)/ Foolin' Around/ Under The Influence Of Love/ Act Naturally/
Love's Gonna Live Here/ I've Got A Tiger By The Tail and more. It
includes ultra rare 1953-54 MGM sessions from when Buck was working with
Bud Hobbs. It includes his pre-Capitol recordings for Pep and
Chesterfield, including his stab at rockabilly Hot Dog and
Rhythm & Booze that were issued as by Corky Jones. It also includes
solo items recorded for Buck's albums by his groundbreaking guitarist Don
Rich. The book by country music historian Rich Kienzle provides a detailed
and frank overview of Buck's career drawing on interviews with Buck
himself, his sidemen and business associates. It includes a complete
discography, many previously unissued photos and an introduction by Dwight
Yoakam.
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| BUCK OWENS |
DBK Works 125 |
Down On The Corner Of Love |
● CD $12.98 |
11 Tracks in just over 19 minutes, recommended
A rather
short collection of some of the rarest of the rare Buck Owens tracks. All
songs are from Buck's early recordings from the mid 1950's before Owens
had really solidified his own style and before he found his soul mate /
harmony partner Don Rich. The first nine tracks feature an artist and
backing musicians heavily influenced by Hank Williams, lots of weeping
pedal steel guitar and melancholy lyrics. The last two tracks drop the
steel guitar and head for foreign ground; track number 10-- That Ain't
Right -- is the only attempt at Rhythm & Blues that I have ever heard
from Buck Owens and sounds mostly like a throwaway track. Track 11 makes
the collection, with the wild and rare, Rhythm & Booze, originally
the b-side of his Hot Dog single (originally released under the
pseudonym Corky Jones), it is one of his only attempts at Rockabilly and
probably his craziest. I'm thrilled to get it here so that I can finally
retire my scratchy old vinyl version. (JM)
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| BUCK OWENS |
Sundazed 6043 |
You're For Me |
● CD $13.98 |
14 tracks, 34 min, recommended. This is a reproduction of Owens'
Capitol lp ST-1777 from 1962, including bonus cuts of the mono versions of
Capitol singles Under The Influence Of Love and You're For Me,
both of which are also included on the original album. In addition to four
chart hits from the era (the title cut, Under The Influence Of Love/
Nobody's Fool But Yours, and House Down The Block), the album
includes two instrumental demonstrations of just what a fine guitarist
Buck was; The Mexican Polka and Country Polka provide hot
workouts for Buck on his Telecaster, as well as the rest of the band. Also
included are Fool Me Again/ Mirror, Mirror/ On The Wall/ Bad, Bad Dream,
etc. Hard nosed, exciting honky tonk, seminal Bakersfield Sound from one
of its prime practitioners. (RP)
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| BUCK OWENS &
HIS BUCKAROOS |
Sundazed 6044 |
On The Bandstand |
● CD $13.98 |
Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens, who, born to poverty
& sharecropping in Texas, earned his honky tonk chops in Phoenix, and
burst out of Bakersfield in the early 60s to teach Nashville a hard drivin',
honky-tonkin' lesson on what country music is all about. Combining an
irresistible, shuffling dancebeat, twangy, Fender-cured guitar chops, and
a snappy band seconded by fiddler/ guitarist Don Rich, with an innate
knack for catchy lyrics of adoration, heartbreak, quarrels, and hard-lived
life, he let loose a string of hits with few equals in music history. His
classic Capitol LPs have been out of print in this country for many years
and have only been available as expensive Japanese imports. Sundazed
Records is now issuing many of these classics at an affordable price. Each
package features the original album (with bonus cuts on the compact disc
version), original album design plus new notes by Rich Kienzle, rare
photos, session data and more. All these releases have been remastered
from the original session tapes. This is a reissue of a 1963 "country
favorites" LP featuring plentiful solos and vocals by the Buckaroos.
With Orange Blossom Special/ Cotton Fields/ Release Me/ Diggy Liggy Lo
and others. The CD bonus cuts are two of his acclaimed duets with Rose
Maddox (Sweethearts In Heaven/ We're The Talk Of The Town) (AK)
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| BUCK OWENS &
HIS BUCKAROOS |
Sundazed 6046 |
I Don't Care |
● CD $13.98 |
Some of Buck's albums during the 60s followed a formula
mixing his vocals, band members' vocals and instrumentals. This one has
Buck's hits of the moment, in this case his 1964 # 1 record I Don't
Care, and a lesser hit, Don't Let Her Know. He and the
Buckaroos also covered other artists' hits (Dang Me sung by Buck
and Don Rich), Buck sings This Ol' Heart, You're Welcome Anytime
and a superb version of Wynn Stewart's Bakersfield classic Playboy.
Bassist Doyle Holly (later to record the first version of Queen of the
Silver Dollar) sings Abilene and Johnny Cash's Understand
Your Man. Don Rich tackles Rusty and Doug's Louisiana Man, and
steel guitarist Tom Brumley performs Bud's Bounce. Buck, a veteran
studio guitarist, also gives us Buck's Polka, There's a reissue of
Buck's 1961 hit duet with Rose Maddox on the old Carl Smith hit Loose
Talk. Reissue of Capitol ST-2186 from 1964. The bonus cuts are
instrumental versions of I Don't Care and Don't Let Her Know.
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| BUCK OWENS &
HIS BUCKAROOS |
Sundazed 6049 |
The Instrumental Hits |
● CD $13.98 |
14 tracks, 31 mins, recommended This collection of
instrumental tunes featuring the work of many of the excellent soloists in
the band (including Buck himself). These cuts were assembled from Buck's
various Capital recordings of the 1960's. Many of the tracks are country
standards like Orange Blossom Special and Faded Love, both
of which highlight Don Rich's frenetic fiddling. A number of original
tunes are also featured, inclduing the classic country hit Buckaroo,
various polkas, and some instrumental versions of hits like Act
Naturally and I've Got a Tiger by the Tail. A whole disc of
these tunes sometimes seems a little much but the songs certainly provide
a vivid and very enjoyable illustration of the trademark Bakersfield sound
as epitomized by the Buckaroos, with its driving guitar - steel
combination. As Rich Kienzle says in his liner notes, "the musical
excellence of the Buckaroos doesn't come across any better than on these
songs". (DP)
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| BUCK OWENS |
Sundazed 6102 |
Sings Tommy Collins |
● CD $13.98 |
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| BUCK OWENS |
Sundazed 6103 |
In Japan! |
● CD $13.98 |
Reissue of 1967 live concert.
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| BUCK OWENS |
Sundazed 6105 |
It Takes People Like You |
● CD $13.98 |
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| BUCK OWENS &
HIS BUCKAROOS |
Sundazed 11090 |
Carnegie Hall Concert |
● CD $15.98 |
The complete unedited show from 1966
with Ken Nelson's original stereo mix. Includes original cover art plus
previously unpublished photos.
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| BUCK OWENS |
Sundazed 11166 |
Live In Scandinavia |
● CD $15.98 |
20 tracks, 41 mins, highly recommended
Fantastic live
review of Buck Owens, his family, and friends starting off with Don Rich
and the Buckaroo delivering three great cover tunes and a sample of their
theme song Buckaroo, showing just how fantastic and versatile they
were. No doubt as to why Doyle Holly, the Bass player who sings lead on
one track, left for a solo career within a year; they all were so damn
talented and I definitely think that if Don Rich hadn't have died, he and
Buck would have made a lot more great music together. In the ensemble of a
show you also get a couple of tracks by Buck's son performing as Buddy
Alan. Buddy had a budding career himself at the time and is in fine form.
You also get a couple from Capitol records label mates The Hagers, which
are o.k. The rest is pure Buck and is pretty Bucking great. You get a few
medleys of his hits, then wild versions of Orange Blossom Special
and Johnny B. Goode among other classic songs of Buck's. I loved
this, the crowd loved it and I hope you will love it. (JM)
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| DUSTY OWENS |
Bronco Buster 9057 |
Early Star Of The Wheeling Jamboree |
● CD $18.98 |
16 tracks, 40 mins, highly recommended. Terrific selection of honky tonk country featuring Michigan born singer and songwriter Dusty
Owens who started his career in the 40s and is still active to this day.
Although he never had any hits under his own name a number of his songs have
become country standards most notably Once More which was big hit for
Roy Acuff. Dusty's original 1956 recording is featured here as a duet with
Donna Darlene. There are other fine songs here, mostly originals, like
Hello Operator/ Cure That Shyness/ Our Love Affair/ Who Do You Think They
Would Blame/ Give Me A Little Chance & others. Dusty is an excellent
singer - a bit reminiscent of a young Faron Young and is acompanied
outstanding musicians like Chet Atkins, Don Helms, Sammy Pruett, Jerry
Rivers, Buddy Spicher and others. Sound quality is very good and there are
informative notes. For a more extennsive autobiography of Dusty with loads
of great photos from his collection you should check out
www.hillbilly-music.com (FS)
DUSTY OWENS: A Love That Once Was Mine/ A Place For Homeless Hearts/ Cure
That Shyness/ Forget My Broken Heart/ Give Me A Little Chance/ Hello
Operator/ Hey Honey/ It's Goodbye And So Long To You (duet With Donna
Darlene)/ Just Call On Me/ Once More (duet With Donna Darlene)/ Our Love
Affair/ Somewhere She's Waiting/ The Life You Want To Live/ They Didn't Know
The Difference (but I Did)./ Who Do You Think They Would Blame?/ Wouldn't
You?
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| VERNON OXFORD |
Bear Family BCD 15774 |
Keeper Of The Flame |
● CD $119.98 |
Five CD's 142 songs, recommended
Spindly, unfashionable
Arkansas native Vernon Oxford was an obscure 24 year old singer when he
landed an RCA Victor recording contract in 1965. Soon he discovered that
the Grand Ole Opry , of all places. considered him too country to qualify
for membership. Nonetheless, Oxford held on the label through the 1970's,
championed by his producer Bob Ferguson and enjoying minor hits and brief
Top 20 popularity with his 1976 Redneck! (Redneck National Anthem
). He did far better in Europe where traditional singers were appreciated.
This set collects his complete 1965-1981 recordings for RCA, Stop, Meteor,
Omni, Rich-R-Tone/Bear Family and his magnificent Nashville recordings for
Rounder. Everything is here except two 1972 songs recorded for Cartwheel
Records, never issued and lost. Oxford, unable to make a transition to
smoother music, had only music biz insiders, traditionalist fans and
critics on his side in the States. The fact most country radio programmers
were as stupid and narrow-minded then as they are now aggravated the
problem, so he got little radio airplay. Sadder but wiser, battered by
Nashville, Oxford today concentrates on performing gospel and non-musical
employment. That doesn't diminish Oxford's magnificent achievements on
record, and this set is a celebration of that career. The booklet features
an essay by Colin Escott based on 1995 interviews with Oxford, as well as
a complete discography. For those who've bought Oxford albums over the
years, this is a great way to have all the best in one place. (RK)
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