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COUNTRY,
BLUEGRASS & OLD-TIMEY
Mel Tillis ->
Tony Trischka
| MEL TILLIS |
Curb 77482 |
Greatest Hits |
● CD $10.98 |
14 hits from various labels, including Coca Cola Cowboy/
Good Woman Blues/ New Patches/ Lying Time Again/ Tall Drink Of Water/
Midnight Love.
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| PAM TILLIS |
Arista 8642 |
Put Yourself In My Place |
● CD $11.98 |
Mel's daughter knocked around the business as a
singer-songwriter for quite awhile, with an album and some ineffectual
singles on Warners about eight years ago. This is her real debut, complete
with Highway 101 producers Paul Worley and Ed Seay. It has the snap of
101, and most of the songs are Tillis originals co- written with others.
Among the masterpieces are the dark, Irish- flavored, impressionistic
Melancholy Child," the sorrowful "Blue Rose Is," witty
"Draggin' My Chains" and her first big hit: the Harlan
Howard-Max Barnes tune "Don't Tell Me What To Do." She shows her
skill with her daddy's shuffle style on "Ancient History. There's but
one real goof: "Maybe It Was Memphis," a tune that proves that
you gotta do more than mention Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner to
conjure up Southern flavor. A minor wrinkle in an album that can only be
called a major success. (RK)
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| FLOYD TILLMAN |
Collector's Choice 68 |
The Best Of Floyd Tillman |
● CD $15.98 |
A most welcome reissue since there have been practically
none of the original recordings of this great Texas honky tonk singer
around for many years. This set features 24 tracks recorded for Columbia
in the mid/late 40s featuring Floyd's distinctive vocals accompanied by
some superb musicians. It includes several Tillman originals that have
become country classics like Each Night At Nine/ Slippin' Around
& I Love You So Much It Hurts along with with other fine hits
and non-hits like Driving Nails In My Coffin/ Go Out And Find Somebody
New / Please Don't Pass Me By/ Let's Make Memories Tonight/ I Almost Lost
My Mind/ I Don't Care Anymore, etc.
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| AARON TIPPIN |
RCA 2374 |
You've Got To Stand For Something |
● CD $15.98 |
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| TOM, BRAD & ALICE |
Copper Creek 179 |
Holly Ding |
● CD $15.98 |
Entertaining collection of 19 old-time songs and tunes
performed by the talented trio of Tom Sauber, Alice Gerrard and Brad
Leftwich who accompany themselves on banjo, fiddle and guitar.
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| HARRY TORRANI |
Bronco Buster 9049 |
Yodelling To You |
● CD $18.98 |
English top yodeler of the 30s and 40s.
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| MERLE TRAVIS |
Bear Family BCD 15636 |
Folksongs Of The Hills |
● CD $21.98 |
24 tracks, 79 min. essential
Both of Travis's acoustic
albums are reissued on one CD with the beautiful color artwork from the
1947 Capitol 78 rpm album Folk Songs of the Hills reproduced on the cover.
This reissues on one CD all of Merle's mining songs, many based on his
boyhood of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. From that first album came Dark
As A Dungeon That's All and of course, his original recording
of Sixteen Tons. mixed with other traditional songs like Nine
Pound Hammer and John Henry. Though the album meant little to
country fans at the time and sold modestly to urban folkies. Travis
returned to mining songs in 1963 with his less well-known LP Songs of the
Coal Mines, again sung with just acoustic guitar, these songs dealing in
greater detail with the miner's life in tunes like Miner's
Strawberries, (a term for beans), Black Gold, Pay Day Come
too Soon and Bloody Brethitt County. The original liner notes,
inexplicably omitted here, were written by Merle's brother John. Vintage
shots of Muhlenberg County coal country provide atmosphere. Labor song
authority Archie Green's notes are enthusiastic, but deal more with labor
issues than music. (RK)
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| MERLE TRAVIS |
Bear Family BCD 15637 |
1943-1955 |
● CD $129.98 |
5 CDs, 144 tracks, 6 hrs 28 mins, essential
This monumental
box presents most of the early studio recordings of guitarist Merle
Travis, whose refinement of the thumb and finger style picking favored by
his fellow Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, guitarists Mose Rager and Ike
Everly made him world famous and among the most influential country
instrumental stylists ever. "Travis style" guitar is universally
understood to identify the uniquely syncopated, loping style which
influenced everyone from Chet Atkins to Doc Watson. This set brings
together recordings from as early as 1943 when he recorded with Grandpa
Jones as The Sheppard Brothers, to his many recordings cut for Capitol
Records on the West Coast up to the time just prior to Tennessee Ernie
Ford's recordings of his classic composition Sixteen Tons, which
made both their names household words. As Rich Kienzle demonstrates in the
mazing 80 page book accompanying this set, Travis was far more than
"just" a universally admired and imitated guitarist. He was
great songwriter, uniquely at home with the American vernacular of the
day; he wrote many hits for himself and others, including Cincinatti
Lou/ Divorce Me C.O.D./ Dark As A Dungeon/ I Am A Pilgrim (adapted
from an old religious song)/ Sweet Temptation/ So Round! So Firm! So
Fully Packed!/ Fat Gal/ Kentucky Means Paradise/ Kinfolks In Caroline
(all included here) and Smoke, Smoke, That Cigarette, written for
Tex Williams and included. All of Merle's hits fro Capitol in the 40s are
here featuring his engaging singing, great guitar along with the cream of
west coast session players - Cliffie Stone, Tex Atchison, Speedy West, Joe
Maphis, Joaquin Murphy, and more. They also included a ubiquitous
accordion and muted trumpet sound, unique to west coast country
recordings, which gave them a hybrid quasi-pop feel. More successful to
these ears were the many classic guitar oriented instrumentals here,
including such numbers as Blue Smoke/ Cannonball Rag/ The Shiek Of
Araby/ Walking The Strings and Black Diamond Blues, along with
superb country boogies such as Louisiana Boogie, reminiscent of the
sound of Merle's friends The Delmore Brothers, a style at which he
excelled. There are many oddities from Merle's career at Capitol here,
including a session featuring vocals by Capitol boss and pop songwriting
great Johnny Mercer, comedian Jerry Colonna, and others. Also included is
Merle's classic rendition of Reinlistment Blues, which he sang in
the movie "From Here To Eternity", and a session with the
western swing vocal group The Whipporwills. All is all, this set and
accompanying book represent a remarkable feat of research by producer Rich
Kienzle. The music and packaging here represent a fascinating look at a
unique period in recorded country music, seen through the life, times and
music of one of its great originators. The book contains many vintage
photos of Travis and his contemporaries, a healthy sampling of his
drawings (Travis was a talented cartoonist), writings, and rememberances
of friends, as well as a helpful discography. (RP)
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| MERLE TRAVIS |
Country Routes RFD 14 |
Hoedown Shorts & Films |
● CD $16.98 |
27 tracks, recommended
Yet another of Country Routes'
exploration of Travis's California radio career, one with both strengths
and flaws. 14 Travis performances come from for Armed Forces Radio's
Country Hoedown show, four soundtracks from late forties "soundie"
films and six from his 1951 Snader Telescriptions. He performs Merle's
Boogie Woogie (not Boogie Woogie Feelin') with the fiery guitar
of Joe Maphis nearly equals the Capitol version, on which Merle overdubbed
multiple guitar parts. Just as exhilarating are his live versions of Knee
Deep In Trouble, Bayou Baby and his slow, bluesy Midnight
Special. Backed by members of Tex Williams's Western Caravan, he tears
through Louisiana Boogie, Cincinnati Lou and Fat Gal.
The four soundtracks from Soundies (film jukeboxes of the 40's) are
inferior to the 1951 Snader tracks, which include solo acoustic
performances of Lost John, Nine Pound Hammer and Dark As
A Dungeon. Of the band tracks, Travis sang two numbers with then-wife
Judy Hayden. The backup band mixes Hometown Jamboree band members
including Speedy West and Harold Hensley with other L.A. sidemen.
Lackadaisical production and programming mar the set. You'd Better Be
There and Talking Boogie by Tex Williams and Answer The
Phone by Ernest Tubb are excellent, but don't belong on a Merle Travis
compilation. California collector Lou Curtiss's notes are enthusiastic but
sometimes speculative and inaccurate. (RK)
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| MERLE TRAVIS |
Country Routes 20 |
Turn Your Radio On |
● CD $16.98 |
30 previously unissued transcriptions - six from 1944 with
Merle as a member of Wesley Tuttle & His Coonhunters, 12 from the
famed Town Hall party 1959/60, four duets with one of Merle's early
influences Mose Rager, four from "Country Hoedown" (1956), two
from Cal's Corrall (1961) and three from "melody Ranch" (1965)
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| MERLE TRAVIS |
Razor & Tie 82214 |
Sweet Temptation - Best Of Merle Travis,
1946-1953 |
● CD $15.98 |
20 track collection of some of Merle's all time classics - Cincinnati
Lou/ Divorce Me C.O.D./ Sixteen Tons/ Blue Yodel No. 1/ Three Times Seven/
Sweet Temptation/ Dry Bread/ Lawdy, What A Gal/ Deep South/ Kinfolks In
Carolina, etc
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| MERLE TRAVIS |
Rounder 0451 |
In Boston 1959 |
● CD $15.98 |
Previously unissued live concert recorded by Mike Seeger
featuring one of the greatest and most influential guitar players. Merle
is in top form playing solo on an acoustic guitar performing some of his
most well known tunes Nine Pound Hammer/ Dark As A Dungeon/
Re-Enlistment Blues/ Sixteen Tons/ Muskrat/ Lost John/ Memphis Blues/ I Am
A Pilgrim and others. Also includes some brief spoken interludes where
he talks about his work in the film "From Here To Eternity", childrens
songs, hollywood and more.
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| RANDY TRAVIS |
Warner Bros. 25435 |
Storms Of Life |
● CD $11.98 |
`Storms Of Life' was my vote for the best new country record of
1986 (and '85 and '84 too). Travis is an incredible singer with
a warm, rich and amazingly expressive voice. Here he has some of the best
songs written in the 80s with beautiful and sympathetic
arrangements. This CD brings home all the warmth of his vocals and clarity
of the arrangements. (FS)
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| RANDY TRAVIS |
Warner Bros. 25568 |
Always & Forever |
● CD $11.98 |
Randy Travis is one of the great country discoveries of the
mid 80s and his first Warner Brothers album
"Storms Of Life" was one of the best country albums in a long time. In fact
that album was so good that it was almost inevitable that the follow up
album would be a disappointment. And, unfortunately, that is the case
with this new release. Randy still sings better than almost anyone -
he could probably sing the alphabet and it would sound good! He is let
down somewhat by the material which is, for the most part, mushily
romantic songs which do not have the strength of the lost love songs on
the first album and there are some downright mediocre songs here like the
incredibly lightweight Too Gone, Too Long or Anything .
There are some very good songs here - Randy's own Good Intentions
and the rocking What'll You Do About Me are probably the best. The
arrangements here are also a little slicker than on the first album. I
have a horrible feeling that Randy is being pitched to a pop country
audience which is a shame - he is too great a talent to have it wasted.
Don't get me wrong - this is not a bad album - it just could (should) have
been much better. (FS)
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| RANDY TRAVIS |
Warner Bros. 25738 |
Old 8 x 10 |
● CD $10.98 |
Randy's third album from 1988 is pretty disappointing: four magnificent
numbers, two of them Travis originals, may be among his best ever. But
they're surrounded by some of the dullest, most uninspired filler heard on
anyone's recent album, much like the problem his last album had. Honky
Tonk Moon is cute enough, but it's numbers like Old 8 x 10 and
Randy's own Promises, sung with a solitary acoustic guitar that
rise above chaff. His searing performance of David Lynn Jones's Here In
My Heart is nearly as moving, as is another Travis original, It's
Out Of My Hands . One of the worst songs, Deeper Than The Holler
, which sounds like some Tin Pan Alley bozo's idea of country, was written
by, of all people On The Other Hand's Don Schlitz and Paul
Overstreet. The Blues In Black And White is as compelling as a
Chipmunks record. Don't misunderstand - Randy's not going pop rock, but
given his past work, four out of ten ain't good. (RK)
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| RANDY TRAVIS |
Warner Bros. 25972 |
An Old Time Christmas |
● CD $11.98 |
Randy caresses us through Christmas with this selection of
standards and a few originals, done in his inimitable country style.
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| RANDY TRAVIS |
Warner Bros. 25988 |
No Holdin' Back |
● CD $10.98 |
Randy Travis's 1986 debut album, "Storms Of Life" has been universally accepted as a classic and his
succeeding albums have maintained the hard-country sound. But they've been
dogged with extremes in material. Mixing a few blockbuster tunes with hack
jobs penned by current "hot" Nashville songsmiths has given the
last two LPs an almost jarring unevenness. This time, they got it right.
Travis's lone composition, No Stoppin' Us Now is fine, but the
non-originals from the dry-humored Card Carryin' Fool and the
sarcastic Have A Nice Rest of Your Life are outstanding. When
Your World Was Turning For Me, Mining for Coal and He Walked
On Water equal any of his best ballads. Even his cover of the old Guy
Mitchell/Marty Robbins hit Singin' The Blues is outstanding, and
though his extravagant orchestrated interpretation of Brook Benton's 30
year old R&B hit It's Just A Matter of Time, might scare his
fans, it was never represented as a country cut. It first appeared on
"Rock, Rhythm and Blues" a 1988 Richard Perry-produced anthology of Warners
artists covering R&B classics. The performance works because Travis
never tries to be anyone but himself. The result? His best album since
that first one. (RK)
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| RANDY TRAVIS |
Warner Bros. 26310 |
Heroes And Friends |
● CD $11.98 |
Celebrity duets with Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Merle
Haggard, Vern Gosdin, Loretta Lynn, B.B King, George Jones, Clint Eastwood
(!) and more.
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| TONY TRISCHKA |
Rounder 0171 |
Robot Plane Flies Over Arkansas |
● CD $15.98 |
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| TONY TRISCHKA |
Rounder 11508 |
Dust On The Needle |
● CD $15.98 |
This CD features 17 of Tony's tunes culled from his six
Rounder albums along with three previously unissued tracks. Sidemen
include Darol Anger, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, David Grisman, Kenny Kosek,
Roger Mason, Todd Phillips, Alan Seanauke and many other
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