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COUNTRY,
BLUEGRASS & OLD-TIMEY
Dale
Watson -> Randy Weeks
| DALE WATSON |
Hightone HCD 8061 |
Cheatin' Heart Attack |
● CD $15.98 |
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| DALE WATSON |
Hightone HCD 8070 |
Blessed Or Damned |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, 43 mins, recommended. This is the second Hightone
release for this fine Austin based artist. While perhaps not quite as
strong as his first, it ably continues his no holds barred approach to the
country and honky tonk music he loves. Watson's debt to Merle Haggard is
obvious, down to that characteristic roll to his voice. However he's a
fine performer and songwriter in his own right and wrote or cowrote every
tune on this album. Truckin' Man gets things rolling with a bang,
followed by Honkiest Tonkiest Beer Joint in Texas, Sweet Jessie
Brown, and other uptempo numbers. Heartfelt country ballads aren't
neglected, and to my ear this is where Watson really shines, delivering
gripping performances on It's Over Again and Everyone Knew But
Me. Johnny Bush joins Dale to extol the virtues of the Lone Star State
on That's What I Like About Texas. The band is hot throughout,
especially Dave Diller on guitar and Scott Walls on pedal steel. This is
another fine effort from one of today's most promising guardians of the
honky tonk tradition. (DP)
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| DALE WATSON |
Hightone 8082 |
I Hate These Songs |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, 43 minutes, recommended Dale Watson's third album
offers another helping of his uncompromising approach to country music.
Watson is a strong expressive singer and his band the Lone Stars sound
great, especially their new steel player Ricky Davis. All the songs were
written by the leader and, unfortunately the quality of the material is
less consistent than it might be. The opener, "Jacks Truck Shop &
Caf‚" is a affectionate tribute to a favorite roadside eatery and
the title song hits just the right tone of loss and yearning for a country
weeper. "Leave Me Alone" is another good one, a fine uptempo
Western Swing style blues number. "Hair of the Dog", on the
other hand, is a less than convincing ode to the morning after and
"That's Pride" brings to mind the worse self righteous excesses
of Watson's hero, Merle Haggard. All in all though, I'm sure glad that
Dale Watson is around to strike a blow against modern Nashville mediocrity
and keep the honky tonk tradition alive. (DP)
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| DALE WATSON
& HIS LONE STARS |
Koch 8018 |
The Truckin' Sessions |
● CD $14.98 |
Fourth album from this fine uncompromising country singer
from Texas is a collection of 14 original songs about a trucker's life.
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| DOC WATSON |
Collectables 5839 |
Elementary Doctor Watson/ Then And Now |
● CD $13.98 |
Two Tomato albums on one CD. "Elementary" is a
1972 set featuring a very capable crew of Merle Watson, Norman Blake,
Vassar Clements and more doing Going Down The Road Feeling Bad/ Freight
Train Boogie/ More Pretty Girls Than One/ Summertime/ Worried Blues/
Treasures Untold and more. "Then & Now" is from 1973
with basically the same all-star lineup. The concept is appealing - old and
new material mixed up together, including classic blues (Milkcow Blues/
Match Box Blues), traditional folk and mountain bluegrass tunes (Bonaparte's
Retreat/ Frankie & Johnny/ Corrina Corrina/ Rain Crow Bill), and
songs by Tom Paxton, Townes Van Zandt and more. 11 selections. (MB)
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| DOC WATSON |
Smithsonian Folkways 40012 |
The Doc Watson Family |
● CD $14.98 |
Originally available on the now out of print Folkways LP
2366 and Rounder 0129. The material was recorded in the early 60's and
presents one of the most amazing traditional musicians discovered during
the folk revival, along with members of his family. Doc's relatives were
gifted amateurs who sprang from the musical traditions of the North
Carolina hills, and were no more or less remarkable than scores of others
captured by field recordings over the years. Doc Watson was a different
matter altogether. Although he had mastered most of the folk instruments
around him (banjo, harmonica, mandolin and autoharp on here), Doc was by
then playing electric guitar in a country band and had to be coaxed to
record acoustically in an old time setting. His beautifully controlled
baritone singing stands out here because it is so different; it owes
little to the scratchy, stylized shape note singing of his relatives. He
was among the first traditional guitarists to pick out fiddle tunes note
for note on his guitar, a technique that was all but unheard of then.
Although Doc's father-in-law Carlton Gaither was a delightful old time
fiddle and mandolin player (his Bonaparte's Retreat is a real
treat), none of the other musicians here approach Doc's skill, range or
virtuousity, with the exception of his son Merle. With Doc he performs his
original Southbound, a classic song which has since been much
recorded. The fifteen cuts from the original Folkways album are here, plus
eleven more (eight only on the LP), and good new liner notes. Includes Ground
Hog/ The House Carpenter/ The Train That Carried My Girl From Town/ Down
The Road/ Shady Grove/ Rambling Hobo/ Darling Corey and many others.
CD and cassette versions include Look Down That Lonesome Road/ Frosty
Morn and The Cuckoo Bird, which Doc learned from Tom Ashley,
who originally recorded it in 1929. (RP)
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| DOC WATSON |
Sugar Hill 2204 |
Memories |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, 61 min., recommended A pleasurable plethora of
the Doc's acoustic, authentic music, traditional and tin pan alley tunes
which, judging from the rather vague liner notes here, were originally
released in 1975. Accompanists include son Merle, Chuck Cochran, Michael
Coleman, and others. Among the highlights are Rambling Hobo/ Wake Up
Little Maggie/ Wabash Cannonball/ Blues Stay Away from Me, and Steel
Guitar Rag. The occasional uptown tune, either too recently familiar
or rather heavily accompanied, may be a slight drawback to some. I'll
admit, for example, that Doc's version of Moody River, included
here, still reminds me of Pat Boone. Fortunately, such numbers are few and
far between. (DH)
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| DOC WATSON |
Sugar Hill 3752 |
Riding The Midnight Train |
● CD $15.98 |
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| DOC WATSON |
Sugar Hill 3779 |
On Praying Ground |
● CD $15.98 |
Pleasant collection of traditional gospel songs performed by
Doc accompanied by Jack Lawrenec/ gtr. Sturad Duncan/ fiddle, mandolin
& harmony vocal, Jerry Douglas/ dobro, Sam Bush/ mandolin and others.
Songs include You Must Come In At The Door/ On Praying Ground/
Gathering Buds/ We'' Work 'Til Jesus Comes/ Farther Along/ Did Christ O'er
Sinners Weep, etc.
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| DOC WATSON |
Sugar Hill 3795 |
My Dear Old Southern Home |
● CD $15.98 |
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| DOC WATSON |
Sugar Hill 3934 |
Doc Watson At Gerdes Folk City |
● CD $15.98 |
15 tracks, highly recommended
Previously unissued live
recordings made in 1962 and 1963 at the famed Gerdes Folk City in New York
- Doc's first live solo perfomances outside his home town of deep Gap.
North Carolina. His performances are terrific with beautiful soulful
vocals and lots of the spectacular finger picking guitar work that
influenced generations of acoustic guitarists. The material is a wide
ranging selection of old songs and tunes - Little Sadie/ St. Louis
Blues/ Sing Song Kitty (joined by John Herald on this)/ Liberty
(Doc plays mandolin on this and is joined by The Greenriar Boys)/ Milk
Cow Blues/ Dream Of A Miner's Child/ Cannonball Rag/ The Roving Gambler
and others. Sound quality is superb and set includes 24 page booklet with
informative notes and photos. (FS)
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| DOC WATSON |
Vanguard VCD 45/46 |
Essential |
● CD $15.98 |
26 classics from the 60s in a variety of settings
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| DOC WATSON |
Vanguard 107/08 |
Old Timey Concert |
● CD $15.98 |
2 LP set - 1967 live recording with Doc, Clint Howard and
Fred Price.
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| DOC WATSON |
Vanguard 155/158 |
The Vanguard Years |
● CD $53.98 |
4 CDs, 64 tracks, 2 hrs 55 min, essential From the time of
his introduction into the wide world of folk music by Ralph Rinzler, Doc
Watson, a blind musician from the the Blue Ridge Mountain community of
Deep Gap, North Carolina, has bestrode the folk music world like the
multi-talented colossus he is, leaving his mark on acoustic vernacular
music as few people have. The bulk of this collection is drawn from the
seven albums Doc made for Vanguard between the years of 1964 and 1971,
along with live performances from The Newport Folk Festivals of 1963 and
64. Doc has played a wide variety of music in his career, from the
Elizabethan ballads and their Appalachian variants and spirituals of his
youth to early country music learned from records by such artists as the
Monroes, Delmores and The Carter Family to the guitar blues and rags of
the great black guitar players from the southeast to square dance fiddle
tunes he picked out on his guitar to the honkytonk and even rockabilly
that was popular just prior to his "discovery" by folk
revivalists. Doc was and is an incredible guitarist; a fine fingerpicker
and one of the best and most influential flatpickers in traditional music.
In addition, he is a fine old time banjo player, a good traditional
country mandolin player, an autoharpist (check out Grandfather's Clock
on Disc One), a wonderful a cappella singer in the shape note tradition,
an excellent country harmonica player, and a singer of great taste and
sensitivity who possesses a warm full baritone voice. This collection
showcases much of the the breadth of Doc's skill and versatility,
featuring him in any number of musical settings, from three live guitar
duets with young disciple Clarence White, several duets with son Merle,
three selections with a wonderful old time country band that includes
Frank Price and Clint Howard, a duet with Don Stover, another with his
father in law, the magnificent old time fiddler Gaither Carlton, a solo
fingerpicked version of Mississippi John Hurt's Spike Driver Blues,
and many more. The fourth disc in the collection consists of 17 previously
unreleased live performances of duets with Doc, the first six featuring
his idol, Merle Travis, recorded at Winfield, Kansas, the final 11
featuring Doc's son and Merle Travis' namesake, Merle Watson, a
prodigiously talented picker in his own right, in a series of guitar duets
with his dad. Doc can and does play just about every kind of music he
hears, including Tom Paxton and Townes Van Zandt compositions, and his
latest Sugar Hill album returns him to the country boogie and rockabilly
he was playing before his "discovery", This collection, however,
is invaluable for its' representation of a time when Doc's talent and
versatility were at their zenith. Informative notes by reissue producer
Mary Katherine Aldin. (RP)
DOC WATSON: A-roving On A Winter's Night/ Alabama Bound/ Arrangement
Blues/ Banks Of The Ohio/ Beaumont Rag/ Black Mountain Rag/ Blow Your
Whistle Freight Train/ Blue Railroad Train/ Brown's Ferry Blues/ Bye Bye
Bluebells/ Cannonball Rag/ Childhood Play/ Corrina, Corrina/ Country
Blues/ Deep River Blues/ Dill Pickle Rag/ Doc's Guitar/ Down In The Valley
To Pray/ Dream Of The Miner's Child/ Farewell Blues/ Footprints In The
Snow/ Grandfather's Clock/ Hick's Farewell/ I Am A Pilgrim/ I Got A Pig At
Home In The Pen/ I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes/ Intoxicated Rat/
Kinfolks In Carolina/ Little Sadie/ Memphis Blues/ Muskrat/ My Rough And
Rowdy Ways/ New River Train/ Old Camp Meeting Time/ Omie Wise/ Otto Wood
The Bandit/ Rambling Hobo/ Rank Stranger/ Reuben's Train/ Rising Sun
Blues/ Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms/ Roll On Buddy/ Salt Creek/bill
Cheatham/ San Antonio Rose/ Southbound/ Spike Driver Blues/ Streamline
Cannonball/ Talk About Suffering/ Tennessee Stud/ The Coo Coo/ The Cuckoo/
The F.f.v./ The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band/ The Lawson Family Murder/
There's More Pretty Girls Than One/ Train That Carried My Girl From Town/
Wabash Cannonball/ Way Downtown/ What Does The Deep Sea Say/ Windy And
Warm
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| DOC WATSON
& CLARENCE ASHLEY |
Smithsonian Folkways 40029/30 |
The Original Folkways Recordings: 1960-1962 |
● CD $26.98 |
48 tracks, 2 CDs, 128 min, essential These recordings are
among the most important of the 60s folk revival, introducing many fine
tunes & ballads from the Southern Appalachians, re-discovering the
wonderful banjo-picker and veteran string band/medicine show performer,
Clarence "Tom" Ashley, and showcasing the amazing talents of
guitarist-singer extraordinaire, Doc Watson. Their release, with 20
unreleased tunes & songs, is cause for general celebration! In 1960,
Ralph Rinzler travelled to North Carolina to record Ashley, ex- of the
Carolina Tar Heels and other bands famed for their fine recordings in the
20s. Fortuously, he stumbled on a goldmine of songs & musicians, as
Ashley brought in Clint Howard, Jack Burchett, Fred Price, Gaither
Carlton, and Gaither's son-in-law, Doc Watson. Recorded originally at
Ashley's home and issued on Folkways, the musicians were taken to various
folk festivals & the Ash Grove in Los Angeles, where the balance was
set down for us to enjoy. From old ballads like Handsome Molly/Short
Life Of Trouble/Coo-Coo Bird & Banks Of The Ohio to lively tunes
like Shout Lulu/Peg & Awl/Little Sadie/Shady Grove/Sittin' On Top
Of The World & Sally Ann, they unveiled a staggering repertoire.
Tom's laconic, sharp-witted delivery and vigorous banjo was complemented
and, as the recordings progressed, overshadowed by the prowess of Doc on
guitar & banjo, and Doc's amazing command of the traditions of his
community. Together, their impact on our understanding of American
tradtional music was immense, and continues today, as these CDs make
clear.
JM
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| DOC WATSON & FAMILY |
Vanguard VCD 77001 |
Treasures Untold |
● CD $15.98 |
These remarkable live recordings, made at the 1964 Newport
Folk Festival, feature the great Doc Watson in various family groupings
playing an astonishing array of instruments. Doc sings a moving I Heard
My Mother Weeping with his wife Rosa Lee, plays guitar duets with son
Merle on Beaumont Rag/ Billy In The Lowground, sings Omie Wise
solo, plays Reuben's Train on banjo, and sings Hicks' Farewell
accompanied by his father-in-law Gaither Carlton on fiddle. Following that
is a series of banjo duets, and two tunes on the autoharp (Grandfather's
Clock/ Chinese Breakdown). Also of note are the Watson family
renditions of old time gospel songs done in the shape note style of the
southeastern U.S. Ending this breathtaking display are four selections
with Clarence White - these also appear on the Kentucky Colonels CD in
this newsletter. Kudos to Vanguard for bringing this stuff out for the
first time. RP)
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| DOC WATSON |
Vanguard VMD 79152 |
Doc Watson |
● CD $13.98 |
1964 reissue of 13 solo performances including Nashville
Blues/Sitting On Top Of The World/Intoxicated Rat/Black Mountain Rag/Tom
Dooley.
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| DOC WATSON |
Vanguard VMD 79213 |
Southbound |
● CD $13.98 |
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| DOC WATSON |
Vanguard VMD 79239 |
Home Again! |
● CD $13.98 |
14 tracks, 39 min;recommended Reissue of lp from 1966,
original notes included. Another reminder of the protean dimensions of Doc
Watson's talent in a mostly traditional repertoire, also featuring son
Merle and bassist Russ Savakus on many cuts. Songs and tunes include the
great a cappella hymn Down To The Valley To Pray, along with Georgie/
The Old Man Below/ Latie Morey/ F. F. V./ Winter's Night/ DillPickle Rag/
Sing Song Kitty/ Froggie Went A Courtin' Pretty Saro/ Childhood Play/ Rain
Crow Bill/ Matty Groves and Victory Rag (RP)
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| DOC & MERLE WATSON |
BGO BGOCD 416 |
Lonesome Road |
● CD $17.98 |
Reissue of 1977 UA album. With occasional piano, bass &
drums accompaniment Doc & merle work their way through a fine
selection of older and newer country songs and blues -
, etc.
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| DOC & MERLE WATSON |
Flying Fish 252 |
Red Rocking Chair |
● CD $15.98 |
With T. Michael Coleman/ bass and guest appearances by Al
Perkins, Charlie Musselwhite & Byron Berline
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| DOC & MERLE WATSON |
Flying Fish 651 |
Watson Country |
● CD $15.98 |
18 tracks from their years on Flying Fish (1980-84) includig
two previously unissued. Smoke Smoke Smoke/ Sheeps In The Meadow/
Stoney Fork/ California Blues/ Any Old Time/ Leaving London/ Black Pine
Waltz/ Hobo Bill's Last Ride/ Sadie/ Sittin' here Pickin' The Blues,
etc.
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| DOC & MERLE WATSON |
Sugar Hill 3889 |
Home Sweet Home |
● CD $15.98 |
1967 recordings with recent overdubs frm Sam Bush, Marty
Stuart, T.Michael Coleman and Alan O'Bryant.
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| DOC & MERLE WATSON |
Sugar Hill 3889 |
Home Sweet Home |
● CD $15.98 |
1967 recordings with recent overdubs by Sam Bush, Marty
Stuart, T. Michael Coleman and Alan O'Bryant.
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| GENE WATSON |
Curb 77393 |
Greatest Hits |
● CD $9.98 |
This disc is a great introduction to an under-rated country
singer. It features his well known songsLove In The Hot Afternoon/
Where Love Begins/ Pick The Wildwood Flower and 9 others on this 39
minute issue. His smooth, romantic voice shines through on ballads like I
Don't Need A Thing At All/ One Sided Conversation, making it the kind
of music you want to hear on a lazy Sunday with your loved one. (PG)
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| GENE WATSON |
Hip-O 112730 |
Ultimate Collection |
● CD $17.98 |
Fine 23 track collection of recordings cut between 1979 and
1989 featuring one the finest singers of the 80s. Almost all these tracks
were top ten country hits including Love In The Hot Afternoon/ Pick The
Wildwood Flower/ Maybe I Should Have Been Listening/ This Dream's On Me/
Sometimes I Get Lucky And Forget/ Got No Reason Fopr Goin' Home/
Everything I Used To Do/ Don't Waste It On The Blues, etc.
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| DALLAS WAYNE |
Hightone 8137 |
Here I Am In Dallas |
● CD $15.98 |
Fine new album from this powerful Texas honky tonk singer.
Mostly original songs like Bouncin' Beer Cans Off The Jukebox/ The
Stuff Inside/ She Lit The Torch/ Not A Dry Eye In The House/ I Hit The
Road (And The Road Hit Back) and more.
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| DALLAS WAYNE |
HMG 3011 |
Big Thinkin' |
● CD $15.98 |
Debut album for powerful country singer and songwriter.
Produced by Robbie Fulks who co-wrote many of the songs with Wayne and
plays acoustic guitar on the album. Album features steel guitarist Tom
Brumley, best known for his work with Buck Owens.
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| RANDY WEEKS |
Hightone 8116 |
Madeline |
● CD $15.98 |
12 tracks, 46 min, recommended. Nice tight roots rock &
country from this L.A.quartet led by founder/leader of cowpunk band The
Lonesome Strangers, with Tony Gilkyson ( X/Lone Justice) on guitar. All
the tunes are originals, though you may know Can't Let Go as done
by Lucinda Williams on her Grammy-nominated "Car Wheel On A Gravel
Road". His thin, nasal voice may take a bit to get used to, but it
was good enough for Dwight Yoakam to use him on backing vocals. My faves
include Last DWI/ Long Ride Home & the title tune. (GM)
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