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NEWSLETTER #131
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
Eddie Arnold -> Foy Willing & His Riders Of The Purple Sage
| BUZZ BUSBY | Starday 0123 | Going Home - Greatest Starday Recordings | ● CD $9.98 |
| 19 tracks, 41 minutes, essential. Simply put, this
long-overdue anthology collects the most intense, unrelenting bluegrass ever
captured on record. If anything, this music is the antithesis of the
meticulously produced, easy-listening sludge that passes for bluegrass in
the 21st Century. Imagine Carter and Ralph Stanley or Bill Monroe and Jimmy
Martin on amphetamines, and you have a pretty fair idea of what Buzz Busby's
classic 1956-1959 Starday recordings sound like. Everything is pitched a
little higher, played a little faster or sung a little edgier. Busby's
aggressive mandolin playing borders on the violent. His songs are a catalog
of utter despair: Where Will This End?/ Me and the Juke Box/ Lonesome
Wind/ Lost/ The Lonesome Road/ A Cold and Windy Night. Many tracks
feature the brilliant, eerie fiddling of Scotty Stoneman, Busby's fellow
traveler down that highway of self-destruction. His music is not without
humor, though: on Buzz's Ramble he detunes and retunes his mandolin
ala Earl Scruggs's Flint Hill Special - no easy feat. "Goin' Home"
collects all fourteen of Busby's Starday recordings (three unreleased) plus
five tracks featuring his sideman efforts for Bill Harrell and Bill Emerson.
Besides Stoneman, Harrell and Emerson, Busby's Bayou Boys included such
D.C.-area bluegrass notables as Charlie Waller, Pete Kuykendall, Smiley
Hobbs, Porter Church and Carl Nelson. Kudos to Copper Creek Records' Gary
Reid, who supervised production, wrote the notes and made sure Gusto-King
didn't screw this one up - as they so often do. The only downside: Busby
didn't live to see his music reissued. After a long illness, he died in
January 2003 at age 69. (DS) |
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| CAROLINA COTTON | Cattle 286 | Yodel, Yodel, Yodel | ● CD $18.98 |
| 25 tracks from the late 40s/ early 50s by one of the top
female yodelers of the period - includes sides with Merle Travis, Bob Wills
and Gene Autry. CAROLINA COTTON: 'cause I'm In Love/ 'cause I'm In Love/ Betcha I Getcha/ Betcha I Getcha/ Boo Hoo Blues/ Cattle Call/ Chime Bells/ Crime Will Never/ I Love To Yodel/ I'd Love To Be A Cowgirl (but I'm A Scared Of Cows)/ I'm All Alone/ Lovin' Ducky Daddy/ Lovin' Ducky Daddy/ Nola/ Texas Home/ Three Miles South Of Cash/ Three Miles South Of Cash (in Arkansas)/ Three Miles South Of Cash./ When The Bloom Is On The Sage/ Why Did I Fall For Abner/ Yodel Mountain/ Yodel, Yodel, Yodel/ You Always Keep Me In Hot Water Over You/ You Got Me Wrapped Around Your Finger/ You're Gettin' A Good Girl |
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| JUNE CARTER | Scena 20708 | Live Recordings From The Louisiana Hayride | ● CD $12.98 |
| 15 tracks recorded live at the Louisiana Hayride in 1960,
'61 and '62 including several comedy skits. She does a fine cover of Chuck
Berry's Thirty Days, some Carter Family favorites including a version
of Worried Man Blues with the Wilburn Brothers, a couple of duets
with husband-to-be Johnny Cash including Bob Dylan's It Ain't Me Babe
and more. |
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| JOHNNY CASH | Scena 70506 | Live Recordings From The Louisiana Hayride | ● CD $12.98 |
| 16 tracks, recommended 16 tracks recorded live at the famed
Louisiana Hayride between 1955 and 1963. On the earlier sides Johnny is
accompanied by the Tennessee Two (Luther Perkins/ gtr & Marshall Grant/
bass) - later on they are joined by a drummer, usually W.S. Holland). Most
of the songs were hits for Johnny on Sun and Columbia and the arrangements
don't vary much from the stduo recordings though Johnny does some amusing
ad-libs on Rock Island Line. Sound quality is a bit disappointing as
many of the performances sound pretty muffled - these important performances
deserve more of an effort at sound restoration. Booklet has notes by Paul
Kingsbury and some great vintage photos. (FS) |
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| TEX COCHRANE | Cattle 283 | The Complete Canadian Yodel Song Sessions Of Tex Cochra | ● CD $18.98 |
| Newly remastered reissue of Cattle LP 68 featuring 16 tracks
from this Canadian singer and yodeler. TEX COCHRANE: Christmas On The Range/ Echo Lullaby Yodel/ Goin' Home In The Twilight/ I Miss You Dear Old Dad/ I Missed A Little Miss In Mississippi/ My Home On The Montana Range/ My Little Prairie Pal/ My Old Cowpony And I/ My Pal Of My Mountain Days/ My Sun Bonnet Girl Of The Prairie/ My Sweetheart Of Yesterday/ Roundup Days In Cheyenne/ Silvery Moon Guide Me Back Homeward/ The Fate Of My Texas Home/ The Roaming Hillbilly/ Twilight Yodel Song |
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| COWBOY COPAS | King 0534 | 20 Song Gospel Collection | ● CD $9.98 |
| 20 gospel songs recorded by this fine country singer for
Starday and King in the 50s and early 60s - I Saw The Light/ A Satisfied
Mind/ I'm Glad I'm On The Inside Looking Out/ King Of KIngs/ Family Reunion/
Four Books Of The Bible/ God Put A Rainbow In The Clouds, etc. |
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| LONNIE GLOSSON | Old Homestead 4306 | Legendary Harmonica Player | ● CD $18.98 |
| 26 tracks, 64 mins, recommended. Delightful collection of 26
tracks recorded in the late 60s by this fine and influential harmonica
player for his good friend Wayne Raney's Rimrock label. The first 13 tracks
are instrumental featuring just guitar and harmonica on a fine selection of
original tunes and country favorites. There's also Talking Harmonica
featuring Lonnie imitating the human voice and and Fox Chase
featuring Lonnie imitating animals. The remaining tracks features vocals by
Lonnie - mostly sentimental and gospel songs frequently with rather maudlin
recitations and not as interesting as the instrumental tracks. (FS) |
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| ESCO HANKINS | B.A.C.M. 058 | Rising Sun | ● CD $13.98 |
| 22 tracks recorded between 1947 and 1951 by this fine but
obscure artists from Knoxville, Tennessee whose music shows the very strong
influence of Roy Acuff - especially on the earlier tracks. He covers quite a
few of Acuff's songs including I'm Building A Home/ Glory Bound Train/
Fireball Mail/ Streamlined Cannonball and others. The title song is a
fine version of the traditional House Of The Rising Sun and other
songs include A Daddy's Lullaby/ No One Will Ever Know/ World Of Sorrow
and others. ESCO HANKINS: A Daddy‘s Lullaby/ All The World Is Lonely Now/ An Angel Smiles When Mother Smiles At Me/ Beneath That Lonely Mound Of Clay/ Branded Wherever I Go/ Fireball Mail/ Glory Bound Train/ I‘m Building A Home/ I‘m Praying For The Day When Peace Will Come/ Low And Lonely/ No One Will Ever Know/ Please Forgive Me/ Precious Jewel/ Rising Sun/ Streamlined Cannonball/ Sweeter Than The Flowers/ Things That Might Have Been/ Wait For The Light To Shine/ Waiting For My Call To Glory/ What Good Will It Do/ World Of Sorrow/ Wreck On The Highway |
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| HAWKSHAW HAWKINS | Bronco Buster 9058 | Radio Memories Of The Late Hawkshaw Hawkins | ● CD $18.98 |
| Radio transcriptions from the 50s by this fine country
artist including three complete radio shows. Accompaniments include Jerry
Byrd, Bud Isaacs, Tommy Jackson and others. HAWKSHAW HAWKINS: A Heap Of Lovin'./ Act Like A Married Man/ All Alone In This World Without You/ Bad News Travels Fast (in Our Town)/ Blessed Jesus, Hold My Hand/ Borrowing/ Come A Little Closer/ Darkness On The Face Of The Earth/ Guilty Of Dreaming/ I'll Take A Chance With You, Love/ If It Ain't On The Menu/ Lonely Broken Heart/ Rebound/ Silver Threads And Golden Needles/ Steelin' The Blues/ The Long Way/ Unwanted/ Why Didn't I Hear It From You/ Why Don't You Leave This Town |
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| ROBERT EARL KEEN | Audium 8191 | Farm Fresh Onions | ● CD $16.98 |
| Newest from this popular gritty alternative country singer
features 11 original songs plus one song from James McMurtry performed with
a hard edged band. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Capitol 37378 | Satan Is Real | ● CD $11.98 |
| 12 tracks, 32 mins, essential If you like old-fashioned
hellfire and brimstone fundamentalist music, this may be the best Capitol
Louvin gospel album. Kicking off with the Louvin original Satan Is Real,
complete with a stomping re-creation of a wild-eyed sermon. The music is
more primitive than a lot of their later gospel works. And as such it's a
lot more authentic than you'd expect, with plenty of mouthwatering
Atkins/Travis guitar, probably from their regular guitarist Paul Yandell.
There's A Higher Power has the kick of the old Carlisles sides and
The Christian Life is the original version of the song the Byrds later
recorded on their
|
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0103 | Sing The Great Roy Acuff Songs | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Capitol 2827 from 1967. 12 tracks including
Wait For The Light To Shine/ WE Live In two Different Worlds/ Branded
Wherever I Go/ Wabash Cannonball/ Great Speckled Bird/ Lonely Mound Of Clay/
Stuck-Up Blues, etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0104 | Weapon Of Prayer | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Capitol 1721 from 1962. 12 gospel songs with a
military flavor - there's A Grave In the Wave Of The Ocean/ I Died For
The Red, White & Blue/ There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving/ A Seaman's
Girl/ Robe Of White/ Mother, I Thank You For The Bible You Gave, etc.
|
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0105 | Tragic Songs Of Life | ● CD $9.98 |
| 12 tracks, 36 mins, essential This remains remains one of
their finest moments on record, with the rich Louvin harmonies against an
all-acoustic backing (except for Paul Yandell's lead guitar.) If their In
The Pines doesn't send chills down your spine, see a doctor. It also
includes Kentucky/ Let Her Go, God Bless Her/ A Tiny Broken Heart/
Alabama/ My Brother's Will/ Take The News To Mother, etc. Reissue of
Capitol T-769 from 1956. (RK) |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0106 | Christmas With | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Capitol 1616 from 1961. O' Come All ye
Faithful/ Away In A Manger/ While Sheperds Watched Their Flocks/ It Came
Upon A Midnight Clear/ O Little Town Of bethlehem/ Hark! the Herald Angels
Sing, etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0107 | The Family Who Prays | ● CD $9.98 |
| This album of gospel material, originally released in 1958
(Capitol 1061), features some great songs (almost all originals) and only a
couple of recitations. Although more heavily produced than their secular
recordings from the same period, Charlie & Ira's strong harmony singing more
than compensates. Born Again/ Just Rehearsing/ Preach The Gospel/ If We
Forget God/ LOve They Neighbor As Thyself/ Just Rehearsing, etc. (WC)
|
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0108 | A Tribute To The Delmore Brothers | ● CD $9.98 |
| 12 cuts, 33 min; essential Reissue of Capitol T-1449 from
1960, a classic album featuring a tribute from the last great brother duet
in country music to their counterparts from the 30s and 40s. The Louvins,
like the Delmores natives of Alabama, here acknowledge their musical debt to
their musical forebears, with heartfelt renderings of 12 classics from the
Delmore's repertoire. Ira Louvin, he of the trademark achingly pure and wild
tenor voice, normally played mandolin on the Louvin's records, but here he
plays Rabon Delmore's tenor guitar, loaned by surviving Delmore brother
Alton especially for the session. The haunting melancholy melodies and
syncopated guitar rhythms lend themselves particularly well to the Louvin
sound. Their instrumental work here is augmented by guitarist Jimmy Capps,
and every track is a delight. Songs included are Weary Lonesome Blues/
Blues Stay Away From Me/ Southern Moon/ Brown's Ferry Blues/ Freight Train
Boogie/ The Last Old Shovel, etc. (RP) |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0109 | Country Love Ballads | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Capitol 1106 from 1959. 12 gems - Are You
wasting My Time/ If I Could Only Win Your Love/ Read What's My Heart/
Memories And Tears/ My Heart Was Trampled On The Street/ Red Hen Hop,
etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0110 | Sing And Play Their Current Hits | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Capitol 2091 from 1964 - Broken Engagement/ I
Can't Keep You In Love With Me/ Love Turned To Hate/ I'm Glad That I'm Not
Him/ Give This Message To Your Heart/ What A Change One Day Can Make,
etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0111 | Keep Your Eyes On Jesus | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Capitol 1834 from 1963. Includes Keep Your
Eyes On Jesus/ He Set Me Free/ You'll Meet Him In The Clouds/ Too Soon/ O
Why Not Tonight?/ If Today Was The Day, etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0112 | Ira And Charlie | ● CD $9.98 |
| This is a reissue of Capitol T-910 from 1958 and
concentrates more on covers of other artists' hits with an emphasis on
ballads. There's their own tune Are You Teasin' Me (a hit for Carl
Smith), songs by Jimmie Davis (Nobody's Darling But Mine), Jimmy Work
(Making Believe), and Pee Wee King (Tennessee Waltz ). The
Louvin "sound" of acoustic instruments and brushed snare drum, and a single
electric guitar, is intact. (RK) |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0113 | Country Heart & Soul | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Tower 5122 from 1968 - 10 songs including Here
Today & Gone Tomorrow/ Nobody's Darlin' But Mine/ In The Middle Of Nowhere/
I Cried After you Left/ We Could, etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0114 | My Baby's Gone | ● CD $9.98 |
| 12 tracks, essential Reissue of Capitol T-1385 from 1960.
This album includes funky Blue From Now On and the exquisite When
I Loved You and She Didn't Even Know I Was Gone, a truly
underrated ballad. Remember when Nashville didn't let anyone play drums? On
their superb You're Running Wild , the "drum" is Ray Edenton's rhythm
guitar. Capitol did some great album covers in the late 50s and early 60s
and this is one of their classics. (RK) |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0115 | Two Different Worlds | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Tower 5038 from 1966 - 10 tracks including Why
Not Confess/ Have I Stayed Away Too Long/ Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die/
When I Stop Dreaming/ We Live In Two Different Worlds, etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | Gusto GTCD 0116 | Encore | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Capitol 1547 from 1961. 12 songs including
Childish Love/ If You LOve Me, Stay Away/ The New Partner Waltz/ Ruby's
Song/ What A Change One Day Can Make/ You're Learning, etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | King KSCD 0100 | I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Pickwick album featuring 11 of their greatest
including the title song plus Alabama/ When I Loved You/ Blues Stay Away
From Me/ Mary Of The Wild Moore/ Are You Teasing Me, etc. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | King KSCD 0101 | Thank God For My Christian Home | ● CD $9.98 |
| Reissue of Capitol 2331 (1965). 12 gospel songs including
the title song plus The Price Of The Bottle/ Oh Lord My God/ Keep
Watching The Sky/ I'll Never Die/ What Would You Give In Exchange For Your
Soul and more. |
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| THE LOUVIN BROTHERS | King KSCD 0102 | Nearer My God To Thee | ● CD $9.98 |
| 12 tracks, highly recommended A reissue of Ira and Charlie's
first Capitol gospel LP, reflecting the same sound as their secular material
from the mid-50s. The brothers are in excellent voice, backed by the
standard acoustic Louvin "sound" of the 50s. This mix of Louvin originals
like I Can't Say Now, Thankful and I Steal Away And Pray is
balanced with better known traditional tunes as This Little Light Of
Mine/ Nearer My God To Thee and the old Southern gospel favorite Are
You Washed In The Blood along with Hazel Houser's Praying and
Wait A Little Longer, Please Jesus. Reissue of Capitol T-825 from 1957.
(RK) |
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| JIMMIE OSBORNE | B.A.C.M. 054 | Hills Of Roan County | ● CD $13.98 |
| 25 tracks recorded between 1947 and 1953 by this popular
singer from Kentucky who committed suicide in 1957. He had a few hits
including the tragic Death Of Little Kathy Fiscus based on a true
story. It includes one of his other hits My Heart Echoes (1948) plus
Forever And A Day/ God Has Taken My Flower/ Helpless Heart/ Hills Of Roan
County/ I hate To Be Jealous/ I'm Gonna Strut My Stuff/ I'm Scared To Go
Home, etc. JIMMIE OSBORNE: Door To My Heart Is Wide Open/ Forever And A Day/ Give Back My Ring And Picture/ God Has Taken My Flower/ Helpless Heart/ He‘ll Come Like A Thief In The Night/ Hills Of Roan County/ How My Hearts Can You Break/ I Hate To Be Jealous/ I‘m Gonna Strut My Stuff/ I‘m Just A Habit With You/ I‘m Scared To Go Home/ I‘ve Just Placed A Vacant Sign Upon Your Heart/ Mama Don‘t Agree/ Moon Is Weeping Over You/ My Heart Echoes/ My Main Trial Is Yet To Come/ Nag Nag Nag/ No Bitter Tears/ Tears Of St Anne/ The Death Of Little Kathy Fiscus/ This Evil Life Don‘t Pay/ We Can‘t Take It With Us To Our Grave/ What A Price To Pay For Love/ You Get The Roses I Get The Thorns |
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| EARL SCRUGGS | Vanguard VCD 79706 | Classic Bluegrass Live 1959-1966 | ● CD $15.98 |
| The great bluegrass banjo pioneer recorded live at the
Newport Folk Festival . Includes 8 tracks from 1959 with Hylo Brown & The
Timberliners, 3 from 1960 by Flatt & Scruggs and 6 from 1966 by Flatt &
Scruggs. Includes a couple of previously unissued tracks. |
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| CARL SMITH | B.A.C.M. 055 | Satisfaction Guaranteed | ● CD $13.98 |
| 24 tracks, 67 mins, essential. Sterling reissue of early
sides by this superb honky tonk singer from Tennessee who has been poorly
served on reissues - with the exception of the big Bear Family box set and a
couple of collections that feature only his hits. This selection is drawn
from recordings made between 1950 and '53 by the man who was a star the
equal of Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price or Webb Pierce during the second
flowering of honky tonk that took place in the 1950's. Includes hits like
Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way/ Let's Live A Little/ Hey Joe/ Mr. Moon/
If Teardrops Were Pennies/ Our Honeymoon/ Are You Teasing Me/ Satisfaction
Guaranteed, plus lesser known but outstanding items like Guilty
Conscience/ Me And My Broken Heart (a little known Hank Williams
composition)/ Sing Her A Love Song/ I Won't Be Home/ I bet You My Heart I
Love You/ Washing My Dreams In Tears and others. One of a generation of
country singers inspired and influenced by Hank Williams, Smith's stylistic
debt to his friend is evident, but he managed to forge a unique sound of his
own, featuring his open, sincere vocals, bottom-heavy lead guitar up front,
with twittering steel guitar fills and occasional fiddle. This stuff seems
to have been invented for beer joint juke boxes. Excellent sound and brief
notes by Brian Golbey. (FS) CARL SMITH: Are You Teasing Me/ Guilty Conscience/ Hey Joe/ I Bet You My Heart I Love You/ I Overlooked An Orchid/ I Won‘t Be Home/ If Teardrops Were Pennies/ It‘s A Lovely Lovely World/ Just Wait ’til I Get You Alone/ Let Mother Nature Have Her Way/ Let‘s Live A Little/ Little Girl In My Home Town/ Me And My Broken Heart/ Mr. Moon/ My Lonely Heart‘s Running Wild/ Our Honeymoon/ Satisfaction Guaranteed/ Sing Her A Love Song/ That‘s The Kind Of Love I‘m Looking For/ This Orchid Means Goodbye/ This Side Of Heaven/ Washing My Dreams In Tears/ When You Feel Like You‘re In Love/ Who‘ll Buy My Heartaches |
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| CARL T. SPRAGUE | Bear Family BCD 15979 | Cowtrails, Longhorns, And Tight Saddles | ● CD $21.98 |
| 24 track collection recorded for Victor between 1925 and
1929 by this fine and important early purveyor of cowboy songs. Includes
When The Work's All Done This Fall/ Following The Cowtrail/ If Your Saddle
Is Good And Tight/ O Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie/ Boston Burglar/
Cowman's Prayer/ two Soldiers/ Cowboy's Meditation/ Mormon Cowboy and
more. |
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| WYNN STEWART | Audium 8186 | After The Storm - The Playboy Sessions | ● CD $11.98 |
| 12 tracks, 35 mins, highly recommended. A most welcome
reissue of the 1976 recordings made for Playboy by this wonderful West Coast
country singer. Wynn was a truly superb honky tonk singer and a great
songwriter and these recordings find him in fine form. It includes several
remakes of Challenge and Capitol hits like Wishful Thinking/ Big, Big
Love/ Playboy and It's Such A Pretty World Today as well as
several fine new songs like his 1976 hit After The Storm, the tongue
in cheek I'm Gonna Kill You and the powerful Just Now Thought Of
You which I think is his finest performance here with a truly spine
chilling vocal. There is also a stunning cover of George Jones's Season
Of My Heart. Wynn was so good that it is a real shame that more of his
material is not available on CD - just one collection on Varese or the
mammoth Bear Family box (BCD 15886 - $189.98). (FS) |
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| CLIFFIE STONE | Cattle 282 | The Versatile Country Performer | ● CD $18.98 |
| Due end of month. 20 tracks from mid to late 40s with vocals
from The Oklahoma Sweethearts, Merle Travis, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Judy
Hayden and others. Sidemen include Speedy West, Billy Liebert, Porky Freeman
and many more. CLIFFIE STONE: Domino/ Don't Do It Darlin'/ He's A Real Gone Oakie/ Here Comes Santa Claus/ I Don't Believe Them At All/ If You Knew Susie (like I Knew Susie)/ Knock On Wood/ Let Me Call You Sweetheart/ My Little Girl/ Philosophy/ Ragtime Doughboy Joe/ Red, White And Blue (over You)/ So Long To The Red River Valley/ Strummin' On The Old Banjo/ T-n-teasin' Me/ The Christmas Waltz./ There's A Gold Moon Shining/ There's A Silver Moon On The Golden Gate/ Wabash Blues/ Westphalia Waltz |
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| CARL STORY QUARTET | Old Homestead 4040 | XERA Live Transcriptions, 1951-1952 | ● CD $18.98 |
| 19 tracks, 46 mins, highly recommended. Carl Story was one of
the pioneers in bluegrass gospel as well as one of its greatest exponents
and many of the songs he introduced have become standards in the field. This
wonderful collection features him with his "Quartet" who are not identified
in the generic sleeve notes but I would assume they were members of Carl's
regular group The Rambling Mountaineers. Whoever they are they provide
superb instrumental and vocal support featuring sterling work on banjo,
mandolin and Dobro. Carl and his group had a distinctive sound with it's
blend of high and low voices which are used to good effect on songs like
Family Reunion/ Light At The River/ Gone Home/ My Lord's Gonna Lead Me Out/
God Put A Rainbow In The Clouds/ He Will Set Your Fields On Fire/ My Lord
Keeps A Record and others. Sound quality is better than usual for an Old
Homestead release. (FS) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | B.A.C.M. 057 | The Columbia Label - Classic Old Time Music | ● CD $13.98 |
| 25 tracks, 75 mins, highly recommended. Wonderful collection
of old time country music recorded for the Columbia label between 1924 and
1931 - many cuts making their first appearance on CD. It opens with the
remarkable novelty song My Little A-1 Brownie, the only recording of
the mysterious Charles B. Smith whose accompanying musicians include King
Benny Nawahii on steel guitar and Benny Goodman on clarinet! Other artists
include Riley Puckett, Dock Walsh, Charlie Parker & Mack Woolbright (two
delightful performances including the great The Man Who Wrote Home Sweet
Home). The Pelican Wildcats, Dan Hornsby (two fascinating topical songs
with accompaniments by Claton McMichen & Riley Puckett), The Skillet
Lickers, Obed Pickard (vocals and Jews harp!), Gid Tanner & Fate Norris,
Smith's Sacred Singers (beautiful old time gospel), Gid Tanner & His Georgia
Boys, Miner Hawkins, Vernon Dalhart, Arthur Tanner's Corn Shuckers,
McMichen's Melody Men, Chubby Parker, The Deal Family and The Grady Family.
Sound quality is fine and their are brief notes by Brian Golbey. (FS) AL CRAVER (VERNON DALHART): Kinnie Wagner/ VERNON DALHART: Frank Dupree/ THE DEAL FAMILY: Be A Daniel/ THE GRADY FAMILY: Carolina‘s Best/ MINER HAWKINS: Song Of The Sea/ DAN HORNSBY: The Shelby Disaster/ The Story Of C. S. Corres/ MCMICHEN’S MELODY MEN: House Of David Blues/ CHUBBY PARKER: Down On The Farm/ CHARLIE PARKER & MACK WOOLBRIGHT: The Man That Wrote Home Sweet Home/ Ticklish Reubin/ THE PELICAN WILDCATS: Walking Georgia Rose/ OBED PICKARD: The Old Grey Mare/ RILEY PUCKETT: Old Joe Clark/ THE SKILLET LICKERS: Cotton Baggin‘/ New Arkansas Traveller/ CHARLES B. SMITH: My Little A-1 Brownie/ SMITH’S SACRED SINGERS: Where We‘ll Never Grow Old/ GID TANNER & FATE NORRIS: Goodbye Old Booze/ Where Did You Get That Hat/ GID TANNER & HIS GEORGIA BOYS: Just Gimme The Leavings/ GID TANNER & RILEY PUCKETT: Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane/ ARTHUR TANNER’S CORN SHUCKERS: Dr. Ginger Blue/ DOCK WALSH: Bulldog Down In Sunny Tennessee/ Educated Man |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Bear Family DVD 20026 | Halloween At Town Hall Party | ● CD $31.98 |
| DVD A complete show of the Town Hall Party recorded October 31,
1959 featuring performances by Joe Maphis, Billy Mcneill, Fiddlin' Kate
Warren, , Skeets McDonald, Tex Ritter, The Browns and others. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Bear Family DVD 20101 | American Folk & Country Music | ● CD $31.98 |
| DVD 14 rare performances of traditional music of Cousin Emmy,
Roscoe Holcomb, Carter Stanley, The New Lost City Ramblers and others. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Collector 2870 | Rock & Roll - Country Style | ● CD $16.98 |
| The latest in Collector's "Boppin' Hillbilly Series" is
pretty much mainstream honky tonk country from the 50s with only a few that
fall into the "boppin" or rock 'n' roll category. Still there is some fine
and rare stuff here featuring 30 tracks from Jess Willard, Don Ford, Hank
The Drifters (with the always timely Bill Collectors Blues), Verlin
Speeks, Freddie Byrd & The California Playboys, Charlie Parker (no not that
one!), Lefty King & His Rangers, Autry Inman (a previously unissued track),
Rose & Cal Maddox, Howard W. Brady, Pat Kingery & His Kentuckians, Boots
Faye, Shelby Cooper & The Dixie Mountaineers, Andy Morris, Fiddlin' Sisk &
The Tennessee Sweethearts, Dale Berry & His Blue Bonnets. Includes 8 page
booklet with notes by Boppin' Billy Mafia (I think this might be a
pseudonym), photos and label shots. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Collector 2871 | Streamline Boppin' | ● CD $16.98 |
| A fine and hot collection of up-tempo country, country
boogie and some Western swing from the 40s and early 50s. It includes three
excellent rare sides by the old timey duo The Buchnan Brothers plus tracks
from Billy Hix & His Georgia Stompers, The Buckeye Boys, Smilin' Eddie
Varnardo, Jimmy Snow & the Rocky Mountain Playboys, Eddi Miller & His
Oklahomans, Martha Lou Garches (the outrageous Peeping Tom - "You may
call him a peeping Tom/ I Call him a Man"!), Preston Ward, Fairley Holden,
Bobby Cook & Buddy Nelson, etc. Good sound and booklet includes nots and
photos. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Goldies 25417 | Wings Of A Dove - Country Gospel | ● CD $15.98 |
| Budget priced 3 CD set of country and bluegrass gospel
ranging from the 30s through the 70s including tracks by Ferlin Huskey,
Claude Gray, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers,
David Houston, Windy Bagwell, Hoyt Axton, Patsy Cline, The Southern Singers,
The Blackwood Brothers and others. |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Lenox 1010 | Hillbilly Rock, Vol. 1 | ● CD $16.98 |
| 16 tracks, 39 minutes, recommended. Available again. Short
but sweet selection of 50's rockabilly and boppin' hillbilly. Kenny Baker
takes top prize for the stormin' Goodbye Little Star . Sammy Masters,
of Rockin' Red Wing fame, is here represented by a Four Star B-side,
2 Rock A 4 . Ruckus Tyler cops a Hank Williams riff for Rollin'
And A Rockin' and also comes up with a dandy on Rock Town Rock .
A wild cat called Rockin' Charlie blasts off on Like Out Of This World
complete with sound effects. Earney Vandagriff was another of the many
influenced by Hank Williams as heard on the great You Can't Come In
done for the Rural Rhythm label. Johnny Henderson's Any Old Port In A
Storm and Jess Willard's Every Dog Has His Day are two of the
best uptempo country items here but there are more than a few other worthy
contenders as well. Only a few duplications with other compilations. (AE)
SHORTY BACON: Super Jivin' Lulu/ KENNY BAKER: Goodbye Little Star/ BOBBY BOBO: Doggone Lonesome Blues/ EDDIE DEAN: Impatient Blues/ JOHNNY GITTAR: San Antonio Boogie/ JOHNNY HENDERSON: Any Old Port In A Storm/ RONNIE KEITH: Mad Cat Boogie/ SAMMY MASTERS: 2 Rock-A-4/ JIMMY MERRITT: I've Lost The Blues/ ROCKIN' CHARLIE: Like Out Of This World/ JOHNNY TYLER: Lie To Me, Baby/ RUCKUS TYLER: Rock Town Rock/ Rollin' And A-Rockin'/ EARNEY VANDAGRIFF: You Can't Come In/ WALLY & DON: Please Don't/ JESS WILLARD: Every Dog Has His Day |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | RCA Heritage 99002 | More Bona Fide Bluegrass & Mountain Music | ● CD $11.98 |
| Complementing RCA 43600 this is a second collection of
bluegrass and old time music drawn from the vaults of RCA and ranging from
the 1920s to the 1970s. THE BLUEGRASS BANJO PICKERS (OSBORNE BROTHER: Lonesome Road Blues/ LESTER FLATT: Head Over Heels In Love/ My Little Cabin Home On The Hill/ Over The Hills To The Poorhouse/ The Bluebirds Singing For Me/ Will You Be Loving Another Man/ JOHN HARTFORD: The Little Old Lonesome Little Circle Song/ THE LONESOME PINE FIDDLERS: Nobody Cares (not Even You)/ Windy Mountain/ JIMMY MARTIN AND THE OSBORNE BROTHERS: Chalk Up Another One/ THE MCPEAK BROTHERS: May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight, Mister/ HOYT MING AND HIS PEP STEPPERS: Indian War Whoop (country Dance)/ CHARLIE MONROE AND HIS KENTUCKY PARDNERS: Bringin' In The Georgia Mail/ I'm Comin' Back But I Don't Know When/ THE OSBORNE BROTHERS: Fastest Grass Alive/ THE PINE RIDGE BOYS: You Are My Sunshine/ THE PRAIRIE RAMBLERS: Go Easy Blues/ ARTHUR SMITH TRIO: Freight Train Moan |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Stomper Time 18 | Nashville Bluegrass | ● CD $18.98 |
| 35 tracks, 78 mins, recommended Though Nashville is not
usually associated with bluegrass this collection of 35 tracks recorded by
entrepreneur Murray Nash between 1959 and 1964 shows that there was a small
but active scene going on. The earliest tracks from 1959 by The Dixeland
Drifters features a young Norman Blake on dobro as well as some unexpected
but effective piano work. The same group, without Blake, show up later as
the Bluegrass Lookouts with a selection of mostly bluegrass gospel tunes.
There are ten tracks by the duo the Webster Brothers who perform in old time
style along the lines of the Louvin Brothers and fifteen tracks by the
Cumberland Mountain Boys who were Nash's most successful group and the set is
rounded out by the obscure Johnny Varnell & Jim Pipkins. No real classics
here but a whole heap of fine singin' and pickin'. (FS) |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Varese 66461 | The Hank Williams Songbook | ● CD $13.98 |
| 18 tracks, fair A collection of recordings from the 50s and
60s of songs written by the greatest country songwriter of them all. Among
the most impressive performances here are, surprisingly, Del Shannon who
does heartfelt versions of Ramblin' Man and Honky Tonk Blues.
There are four tracks by Jerry Lee Lewis and three by Johnny Cash from their
Sun years which are fine but have been out many times before. Wilma Lee &
Stoney Cooper do a fine version of The Singing Waterfall but the rest
is pretty forgettable - Don Gibson's attempt to update Move It On Over
is a mess, Roy Acuff is not at his best and Rusty & Doug are pedestrian. The
performances by Sue Thompson and B.J. Thomas are wretched - an object lesson
in how NOT to interpret a Williams song. (FS) |
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| JIMMY WAKELY | Cattle 284 | Plus Movie Friends | ● CD $18.98 |
| 22 tracks from the 40s and early 50s - often with orchestral
accompaniment and featuring appearances by Pat Buttram, Bob Hope and others. JIMMY WAKELY: A Four Legged Friend/ Bandera Waltz/ Cryin' Just For You/ Did You Write A Letter To Your Sweetheart/ Don't Be Lonely./ Home Town Rag/ I Hear You Talkin'/ I Like The Wide Open Spaces/ I Went To Your Wedding/ I'll Never Do A Thing To Hurt You/ I've Got Nuggets In My Pockets/ Lorelei/ Music By The Angels (lyrics By The Lord)/ Old Soldiers Never Die (they Just Fade Away)/ Pale Moon/ Pot O' Gold/ Rainbow At Midnight/ There's A Cloud In My Valley Of Sunshine/ There's That Same Old Lovelight In Your Eyes/ Under The Anheuser Bush/ When I Say Good Night/ When It's Harvest Time, Sweet Angeline |
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