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NEWSLETTER #143
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
 Gene Autry -> Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
 

  

   

NEW BOOKS
 
BORDER RADIO: Radio Quacks, Yodelers, Pitchmen, Psychics & Other Amazing Broadcasters by Gene Fowler & Bill Crawford ● BOOK $22.98
Paperback, 360 Pages, essential, counts as three CDs for shipping.
Essential tome for any roots music fan or American historian. This tells the stories of a whole host of mavericks, madmen and eccentrics that populated the airwaves through the border blasting mega-watt radio stations that operated on the Mexican side of the border from the 1930's through the 1970's. Whether it is goat glad miracle medicine man Dr. John R. Brinkley or the majestic Wolfman Jack, there are so many legendary stories captured in this book. This is easily one of my favorite music books of all time and I am happy that we are bringing into the fold here. (JM)

 
A GUIDE TO THE CROOKED TRAIL: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail by Joe Wilson ● BOOK $19.95
Paperback 228 pages + 2 CDs Highly Recommended, counts as five CDS for shipping
Planning a trip to Virginia soon? Well if you are and you are a big country, bluegrass and Old-Timey music fan, you should take along this book and plan on staying for about a year. This is an absolutely fabulous travel book that gives you explicate information on every museum, county fair, bluegrass jam session, homely eatery and historical (music) landmark, etc. throughout the "Heritage Music Trail" of Appalachian Virginia and beyond. Whether it is The Rocky Mount Dairy Queen Jam Session, The Carter Family Home, The Tri-state Gospel Sing, The Mountain Music School, Lee County Tobacco and Fall Festival or the Sugar Hollow Campground, if it's picked, plucked or pickled, this guide will show you how, where and why it's done. On top of all that you get two CDs jam packed with excellent old time country, bluegrass and some blues that has emanated out of Old Virginny over the last 80 years or so, with a wealth of it being material that is not at all easy to come by. Includes recordings by Lost & Found, Rabbit Muse, Frank Jenkins, No Speed Limit, Jimmy Arnold, E.C. & Orna Ball, Hobart Smith,  The Carter Family,  Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys & many more. Excellent stuff. (JM)
THE LOST AND FOUND: Love of the Mountains/ SAM CONNOR AND DENT WIMMER: Old-Time Fire in the Mountain/ ARCHIE EDWARDS: I called my Baby Long Distance/ DRY HILL DRAGGERS: Dry Hill/ RABBIT MUSE: Rocky Mount Shout/ FLOYD COUNTY RAMBLERS: Granny Will Your Dog Bite/ THE KORN KUTTERS: Old Jack Gillie/ KENNY AND AMANDA SMITH BAND: Big Ball in Boston/ DELL BLACKARD'S MOON SHINERS: Susanna Gal/ SAMMY SHELTER AND KIRK SUTPHIN: Darling Child/ RICHARD BOWMAN FAMILY; Liberty/ JAMES KING AND LONGVIEW: A Few More Years/ FRANK JENKINS: Baptist Shout/ ABE HORTON: The House Carpenter/ TED LUNDY: Speak to Me Little Darling/ BONNIE RUSSELL WITH THE RUSSELL FAMILY: Sail Away Ladies/ KILBY SNOW: Wildwood Flower/ AL HOPKINS AND HIS BUCKLE BUSTERS: Boatin' Up The Sandy River/ BALLARD'S BRANCH BOGTROTTERS: Those Cruel Slavery Days/ STEVE BARR: Leaving Gracen/ NO SPEED LIMIT: New East Virginia Blues/ CROCKETT WARD & HIS BOYS:Sugar Hill/ EDDIE BOND, KIRK SUTPHIN, WAYNE HENDERSON AND HERB KEY: Breaking up Christmas/ KELLY HARRELL: Charlie, He's a Good Man/ WADE WARD: Half Shaved/ G.B. GRACEN, HENRY WHITTER: Short Life of Trouble/ JIMMY ARNOLD: Doc Harris's Horn Pipe/ HAYWARD BLEVINS: Old Molly Hare/ BIG COUNTRY BLUEGRASS: Larry's Song/ FRANK BLEVINS AND HIS TAR HELL RATTLERS: Don't Get Trouble in your Mind/ E.C. AND ORNA BALL: Home Sweet Home/ ALBERT HASH AND THE WHITE TOP MOUNTAIN BAND: A Rake and a Rambling Boy/ HORTON BARKER: The Farmer's Curst Wife/ WAYNE HENDERSON: Beans and Cornbread/ WAYNE HENDERSON, JIMMY DAUGHTERY, RED RECTOR, DAWN STOVER, & EDMUND BEAUDREAU: Arkansas Traveler/ HOBART SMITH: The Devil's Dream/ THE SWEET BROTHERS OF DAMASCUS: Cousin Sally Brown/ WYATT RICE: Fisher's Horn Pipe/ KAY JUSTICE WITH JINNY HAWKER: Deep Settled Peace/ THE CHESTNUT GROVE QUARTET: Better Farther On/ CURLY KING: Something Got Hold of Me/ GRANT BROTHERS: Johnson Boys/ LINDA LAY, SAMMY SHELOR, DAVID LAY, RON STEWART & DAVID MCLAUGHLIN: Taking the Crooked Road Home/ THE CARTER FAMILY: Mid the Green Fields of Virginia/ THE GOOD SHEPHARD QUARTET: Mother's Bible/ MARTIN, BOGAN, and ARMSTRONG: Barnyard Dance/ DOCK BOGGS: False Hearted Lover/ THE COOKE DUET: Swing Down that Chariot/ JIM AND JESSE: Blue Ridge Mountain Sunset/ The MULLINS FAMILY: Turn Back Turn Back/ RALPH STANLEY AND THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS White Dove/ Bright Morning Star

 

NEW DVDS
 
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted all DVDs offered are in NTSC format which means that they will not play on a European DVD players unless you have a multiple format player.
   
JOHNNY CASH New West 8015 Live From Austin, Tx. ● DVD $17.98
14 tracks, highly recommended
Another fine installment in the New West records series of classic Austin City Limits concerts. This features Johnny Cash at a weird point in his career; there wasn't a whole lot going on for Cash's career in 1987, but he was certainly able to put on a fantastic performance. This is a great set, punctuated by appearances by June Carter Cash and Anita Carter. A worthy addition to your Cash collection. (JM)
JOHNNY CASH: (Ghost) Riders In The Sky/ Ballad Of Barbara/ Big River/ Folsom Prison Blues/ I Walk The Line/ I Walk The Line (outro)/ I‘ll Go Somewhere And Sing My Songs Again/ Let Him Roll/ Long Black Veil/ Ring Of Fire/ Sam Stone/ Sunday Mornin‘ Coming Down/ The Wall/ Where Did We Go Right?

 
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON New West 8026 Live From Austin, Texas ● DVD $17.98
16 tracks, 57 min., recommended
Kristofferson, who recorded this material (on September 14, 1981) as part of the Austin City Limits teevee show, is backed here by a top shelf band that includes Donnie Fritts and Glen Clark (of Delbert And Glen) on keys, Tommy McClure on bass, and Billy "I Can Help" Swan on keys, guitar and vocals. Swan apparently was the opening act, though that show is not part of this. The set includes such K. faves as Me And Bobby McGee, You Show Me Yours (And 'll Show You Mine), Sunday Morning Coming Down, Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again), Help Me Make It Through The Night, and others. A few of the performances are previously unissued, not having made the final Austin City Limits edit, presumably for time considerations. Kristofferson looks like a black t-shirted stand in for Jesus, but don't hold that against him. Same for his merely serviceable vocals. It would be easy enough to argue that Kristofferson keeps getting better as time passes, that his newest album is his best work. But even so, he always was a talented and influential songwriter. And as this set demonstrates, he had considerable stage presence. (JC)

 
JOE MAPHIS Bear Family BVD 20011 At Town Hall Party ● DVD $31.98
21 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
The latest DVD in the series of footage from the legendary "Town Hall Party" features fine singer and brilliant guitarist Joe Maphis from 1958 and 1959. Joe and his twin-necked Mosrite guitar are featured on a selection of songs and instrumentals including some dazzling guitar duets with Merle Travis. On the hot rocker Rockin' Along, Joe's teen protege Larry Collins joins in the fun. Although Joe mostly plays guitar he also demonstrates his prowess on fiddle, banjo and mandolin. There are vocal duets with his wife Rose Lee and guitar/ fiddle duets with the brilliant Fiddlin' Kate Warren. Though the technical quality from rare kinescopes isn't always the greatest the music more than makes up for it. Includes 16 page booklet with detailed notes, photos and full discographical info. (FS)

 
HANK WILLIAMS Mercury 03919-00 The Ultimate Collection ● DVD $39.98
2 CD + 1 DVD , 42 tracks, highly recommended
This came out for the 50th anniversary of Hank's death. It's a fantastic collection, with 2 CDs stuffed full of all the classic songs and just maybe a few that aren't so common. On top of that the DVD features the directors cut of the essential Williams documentary Honkey Tonk Blues with an added 30 minutes plus 15 minutes of bonus features. Superb sound, beautiful packaging--Hank Williams fans will not be disappointed. (JM)
 

NEW COMPACT DISCS
 
GENE AUTRY Bear Family BCD 15944 That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine ● CD $259.98
Nine CDs, 225 tracks, essential
This isn't your grandfather's Gene Autry, the singing movie cowboy who gained wealth and fame crooning ersatz Western ballads penned by expatriate Tin Pan Alley wannabes and backed by indifferent L.A. union musicians who couldn't get to the nearest watering hole fast enough. The Gene Autry on this set was an Oklahoma country singer straight from the Jimmie Rodgers school, equally at home with blue yodels, Gene Austin-styled ballads and even raunchy numbers that even Cliff Carlisle wouldn't touch. Some of these early Autry records rank among the rarest, most sought-after prewar country 78s, and some Q.R.S. discs and a few alternate ARC masters have never surfaced among collectors' circles. But the rest of Autry's issued 1929-1933 output is all here, along with more than 20 previously unreleased Victor and ARC alternates. Autry was a warmer singer than Rodgers, but his records generally don't offer as much stylistic diversity as his hero's Victors. Most tracks feature just Autry and his guitar, but many benefit from skillful octachorda, harmonica and guitar backing by vaudeville vet Frankie Marvin. Jimmie Long harmonizes on about forty tracks, including their 1932 megahit That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine, probably the only title here a casual Autry fan might recognize. A celebrated Autry oddity, The Death of Mother Jones, appears in here in two takes. The fidelity is generally excellent though highly variable, considering the rarity of the source material; to its credit, Bear Family did not lop off the top frequencies like B.A.C.M., JSP, ASV and Proper routinely do. Packy Smith's notes offer a concise overview of Autry's pre-Hollywood days. Tip: Play the last two tracks on Disc Nine after the kids are in bed. (DS)

 
CLIFF CARLISLE JSP JSPCD 7768 Volume 2: When I Feel Froggie I'm Gonna Hop ● CD $28.98
Second collection of sides by this superb early country artist features 97 tracks recorded between 1930 and 1941 drawn from 78s in the collection of Joe Bussard. Includes many tracks making their first appearance on CD
CLIFF CARLISLE: A Little Bit Of Lovin’ From You/ A Little White Rose/ Alone And Lonesome/ Alone And Lonesome/ Birmingham Jail/ Birmingham Jail No. 2/ Blue Dreams/ Blue Eyes/ Blue Yodel No. 6/ Box Car Yodel/ Casey County Jail/ Childhood Dreams/ Childhood Dreams/ Crazy Blues/ Deep Sea Blues/ Desert Blues/ Dollar’s All I Crave/ Don’t Marry The Wrong Woman/ Down In The Jailhouse On My Knees/ Dream A Little Dream Of Me/ End Of Memory Lane/ Flag That Train/ Fussin’ Mama/ Georgia Moon/ Go And Leave Me If You Wish To/ Going Back To Alabama/ Hen Pecked Man/ Hobo Jack’s Last Ride/ Hobo Jack’s Last Ride/ I Believe I’m Entitled To You/ In A Box Car Around The World/ I’m Glad I’m A Hobo/ I’m Lonely And Blue/ Jesus My All/ Just A Lonely Hobo/ Just A Lonely Hobo/ Just A Wayward Boy/ Just A song At Childhood/ Lonely/ Longing For You/ Look Out I’m Shifting Gears/ Looking For Tomorrow/ Louisiana Blues/ Memories That Make Me Cry/ My Little Sadie/ My Lonely Boyhood Days/ My Old Saddle Horse Is Missing/ My Two Time Mama/ Never No Mo’ Blues/ No Wedding Bells/ Nobody Wants Me/ On My Way To Lonesome Valley/ On The Lone Prairie/ Ramblin’ Jack/ Ramshackled Shack On The Hill/ Ridin’ That lonesome Train/ Ridin’ The Blinds To The Call Of The Pines/ Rocky Road/ Roll On Blue Moon/ She Waits For Me There/ She’s Waiting For Me/ Shine On Harvest Moon/ Shufflin’ Gal/ So Blue/ Sunshine And Daisies/ Sweet As The Roses Of Spring/ Sweet Nannie Lisle/ T For Texas/ That Good Old Utah Trail/ The Bunch Of Cactus On The Wall/ The Cowboy Song/ The Fatal Run/ The Flower Of The Valley/ The Gal I Left Behind/ The Little Dobie Shack/ The Plea Of A Mother/ The Poor Widow/ The Rustler’s Fate/ The Vacant Cabin Door/ The Written Letter/ There’s A Lamp In The Window Tonight/ They Say It Is The End Of The Trail Old Paint/ Traveling Life Alone/ Two Little Sweethearts/ Valley Of Peace/ Virginia Blues/ When I Feel Froggie I’m Gonna Hop/ When I’m Dead And Gone/ When The Cactus Is In Bloom/ When The Old Cow Went Dry/ When You Wore A Tulip/ Where Southern Roses Climb/ Will You Meet Me Just Inside/ Won’t Somebody Pal With Me/ Wreck Of No. 52/ Your Saddle Is Empty Tonight/ You’ll Never Know

 
THE CARLISLES B.A.C.M. 167 Tennessee Memories ● CD $13.98
26 tracks, 63 mins, recommended
A delightful collection of country songs, novelty songs, gospel, pre rockabilly and country boogies recorded between 1951 and 1954. Starting off with veteran country singers Bill & Cliff Carlisle and Martha Carson the group went through several personnel changes over the years after Cliff and Martha left the group but the lead vocals of Bill and the use of the same group of musicians including fine guitar by Chet Atkins gave a consistency to the group's sound. Many of the songs were written by Bill Carlisle and show a delightful touch for the absurd with songs like Goo-Goo Da-da (Baby Latin Meaning "Daddy")/ Bargain Day Half Off/ It's bedtime Bill and others. There's also straight ahead country numbers like their version of The Louvin BrothersOne My Way To The Show, Martha's composition Tennessee Memories , Cliff's True Love and others. There are also a few gospel songs - Rusty Old Halo/ Leave That Liar Alone and more. (FS)
THE CARLISLES: A Dollar Ain't A Dollar Anymore/ A Rusty Old Halo/ Bargain Day Half Off/ Blue Arizona Moon/ Bye Bye My Love/ Goo Goo Da Da/ He Will Lead Safely/ I Would If I Could But I Can't/ It's Bedtime Bill/ Leave That Liar Alone/ Let Me Hold Your Little Hand/ Maybe More/ Middle Age Spread/ Moody's Goose/ My Happiness Belongs To Someone Else/ Nine Have Tried And Nine Have Died/ On My Way To The Show/ Patch Up Our Old Love Affair/ Pickin' Peas Down Long Pea Row/ Poor Man's Riches/ Teletouch/ Tennessee Memories/ That Little Difference/ This Heart Is Not For Sale/ True Love/ Unpucker

 
THE CARTER SISTERS Country Routes 39 With Mother Maybelle And Chet Atkins ● CD $16.98
Complementing Country Route 35 and 37 this is another great collection of sides drawn from Radiozark transcriptions featuring 40 tracks recorded in 1949 featuring The Carter Sisters accompanied by Chet Atkins who plays on almost every track and takes the lead on eight dynamite guitar solos and three fiddle solos! Mother Maybelle is featured on a dozen sides on lead or harmony vocals and plays banjo on three tracks. Only a handful of these tracks were recorded commercially. Includes I Wish I Had A NIckel/ Please Don't Leave Me Any More, Darling/ No letter Today/ Ragtime Annie/ Whispering Home/ All Broke Out With Love/ tramp On The Street/ Divorce Me C.O.D./ Liebestraum/ A Picture, A Ring And A Curl/ The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea/ A Sinner's Prayer/ Don Juan and more.
 
JOHNNY CASH Columbia-Legacy 94265 Personal File ● CD $24.98
2 CDs, 49 tracks, 139 mins, highly recommended
Johnny Cash's son John Carter Cash and the people at Columbia have unearthed a treasure trove of never-before heard Johnny Cash material. Over two hours of just Johnny Cash, his guitar, songs and stories recorded in the legendary House Of Cash recording studio. About half of the material are Cash originals, the rest is filled up with traditionals, Carter Family songs, and songs by writers he loved like John Prine, Cindy Walker, etc. This is an essential CD for Johnny Cash fans; a more intimate portrait from the man in black has not been released. (JM)

 
JUNE CARTER CASH Dualtone 1216 Ring Of Fire - The Best Of June Carter Cash ● CD $16.98
12 tracks 40 minutes Highly recommended
The last time that I saw June Carter Cash live, she came out--as she was famous for doing--barnstorming on the stage, kicking her shoes off into the air as she danced. This particular time my friend and I were on a balcony overlooking the stage right above them and my buddy got hit right between his eyes with one of her shoes. It was great; he couldn't have been more honored and I was honored to be witness to it. After he got over being stunned, he asked me what to do with it, we both agreed we should throw it back, so we tossed it to a roadie and we received a nod of appreciation from miss June that was worth the ticket price by itself. June Carter Cash stood firmly by an artist who cast one of the largest shadows in music history: she never was lost in it, but unless you saw them live, her musical output is pretty much unknown outside of Jackson, nowadays. Thankfully the folks at Dualtone records have the good grace and good sense to put out this beautiful collection. On this you get her sparkling version of her most famous composition Ring Of Fire. You also get fine versions of classics from the Carter Family song book, three duets with Johnny (two of which are vintage, one being The Far Side Banks Of Jordon from 2002) as well as three previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1998, 2002 and 2003 respectively, capturing some of the last sparks of a flame that burned long and bright. The last track, The Heel, will blow you away when you hear it; I won't give it away here, but it is almost worth the price of the CD itself. This is an enhanced CD, which includes a video for "Keep On The Sunny Side." (JM)

 
EDDIE CLETRO Bear Family BCD 16510 Flying Saucer Boogie ● CD $21.98
26 tracks, recommended
Q: EDDIE CLETRO is an obscure southern California via New Jersey western swing singer who sometimes teetered on the verge of Rockabilly, other times pop, right? A: Sure is, and of course Bear Family has no problem giving him the deluxe treatment with 26 tracks and a 36 page booklet! Wow! Cletro enjoyed the bulk of his success in the early to mid 1950's from whence all of these tracks are culled. Flying Saucer Boogie and Rock 'n' Roll Cowboy are here for the rockabilly collectors, but the bulk of this material is definitely of the western persuasion. The bulk of this material is also very good and by and large the sound is fantastic. Eddie Cletro was also fine without the spotlight, employing various front men and women throughout these recordings. Two tracks feature Eddie Dean on vocal, four Feature Rose Maddox (& Retta Maddox on one of those) and Donna Reynolds takes the lead on four tracks as well. Biographical material is a great read, original recording info is also included. (JM)

 
TOMMY COLLINS B.A.C.M. 165 Think It Over Boys ● CD $13.98
25 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended
Splendid collection of honky tonk country, novelty songs and the occasional gospel number from this brilliant singer and songwriter and pioneer of the Bakersfield sound. Recorded between 1953 and 1956 and accompanied by musicians like Buck Owens, Roy Nichols, Ralph Mooney, "Fuzzy" Owen and others he performs songs (nearly all self written) like Let Me Love You/ High On A Hilltop/ No Love Have I/ I'll Be Gone/ What Kind Of Sweetheart Are You/ Those Old Love Letters From You/ Feet Of The Traveler/ Think It Over Boys/ Upon This Rock and others. This set also includes his worst song - the utterly stupid Boob I Lak but one dud out of 25 isn't bad. (FS)
TOMMY COLLINS: A Man We Ought To Know/ Are You Ready To Go/ Boob I Lak/ Feet Of The Traveler/ High On A Hilltop/ I Always Get A Souvenir/ I Guess I'm Crazy/ I Love You More And More Each Day/ I Think Of You Yet/ I Wish I Had Died In My Cradle/ I'll Always Speak Well Of You/ I'll Be Gone/ Let Down/ Let Me Love You/ Love A Me S'il Vous Plait/ No Love Have I/ Smooth Sailin'/ That's The Way Love Is/ There'll Be No Other/ Think It Over Boys/ Those Old Love Letters From You/ Untied/ Upon This Rock/ Wait A Little Longer/ What Kind Of Sweetheart Are You

 
THE DELMORE BROTHERS JSP JSPCD 7765 Volume 2 - The Later Years, 1933-1952 ● CD $28.98
Four CD box set with 97 tracks complementing JSPCD 7727 by this great brother duo.
THE DELMORE BROTHERS: Ain’t It Hard To Love/ Alcatraz Island Blues/ Baby You’re Throwing Me Down/ Barnyard Boogie/ Be My Little Pet/ Blues Stay Away From Me/ Brother Take Warning/ Brown’s Ferry Blues/ Brown’s Ferry Blues No.3/ Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow/ By The Banks Of The Rio Grande/ Calling To That Other Shore/ Carry Me Back To Alabama/ Don’t Forget Me/ Don’t Forget Me Darling/ Don’t Let Me Be In The Way/ Down Home Boogie/ Everybody Loves Her/ Fast Express/ Fifty Miles To Travel/ Freight Train Boogie/ Gambler’s Yodel/ Gathering Flowers From The Hillside/ Goin’ Back To Georgia/ Goin’ Back To The Blue Ridge Mountains/ Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar No.2/ Good Time Saturday Night/ Harmonica Blues/ Heart Of Sorrow/ Hey, Hey I’m Memphis Bound/ Hillbilly Boogie/ Home On The River/ I Ain’t Gonna Stay Here Long/ I Believe It For My Mother Told Me So/ I Don’t Know Why I Love Her/ I Found An Angel/ I Guess I’ve Got To Be Going/ I Know I’ll Be Happy In Heaven/ I Let The Freight Train Carry Me On/ I Loved You Better Than You Know/ I Wonder Where My Darling Is Tonight/ I’ll Never Fall In Love Again/ I’m Alabama Bound/ I’m Going Back To Alabama/ I’m Leavin’ You/ I’m Leavin’ You/ I’m Lonesome Without You/ I’m Sorry I Caused You To Cry/ Just The Same Sweet Thing To Me/ Kentucky Mountain/ Last Night I Was Your Only Darling/ Leavin’ On That Train/ Lonely Moon/ Lonesome Day/ Look Up, Look Down That Lonesome Road/ Memories Of My Carolina Girl/ Midnight Special/ Midnight Train/ Mississippi Shore/ Mobile Boogie/ My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains/ New False Hearted Girl/ Nothing But The Blues/ Now I’m Free/ Peach Tree Streeet Boogie/ Please Be My Sunshine/ Precious Jewel/ Prisoner’s Farewell/ Quit Treatin’ Me Mean/ Ramblin’ Minded Blues/ Remember I Feel Lonesome Too/ Rounder’s Blues/ Shame On Me/ She Left Me Standing On The Mountain/ She Won’t Be My Little Darling/ Some Of These Days You’re Gonna Be Sad/ Somebody Else’s Darling/ Stop That Boogie/ Sweet, Sweet Thing/ Tennessee Choo Choo/ That’s How I Feel So Goodbye/ The Farmer’s Girl/ The Fast Old Shovel/ The Girl By The River/ The Only Star/ The Storms Are On The Ocean/ The Trail Of Time/ The Wabash Cannonball Blues/ The Wrath Of God/ There’s A Lonesome Road/ There’s Sumpin’ About Love/ Trouble Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues/ Used Car Blues/ Waitin’ For That Train/ Who’s Gonna Be Lonesome For Me/ Why Did You Leave Me Dear/ Wonderful There

 
THE DILLARDS Varese 66716 Early Recordings, 1959 ● CD $13.98
10 tracks, 21 mins, recommended
Fresh faced Doug and Rodney Dillard on banjo, guitar and vocals with "Special Guest" Dean Webb were already turning into some fine Bluegrass musicians when they recorded these tracks in 1959. All of this was recorded in a small home studio in St. Louis Missouri and has been in the vaults ever since. Re-mastered for this release, with Dillards member Dean Webb added on for extra flavor. This is a slim offering, clocking in at just under 21 minutes, but it's still quite enjoyable. Great photos included from the Dillard family photo album. (JM)

 
KINKY FRIEDMAN Shout Factory 10155 Last Of The Jewish Cowboys - The Best Of Kinky Friedman ● CD $13.98
15 tracks, 51 mins, highly recommended
As I write this, the honorable Kinky Friedman has fallen short of becoming the next Governor of Texas; he did, however, get half a million votes, which is probably more than he has sold of any of his records. Kinky is a helluva performer, but definitely not everyone's cup of tea. To use a simple comic book metaphor/formula: If Hank Williams was Superman and Johnny Cash was Batman, then Kinky Friedman would be the Fabulous Furry Freak brothers. you know what I mean? This features such sentimental favorites as The Ballad of Charles Whitman ("There was a rumor, about a tumor."), Asshole From El Paso (his answer record to Okie From Muskogee,) Somethin's Wrong With The Beaver, Sold American, and his biggest hit, They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore. Kinky Friedman is one of a kind and you'll either vote for him or against him, he conjures no neutral reactions. (JM)

 
JIMMIE HEAP Cattle 328 The Wild Side Of Life, 1949-1951 ● CD $18.98
22 tracks from the early years of this fine honky tonk bandleader recorded for Imperial between 1949 and 1951. Jimmie led a fine band which featured fiddler Houston "Perk" Williams who did most of the vocals, steel guitarist Cecil R. "Butterball Harris, pianist Arlie A. Carter and others while Heap himself was featured on lead guitar. Heap was the first artist to record The Wild Side Of Life though Hank Thompson' cover was the big heat. Curiously the version included here has overdubbed instrumentation - it would have been nice to have the original.
JIMMIE HEAP: A Coffin Built For Two/ A Million Tears/ Butter Ball Bounce / Carbon Copy/ Don't Steal My Dreams/ Drop In The Bucket/ Easy Way Out/ Honk Your Horn/ I Hope You're Satisfied/ If Mama Was Here/ If Tomorrow Could Be Yesterday/ It's One Thing To Forgive Another To Forget/ More Than Friends/ Morning, Noon And Night/ Somebody's Blue/ Sunset Sends Sorrow/ That's That/ There's A Broken Pane In The Window Of My Heart/ Till Death Do You Part/ When They Operated On Papa They Opened Mama's Male/ Wild Side Of Life/ You Were Meant To Ruin My Dreams

 
HEE HAW GOSPEL QUARTET Time Life 21079 Hee Haw Gospel Quartet ● CD $19.98
Two CD set featuring 30 country gospel songs performed by members of the legendary (?) "Hee Haw" T.V. Show in astyle influenced by the great Brown's Ferry Four. The line up on most tracks is Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Grandpa Jones (who was a member of The Browns Ferry Four) and Kenny Price with Joe babcock replacing Owens on half a dozen cuts. Includes Jesus Hold My Hand/ Turn Your Radio ON/ Amazing Grace/ Empty Mansions/ Only One Step More/ Gone Home/ Will You Meet Me Over Yonder/ His Boundless Love/ The Old Country Churtch/ On The Jericho Road, etc.
 
BUD ISAACS Bear Family BCD 16798 Bud's Bounce ● CD $21.98
25 tracks, 56 minutes, essential
Bootlegs excluded, Bud Isaacs' pedal steel instrumentals for RCA Victor have never been collected on LP or compact disc until now. Musically, Isaacs wasn't as dynamic as Speedy West, as transcendent as Jerry Byrd or as complex as Buddy Emmons. And despite what annotator Eddie Stubbs claims, he wasn't the first steel player on record to conquer the instrument's limitations through string-bending foot pedals. However, Isaacs remains an innovative, appealing stylist. His benchmark performance on Webb Pierce's 1953 hit Slowly instantly consigned conventional lap steels into retrodom. Chet Atkins brokered an RCA contract for the southern Indiana native in 1954. Besides playing on the guitarist's classic "A Session with Chet Atkins" album, Isaacs' RCA stint yielded eight singles and an EP before a draft notice abruptly ended his recording career in 1956. With Atkins present on one side of the studio glass or the other, Isaacs's records have an appealing Atkinsesque feel. None of his singles were major hits - postwar C&W instrumentals never were - but they influenced a generation of musicians. Hot Mocking Bird and Bud's Bounce quickly entered the standard steel guitar repertoire. Fiddler Dale Potter shares breaks with Atkins on some numbers. This set includes four previously unissued titles and an alternate issued take of Bud's Bounce. The sound quality is exquisite, sourced from the full-track mono masters. Eddie Stubbs contributes thorough if overly Nashville-centric notes. Well worth having and most importantly, it holds up to repeated plays. (DS)
Hot Mocking Bird/The Waltz You Saved for Me/Bud's Steel Guitar Stomp/Indian Love Call/Skokiaan/Bud's Boogie/Yesterday's Waltz/Cowboy Conga/Panhandle Rag/Beautiful Mahana/Steel Guitar Breakdown/Kentucky Waltz/Turn Around/Steelin' Home/By the Waters of Minnetonka/Blue Mirage/Waltz of the Ozarks/Bud's Bounce/Texas Playboy Rag/Westphalia Waltz/Boing!/Bud's Waltz/Sweet and Hot/Bohemiana Polka/Buds Bounce (alt)

 
WANDA JACKSON Ace CDCHD 1125 The Very Best Of The Country Years ● CD $18.98
30 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
Although I especially love Wanda Jackson's Rock `N' Roll songs, I still have to give credit to her long and excellent Country music career. Wanda started as a teenager singing for Country legend Hank Thompson's band, which led her to a Decca records contract of her own. Her Decca contract lasted for a total of seven singles, only one of which, a duet with fellow Thompson band member called You Can't Have My Love, even reached the lower regions of the charts. Following her graduation from high school, she signed with Capitol records, a label that she would stay with for the next 13 years. All of the tracks on this CD are from official Capitol records releases and all but one (1958's I Wanna Waltz) were recorded between 1961 - 1972. Essentially this is a greatest hits and overview of her career as a Country music singer. All of her singles that charted are here, mixed with outstanding album tracks. Ace has already done the retrospective on Wanda's Rock `N' Roll career; now they do an equally fine job on this phase of her career. I grew up on Wanda Jackson's Country and R&R recordings, but I have never heard any of her Gospel outings. With her magnificent voice, I can imagine there is some good stuff in there as well. Maybe Ace will go all-out and provide us with a third installment? (JM)

 
KARL & HARTY B.A.C.M. 168 Old Time Harmony Singing ● CD $13.98
21 tracks, 62 minutes, recommended
Major figures on radio and record through the thirties, Karl Davis & Harty Taylor have rarely been tapped for reissues. Their singing style - recalling the 19th-Century parlor balladry of their idols Lester McFarland and Robert Gardner (Mac & Bob) - is admittedly a generation removed from the crooning and/or high-energy "brother" duets that followed in their wake. However, many close-harmony duet singers cited Karl & Harty as an influence, and their most popular songs still endure. Natives of Renfro Valley, Kentucky, Karl & Harty moved to Chicago in 1931 to become a featured act within WLS's popular string band, The Cumberland Ridge Runners. After making their first recordings for Paramount, the duo hit their stride in 1934 after signing with ARC. Such Davis-penned or collaborative songs as Kentucky, I'm Just Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail and A Prisoner's Dream became country harmony standards. By the 1940s Karl & Harty were continually at odds with their record companies, which demanded racier, upbeat jukebox novelties. Though Davis penned suitable numbers, the duo's performances were perfunctory. In 1951 the men dissolved their act rather than further compromising their ideals. This collection sidesteps Karl & Harty's best-known songs from the mid-'30s in favor of traditional material and lesser-known originals. Two songs are from Paramount and fourteen are from ARC/Columbia, including We Buried Her Beneath the Willow, a tribute to the Ridge Runners' recently deceased vocalist Linda Parker. Five Capitol and Gold Seal sides capture the waning days of their recording career. The sound quality is adequate, though lacking high end. Brian Chalker's notes distill the duo's fascinating and ultimately heartbreaking story. A welcome release, if not the definitive anthology Karl & Harty really deserve. The correct song sequence is below. (DS)
Also Available: Cattle CCD 245 Memories of the WLS National Barn Dance( $18.98) Twenty-six Karl & Harty tracks, no duplications with the above B.A.C.M. Songs include I'm Just Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail, The Prisoner's Dream and Don't Monkey 'Round My Widder
Twenty-One Years/I Wonder How the Old Folks Are at Home/I Dreamed I Searched Heaven for You/We Buried Her Beneath the Willow/No Place to Pillow My Head/Tennessee River Farewell/Answer to the Prisoner's Dream/Two-Faced Preacher/Don't Be Blue Little Pal/I'll Always Love You/I Hide My Face and Cry/You Let Me Down/Truck Driver's Sweetheart/What's Wrong with the Women Today/Ain't You Ashamed/She's Got the Cutest Eyes/Single Man Blues/Down in the Valley/You Cooked Your Goose with Me/Don't Mix Whiskey with Women/I'm Coming Home This Evening

 
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON New West 6098 Live From Austin, Texas ● CD $16.98
CD, 16 tracks, 54 min., recommended
You put him in front of a talented band of total pros and he doesn't sound half bad--it's just the half that sings flat that assaults the ears, occasionally. But after a while the songs push such thoughts right away (even newer material such as Nobody Loves Anybody Anywhere is praiseworthy), but never very far. So, while he includes his best numbers, circa 1981, his performance is still bound by his natural limitations. All things considered though, this set does an excellent job of capturing K. at a particularly bright moment in his musical development, and since he was one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, that's something worth hearing. (JC)

 
JIMMY MARTIN Gusto-Delux 0603 Jimmy Martin's 20 Greatest Hits ● CD $8.98
20 tracks, recommended
Previously issued as Deluxe 7863. Jimmy Martin is one of the great voices in bluegrass and his classic recordings for Decca and RCA are the equal of almost anybody else in the genre. Like most of Decca's traditional country artists he was dropped by the label in the 70s and started recording for Gusto from where these recordings come. His singing was still fine and his band The Sunny Mountain Boys (no personell is listed) provide solid accompaniments on banjo, fiddle, dobro & bass. The songs are a mixture of remakes of his more popular Decca songs along with old bluegrass and country standards - Freeborn Man/ Pete, The Best Coon Dog In The State Of Tennessee/ Uncle Pen/ Blue Moon Of Kentucky/ Honey, You Don't Know My Mind/ Widow Maker/ I Know You're Married (But I Love You Still)/ Run Pete Run/ One Woman Man/ Taylor Made Sally Good and more. Very nice indeed. (FS)
 
THE MASTERS FAMILY Cattle 327 Back In The Good Ole Days, 1948-1954 ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, 63 mins, essential
A fabulous collection of old time country gospel plus a couple of secular songs by Johnnie & Lucille Masters and their son Owen recorded between 1948 and 1954. Most of the tracks feature them accompanied by guitar and mandolin with various other additional instruments including some wonderful piano, Dobro and on some of the later tracks steel guitar by Don Helms. Most of the songs here were written by Johnnie Masters and include That Little Old Country Church/ Gloryland March and Cry From The Cross which have become country gospel standards. If you liked the recent release by James Roberts and Martha Carson you're sure to love this too. (FS)
THE MASTERS FAMILY: Back In The Good Old Days/ From Forty To Sixty-five/ Glory Land March/ Hand Me Down My Silver Trumpet/ Happiness Comes On Spiritual Wings/ I Have Changed/ I Won't Have To Cross Jordan Alone/ It's All Coming True/ Just A Sinner Saved By Grace/ Marching On To Glory/ My Heart's Like A Beggar/ New World To Come/ Noah And The Mighty Ark/ Singing In The Promised Land/ Southbound Passenger Train/ Swing Wide Ye Golden Gates/ That Little Old Country Church/ The Cry From The Cross/ The Man Of Galilee/ They've Made A New Bible/ When He Heard My Plea/ When The Wagon Was New/ While The Ages Roll On/ You Gotta Pray

 
SMILEY MAXEDON Cattle 325 A Hillbilly Voice Like Dynamite ● CD $18.98
20 tracks, 52 mins, recommended
Another fine country performer rescued from oblivion by Cattle Records. Roy "Smiley" Maxedon was originally from Illinois but settled in California in the 40s where he formed his band The Okaw Valley Boys featuring the great electric guitarist Roy Nichols who may be taken the hot solos on a few of the songs here. Prior to this release the only other reissue of Maxedon was of his fine bluesy western swing flavored number Give Me A Red Hot Mama And An Ice Cold Beer - this is here along with all the rest of his issued recordings cut between 1951 and 1955 and is a nice mix of slow and mid tempo honky tonk numbers all sung with his distinctive dark baritone voice and accompanied by a solid group of musicians. (FS)
SMILEY MAXEDON: Blue As Blue Can Be/ Crazy To Care/ Give Me A Red Hot Mama And An Ice Cold Beer/ Give Me Your Love For Awhile/ I Want You/ I'll Swear You Don't Love Me/ I'm Shuttin' The Door On Love/ If I Should Change My Ways (would You Still Love Me?)/ In The Window Of My Heart/ Little Brother Joe/ Oh, Why Did I Cheat?/ Sunshine In The Rain/ That's All Right/ Too Late To Cry Over You/ Until Then/ We Can't Live Together/ What Good Is My Love (if It's Wasted)/ Why Can't You Look Me In The Eye/ You've Lost Too Much/ Your Old Love Letters

 
PATSY MONTANA ASV CDAJA 5516 The Original Cowboy's Sweetheart ● CD $11.98
27 tracks, recommended
This is a nice collection with a whole herd of great Patsy Montana from her heyday: 1934-1944. Starting off with her landmark recording "I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart" in 1944 and following her career up to 1944 recording with the WLS band members. The bulk of the material is with varying line-ups of the Prairie Ramblers, but they also sneak in a fun outing of "Gallopin' To Gallup" with The Sons Of The Pioneers. (JM)
PATSY MONTANA: Back on Montana Plains/ Cowboy Rhythm/ Echoes from the Hills/ Goodnight, Soldier/ I Only Want a Buddy, Not a Sweetheart/ I Want to Be a Cowboy's Dream Girl/ I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart/ I'm an Old Cowhand/ Leanin' On the Old Top Rail/ Little Sweetheart of the Ozarks/ Lone Star/ Montana/ Moon Hangs Low (On the Ohio)/ My Baby's Lullaby/ My Dear Old Arizona Home/ My Poncho Pony/ Old Nevada Moon/ Ridin' the Sunset Trail/ Rodeo Sweetheart/ She Buckaroo/ Shine On, Rocky Mountain Moonlight/ Singing in the Saddle/ Smile and Drive Your Blues Away/ Swing Time Cowgirl/ Wheel of the Wagon Is Broken/ When the Flowers of Montana Are Blooming/ Gallopin' to Gallup

 
WILLIE NELSON DBK Works 124 54 Songs: The Songwriter Sessions ● CD $27.98
3 CDs, 54 tracks, 140 mins, highly recommended
Outstanding collection. Willie Nelson is the greatest living Country songwriter and here's a three CD set bursting at the seams with proof to that argument. You don't get the hits that Willie recorded, or hits by others like Hello Walls or Crazy, (you do get an early recording of Willie doing Night Life); instead, you get fantastic nuggets of gold like I Let My Mind Wander/ The Ghost, Half A Man/ Pride Wins Again/ Happiness Lives Next Door, and so many more great tunes. A lot of the tracks on this appeared on big label releases during the 1960s, but what you get here for the most part are the demo, or stripped down, versions without the Countrypolitan RCA productions. Tracks are recorded between the late 1950s through the 1960s, although booklet information isnt very clear on the matter. Great stuff! (JM)

 
BUCK OWENS DBK Works 125 Down On The Corner Of Love ● CD $9.98
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)

 
WEBB PIERCE Acrobat ADDCD 3026 The Complete Four Star & Pacemaker Recordings ● CD $13.98
Two CD set with 30 tracks featuring the complete Four Star and Pacemaker recordings recorded by Webb in 1949 and 1950 before his signing with Decca and his numerous hits.

 
TEX RITTER B.A.C.M. 171 Pledge Of Allegiance ● CD $13.98
27 tracks recorded between 1948 and 1956 featuring the deep dark vocal stylings of Maurice Woodward "Tex" Ritter. The emphasis on western flavored songs and includes his famous theme song from the movie "High Noon" Do Not Forsake Me plus Long Black Rifle/ Marshall Of Wichita/ Last Wagon/ Remember The Alamo/ Marshall's Daughter/ A Whale Of A tale/ Cool water/ San Antonio Rose/ Paul Bunyan Love, etc.
 
 
JEAN SHEPARD B.A.C.M. 170 This Has Been Your Life ● CD $13.98
25 tracks, 64 minutes, highly recommended
One of premier stylists from country music's golden age, Jean Shepard unabashedly sang about heartbreak and the emotional consequences resulting from illicit affairs. Possessing a brassy, full-throated delivery similar to Kay Starr's, she signed with Capitol when she was eighteen years old. Her second record, a cover of Fuzzy Owen and Bonnie Owens' weeper A Dear John Letter, struck gold in 1953; other chart hits soon followed, including A Satisfied Mind/ Beautiful Lies/ Take Possession and I Thought of You. This B.A.C.M. collection primarily focuses on Shepard's prime 1952-56 output, mostly recorded in Hollywood with such sidemen as Speedy West, Lewis Talley, Roy Nichols and Buck Owens. Hank Fort's novelty I Didn't Know the Gun Was Loaded comes from an Armed Forces Recruiting Services transcription. With the Country Music Foundation's single-disc Shepard anthology long out of print, this collection serves as a worthy introduction to this longtime Opry member. Sound is better than usual for B.A.C.M.; British country singer Gerry Ford penned a brief bio and appreciation. (DS)
ALSO AVAILABLE: Bear Family BCD 15905 The Melody Ranch Girl ($104.98) Shepard's complete 1952-64 Capitol output on five CDs, including a 36-page book with extensive photos, a sessionography and bio by Dale Vinicur.
JEAN SHEPARD: A Dear John Letter/ A Satisfied Mind/ Be Honest With Me/ Beautiful Lies/ Crying Steel Guitar Waltz/ Did You Tell Her About Me/ Don't Fall In Love With A Married Man/ Don't Rush Me/ Forgive Me John/ Glass That Stands Beside You/ He Loved Me Once And He'll Love Me Again/ I Didn't Know The Gun Was Loaded/ I Learned It All From You/ I Thought Of You/ Just Give Me Love/ Please Don't Divorce Me/ Take Possession/ Thank You Just The Same/ This Has Been Your Life/ Twice The Lovin' In Half The Time/ Two Hoops And A Holler/ Why Did You Wait/ You Sent Her An Orchid You Sent Me A Rose/ You'll Come Crawlin'/ You're Calling Me Sweetheart Again

 
GLEN SHERLEY Bear Family BCD 16845 Live At Vacaville, California ● CD $21.98
Country singer and songwriter Glen Sherley was one of the inmates at Folsom Prison when Johnny Cash played his famous live concert in 1968 and one of the songs Cash sang was Sherley's Greystone Chapel. Cash took an interest in Sherley's fate after he was released in 1971 and helped him land a contract with Mega Records. He recorded an album live at Vacaville Prison - many of the songs dealing with his prison experiences. This CD reissues that LP plus two rare singles that never made it to the original LP.
 
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