New Releases: July
2010 -> March 2011
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
Bill Mack ->
Johnny Lee Wills
BILL MACK |
Jasmine 3594 |
Play My Boogie |
● CD $11.98 |
24 tracks, 62 mins, recommended
Although now Bill
Mack is much more well-known for being a Country music songwriter
(he wrote one of LeAnn Rimes biggest hits) and Disc Jockey
(currently on Sirius/ XM satellite radio) he was a talented Honky
Tonk singer as far back as the late 1940's. Bill Mack always had his
DJ career on the front burner, but he also tried his hand as a
singer and was in the right place at the right time to land not only
a regular gig on "The Western Barn Dance" out of Wichita Falls,
Texas, but also a contract with Imperial records. All of the
recordings here are from his Imperial releases of the 1950s. A fine
singer in the Hank Williams mode, with an excellent fiddle and pedal
steel heavy band backing him up, these recordings show an artist
that could have probably had a bigger singing career if he wanted,
although I think what it most clearly illustrates is a fine
songwriter developing, with 21 of the 24 tracks here-most of them
very good-written primarily by Mack. This is certainly a nice
addition to any Honky Tonk collection. (JM)
|
J.E.
MAINER & HIS MOUNTAINEERS |
Gusto 2206 |
Run Mountain - 30 Old Time Favorites |
● CD $6.98 |
30 tracks, 78 mins, highly recommended
Great
collection of bluegrass and proto-bluegrass music from country music
pioneer J.E. Mainer drawn from three sessions held for King Records
in 1946 and 1961. The earlier sessions feature J.E. on vocal and
fiddle with sons Glenn and Curley on banjo and bass and an
unidentified but superb mandolin player. Personnell on the later
session is unknown but very fine. The music is mostly traditional
songs and tunes along with some Mainer originals including Run
Mountain/ Tears At The Altar/ Country Breakdown/ Take Hold Of My
Hand/ LOnely Tombs/ Shoot The Turkey Buzzard/ Get Away Old Man, Get
Away/ Don't Tease Me THis Way/ Mainer's Jew's Harp/ John Henry
and others. On Yodelin' Mountaineer, J.E. engages in some
exceptional yodeling. Sound quality is decent though there is a bit
too much echo on the early sides and on the 1961 session the string
bass is overly prominent. Still the music is so good it doesn't
matter too much. (FS)
|
GEORGE MCCORMICK & EARL AYCOCK |
Bear Family BCD 17121 |
Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight -
Better Stop, Look & Listen |
● CD $21.98 |
Just arrived. 29 high class 1950s sides made in
Nashville featuring musicians ranging from Hank Williams's band to
the A team! Contains all 6 original 78s by George McCormick and Earl
Aycock and another 6 singles by George McCormick. Sweet Little
Miss Blue Eyes and If You Got Anything Good are often
cited among the best country duet recordings of all time! Three of
the songs were scheduled for Hank Williams to record before he died.
George McCormick later led the Wagonmasters band for Porter Wagoner
and was Dolly Parton's first duet partner on the Wagoner TV show.
Earl Aycock later was a DJ in Texas and Louisiana. A 40-page booklet
by Martin Hawkins featuring unpublished interviews with George
McCormick.
GEORGE MCCORMICK & EARL AYCOCK: (All You've Given
Me Is) Heartaches/ (If You) Got Anthing Good (You Better Save It)/
After All We've Been Through/ Better Stop, Look And Listen/ Can I/
Cry Baby Cry/ Don't Add An Ex To Your Name/ Don't Fix Up The
Doghouse/ Don't, Don't, Don't (take 2)/ Don't, Don't, Don't (take
3)/ Don't, Don't, Don't (take 5)/ Done Gone/ Doubt/ Eleven Roses
(And The Twelfth Is You)/ Fifty-Fifty Honky Tonkin'/ Flutter Bug/
Going Steady With The Blues/ Gold Wedding Band/ Hi There, Sweet
Thing/ I Don't Know Nothing About Nothing/ I Guess You Don't Care/
I'll Keep Your Name On File/ I'm Just Passing Through/ Remember And
Regret/ Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes/ Take A Look At My Darlin'/ The
Blues Moved In This Morning/ The Sundown Train/ You're High Tone
Ways
|
THE MILLER SISTERS |
Charly SNAM 952 |
Got You On My Mind - The Sun
Recordings, 1954-1957 |
● CD $15.98 |
28 tracks of rock 'n' roll and country recorded for
Sun between 1954 and '57 by sisters-in-law Elsie Jo Wages-Miller and
Mildred "Millie" Miller. It includes all their issued sides,
originally unissued sides, alternate takes and tracks backing up
Gene Simmons, Glenn Honeycutt and Cast King. Includes booklet with
detailed notes by Sam Szczepanski.
|
GEORGE MORGAN |
B.A.C.M. 313 |
One Woman Man |
● CD $14.98 |
28 sides recorded between 1949 and 1957 by this
smooth voiced country singer whose style was much like that of Eddy
Arnold though his arrangements never strayed too far from straight
honky tonk. This collection does not include any of his hits but
concentrates on lesser known material like Put All Your Love In A
Cookie Jar/ Broken Candy Heart/ Love, Love, Love/ Best Mistake/ Send
For My Baby/ Our Summer Vacation/ It's A Sin/ White Azaleas,
etc.
GEORGE MORGAN: Put All Your Love In A Cookie Jar/
Ring On Your Finger/ My Heart Keeps Telling Me/ Broken Candy Heart/
One Woman Man/ Look What Followed Me Home Tonight/ No One Knows It
Better Than Me/ Love, Love, Love/ First Time I Told You A Lie/
Walking Shoes/ Sweetheart/ Best Mistake/ Ever So Often/ Lonesome
Record/ Tears Behind The Smile/ Send For My Baby/ Don't Cry For You
I Love/ Now You Know/ Our Summer Vacation/ It Always Ended Too Soon/
A Cheap Affair/ It's A Sin/ Mansion Over The Hilltop/ The One Rose
That's Left In My Heart/ So Lonesome/ White Azaleas/ You're The Only
Star In My Blue Heaven/ I'd Like To Know
|
MOON MULLICAN |
Gusto 2165 |
I'll Sail My Ship Alone |
● CD $4.98 |
20 tracks, fair
Collection of sides recorded for
King and Starday in the 50s and 60s by this fine honky tonk singer
and influential player. Some great music but remastering is mediocre
and distorted and his big hit I'll Sail My Ship Alone is
either a remake or overdubbed version. Also includes Good Time
Gonna Roll Again/ Trouble, Trouble/ Triflin' Woman Blues/ Piano
Breakdown/ Rheumatism Boogie, etc. (FS)
|
MOON MULLICAN |
T-Bird 008 |
I'll Sail My Ship Alone/ Mister
Honky Tonk Man |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, recommended
First ever CD reissue of the
great Moon Mullican's last recordings made for the Nashville based
Spar label in 1966 and originally issued on two LPs. It includes
re-recordings of some of his old favorites like Columbus Stockade
Blues/ I'll Sail My Ship Alone (covered twice by Jerry Lee
Lewis), You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry and Old
Pipeliner, but many of the songs are new material like Mr.
Honky Tonk Man/ Man In The Moon/ I Ain't No Beatle (But I Want To
Hold Your Hand) and the seriously rockin' I'm On My Way Home.
Moon's singing and playing are fine and he is accompanied by a small
group with vocal chorus on some tracks. The one drawback is the
rather thin, and at times muffled, sound, - I don't know if this is
a fault of the original recording or the remastering but it does
detract from an otherwise very enjoyable recording. (FS)
|
COWBOY SAM NICHOLS |
B.A.C.M. 328 |
The Old Cowhand From The Rio Grande |
● CD $14.98 |
28 tracks, highly recommended
Texas singer Sam
Nichols enjoyed modest West Coast success in the late 40's, first
with the tiny Memo and Bixby labels in 1946 then for MGM. His
records had the breezy feel of Jack Guthrie's Capitol sides and
little wonder. He and Guthrie used some of the same sidemen - Porky Freeman(elec.g), Red Murrell & Billy Hughes(g), Al Barker(b), Curly
Cochran(stl.g) & Jesse Ashlock on hot swing fiddle. Several tracks
feature backing by members of Spade Cooley's band including Cooley,
Tiny Hunt and Billy Hill (fiddle), Noel Boggs(stl.g) & Jimmy
Wyble(g) and others include appearances by the Farr Brothers and
Merle Travis. Nichols easy going vocal style is most appealing and
with the stellar musical backing makes for very enjoyable listening.
(FS)
SAM NICHOLS: Ain't That Too Bad/ Honky Tonk Baby/
I Gotta Tie My Baby (To A Hitchin' Post)/ I Want My Alimony/ I Want
My Alimony-2/ I Wonder Why I Worry Over You/ I'm As Free As A
Breeze/ I'm Not The Triflin' Kind/ I'm Telling You/ It Never Rains
But What It Pours/ It's My Life/ Keep Your Motor Hot/ Mississippi
Gal/ Nobody's Fool/ One Sided Love/ Red Hair And Green Eyes/ Sows,
Cows, Plows/ That Wicked Look In Your Eye-1/ That Wild And Wicked
Look In Your Eye-2/ Two Weeks Notice/ Who Puts The Cat Out When
Papa's Out Of Town/ Win Or Lose/ Yellow Roses/ Yellow Roses-2/
You'll Live To Regret It (Wait And See)/ You're Free Again/ You're
So Heartless (And I'm So Forgiving)/ Your Key Don't Fit My Lock
Anymore
|
JAMES O'GWYNN |
B.A.C.M. 318 |
Muleskinner Blues |
● CD $14.98 |
28 tracks, 76 mins, recommended
James O'Gwynn was a
fine honky tonk singer, originally from Mississippi, though he did
much of his recording in Texas and his records have a strong Texas
honky tonk feel and, in particular, resemble those of George Jones.
O'Gwynn's voice was very much like Jones and his songs (often self
composed) were in a similar vein ranging from honky tonk weepers to
up-tempo novelty songs and with similar arrangements with fine steel
guitar and fiddle. This set features sides recorded between 1955 and
1960 for a variety of labels and includes all his chart hits from
the 50s (Talk To Me Lonesome Heart/ Blue Memories/ How Can I
Think Of Tomorrow and Easy Money) plus Changeable/
Muleskinner Blues (a fine version of the Jimmie Rodgers
classic)/Do You Miss Me/ How Can I Think Of Tomorrow/ Take The
Last Look, etc.
JAMES O'GWYNN: Another Falling Tear/ Blue
Memories/ Bottle Talk/ Changeable/ Do You Miss Me/ Easy Money/ House
Of Blue Lovers/ How Can I Think Of Tomorrow/ I Cry/ I Wish You Wuz
My Darling But You Ain't/ I Won't Love You Anymore/ Love In The Old
Fashioned Way/ Love Made Me Slave/ Muleskinner Blues/ Ready For
Freddy/ Someone Sweet To Love/ Take The Last Look/ Talk To Me
Lonesome Heart/ Tears Of Tomorrow/ That's All I Got From You/ Trying
To Forget You/ Two Little Hearts/ Were You Ever A Stranger/ Who Will
Be The Next One/ You Don't Want To Hold Me/ You're Too Easy To
Remember/ You've Always Won/ Your Love Is Strong But Your Heart Is
Weak
|
ANDY
PARKER & THE PLAINSMEN |
B.A.C.M. 329 |
Vol. 2 - The Coast Recordings |
● CD $14.98 |
26 tracks, highly recommended
Superb collection of western songs and western swing from this fine group who are
considered to be second only to The Sons Of The Pioneers. The fine
harmonies include Parker, lead vocalist Charlie Morgan and Hank
Caldwell and the group has exceptional instrumental accompaniment
from steel guitarist Joaquin Murphey, accordionist George Bamby and
various different fiddlers. The group get to show their instrumental
chops on half a dozen fine instrumentals. Songs and tunes
include
White Cross In Okinawa/ Guitar Polka/ Vance Lane Special/ New San
Antonio Rose/ Jack-O-Diamonds/ In The Hills Of Old Wyoming/ Here
Today And Gone Tomorrow and more. Better than average sound for
B.A.C.M. and high quality notes from Kevin Coffey. (FS)
ANDY PARKER & THE PLAINSMEN: Along The Rio Grande/
Blue Blue Eyes/ Colorado/ Down The Oregon Trail/ Guitar Polka
(Instr.)/ Here Today And Gone Tomorrow/ Honeysuckle Rose (Instr.)/ I
Learned To Love You Too Late/ I'm Gonna Gallup Into Gallup/ In The
Hills Of Old Wyoming/ Jack-O-Diamonds/ My Home In Apple Valley/ New
San Antonio Rose-1/ New San Antonio Rose-2/ Short Snort Polka
(Instr.)/ South (Instr.)/ Sweet Georgia Brown (Instr.)/ The Aspen
Trail/ The West Is As Wild As Ever/ Tumbleweed Trail/ Union Pacific/
Vance Lane Special (Instr.)/ Varsoviana (Instr.)/ Was The Cowboy
Right Or Wrong/ West Of The Wasatch/ White Cross In Okinawa
|
DOLLY PARTON |
Omni 138 |
The Fairest Of Them All/ My Favorite
Songwriter, Porter |
● CD $17.98 |
23 tracks, 62 mins, essential
There is a simple
choice to be made here. If you are a Dolly Parton fan, then you need
this CD. Don't even bother reading the rest of this review; I 100%
guarantee that if you are a Dolly Parton fan you want this CD. If
you aren't interested in this CD, than you aren't a Dolly Parton
fan, plain and simple. O.K., for those of you that still need
convincing, this release puts together two of Dolly's early albums
and releases them, plus excellent bonus tracks, for the first time
ever on CD. "The Fairest Of Them All" is simply one of Dolly's
greatest albums and features some of her strongest songwriting,
including the legendary song Down From Dover. In Dover
Dolly sings from the perspective of a pregnant woman stuck in a
horrible place in life, it's one of Dolly's most graphic and most
beautiful compositions. There are other powerful tracks here, like
Robert and Daddy Come and Get Me, but Down From
Dover is one in a million. The second album here features all
Porter Wagoner compositions and is wonderful for all kinds of other
reasons. It's clear that the folks at Omni records love what they do
and the care that they have taken with the sound, liner notes and
presentation of this CD are superb. The only possible down side that
I can think of is in the original production where there are
needless back-ground vocals that they could have taken out, but were
probably left in for continuities sake; but, that's hardly much of a
drawback. This is easily the most important Country music re-issue
of the year. (JM)
|
HANK PENNY |
Krazy Kat 25 |
Hollywood Western Swing |
● CD $16.98 |
Repressed by popular demand. First CD reissue of
this excellent and under-rated western swing artist features 26 cuts
cut between 1944 and '47 with hot sidemen like Merle Travis, Roy
Lanham, Jimmy Widener, Noel Boggs, Zeke Turner and others -
Tearstains On Your Letter/ Steel Guitar Stomp/ I'm Counting The
Days/ Missouri/ Low Down Woman Blues/ Texas In My Soul/ Red Hot Mama
& Ice Cold Papa/ Hillbilly Jump/ You Better Save It For A Rainy Day,
etc.
|
CHARLIE PHILLIPS |
Bear Family BCD 16840 |
Sugartime |
● CD $24.98 |
35 tracks, 86 mins, recommended
Texan Charlie
Phillips' song Sugartime is among the most-covered and
biggest selling songs of the 20th century. His first recording of
the song was recorded at Norman Petty's studios in 1957 with Buddy
Holly on guitar and issued on Coral without any sucess until it was
covered by The McGuire Sisters and became a big pop hit. This
collection features all his issued songs to 1967 including his
1962/63 hits for Columbia I Guess I'll Never Learn and
This Is The House. It also includes the best of his later songs
as well as several demos including his original 1956 demo of
Sugartime and a demo of the fine rockabilly number Faker.
Backing musicians include Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, Glen Campbell,
Al Casey and the cream of Nashville's session men. With his 4-octave
range, Charlie Phillips was a fine and soulful, if somewhat
mainstream, country singer. Also includes a studio master of
You're My LSD which needs to be heard to be believed and a
concert medley of Whole Lotta Shakin' / Johnny Be Goode / The
Twist / Rock Around The Clock & Sugartime backed by
several members of the Texas Playboys. Almost all the tracks on this
collection are making their first appearance on CD. Includes
copiously illustrated 68 page booklet with extensive notes by John
Ingman written in collaboration with Charlie and full discographical
info. (FS)
|
RILEY PUCKETT |
JSP JSPCD 77138 |
Country Music Pioneer - Selected
Cuts |
● CD $28.98 |
Four CDs, 100 tracks, very highly recommended
Another superb JSP box devoted to an important and great country
music pioneer - this time to blind singer and guitarist Riley
Puckett from Georgia. Puckett is probably best known as the
guitarist who underpinned the music of Gid Tanner & Skillet Lickers
but he recorded prolifically between 1924 and 1941 under his own
name and this collection is only a selection of his vast output.
Unlike the rough hewn vocals of Tanner, Puckett had a smoother
baritone voice and recorded a very diverse selection of music
including string band breakdowns, blues, traditional songs, western
songs and a fair number of popular and sentimental songs - depending
on your taste, the latter can be tough going but are important to
include to present a full picture of Puckett's talent and there's
plenty of the real stuff here to more than compensate. About half
the tracks feature Riley just with own guitar and the rest feature
varied accompaniment by fiddle, mandolin and banjo often by fellow
Skillet Lickers Gid Tanner, Ted Hawkins or Clayton McMichen. A
couple of tracks feature a very effective acccordion, which is not
listed in the discography accompanying this set or even in Tony
Russel's discography, including a great rendition of Frankie And
Johnny. Most of the tracks are vocals but there are a couple of
superb solo instrumentals including the gorgeous slide guitar piece
Darkey's Wail and the ragtimey Fuzzy Rag. The set
includes Puckett's original recordings of Ragged But Right
which has since become a country standard. Compiled and remastered
by CHris King, the sound quality is superb and there are
informative, but too brief, notes by Pat Harrison. (FS)
|
OLA BELLE REED |
Smithsonian Folkways 40202 |
Rising Sun Melodies |
● CD $16.98 |
19 tracks, highly recommended
Ola Belle Reed, who
died in 2002, was a superb Appalachian born singer, banjo player and
songwriter. Ola Belle started performing in the late 30s and in the
40s formed the band The New River Boys with her brother Alex
Campbell and recorded an album for Starday in 1963. After Alex
retired Ola Belle mostly worked with her husband Bud and their son
David and made a number of recordings for Folkways in the 1970s
performing traditional and original songs. Ola Belle was a rough
hewn and intense vocalist and fine songwriter who forged real life
experiences into music styled with determination , family tradition
and commanding presence. A number of her songs like I've Endured/
High On The Mountain and My Epitaph (all featured here)
have become bluegrass standards. The sides here are drawn from her
Folkways recordings and includes eight previously unissued tracks -
some from live performances. It addition to the aforementioned songs
there are other superb Ola Belle originals like Ola Belle's
Blues/ Tear Down The Fences and Fortunes as well as
splendid renditions of country and bluegrass standards like
Bonaparte's Retreat/ Look Down That Lonesome Road/ Nine Pound Hammer
and others. In addition to Bud and David she also occasionally
joined by Kevin Roth on dulcimer or John Coffey on fiddle. Superb
music with detailed 40 page booklet. (FS)
|
DON RENO |
King 5115 |
The Golden Guitar Of Don Reno |
● CD $5.98 |
15 tracks, 35 min., highly recommended
Sure, Don
Reno flat picked his way to become one of the greatest bluegrass
banjo players to ever to walk upright, and removing the adjective
"bluegrass" doesn't change the truth of the assertion. For evidence,
listen to just about anything by Reno And Smiley. As for the guitar,
golden or otherwise, who knew Reno could even play? Perhaps
unsurprisingly, he's not only impressive on the six strings, his
fingers appear to be on amphetamines. Recorded in 1972 in Nashville
for King Records, these instrumental tracks originally featured Reno
accompanied only by Bill Harrell on rhythm guitar and Buck Ryan on
fiddle. The session was never released. Then in 1998 the tapes were
resurrected and overdubbed with Ronnie, Duke, and Don Wayne Reno
backing their dad, if only sonically. The result (including
Peacock Rag/ Gray Eagle/ Turkey In The Straw/ Dixie Medely/ Ranger's
Waltz, and the curiously titled Lady Hamlet) is an
unusual but satisfying addition to the Reno catalogue of musical
wonders. (JC)
|
RENO & SMILEY/ RENO & HARRELL |
Gusto 2176 |
1963-1972 Complete King & Starday
Recordings |
● CD $24.98 |
Just arrived - four CD set with 95 tracks of classic
bluegrass. The first two CDs complete the reissue of the great
bluegrass duo Reno & Smiley's King recordings begun on Gusto 0959
(Four CDs - $24.98) and Gusto 0955 (Four CDs - $24.98). They feature
46 songs recorded in 1963 and '64. After Red Smiley retired in 1964
due to poor health REno worked with several groups and in 1967
teamed up with singer/ guitarist Bill Harrell and the duo worked
together for about ten years recording for a number of different
labels. The second two discs features recordings the duo made for
King and Starday between 1967 and 1972.
|
CHARLIE RICH |
American Beat 70142 |
Once A Drifter |
● CD $12.98 |
10 tracks, 36 mins, recommended
Charlie "The Silver
Fox" Rich was a unique performer and a unique and uniquely creative
personality. Although most of the Roots and Rhythm family and
friends probably prefer his early years up to about "Mohair Sam" in
the early '60s. It wouldn't be until the early '70s that he would
really achieve big successes. This album falls right at the tail end
of his commercial peak. With its big production, big strings and big
expectations, "Once A Drifter" seemed poised to be another big
release for Rich; however, upon its 1980 release it fell on
uncaring--or unhearing--ears and was his first major release in ten
years to not even crack the Country Top 40, let alone the pop chart.
Not that this is a bad album. Fans of Charlie Rich's '70s hits
should enjoy this. The music here is pretty far from Country; it is
more of a Soft Rock affair, sounding a lot more like Seals and
Crofts than Hank Williams. There are some highlights amongst all of
the lavish strings and polish, the cover of Eric Clapton's
Wonderful Tonight was a perfect choice for Rich and if he had
put it out five years earlier, it probably would have been a pretty
big hit. The album ends better than it begins, with Dream On Me/
Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues, and Are We Dreamin' The
Same Dream, being the best songs on the album besides the E.C.
cover. Charlie Rich would come back creatively a couple more times
before his tragic early death, but would never reach the commercial
heights that he was coming down from here. This album does grow on
you after a couple of listens though, so if you already have Rich's
classic records, you might want to give this one a shot. (JM)
|
CARSON ROBISON |
B.A.C.M. 331 |
Long Long Ways From Home - Featuring
The Pioneers |
● CD $14.98 |
22 tracks, highly recommended
With a recording
career that spanned from Edison cylinders to a rock-and-roll single,
Carson Robison was country music's first professional songsmith. His
ear finely tuned to mainstream Midwestern values, this Kansas native
penned hundreds of clever, melodic songs from his New York office:
topical ballads for Vernon Dalhart; sagas of rubes taken in by big
city ways; cowboy and rural nostalgia; and peppy gospel numbers.
This fine collection of sides features recordings made between 1929
and 1942 for nine different labels including seven sides recorded in
England when he toured there in 1932 and 1939. Arrangements are
varied, usually a small group with instrumentation including fiddle,
accordion, bass clarinet, jew's harp and more - often played by
multi-instrumentalist Frank Novak. There are topical songs (What
Are You Squawking About / Ohio Prison Fire/ Plain Talk, etc),
humorous songs (Jack Of All Trades/ How To Make Love/ Don't You
Believe It, etc.) and sentimental songs (There's A Ranch In
The Rockies/ The Candle Light In The Window/ Little Mother Of The
Hills, etc - the latter benefiting from the fine harmonies of
The Pioneers (John, Bill & Pearl Mitchell). Fine sound and
informative notes from Tony Russell. (FS/ DS)
|
JEAN SHEPARD |
Jasmine 3593 |
Beautiful Lies - The Early Years |
● CD $11.98 |
32 tracks, 80 min., very highly recommended
Out a
while but not listed before. Discovered by Hank Thompson and
credited with releasing the first concept album in country music --
"Songs Of A Love Affair" in 1956 -- Shepard spent the 1950s
releasing impressive single after impressive single for Capital
Records. The hits (e.g., A Satisfied Mind and Beautiful
Lies) eventually stopped coming but not the fine honky-tonked
songs of broken hearts and homes. This fine release collects the
songs from the "Love Affair" LP and adds 20, for a generous total of
32. Most have been out of print for a while, so it's nice to have
such indispensable country music available again. Too bad the
booklet doesn't offer any session information, dates, labels, or
anything other than a brief biographical sketch of Shepard. Absolute
first rate music, though. (JC)
JEAN SHEPARD: A Passing Love Affair/ A Satisfied
Mind/ A Thief In The Night/ Act Like A Married Man/ Beautiful Lies/
Crying Steel Guitar/ Did I Turn Down A Better Deal/ Girls In
Disgrace/ Hello Old Broken Heart/ I Learned It All From You/ I Love
You Because/ I Married You For Love/ I'd Rather Die Young/ I'll
Thank You All My Life/ It's Hard To Tell The Married From The Free/
Memory/ My Wedding Ring/ Over And Over/ Sad Singin' And Slow Ridin'/
Shadows On The Wall/ Sweet Temptation/ Tell Me What I Want To Hear/
The Mysteries Of Life/ The Other Woman/ The Weak And The Strong/ Two
Whoops And A Holler/ Under Suspicion/ Why Did You Wait?/ You Can't
Break The Chains Of Love/ You Win Again/ You'd Better Go/ You're
Calling Me Sweetheart Again
|
JIMMY SKINNER |
Deluxe 7814 |
22 Greatest Hits |
● CD $7.98 |
22 tracks, 55 mins, good
This is just shy of one
full hour of nothing but good ol' American music. This CD features
solid, though not terribly inspired versions of Country and
Bluegrass numbers such as Dark Hollow/ Whoopie Liza, and
The Cork and the Bottle. All in all there's not much to write
home about here (or write about at all as judged by the complete
lack of notes of any sort,) there's some good tracks here and there,
and if you are looking for a cheap fix of vintage Country music this
might do the trick. (JM)
|
BONNIE SLOAN |
B.A.C.M. 321 |
Nobody But You |
● CD $14.98 |
24 tracks, highly recommended
Fine collection of
sides by this little known but excellent West Coast honky tonk
singer. Although Bonnie didn't have any chart hits she was a popular
artist on the West Coast thanks to her appearance on a number of TV
shows including becoming a regular on the legendary Town Hall Party.
Her records are excellent - her earliest sides for the obscure Black
Mountain label are quite varied ranging from the traditional Good
Old Mountain Dew to a country cover of the 1952 tango based pop
hit Kiss Of Fire to the straight ahead honky tonk of I
Ain't Mad. She recorded 10 sides for Columbia in the mid 50s
which are excellent honky tonk with Bonnie's distinctive voice, a
little like that of Wanda Jackson, accompanied by solid
accompaniments of fiddles and steel guitar. Her Poor Paper Kite
is particularly nice. After a five year hiatus she recorded a number
of sides for the Shasta label - Bonnie is fine but the songs and
backings are fairly drab. Overall, though, a very worthwhile
collection. (FS)
BONNIE SLOAN: A Dear John Letter/ After The
Wedding/ Along I Cry/ Blue Ribbons/ Cry Of A Broken Heart/ Don't
Call Me A Tramp/ Good Old Mountain Dew/ Hog Tied and Branded/ Honky
Tonk World/ I Ain't Mad/ I Don't Want to Be A Queen Just Now/ Idle
Hours/ Kiss Of Fire/ Little White Cloud/ No One Will Ever Know/
Nobody But You/ Poor Paper Kite/ Silly Boy/ Streamlined Cannonball/
Sweet Thing/ The Next Waltz With You/ The Woman Who Made Him That
Way/ Where Do We Go From Here/ Yankee Go Home
|
HOBART SMITH |
Folk Legacy 17 |
Traditional Appalachian Songs And
Tunes |
● CD $16.98 |
24 tracks, 57 mins, essential
Hobart Smith from
Saltville, Virginia is one of my favorite old time musicians and a
greatly influential performer. He was a wonderful singer with an
emotion charged style and a virtuoso instrumentalist who was adept
on banjo, fiddle, guitar and piano though the piano is not featured
here. Smith was first recorded by Alan Lomax in 1942 but didn't
start performing on the folk circuit until the 1960s and these
recordings were made at a radio station in Chicago in 1963 and
resulted in his first album. This CD adds three bonus cuts to the
original LP. Hobart sings a wide range of traditional songs and
tunes including two different versions of Soldier's Joy - one
performed on banjo and one on fiddle. Other instrumental pieces
include Black Annie/ John Greer's Tune/ Bonaparte's Retreat/ K.C.
Blues and others. The songs feature Hobart accompanying himself
with guitar, banjo or beautiful modal fiddle work and includes
Peg And Awl/ Short Life Of Trouble/ Sitting On Top Of The World/
Cuckoo Bird/ Uncloudy Day etc. Superb music and the 20 page
booklet has notes on the performances and lyric transcripts (except
for the bonus tracks). Indispensible to any lover of traditional
American music. Counts as two CDs for shipping. (FS)
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SONS OF THE
PIONEERS |
Varese 67022 |
Sing The Stephen Foster Songbook |
● CD $11.98 |
14 tracks, recommended
This is certainly an
interesting historic document with fine performances by both Rogers
and the Sons Of The Pioneers. Whether you enjoy this (or not) might
rely on how much Stephen Foster's lyrics bother you (or not). I
think if you can look past the racist language and appreciate this
as you would any historic collection, like the fine one of minstrel
music that came out on Old Hat records a couple years back, then
there is a lot to enjoy here. The importance of the Stephen Foster
songbook is certain--he pretty much invented American popular music
-- and these recordings also capture Roy Rogers and the S.O.T.P. at
the height of their powers in the 1930s. With the exception of
Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, all of the most famous songs
in the Foster canon are represented here. You get fine versions of
Oh Susanna/ De Camptown Races/ My Old Kentucky Home/ Old Black
Joe, a lovely instrumental version of Swanee River, etc.
More liner notes and recording information would have been
appreciated; you get the basic two pages of notes that you usually
get from Varese' releases. (JM)
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DICK THOMAS |
Jasmine 675 |
Country, Ragtime, Rockin' Hillbilly
& Cowboy Music |
● CD $18.98 |
Two CDs with 55 tracks recorded between 1944 and
1953 by Western singer from, of all places, Philadelphia. As you
might expect there isn't a whole lot of country twang in his singing
though his voice is very engaging. It includes his original 1944
recording of his own composition Sioux City Sue which became
a Western standard as well as becoming a pop hit in 1946 by Bing
Crosby. With the success of that song it's not surprising that this
set also includes Sister Of Sioux City Sue and Beaut From
Butte. Arrangements most feature small groups along a few with
larger orchestras. Some years ago B.A.C.M. issued the first ever
Dick Thomas CD and this set includes many of those songs but is,
obviously, much more extensive and with superior sound.
DICK THOMAS: A Broken Down Merry Go Round/ A
Stolen Waltz/ Any Time Is Loving Time/ As Long As I Live I Will Love
You/ Beaut From Butte/ Broken Heart/ Bury Me Not On The Lone
Prairie/ Can't You Take It Back And Change It For A Boy/ Charlotte
Belle/ Cowboy Jack/ Don't Keep It A Secret/ Down In Old Wyomin'/
Foolish Tears/ Forgetful/ Give Me Back My Heart/ Home On The Range/
Honestly/ I Don't Want A Million Sweethearts/ I'm Goin'/ I'm Gonna
Dry Up My Tears/ I've Got A Gal In Laramie/ If Memories Were Money/
Making Excuses/ Memories Of France/ Mistakes/ Moanin' In The Mornin'
Grievin' In The Evenin' Blues/ My Daddy Is The Only Picture/ My
Guitar Is My Sweetheart/ Old Chisholm Trail/ Ragtime Cowboy From
Santa Fe/ Raindrops/ Red River Valley/ Rosalinda/ Roses Have Thorns/
Send This Purple Heart To My Sweetheart/ Seven Years With The Wrong
Woman/ Sidetracked/ Sioux City Sue/ Sister Of Sioux City Sue/ Sleepy
Head/ Sleepy Old Town/ Take Me Back To My Boots And Saddle/
Tennessee Local/ The Gods Were Angry With Me/ The Last Roundup/ The
Little Boy I Knew/ They'll Never Take The Texas Out Of Me/ Tiny Baby
Shoes/ Too Soon To Tucson/ Tumbling Tumbleweeds/ Two Car Garage/
Weary Nights And Broken Dreams/ When Uncle Joe Plays The Rag On His
Old Banjo/ Won't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon/ You Never Loved Me
|
JUSTIN TUBB |
Righteous PSALM 23:45 |
Fickle Heart |
● CD $15.98 |
Fine collection of 17 sides from the 50s by this
underrated honky tonk singer. The emphasis here is on sad songs and
it includes a couple of duets with Goldie Hill. Includes the title
song plus I Miss You So/ Something Called The Blues/ Desert
Blues/ All Alone/ Lucky Lucky Someone Else/ Within Your Arms/ Oh How
I Miss You and others.
|
PORTER WAGONER |
Omni 137 |
What Ain't To Be, Just Might Happen |
● CD $17.98 |
30 tracks, 80 mins, highly recommended
Personally,
I've never thought that Porter Wagoner had that great of a voice,
but he was a great Country artist anyway. What he lacked in pipes,
he more that made up for in earnest conviction, style, and passion
for the art. Always a fan of recitations, Porter took that dramatic
format to a whole new level starting in the mid 1960's. Mix
religious parables and an awareness of changing times, and such
oddball wonders like The Rubber Room/ Brother Harold Dee, and
Waldo The Weirdo, happen. Story songs are certainly nothing
new to Country music, but I get the impression the '60s and '70s
Porter Wagoner albums owed as much to Jack Chick as they did to Hank
Williams. Not everything on this collection is quite so maudlin
(although the maudlin tracks are some of the best,) and there are
such up-beat gems like Albert Erving/ Late At Night, and
You Gotta Have A License. Fans of Merle Haggard also might want
to check this out for its rare duet recording of I Haven't
Learned A Thing. Porter Wagoner was one of a kind artist and
Omni records has given us all a real treat with this collection of
Porter at the peak of his solo creativity in the early 1970's.
Package also includes excellent liner notes and some fantastic
pictures. (JM)
|
JIMMY WAKELY |
Bygone Days 77033 |
1942-1952 |
● CD $9.98 |
28 tracks, highly recommended A particularly nice
collection tracks recorded between 1942 and 1952 by this popular and
prolific western star who also had great crossover success.
It
includes many of his big hits like I'm Sending You Red Roses/ One
Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)/ Till The End Of The World/
Telling My Troubles To MY Old Guitar/ The Gods Were Angry With Me
and others as well as lesser known titles including a couple that
have not been on CD before. Arrangements range from small western
groups to full orchestras and it includes Jimmy duetting with Velma
Williams, Margaret Whiting and others. Sound quality is superb and
there are informative notes by Peter Dempsey. (FS)
JIMMY WAKELY: A Bushel And A Peck/ At The Close Of
A Long, Long Day/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/ Broken-Down Merry-Go-Round/
Dust/ I Don't Want To Be Free/ I Love You So Much It Hurts/ I Wish I
Had A Nickel/ I'll Never Slip Around Again/ I'm Sending You Red
Roses/ Let's Go to Church Next Sunday Morning/ Mine, All Mine/ My
Heart Cries For You/ One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)/
Rainbow At Midnight/ Slippin' Around/ Someday You'll Call My Name/
Standing Outside Of Heaven/ Telling My Troubles To My Old Guitar/
The Gods Were Angry With Me/ There's That Same Old Lovelight In Your
Eyes/ Till The End Of The World/ Too Bad, Little Girl/ Wedding
Bells/ When I Say Goodnight/ When It's Harvest Time, Sweet Angeline/
When You And I Were Young, Maggie/ Why Do You Say Those Things (That
Hurt Me So)?
|
OZIE WATERS |
B.A.C.M. 320 |
The Colorado Ranger, Vol. 2 |
● CD $14.98 |
22 tracks, 63 mins, recommended
Complementing BACM
210 this is another fine collection of western songs from this
smooth voiced singer originally from Missouri, who spent a lot of
time in Colorado. Most of these sides were recorded in the mid 40s
for the Los Angeles based Coast label. Accompanied by a fine western
group with fiddle, accordion, steel guitar and electric guitar he
performs a a selection of original songs and recent favorites
including his great topical song We'll Have A Rodeo In Tokyo And
A Round Up In Old Berlin plus At Mail Call Today/ Cool Water/
Told You So/ No One Cry To and others. It also includes his fine
1950 Coral version of the topical Old Man Atom and two tracks
from radio transcriptions featuring Ozie alone with his guitar. Fine
sound and informative notes by Kevin Coffey. (FS)
OZIE WATERS: At Least A Million Tears/ At Mail
Call Today/ Cool Water/ Don't Sweetheart Me/ I Can't Get Out of
Texas In My Dreams/ If Our Hands Could Reach Across The Ocean/ Love
To You Is Just A Game/ Missouri/ No One to Cry To/ Old Man Atom/
Once In A Blue Moon/ Remember Me/ Silver Dew On The Bluegrass
Tonight/ Star and Stripes On Iwo Jima/ That's My Home/ That's the
Last Straw/ The Book of Etiquette/ Throw A Saddle On A Star/ Tie A
Saddle String Around Your Finger/ Told You So/ We'll Have A Rodeo In
Tokyo and a Round Up In Old Berlin/ Where The Beautiful Red River
Flows
|
THE WILBURN
BROTHERS |
Golden Stars 5658 |
In Harmony - Classic Albums And
Singles |
● CD $19.98 |
3 CD set, 52 tracks, highly recommended
In spite of
their numerous hits The Wilburn Brothers have been poorly served on
CD reissues so this collection is most welcome featuring a healthy
chunk of the duos recordings between 1954 and 1959 along with some
of their earlier more old timey sides as part of the Wilburn Family.
Like The Louvin Brothers the Wilburns music is based on the great
brother duet sounds of the 30s and 40s but updated for a later
generation. Later recordings found them moving in a pop direction
but on these sides their sound is "pure" with their fine harmonies
joined by guitar, steel guitar, piano and fiddles and on a couple of
tracks some very effective autoharp playing. The first disc starts
off with all 11 of their country hits between 1954 and '59 including
their great version of Sparkling Brown Eyes with Webb Pierce,
their superb rendition of the traditional Knoxville Girl and
other fine sides like You're Not Play Love/ Go Away With Me/ Hey
Mr Bluebird/ Somebody's Back In Town, etc. The rest of the first
disc features five of their early 50s recordings as part of The
Wilburn Family. The other two discs features the brothers first
three LPs from 1957, '58 and '59 including their all gospel album
"Livin' In God's Country." No notes but sound is excellent. 14 cuts
are duplicated on B.A.C.M. 254 (FS)
THE WILBURN BROTHERS: A Boy's Faithful Friend/ A
Woman's Intuition/ Always Alone/ Angel Band/ Bringing in the
Sheaves/ Bugle Call from Heaven/ Cry, Cry, Darling/ Don't Sweetheart
Me/ Down in Dixie (Where They Say You - All)/ Faded Love/ Forever
Too Late/ Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet/ Go Away with
Me/ Hey, Mr. Bluebird (with Ernest Tubb)/ I Know You Don't Love Me
Anymore/ I Wanna Wanna Wanna/ I Want to Live and Love/ I'll Never
Leave My God Alone/ I'll Sail My Ship Alone/ I'm So in Love with
You/ If It's Wrong to Love You/ Indian Love Call/ It Takes Courage
to Care/ Let the Lower Lights Be Burning/ Livin' in God's Country/
Long Gone Lonesome/ May You Never Be Alone/ Mister Love (Ft. Ernest
Tubb)/ Much Too Often/ Need Someone/ No One Will Ever Know/ No See,
No Talk, No Hear/ One Has My Name the Other Has My Heart/ Shall We
Gather at the River/ Somebody's Back in Town/ Something Got a Hold
of Me/ Sparkling Brown Eyes (with Webb Pierce)/ Sugartime/ That
Silver Haired Daddy of Mine/ That's when I Miss You/ The Great
Speckled Bird/ The Knoxville Girl/ Throw out the Life Line/ Time
Changes Everything/ When the Roll is Called Up Yonder/ Which One is
to Blame/ Will You Be Ready (To Wear a Gold Crown)/ Wreck on the
Highway/ You Can't Break the Chains (Of Love)/ You Win Again/ You're
Not Play Love/ You, Little Sweet, Little You
|
SLIM WILLET |
B.A.C.M. 317 |
A Cold Can Of Beer |
● CD $14.98 |
30 tracks, 76 mins, highly recommended
Terrific collection of Texas honky tonk with a touch of western swing recorded
between 1950 and '54 by this superb singer and songwriter who is
best known as the writer of the iconic country song Don't Let The
Stars Get In Your Eyes which topped the country charts in 1952
and was to mark Slim's only appearance on the charts but was to
assure his future livelihood as it was covered by hundreds of
country and pop performers over the years. The song's unusual rhythm
and timing was inspired by songs he heard by Mexican-American oil
field workers in the 1940s and was so unusual that Four Star owner
Bill McCall hated it and issued as the flip of Hadacol Corners
but once the public heard it all the attention went to Stars.
Slim attempted to repeat the success with several songs that were
very similar but also recorded a whole lot of other very different
songs. Slim tended to favor mid to up tempo songs and his fine
vocals were accompanied by fine bands - usually Shorty Underwood and
his Brush Cutters with Underwood on fiddle and Vaughn O' Shields on
steel. In addition to Stars and an instrumental version of
the songs this set includes other fine songs like I'm A Tool
Pusher From Snyder/ My Story's Sadder Than Yourn (a duet with
Jean Stansbury)/Let Me Know/ My Love Song To You (one of the
few slow ballads and it's a beaut)/Come Sundown (recorded in
1953 but very much proto-rockabilly)/Do As I Do/ Don't Waste Your
Heart, etc. Sound quality is fine and there are informative
notes by Phillip Tricker. There are a handful of duplications with
Collector 2857 ($16.98). (FS)
SLIM WILLET: A Cold Can Of Beer/ Come Sundown/ Do
As I Do/ Don't Laugh At Me/ Don't Let The Stars (Get In Your Eyes)/
Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes (instrumental version)/ Don't
Waste Your Heart/ Give Me That Kind Of Love (That You Would Like To
Receive)/ Hadacol Corners/ Hungry Slim (instrumental)/ I Call You
Stingy/ I Might Confess/ I'm A Tool Pusher From Snyder/ I'm Going
Strong/ I've Been A-Wonderin'/ If Winter Comes/ It's Hard To Love
Just One/ Leave Me Alone Now/ Let Me Know/ Let Me Know (2nd
version)/ Live While Your Young (Dream While You're Old)/ Love Me
Baby/ Mata Hari/ My Love Song To You/ My Story's Sadder That Yourn
[sic]/ Nobody Loves A Fat Man/ Tall Man/ The Red Rose/ Villa Cuna/
When We Grow Old
|
JOHNNY LEE WILLS |
Krazy Kat 18 |
The Band's A Rockin' |
● CD $16.98 |
27 tracks, highly recommended
Back in print by
popular demand. Krazy Kat has reissued the complete 1941-1951 Decca
and Bullet sides of Johnny Lee , including his still-awesome 1941
Milk Cow Blues sung by Cotton Thompson with Junior Barnard on
guitar, as well as Memories of You. The half-dozen Decca
sides he made in 1947, somewhat weaker, with Leon Huff on vocals,
show a band not as good as the earlier group, and certainly inferior
to the 1949-1951 Bullets, the best known being his original song
Rag Mop, that became a big pop hit for the Ames Brothers in
1950. To the label's credit, they omitted another Wills original,
the syrupy kiddie Easter tune Peter Cottontail, and focused
instead on the good stuff like Boogie Woogie Highball/ Tom Cat
Boogie/ Coyote Blues and Levee Blues. Collector Dave
Sax's notes are competent though sound quality is a bit
disappointing. (RK)
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