New Releases: July
2010 -> March 2011
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
Various Artists
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
B.A.C.M. 323 |
Country Gospel, Vol. 1 |
● CD $14.98 |
25 tracks, highly recommended
First in a series of
albums exploring the poorly documented field of country gospel and
it's a winner. Some 20 different artists or groups are featured and
there is a tremendous amount of variety and this is the raw down
home stuff - not the smooth style often associated with country gsoepl. Most of the recordings are from the 50s and the artists
range from the bluegrass gospel of the Queen City Sacred Quartet to
the intense quartet styling of the Sunshine Boys Quartet which
brings to mind black quartet singing and they do a version of The
Devil Can't Harm A Praying Man - a song popular with black
qaurtets. It also includes Troy & Helen with the original version of
Tattler's Wagon, best known in a version by The Stewart
Family. Other artists include The Whirwind Evangelists, Charlie Huff
& His Sons Of The Plains, The Le Ferve Trio (with raucous accordion
and piano), Hoyt Scroggins & The Kingsmen Quartet, Billie & Gordon
Hamrick (with great banjo and mandlin accompaniment), Claude
Eldridge, Roy Robinson, Clarence Barker, Jerry & The String Trio and
others. A splendid and important collection with fine sound and
informative notes by Phillip Tricker. (FS)
CLARENCE BAKER: Soon I'll Hear My Saviour Calling/
DELBERT BARKER: Calling You/ CURT & FAY BARTNESS: Country Music In A
Sacred Way/ THE CAMPBELL TRIO: Satan Lost A Sinner/ CLAUDE ELDRIDGE:
Will I Play My Guitar In Heaven/ PEANUT FAIRCLOTH & HIS LOG CABIN
BOYS: Little David/ JOE FRANKLIN: Swing Wide Those Golden Gates/
BILLIE & GORDON HAMRICK: He's Gonna Take His Children Out/ CHARLIE
HUFF & HIS SONS OF THE PLAINS: Blood On The Cross/ JERRY & THE
STRING TRIO: Judgement Day/ Lead Me To The Promise Land [sic]/ THE
LE FERVE TRIO: God Is God/ Satisfied/ LEE MACE & THE OZARK OPERA
SINGERS: This World Is Not My Home/ THE QUEEN CITY SACRED QUARTET:
I'm Using My Bible For A Road Map/ Lonely Tombs/ ROY ROBINSON: I
Told It To Jesus/ AL RUNYON: Hold To God's Unchanging Hand/ HOYT
SCOGGINS & THE KINGSMEN QUARTET: Jesus Still Heals/ THE SUNSHINE
BOYS QUARTET: Goin' Back To Jesus Every Day/ The Devil Can't Harm A
Praying Man/ TROY & HELEN: Tattler's Wagon/ THE WHIRLWIND
EVANGELISTS: From Crooked Street To Glory Avenue/ Higher Ground/ No
Grave
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
B.A.C.M. 324 |
Texas & Oklahoma - Duos & Trios,
1935-1940 |
● CD $14.98 |
24 tracks, 69 mins, highly recommended
A fine
collection of old time music featuring the complete issued
recordings of four small groups from Texas and Oklahoma. Highlight
is the six gorgeous sides from 1938 by The Rambling Rangers - with
the lyrical steel guitar of Harold Whately, the group features the
expressive vocals of Oliver Warren, often duetting with guitarist
Sammy Stalsby. Their Gettin Tired has been out before a few
times but it's great to have the rest of their superb recordings.
Whately's steel can also be heard on the six sides from 1940 by the
the Stalsby Family - Sammy Stalsby and his sisters Dot and Jackie on
a selection of mostly gospel songs. The Three Williamsons recorded
in 1937 featurinf siblings Aaron, Horace ("Duck") and Catherine
("Kity") on a varied selection of material including jazzy titles,
pop and blues. Their version of the pop standard I Ain't Got
Nobody was strongly influenced by the Emmett Miller version
issued a year earlier. Rounding out the set are five fine sides by
singer/ guitarist Ike Cargill accompanied by an unknown fiddler on a
selection of mostly blues favored numbers. Fine sound and
informative notes from Kevin Coffey. (FS)
IKE CARGILL: I Know I've Got The Meanest Mama/ I'm
Going Where The Blues Aint Never Known/ I'm Through With Women
Blues/ If I Was Rich By Gum/ It's All Because That I Love You/
You're Gonna Miss Me Mama/ THE RAMBLING RANGERS: Gettin' Tired/
Jesus Lover Of My Soul/ No One/ Oh Lord/ Tired Of Ramblin'/ When The
Sun Goes Down/ THE STALSBY FAMILY: Every Time I Feel The Spirit/
Greasy Greens/ Heaven Bells Ring Out/ I've Found The Right Way/ My
Heart Is Aching/ When We See The Saviour Coming From Above/ THE
THREE WILLIAMSONS: A Good Man Is Hard To Find/ Fiddler's Blues/ I
Ain't Got Nobody/ Right Or Wrong/ Roaster Rag/ You Broke My Heart A
Million Ways
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
B.A.C.M. 326 |
Gold Star Label - Classic Country
Music |
● CD $14.98 |
29 tracks, highly recommended
Terrific collection of
Texas country recorded for Bill Quinn's legendary Gold Star label
based in Houston between 1946 and '51. It starts with the label's
most popular recording Jole Blon - the Cajun classic by the
great Harry Choates. Though this will probably be a familiar track
to many, most of the artists here are fairly obscure and their
tracks are appearing on CD for the first time. Other familiar
artists featured on their first recordings are Al Terry, Eddie Noack
and Hank Locklin. Other artists include Tex Looney & His Western
Stars, Aubrey Gass with The Easterners, The Southern Stars (the fine
instrumental Million Dollar Polka), The Gold Star Trio, David
Gray & The Gold Star Band, Sons Of The South (the fine steel guitar
instrumental Hawaiian Two-Step), Tennessee Van & The
Cumberland River Boys (very fine honky tonk), Buddy Duhon (fine
western swing with Harry Choates on fiddle), Ray & Ina Patterson
(superb husband and wife duo doing the old Blue Sky Boys favorite
Sunny Side Of Life with only guitar & mandolin accompaniment),
Cotton Thompson (more fine western swing) and others. Decent sound
and informative notes by Phillip TRicker. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16094 |
The Bristol Sessions |
● CD $144.98 |
This promises to be the best and most important
reissue of old time country music in many years. In July and August,
1927 RCA Victor held a series of sessions Bristol, Tennessee on the
Tennessee/ Virginia border under the supervision of Victor talent
scout Ralph Peer. These sessions featured the debut of two of the
most important artists in early country music - Jimmie Rodgers and
The Carter Family - artists whose music still resonates today. He
returned in February 1928 to make more recordings. This series of
sessions is often referred to as the "big bang of country music."
Although the recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers are
the most well known, more than a hundred other recordings were made
at the Bristol sessions of 1927 and '28. There were ballad singers,
street evangelists, string bands, gospel quartets, harmonica
virtuosos, Holiness preachers, blues guitarists and rural
storytellers. A snapshot of rural American music was caught in an
era of rapid change: pictures of a past almost beyond recall, but
preserved for ever in these magnificent recordings. -- The five CDs
in this set gather every surviving recording from these sessions,
including alternative takes. The accompanying 120-page, LP-sized
hardcover book contains newly researched essays on the background to
the sessions and on the individual artists, with many rare and
unpublished photographs. Also included are complete song lyrics and
a detailed discography, illustrated with reproductions of the
original recording sheets. Among the many other artists featured
were Ernest Stoneman (who had first recorded in 1925), Ernest Phipps
& His Holiness Quartet (their complete recordings of superb gospel
group), The Johnson Brothers, Blind Alfred Reed (the first
recordings of this incredibly creative artist), El Watson
(African-American harmonica player), Alfred G. Karnes (the complete
recordings of this incredible gospel singer accompanying himself on
the rare harp-guitar), Henry Whitter, The Shelor Family, The Tenneva
Ramblers (a string band that Jimmie Rodgers had previously been a
member of), Uncle Eck Dunford, Stamps Quartet, Tarter and Gay and
many others. We haven't heard this yet but being Bear Family we're
sure the sound quality will be superior to any previous reissues.
THE ALCOA QUARTET: I'm Redeemed/ Remember Me, O
Mighty One/ MR. & MRS. J.W. BAKER: On The Banks Of The Sunny
Tennessee/ The Newmarket Wreck/ THE BLUE RIDGE CORN SHUCKERS: Old
Time Corn Shuckin', Part 1/ Old Time Corn Shuckin', Part 2/ THE BULL
MOUNTAIN MOONSHINERS: Johnny Goodwin/ THE CAROLINA TWINS: I Sat Upon
The River Bank/ Mr. Brown, Here I Come/ New Orleans Is The Town I
Like Best/ She Tells Me That I Am Sweet/ When You Go A'Courtin'/
Where Is My Mamma?/ THE CARTER FAMILY: Bury Me Under The Weeping
Willow/ Little Log Cabin By The Sea/ Single Girl, Married Girl/ The
Poor Orphan Child/ The Storms Are On The Ocean/ The Wandering Boy/
UNCLE ECK DUNFORD: Angeline, The Baker/ Old Shoes And Leggin's/ Skip
To Ma Lou, My Darling/ The Whip-poor-will's Song/ Barney McCoy/ What
Will I Do, For My Money's All Gone/ CLARENCE GREENE: Good-night
Darling/ Little Bunch Of Roses/ HOWARD & PEAK (THE BLIND MUSICIANS):
I Cannot Be Your Sweetheart/ Three Black Sheep/ THE JOHNSON
BROTHERS: A Passing Policeman/ I Want To See My Mother (Ten Thousand
Miles Away)/ Just A Message From Carolina/ The Jealous Sweetheart
(take 1)/ The Jealous Sweetheart (take 2)/ The Soldier's Poor Little
Boy/ Two Brothers Are We/ ALFRED G. KARNES: Called To The Foreign
Field/ Do Not Wait 'Till I'm Laid 'Neath The Clay/ I Am Bound For
The Promised Land/ The Days Of My Childhood Plays/ To The Work/ We
Shall All Be Reunited/ When They Ring The Golden Bells/ Where We'll
Never Grow Old/ J.P. NESTER: Black-Eyed Susie/ Train On The Island/
THE PALMER SISTERS: He'll Be With Me/ Help Me To Find The Way/
Singing The Story Of Grace/ We'll Sing On That Shore/ ERNEST PHIPPS
AND HIS HOLINESS SINGERS: A Little Talk With Jesus/ Bright Tomorrow/
ERNEST PHIPPS AND HIS HOLINESS QUARTET: Do, Lord, Remember Me/ Don't
Grieve After Me/ Happy In Prison/ ERNEST PHIPPS AND HIS HOLINESS
SINGERS: I Know That Jesus Set Me Free/ ERNEST PHIPPS AND HIS
HOLINESS QUARTET: I Want To Go Where Jesus Is/ ERNEST PHIPPS AND HIS
HOLINESS SINGERS: If The Light Has Gone Out In Your Soul/ ERNEST
PHIPPS AND HIS HOLINESS QUARTET: Jesus Getting Us Ready For That
Great Day/ Old Ship Of Zion/ ERNEST PHIPPS AND HIS HOLINESS SINGERS:
Shine On Me/ Went Up In The Clouds Of Heaven/ BLIND ALFRED REED: I
Mean To Live For Jesus/ The Wreck Of The Virginian (take 1)/ The
Wreck Of The Virginian (take 2)/ Walking In The Way With Jesus (take
1)/ Walking In The Way With Jesus (take 2)/ You Must Unload/
SHORTBUCKLE ROARK & FAMILY: I Truly Understand, You Love Another
Man/ My Mother's Hands/ JIMMIE RODGERS: Sleep Baby Sleep/ The
Soldier's Sweetheart/ THE SHELOR FAMILY: Big Bend Gal/ Billy Grimes,
The Rover/ Sandy River Belle (take 1)/ Sandy River Belle (take 2)/
Suzanna Gal/ B.F. SHELTON: Cold Penitentiary Blues/ Darling Cora/ Oh
Molly Dear/ Pretty Polly/ THE SMITH BROTHERS: My Mother Is Waiting
For Me In Heaven Above/ She Has Climbed The Golden Stair/ THE SMYTH
COUNTY RAMBLERS: My Name Is Ticklish Reuben/ Way Down In Alabama/
THE STAMPS QUARTET: Because I Love Him/ Come To The Savior/ Do Your
Best, Then Wear A Smile/ I'll Be Happy/ Like The Rainbow/ We Shall
Reach Home/ ERNEST V. STONEMAN & E. KAHLE BREWER: Tell Mother I Will
Meet Her/ The Dying Girl's Farewell/ ERNEST V. STONEMAN & HIS DIXIE
MOUNTAINEERS: Are You Washed In The Blood?/ I Am Resolved (take 1)/
I Am Resolved (take 2)/ I Know My Name Is There/ No More Good-Byes/
Sweeping Through The Gates/ The Resurrection (take 1)/ The
Resurrection (take 2)/ ERNEST V. STONEMAN & MISS IRMA FROST:
Midnight On The Stormy Deep/ The Mountaineer's Courtship/ THE
STONEMAN FAMILY: Going Up The Mountain After Liquor, Part 1/ Going
Up The Mountain After Liquor, Part 2/ The Broken-Hearted Lover/ The
Spanish Merchant's Daughter/ Too Late/ We Parted By The Riverside/
ERNEST STONEMAN'S DIXIE MOUNTAINEERS: Down To Jordan And Be Saved/
There's A Light Lit Up In Galilee/ TARTER & GAY: Brownie Blues/
Unknown Blues/ THE TENNESSEE MOUNTAINEERS: At The River/ Standing On
The Promises/ THE TENNEVA RAMBLERS: Miss 'Liza, Poor Gal/ Sweet
Heaven When I Die/ The Longest Train I Ever Saw/ EL WATSON: Narrow
Gauge Blues/ Pot Licker Blues/ THE WEST VIRGINIA COON HUNTERS:
Greasy String/ Your Blue Eyes Run Me Crazy/ HENRY WHITTER: Henry
Whitter's Fox Chase/ Rain Crow Bill
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16397 |
Odd Couples - What Were They
Thinking? |
● CD $21.98 |
20 tracks, 57 mins, recommended
This collection is
on par with the great "Celebrities At Their Worst" compilations that
came out about 20 years ago. In other words, this is full of
talented artists doing material that is out of their wheelhouse in a
lot of cases with the artists matched up in the oddest of
combinations. So, you get such odd and entertaining recordings like
Eddy Arnold & Esquivel doing Someone To Watch Over Me, Perry
Como & The Sons of The Pioneers doing Tumbling Tumbleweeds,
and Red Foley & Cecil Gant doing Paging Mister Jackson. Red
Foley is also paired with Roberta Lee and Evelyn Knight, Eddy Arnold
is also paired off with Hugo Winterhalter, and then The Sons of The
Pioneers also get paired with Ezio Penza and The Fontaine Sisters.
This is all pretty heady stuff. Tennessee Ernie Ford is paired up
with a few different artists, as are Los Indios Tabajaras! My
favorites in the batch have to be Lotte Lenya & Louis Armstrong
teaming up on Mack The Knife (two versions, one complete, one
with studio starts and stops,) and then Sister Rosetta Tharpe & Red
Foley on Have A Little Talk With Jesus. Bear Family include
all the recording info as well as the stories behind these sessions,
and what stories they are! (JM)
EDDY ARNOLD & ESQUIVEL: Someone To Watch Over Me/
EDDY ARNOLD & HUGO WINTERHALTER: Cattle Call/ ROSEMARY CLOONEY &
GEORGE MORGAN: You're The Only One For Me/ PERRY COMO & THE SONS OF
THE PIONEERS: Tumbling Tumbleweeds/ RED FOLEY & CECIL GANT: Paging
Mister Jackson/ RED FOLEY & EVELYN KNIGHT: Idle Rumors/ RED FOLEY &
ROBERTA LEE: Night Train To Memphis/ THE FONTANE SISTERS & THE SONS
OF THE PIONEE: The Handsome Stranger/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD & DINNING
SISTERS: Rock City Boogie/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD & ELLA MAE MORSE:
I'm Hog-Tied Over You/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD & HELEN O'CONNELL: Hey
Good Lookin'/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD & KAY STARR: Oceans Of Tears/
TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD & MOLLY BEE: Don't Start Courtin' In A Hot Rod/
DON GIBSON & LOS INDIOS TABAJARAS: I Can't Tell My Heart That/ My
Adobe Hacienda/ LOTTE LENYA & LOUIS ARMSTRONG: Mack The Knife/ Mack
The Knife (session)/ EZIO PINZA & THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS: The
Little Ol' State Of Texas/ DINAH SHORE & GEORGE MORGAN: The Shoe Is
On The Other Foot Tonight/ SISTER ROSETTA THARPE & RED FOLEY: Have A
Little Talk With Jesus
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16961 |
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And
Hillbilly Music, 1956 |
● CD $24.98 |
30 tracks, 78 mins, highly recommended
Bear Family
seems to be doing the same for Country Music in this series that it
did so well with Rhythm & Blues ("Blowin' The Fuse,") and Soul
("Sweet Soul Music,") series' i.e., a collection with a year-by-year
breakdown of the best/ most important tunes, with one or two tracks
per artists, and with extensive liner notes on each track. This
kicks off the third series of CDs, the years 1945-1955 have all come
out now and are all pretty essential to your collection. No less a
Country Music Authority than Jack Clement said, "This is the best
country series of all time. No doubt. No question." This starting
point basically recognizes the changing nature of the Country Music
biz, with Rock & Roll taking over, a lot Country & Western music
changed to keep up with the times and, like it or not, the Nashville
sound was born. Not saying that all artists adopted a more lush Countrypoliton sound, some (like Johnny Cash) did just fine without
out it; either way, 1956 saw a lot of changes and a lot of historic
recordings by some of the greatest artists ever. '56 was the
breakout year for Johnny Cash, so he and his Tennessee Two get the
distinction of two tracks here with Folsom Prison Blues, and
I Walk The Line. Marty Robbins is another with his Singing
The Blues opening the CD up and the fantastic I Can't Quit
(I've Gone Too Far) coming towards the end of the collection.
There are a number of big hits that you probably already have, but
there are even more, less-often compiled tracks that really make
these comps special like Wanda Jackson's version of Silver
Threads and Golden Needles, Johnny Horton's Honky Tonk Man,
and I'm A One Woman Man, Wynn Stewarts' Waltz Of The
Angels, Carl Perkins' Dixie Fried, as well as the Louvin
Brothers' big hits I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby/ Cash
On The Barrelhead, and so on. Can't say if there's a bad tune on
here and 'cause it's on Bear Family, you'll know that it sounds and
looks great. (JM)
EDDY ARNOLD: You Don't Know Me/ BENNY BARNES: A
Poor Man's Riches/ CARL BELEW: Lonely Street/ JIM EDWARD AND MAXINE
BROWN AND BONNIE: I Take The Chance/ JOHNNY CASH & THE TENNESSEE
TWO: Folsom Prison Blues/ I Walk The Line/ JOHNNY HORTON: Honky Tonk
Man/ I'm A One Woman Man/ WANDA JACKSON: Silver Threads And Golden
Needles/ GEORGE JONES: Just One More/ What Am IWorth/ THE LOUVIN
BROTHERS: Cash On The Barrelhead/ I Don't Believe You've Met My
Baby/ BILLY MIZE: Who Will Buy The Wine/ THE OSBORNE BROTHERS AND
RED ALLEN: Ruby, Are You Mad?/ CARL PERKINS: Dixie Fried/ WEBB
PIERCE: Yes I Know Why/ RAY PRICE: Crazy Arms/ I've Got A New
Heartache/ JIM REEVES: According To My Heart/ DON RENO & RED SMILEY:
I Know You're Married/ MARTY ROBBINS: I Can't Quit (I've Gone Too
Far)/ Singing The Blues/ HANK SNOW: Conscience I'm Guilty/ These
Hands/ WYNN STEWART: Waltz Of The Angels/ HANK THOMPSON: The
Blackboard Of My Heart/ PORTER WAGONER: Eat, Drink And Be Merry
(Tomorrow You'll Cry)/ KITTY WELLS: Searching (For Someone Else)/
FARON YOUNG: Sweet Dreams
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16962 |
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And
Hillbilly Music, 1957 |
● CD $24.98 |
29 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended
The story of
Country Music continues to the hit-filled year of 1957. Sonny James,
The Browns, Faron Young, Patsy Cline, Webb Pierce, Johnny Cash,
Ferlin Husky, and so on. Porter Wagoner's fine I Thought I Heard
You Calling My Name, Jim Reeves smash Four Walls, as well
as his big hit Am I Losing You, Marvin Rainwater's sublime
Gonna Find Me A Bluebird, and The Everly Brothers soaring Bye
Bye Love, As with most of the volumes in this series, there's
nary a sour note to be heard. Another notable track would have to be
Chet Atkins swingin' recording of Walk Don't Run, Atkins
didn't write this classic tune-jazz guitarist Johnny Smith did-- but
it is well documented that Atkins' version was the one that inspired
The Ventures giant hit. Includes yet another thick beautiful booklet
full of great pictures etc. This one is definitely one of my
favorites in the series, if you can only budget for one or two
volumes of this series, make sure to make this one a priority. (JM)
CHET ATKINS: Walk, Don't Run/ THE BROWNS: I Heard
The Bluebirds Sing/ JOHNNY CASH & THE TENNESSEE TWO: Home Of The
Blues/ There You Go/ PATSY CLINE: Walkin' After Midnight/ MELVIN
ENDSLEY: I Like Your Kind Of Love/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Bye, Bye
Love/ BONNIE GUITAR: Dark Moon/ BOBBY HELMS: Fraulein/ My Special
Angel/ FERLIN HUSKY: Gone/ SONNY JAMES: Young Love/ HANK LOCKLIN:
Geisha Girl/ WARNER MACK: Is It Wrong (For Loving You)/ JIMMY
NEWMAN: A Fallen Star/ WEBB PIERCE: Honky Tonk Song/ I'm Tired/ RAY
PRICE: My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You/ MARVIN RAINWATER: Gonna
Find Me A Bluebird/ JIM REEVES: Am I Losing You?/ Four Walls/ MARTY
ROBBINS: A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)/ The Story Of My
Life/ JIMMIE SKINNER: I Found My Girl In The U.S.A./ CARL SMITH:
Why, Why/ HANK SNOW: Tangled Mind/ LEROY VAN DYKE: Auctioneer/
PORTER WAGONER: I Thought I Heard You Calling My Name/ FARON YOUNG:
I Miss You Already
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16963 |
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And
Hillbilly Music, 1958 |
● CD $24.98 |
30 tracks, 74 mins, highly recommended
1958 was a
precarious year for Country music, the phenomenon of Rock & Roll was
everywhere, attendance at Country music shows was drastically down,
even in such venerated institutions as The Grand Ole' Opry, and the
Country music industry hadn't figured out quite yet just what the
heck they were gonna do to survive. Despite all the troubles, there
was no shortage of great records still coming out. Don Gibson's
Oh Lonesome Me, Lefty Frizzell's Cigarettes and Coffee Blues,
Jim Reeves with Blue Boy and Billy Bayou, Stonewall
Jackson's Life To Go, all certified Country classics. Those
Sun records cats make their presence known as well, with Johnny Cash
having yet another big year with Ballad Of A Teenage Queen,
and Guess Things Happen That Way, featured here, as well as
Jerry Lee Lewis establishing his Country music credentials with his
cover of Hank Williams' You Win Again (the B-side of Great
Balls of Fire. George Jones, The Louvin Brothers, Marty Robbins,
Faron Young, Charlie Walker, Ernest Tubb, and many more legends all
make an appearance. The sentiment of the year might be summed up in
Wayne Raney and the Raney Family's We Need A Whole Lot More Of
Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock And Roll). Don't worry, Raney family;
Chet Atkins is hanging around the studios of Nashville, and he's got
some big ideas for the future. (JM)
ROY ACUFF: Once More/ JOHNNY CASH: Ballad Of A
Teenage Queen/ Guess Things Happen That Way/ Big River/ SIMON CRUM
(FERLIN HUSKY): Country Music Is Here To Stay/ LEFTY FRIZZELL:
Cigarettes And Coffee Blues/ DON GIBSON: Blue, Blue Day/ Oh Lonesome
Me/ STONEWALL JACKSON: Life To Go/ JOHNNIE & JACK: Stop The World
(And Let Me Off)/ GEORGE JONES: Color Of The Blues/ Treasure Of
Love/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: You Win Again/ HANK LOCKLIN: It's A Little
More Like Heaven/ Send Me The Pillow You Dream On/ THE LOUVIN
BROTHERS: My Baby's Gone/ EDDIE NOACK: Have Blues Will Travel/ JAMES
O'GWYNN: Talk To Me Lonesome Heart/ WEBB PIERCE: Tupelo County Jail/
RAY PRICE: City Lights/ Invitation To The Blues/ WAYNE RANEY & THE
RANEY FAMILY: We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock
And Roll)/ JIM REEVES: Billy Bayou/ Blue Boy/ MARTY ROBBINS: Ain't I
The Lucky One/ Just Married/ ERNEST TUBB: Half A Mind/ CHARLIE
WALKER: Pick Me Up On Your Way Down/ KITTY WELLS: I Can't Stop
Loving You/ FARON YOUNG: Alone With You
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16964 |
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And
Hillbilly Music, 1959 |
● CD $24.98 |
32 tracks, 85 mins, highly recommended
Wow, 1959
turned out to be one hell of a year for Country music. So many of my
favorite songs of all time came out in this magical year: Lefty Frizzell's Long Black Veil, The Louvin Brothers' Knoxville
Girl, Bill Monroe's Dark As The Night, Blue As The Day,
The Browns' The Three Bells, George Jones' White
Lightnin', Buck Owens' Under Your Spell Again, Johnny
Cash's Don't Take Your Guns To Town/ I Got Stripes, and
Five Feet High And Rising; just that batch right there might
qualify for best Country Music year ever, but there's still 20+ more
great songs to go! Other gems include Jimmie Skinner with Dark
Hollow, Carl Belew's heartbroken Am I That Easy To Forget,
Stonewall Jackson's victorious Waterloo, Webb Pierce's
rousing I Ain't Never, and so on. Great sound and thorough
notes as usual, this one's a keeper. (JM)
ROY ACUFF: So Many Times/ EDDY ARNOLD: Tennessee
Stud/ CARL BELEW: Am I That Easy To Forget/ THE BROWNS: The Three
Bells/ JOHNNY CASH: Don't Take Your Guns To Town/ Five Feet High And
Rising/ I Got Stripes/ WILMA LEE & STONEY COOPER: There's A Big
Wheel/ LESTER FLATT & EARL SCRUGGS: Cabin On The Hill/ LEFTY
FRIZZELL: Long Black Veil/ DON GIBSON: Don't Tell Me Your Troubles/
Who Cares (For Me)?/ BILLY GRAMMER: Gotta Travel On/ JOHNNY HORTON:
The Battle Of New Orleans/ When It's Springtime In Alaska (It's
Forty Below)/ STONEWALL JACKSON: Smoke Along The Track/ Waterloo/
GEORGE JONES: White Lightnin'/ THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: Knoxville Girl/
FRANKIE MILLER: Blackland Farmer/ BILL MONROE: Dark As The Night,
Blue As The Day/ BUCK OWENS: Under Your Spell Again/ WEBB PIERCE: I
Ain't Never/ RAY PRICE: Heartaches By The Number/ The Same Old Me/
JIM REEVES: Home/ MARTY ROBBINS: El Paso/ JIMMIE SKINNER: Dark
Hollow/ HANK SNOW: The Last Ride/ KITTY WELLS: Amigo's Guitar/ MAC
WISEMAN: Jimmy Brown The Newsboy/ FARON YOUNG: Country Girl
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16965 |
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And
Hillbilly Music, 1960 |
● CD $24.98 |
The last volume, to date has 32 great sides from
1960 by Johnny Horton, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Hank Snow,
Stonewall Jackson, Flatt & Scruggs, Carl Smith, Roy Drusky, Wynn
Stewart, Roger Miller, Hank Thompson and many more.
BILL ANDERSON: The Tip Of My Fingers/ JOHNNY CASH:
Smiling Bill McCall/ COWBOY COPAS: Alabam/ FLOYD CRAMER: Last Date/
SKEETER DAVIS: (I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too/ ROY DRUSKY:
Another/ LESTER FLATT & EARL SCRUGGS: Crying My Heart Out Over You/
DON GIBSON: (I'd Be) A Legend In My Time/ Just One Time/ CLAUDE
GRAY: Family Bible/ JOHNNY HORTON: North To Alaska/ FERLIN HUSKY:
Wings Of A Dove/ STONEWALL JACKSON: Why I'm Walkin'/ GEORGE JONES:
The Window Up Above/ HANK LOCKLIN: Please Help Me, I'm Falling/ JOHN
D. LOUDERMILK: Tobacco Road/ BOB LUMAN: Let's Think About Living/
LORETTA LYNN: I'm A Honky Tonk Girl/ ROGER MILLER: You Don't Want My
Love/ GEORGE MORGAN: You're The Only Good Thing (That's Happened To
Me)/ BUCK OWENS: Above And Beyond/ Excuse Me (I Think I've Got A
Heartache)/ WEBB PIERCE: No Love Have I/ RAY PRICE: One More Time/
JIM REEVES: He'll Have To Go/ MARTY ROBBINS: Big Iron/ CHARLIE RYAN
& THE TIMBERLINE RIDERS: Hot Rod Lincoln/ CARL SMITH: Cut Across
Shorty/ HANK SNOW: Miller's Cave/ WYNN STEWART: Wishful Thinking/
HANK THOMPSON: A Six Pack To Go/ FARON YOUNG: Riverboat
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus CDABB 1 |
Abbott Records Hillbilly |
● CD $15.98 |
31 tracks, 79 mins, recommended
Fabor Robinson & Sid
Abbott's Abbott label, founded in 1951, helped launch the career of
such important country stars as Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves and Floyd
Cramer. This fine collection of recordings made between 1951 and '57
has cuts by Horton and Reeves but mostly features lesser known but
fine artists like Smiley Burnette, Billy Barton, Buddy DeVal, Myrna
Lorrie, Carolyn Bradshaw (her Flower Of the Rio is
particularly fine), Wink Lewis, Danny Dixon, Bob Stegall and others.
It also includes early country sides by rockabilly hero Rudy
Grayzell and one of the earliest solo sides by Dorsey Burnette - the
forgettable Jungle Magic. (FS)
BILLY BARTON: What's The Matter With Me/ HILLBILLY
BARTON: Strange Affection/ BILLY BARTON & WANDA WAYNE: That Word
Called Love/ CAROLYN BRADSHAW: A Man On The Loose/ Baby Then You're
Catchin On/ Flower Of The Rio/ DORSEY BURNETTE: Jungle Magic/ SMILEY
BURNETTE: Chuggin' On Down "66"/ Lazy Locomotive/ That Long White
Line/ ALVADEAN COKER: SugarDoll/ SANDY COKER: Toss Over/ T. TOMMY
CUTRER: Mexico Gal/ BOB DAVIS: My Gal Comes From Heaven/ BUDDY
DEVAL: Mate Of The Wind/ DANNY DIXON: Sweater Girl/ FREDDIE FRANK:
12,000 Texas Longhorns/ RUDY GRAYZELL: Bonita Chiquita/ I'm Gone
Again/ HERB HENSON: The Birds & The Bees/ Out Of Line/ JOHNNY
HORTON: Rhythm In My Baby's Walk/ Bawlin' Baby/ CURTIS KIRK: Oh, So
Lonesome Blues/ WINK LEWIS: Sahw Bessie/ MYRNA LORRIE: Listen To My
Heart Strings/ You Bet I Kissed Him/ Are You mine/ I'm Your Man/ JIM
REEVES: My Rambling Heart/ BOB STEGALL: Strong Coffee
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus CAPCD 4 |
Capitol Hillbilly, Vol. 4 |
● CD $15.98 |
32 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
Another
terrific selection mixing familiar artists with obscure names
including Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan, Lee Bonds (the outstanding Done
Gone Crazy), Boots Faye & Idaho Call, Texas Bill Strength (a
fine cover of Johnny Cash's Cry Cry Cry), Wynn Stewart, Jack
Guthrie, Werly Fairburn (a fine cover of Al Terry's great Good
Deal Lucille), Billy Strange, Bob Atcher, Cliffie Stone (not
much of a vocal but fine guitar from Jimmy Bryant), Ann Jones, Leon
Payne, etc. (FS)
ROY ACUFF: Rushing Around/ BOB ATCHER: Smoke Comes
Out My Chimney/ FRED BAKER: I Gotta Do What I Gotta Do/ LEE BONDS:
Done Gone Crazy/ HYLO BROWN: The Wrong Kind Of Love/ CARL BUTLER:
Plastic Heart/ JOE CARSON: Take Me In Your Arms/ TOMMY COLLINS: All
Of The Monkey's Ain't In The Zoo/ RAMBLIN' JIMMIE DOLAN: Hot Rod
Mama/ WERLY FAIRBURN: Good Deal Lucille/ BOOTS FAYE & IDAHO CALL:
Grinnin' Like A Possum/ JACK GUTHRIE: When The Cactus Is In Bloom/
JIMMY HEAP: Cat'N Around/ ANN JONES: Doin' Fine/ JIMMY LEE: Knocking
On Your Front Door/ IRA & CHARLEY LOUVIN: Plenty Of Everything But
You/ SKEETS MCDONALD: Remember You're Mine/ MERRILL MOORE: Snatchin'
& Grabbin'/ ROD MORRIS: Cold Cold Cornbread/ GENE OQUINN: I Get The
Blues/ LEON PAYNE: Poke Salad Green/ OLE RASMUSSEN: Sleepy Eyed
John/ AL ROGERS: All Alone All Alone/ JIMMIE SKINNER: Your Flyin'
Days Are Through/ WYNN STEWART: Why Do I Love You So/ CLIFFIE STONE:
Jump Rope Boogie/ BILLY STRANGE: Catsup & Honey/ TEXAS BILL
STRENGTH: Cry Cry Cry/ HANK THOMPSON: Hangover Tavern/ MERLE TRAVIS:
Turn My Picture Upside Down/ BOOTS WOODALL: I Might Have Been/ FARON
YOUNG: It's A Great Life
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus CAPCD 6 |
Capitol Hillbilly, Vol. 6 |
● CD $15.98 |
32 tracks, recommended
Not one of my favorite
releases in this series due to an overabundance of dispensable
novelty numbers - the tracks by Ferlin Huskey and Ramblin Jimmie
Dolan are particularly wretched. Still about half the tracks are
excellent with some fine sides from Merle Travis (the great
Louisiana Boogie), Gene O'Quin, Hylo Brown (a fine bluegrass
version of the old favorite The Prisoner's Song), Werly
Fairburn, Jess Willard, Hank Thomspon, Skeets McDonald, Faron Young,
Jenks (Tex) Carman (the always welcome Dixie Cannon Ball) and
others. (FS)
JOE ALLISON: Let Me Give You A Clue/ THE AMBER
SISTERS: Look What Followed Me Home/ HYLO BROWN: The Prisoner's
Song/ JENKS (TEX) CARMAN: Dixie Cannon Ball/ LEON CHAPPEL: Booger
Blues/ DUB DICKERSON: Mama Laid The Law Down/ RAMBLIN' JIMMIE DOLAN:
Rfd Blues/ WERLY FAIRBURN: Prison Cell Of Love/ THE FARMER BOYS:
You're A Humdinger/ BOOTS FAYE & IDAHO CALL: Stranded (on The Sea Of
Life)/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD & BUCKY TIBBS: Hambone/ TENNESSEE ERNIE
FORD & ELLA MAE MORSE: I'm Hog Tied Over You/ JOE 'RED' HAYES: Every
Little Bit/ JIMMY HEAP: Ethyl In My Gas Tank/ COUSIN HERB HENSON:
Laugh, Laugh, Laugh/ ROY HOGSED: Free Samples/ FERLIN HUSKEY: I'll
Baby Sit With You/ SKEETS MCDONALD: I Got A New Field To Plow/ ROD
MORRIS: I've Got News For You/ GENE O'QUINN: I Believe In Lovin'/
You're Gonna Be Sorry/ OWEN PERRY: You Plus Me (equals Love)/ OLE
RASMUSSEN: Did The Man In The Moon Come From Texas/ JEAN SHEPARD:
Twice The Lovin' (in Half The Time)/ DEUCE SPRIGGINS: Hungover/
BILLY STRANGE: Kiss, Kiss, Kiss/ The Almanac Song/ HANK THOMPSON:
How Cold Hearted Can You Get/ MERLE TRAVIS: Louisiana Boogie/ Love
Must Be Ketchin'/ JESS WILLARD: Buy Me A Bottle Of Beer/ FARON
YOUNG: Go Back You Fool
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus COLCD 6 |
Columbia Hillbilly, Vol. 6 |
● CD $15.98 |
31 tracks, 78 mins, highly recommended
Another
splendid collection of uptempo honky tonk hillbilly from the
Columbia catalog recorded in the early and mid 50s. Hit makers like
Roy Acuff, "Little" Jimmy Dickens, Carl Smith, Ray Price and others
rub shoulders with lesser known but very fine artists like Dusty
Owens, The Masters Family (the excellent Southbound Passenger
Train from this fine gorup best known for the gospel
recordings), Billy Brown, Neil Burris (the fine Hank Williams
flavored That's The Time For Love), Charlie Adams (the
whimsical Gee, But It's Dry In Texas - possible the only
country song with the word "filibuster" in it!), Johnny Ragsdale,
Johnny Hicks (a version of the old jazz/ blues song A Good Man Is
Hard To Find), Neal Jones and others. Fine music, excellent
sound, no notes. (FS)
ROY ACUFF: Fire Ball Mail/ CHARLIE ADAMS: Gee, But
It's Dry In Texas/ JOHNNY BOND: Wildcat Boogie/ BILLY BROWN: Don't
Hold Back/ VIN BRUCE: Fille De La Ville (Girl Of The Town)/ NEAL
BURRIS: That's The Time For Love/ JUNE CARTER: Baby I Tried/ ROY
DRUSKY: Come On Back & Love Me/ JOHNNY HICKS: A Good Man Is Hard To
Find/ THE JACOBY BROS: Laredo/ NEAL JONES: High Steppin' Baby/ OAKIE
JONES: I'll Bet It's 'Cause (I Love You So)/ FRED KIRBY: Lost (Deep
In The Bottom Of The Sea)/ BOBBY LORD: I Can't Do Without You
Anymore/ ROSE MADDOX: I'm A Little Red Caboose/ THE MADDOX BROS. &
ROSE: You Won't Believe This/ JOE MAPHIS & ROSE LEE: You Ain't Got
The Sense You Were Borned With/ THE MASTERS FAMILY: Southbound
Passenger Train/ SMILEY MAXEDON: Too Late To Cry Over You/ LEON
MCAULIFFE: I'm Going Back To Birmingham/ DUSTY OWENS: Hello
Operator/ ZAG PENNELL: Some Kinna/ POLLY POSSUM: Lordy, Oh Lord/ RAY
PRICE: You Always Get By/ JOHNNY RAGSDALE: I'm Taking My Marbles
Home/ CARL SMITH: Back Up Buddy/ Time's A'Wastin'/ THE TUNESMITHS:
Outlaw/ ONIE WHEELER: Onie's Bop
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus DECCD 6 |
Decca Hillbilly, Vol. 6 |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, 78 mins, recommended
Another fine uptempo
collection of honky tonk country recorded for Decca in the early/
mid 50s. This one includes Mervin Shiner's fine cover of Lefty's
If You've Got The Money I've Got The Time and Kitty Wells'
"answer song" I Don't Want Your Money, I Want Your Time.
Another fine cover is Jimmie Logsden's superb rendition. Red Foley
is featured on his big hit Birmingham Bounce and, in the same
rockin' vein, is Hardrock Gunter's Dixieland Boogie. Other
artists include The Wilburn Brothers, Jimmie Skinner (an interesting
take on the John Henry story), Lonzo & Oscar, Wayne Raney
(the great Four Aces & A Queen), Tex Williams (the humorous
and clever Money), Benny Martin, Justin Tubb & Goldie Hill,
Lawton Williams, Tabby West, Ted Rains and others. (FS)
JIM EANES: Little Brown Hand/ CHARLIE "PEANUT"
FAIRCLOTH: Coffee, Cigarettes & Tears/ RED FOLEY: Birmingham Bounce/
HANK GARLAND: I'm Moving On/ Seventh & Union/ HARDROCK GUNTER:
Dixieland Boogie/ GOLDIE HILL: I'm Yvonne (Of The Bayou)/ AUTRY
INMAN: Who Do You Love/ JACK & DANIEL: Don't Make Love In A Buggy/
HANK LOCKLIN: Lessons In Love/ JIMMY LOGSDON: Where The Old Red
River Flows/ LONZO & OSCAR: Baby Me, Baby/ Goodbye Little Darlin'
No. 2/ BENNY MARTIN: Border Baby/ WEBB PIERCE: Drifting Texas Sand/
TED RAINS: There's Nothing I Won't Do/ WAYNE RANEY: Four Aces & A
Queen/ MERVIN SHINER: If You've Got The Money I've Got The Time/
JIMMY SKINNER: John Henry & The Water Boy/ RED SOVINE: Hold
Everything/ Why Baby Why/ JUSTIN TUBB: Somebody Ughed On You/ Sure
Fire Kisses/ KITTY WELLS: I Don't Want Your Money, I Want Your Time/
TABBY WEST: Crew Cut & Baby Blue Eyes/ THE WILBURN BROTHERS: Deep
Elem Blues/ I'm Settin' You Free/ LAWTON WILLIAMS: Texas Vs. Alaska/
TEX WILLIAMS: Money/ BOB WILLS: It's The Bottle Talking
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus CAPCD 7 |
Capitol Hillbilly, Vol. 7 |
● CD $15.98 |
32 tracks, 77 mins, recommended
Like Volume 6 this
one has a few too many novelty songs for comfort but there are some
real winners here from Mac Wiseman, Skeets McDonald, Hank Thompson,
Jack Guthrie, Gene O' Quinn, The Louvin Brothers, Chester Smith &
Hazel Houser (fabulous old time gospel singing), Roy Acuff, Boots &
Idaho, Jimmie Skinner and Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West that make this
set wortwhile.Other artists include Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan, Deuce
Spriggins, Jerry Reed, Billy Strange, Cliffie Stone, Martha Carson,
Merle Travis and more. (FS)
ROY ACUFF: Tied Down/ Whoa Mule/ THE AMBER
SISTERS: So Tired Of Your Runnin' round/ FRED BAKER: Is I Is Or Is
I Ain't?/ BOOTS & IDAHO: Cryin' My Heart Out/ HYLO BROWN: There's
More Pretty Girls Than One/ JIMMY BRYANT & SPEEDY WEST: Pickin'
Peppers)/ MARTHA CARSON: Lazarus/ LEON CHAPPEL: I'm Getting' Mighty
Tired/ DUB DICKERSON: Count Me In/ RAMBLIN' JIMMIE DOLAN: Juke Box
Boogie/ THE FARMER BOYS: Flip Flop/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: Hey, Mr.
Cotton Picker/ JACK GUTHRIE: Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind/ COUSIN HERB
HENSON: I've Never Heard/ FERLIN HUSKEY: How Much Are You Mine/ ANN
JONES & SMOKEY ROGERS: Bloodshot Eyes/ THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: I Wish
You Knew/ SKEETS MCDONALD: Scoot, Git & Begone/ MERRILL MOORE: Hard
Top Race/ GENE O'QUINN: I Specialize In Love/ JERRY REED: I'm A
Lover, Not A Fighter/ JIMMIE SKINNER: By Degrees/ CHESTER SMITH &
HAZEL HOUSER: All The Way With Jesus/ THE SMITH BROTHERS: God's
Rocket Ship/ DEUCE SPRIGGINS: Calm, Cool & Collected/ CLIFFIE STONE:
Tater Pie/ BILLY STRANGE: Crazy Quilt Rag/ Let Me In There, Baby/
HANK THOMPSON: New Rovin' Gambler/ MERLE TRAVIS: Jolie Fille (pretty
Girl)/ JESS WILLARD: Cadillac Blues
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus COLCD 7 |
Columbia Hillbilly, Vol. 7 |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, 77 mins, recommended
Another fine
collection of 50s honky tonk from Columbia mixing familiar names
("Little" Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price, George Morgan, Lefty Frizzell,
etc) with fine obscure performers (Polly Possum & Joe Wolverton,
Earl peterson, Ray Smith, Oakie Jones, etc.) Among the highlights
are the great opening cut So Little Time by Lee Emerson, two
superb cuts by bluegrass giant Carl Story - one sacred and one
secular, Paint, Powder & perfume by superb Texas honky tonker
Frankie Miller and the splendid My Mama Siad from Cajun born
singer who also recorded Cajun. There are several forgettable
novelty numbers but most of it is very worthwhile. (FS)
JESSE ASHLOCK: Knuckle Head/ JOHNNY BOND: Keep
Your Cotton Pickin' Hands Off My Gal/ Six Of One, Half-A-Dozen Of
The Other/ VIN BRUCE: My Mama Said/ NEAL BURRIS: My Heart Needs Your
Heart/ CARL BUTLER: I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome/ TED DAFFAN:
Take That Leash Off Of Me/ LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS: I'm Coming Over
Tonight/ Stinky Passed The Hat Around/ LEE EMERSON: So Little Time/
LEFTY FRIZZELL: If You Can Spare The Time/ Shine, Shave, Shower/ DON
GIBSON: Sample Kisses/ OAKIE JONES: Send Me A Penny Post Card/
JIMMIE LAWSON: Tennessee Blues/ ROSE MADDOX: False Hearted/ THE
MADDOX BROS. & ROSE: No More Time/ LEON MCAULIFFE: This Side Of
Town/ FRANKIE MILLER: Paint, Powder & Perfume/ GEORGE MORGAN: Look
What Followed Me Home Last Night/ EARL PETERSON: Boogie Blues/ POLLY
POSSUM &JOE WOLVERTON: Between You & The Birds/ RAY PRICE: Who Stole
That Train/ HERBY REMINGTON: Julida Polka/ BONNIE SLOAN: Hogtied &
Branded/ RAY SMITH: No Trespassing/ CARL STORY: Have You Come To Say
Goodbye/ It's A Lonesome Road/ BILLY WALKER: It's Doggone Tough On
Me/ ONIE WHEELER: Cut It Out
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus DECCD 7 |
Decca Hillbilly, Vol. 7 |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
A very fine
collection which in addition to the usual honky tonk and western
swing includes some great bluegrass from Bill Monroe, his brilliant
but underrated brother Charlie and Jimmy Martin. This set includes
Hank Penny's great original 1950 version of Bloodshot Eyes
which was a hit a year later for the wonderful blues shouter Wynonie
Harris. Returning the complement Roberta Lee & Hardrock Gunter do an
entertaining, if somewhat sanitized, version of the Dominoes R&B hit
Sixty Minute Man. Other artists include Red Foley, Webb
Pierce (a fine version of Jimmie Rodgers' California Blues),
Goldie Hill, Red Sovine, Wayne Raney (always fine!), Grady Martin,
Carl Below, Jimmie Logsdon, Spade Cooley (the fine instrumental
Horse Hair Boogie). Usual fine sound and no notes. (FS)
CARL BELEW: I Wish I'd Never/ SPADE COOLEY: Horse
Hair Boogie/ RED FOLEY: Playin' Dominoes & Shootin' Dice/ GOLDIE
HILL: Ain't Gonna Wash My Face/ ROBERTA LEE & HARDROCK GUNTER: Sixty
Minute Man/ JIMMIE LOGSDON: As Long As We're Together/ Pa-Paya-Mama/
GRADY MARTIN: Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves/ JIMMY MARTIN: Dog Bite
Your hide/ I'm The Boss/ BILL MONROE: Lonesome Truck Drivers Blues/
CHARLIE MONROE: Find 'Em, Fool 'Em & Leave 'Em Alone/ Weep & Cry/
HANK PENNY: Bloodshot Eyes/ WEBB PIERCE: California Blues (Blue
Yodel #4)/ WAYNE RANEY: I Ain't Got Time/ MIMI ROMAN: Wrap It Up &
Save It/ MERVIN SHINER: Anticipation Blues/ Landslide Of Love/ RED
SOVINE: Poor Man's Riches/ You Used To Be My Baby/ MERLE "RED"
TAYLOR: Gimmie A Little Sugar/ MITCHELL TOROK: I Wish I Was A Little
Bit Younger/ JUSTIN TUBB: I Gotta Go Get My Baby/ T. TEXAS TYLER:
Much More Than The Rest/ River Girl/ THE WILBURN BROTHERS: Look
Around/ TEX WILLIAMS: Sidetracked/ BOBBY WRIGHT: My Mama Didn't
Raise No Foolish Children/ You'd Better Not Do That
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus RCACD 7 |
RCA Hillbilly, Vol. 7 |
● CD $15.98 |
32 up tempo hillbilly tracks from the RCA label.
Like the later Capitol volumes this includes heavy dose of novelty
numbers like Catch 'Em Young, Treat 'Em Rough, Tell 'Em Nothin'
from feminist Hank Penny, From Paree To TennesseeCaffeine
& Nicotine by Eddie Hill, I Pulled A Boo Boo by Jimmy
Martin and more. Other artists featured include JOhnny Lee Wills,
Eddy Arnold, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Hank Snow, Homer & Jethro, Jimmy
Murphy, Merv Shiner, Anita Carter, Eddie Marshall, Billy McGhee,
etc.
EDDY ARNOLD: A Full Time Job/ CHARLINE ARTHUR:
Soft Hearted Gal/ BILL BOYD: Come & Get It/ Mean Mean Mean/ ANITA
CARTER: Right Way, Wrong Way/ THE COUNTRY PARDNERS: Ever-Ready
Kisses/ THE DAVIS SISTERS: Gotta Git A-Goin'/ CURTIS GORDON:
Caffeine & Nicotine/ HAWKSHAW HAWKINS: Car Hoppin' Mama/ EDDIE HILL:
Slender Tender & Sweet/ Whittlin' On A Piece Of Wood/ HOMER &
JETHRO: Alabama Jubilee/ JOHNNIE & JACK: So Lovely Baby/ GRANDPA
JONES: Old Rattler's Son/ PEE WEE KING: Texas Toni Lee/ LONE PINE
with BETTY CODY: Tom-Tom Yodel/ EDDIE MARSHALL: The Tom Cat Blues/
JIMMY MARTIN: I Pulled A Boo Boo/ KEN MARVIN: I Ain't Gonna Do
Nothin'/ JIMMY MURPHY: Educated Fool/ BILLY McGHEE: Gamble Your
Kisses With Somebody New/ HANK PENNY: Catch 'Em Young, Treat 'Em
Rough, Tell 'Em Nothin'/ No Muss-No Fuss/ HAL "LONE" PINE: Don't
Stop, I Like It/ From Paree To Tennessee/ MERV SHINER: Mister
Sandman/ HANK SNOW: Ladies Man/ JIMMIE RODGERS SNOW: How Do You
Think I Feel/ The Flame Of Love/ JACK TURNER: Gambler's Guitar/
BOBBY WILLIAMSON: My Gal Come From Heaven/ JOHNNIE LEE WILLS:
Blackberry Boogie
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus CAPCD 8 |
Capitol Hillbilly, Vol. 8 |
● CD $15.98 |
32 tracks, 79 mins, recommended
32 more fine uptempo
sides from the Capitol catalog. This one doesn't have as many
novelty songs as the past couple of volumes. It opens with the
classic Oakie Boogie by Jack Guthrie plus more fine country
boogie from Aubrey Gass, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Deuce Spriggins.
Other artiusts include Rod Morris, Hylo Brown, Roy Hogsed, Skeets
McDonald (the fine Baby, I'm Hurtin), Joe Allison, Jimmie
Dolan, Ferlin Huskey (two songs including Hank's Song - a
song composed of Hank Williams song titles!), Jimmy Skinner (the
splendid I Got A Lot Of Love Baby), Chester Smith (the great
handclapping gospel song Bend Down), Tommy Collins, Jimmy
Bryant & Speedy West (the dazzling Frettin' Fingers) and
others.
ROY ACUFF: Night Train To Memphis/ Sunshine
Special/ JOE ALLISON: A Brand New Broom/ What Happened To Our Summer
Love/ FRED BAKER: I'll Make Up/ BOOTS & IDAHO: That's My Heart
Talkin'/ HYLO BROWN: John Henry/ JIMMY BRYANT & SPEEDY WEST:
Frettin' Fingers/ MARTHA CARSON: Singin' On The Other Side/ LEON
CHAPPELL: I'm A Do-Rite Daddy/ TOMMY COLLINS: I'll Be Gone/ JIMMIE
DOLAN: I Ain't Gonna Bring My Bacon Home To You/ Wine, Women & Pink
Elephants/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: Catfish Boogie/ AUBREY GASS: Dear
John/ K. C. Boogie/ JACK GUTHRIE: Oakie Boogie/ ROY HOGSED: Put Some
Sugar In Your Shoes/ JACK HUNT: They Tell Me It's Wrong/ FERLIN
HUSKEY: Hank's Song/ I Wouldn't Treat A Dog Like You're Treatin' Me/
THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: Childish Love/ SKEETS MCDONALD: Baby I'm
Hurtin'/ ROD MORRIS: I'm Comin' Over Tonight/ OLE RASMUSSEN:
Straighten Out Your Troubles (With The Lord)/ JERRY REED: Honey
Chile/ JIMMIE SKINNER: I Got A Lot Of Love Baby/ CHESTER SMITH: Bend
Down/ THE SMITH BROTHERS: I'm Gonna Shout/ DEUCE SPRIGGENS: Empty
Hands, Empty Heart, Empty Pockets/ The Player Piano Boogie/ JESS
WILLARD: Gonna Take That Fast Train
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus RCACD 8 |
RCA Hillbilly, Vol. 8 |
● CD $15.98 |
32 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended
This volume
has a lot of great cuts starting off the set with Jack Turner's
great country cover of Big Mama THornton's Hound Dog with hot
accompaniment from Chet Atkins, Homer & Jethro and Jerry Byrd and
the backing group appears as The Country All Stars on the fine Do
SOmething. Porter Wagoner is here with two cuts including a
great version of Hank's Settin' The Woods On Fire, Hank
Snow's 1951 One More Ride was not a hit but should have been
- a great songs with fine vocals, strong fiddle by Tommy Waden and
some of Hank's acoutic guitar licks. Pee Wee King is here with two
hard driving cuts with hot guitar and we have a couple of
outstanding bluegrass cuts from The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers and Jimmy
Martin (his classic Chalk Up Another One). Other artists
include Bobby Williamson, Hank Penny, Tommy Sands (fine uptempo
honky tonk from future teen idol), Carson Robison (the fine
Rotation BLues - a topical song about Korea), Jimmy Murphy
(always excellent), Homer & Jethro, Grandpa Jones (two great sides),
Johnny Lee Wills, Myrna LOrrie and others. Definitely one of the
better ones in the series. (FS)
EDDY ARNOLD: I'm Gonna Lock My Heart/ ELTON BRITT:
Rotation Blues/ COUNTRY ALL-STARS: Do Something/ CURTIS GORDON:
Rocky Road Of Love/ HOMER & JETHRO: Child Psychology/ The West
Virginny Hills/ GRANDPA JONES: T.V. Blues/ The Closer To The Bone/
PEE WEE KING: Going Back To A.L.A./ The Ghost & Honest Joe/ THE
LONESOME PINE FIDDLERS: Honky Tonk Blues/ MYRNA LORRIE: That's What
Sweethearts Do/ JIMMY MARTIN: Chalk Up Another One/ JOYCE MOORE: You
Can't Kiss Me Too Soon/ JIMMY MURPHY: Ramblin' Heart/ NITA, RITA &
RUBY: But I Love You Just The Same/ MINNIE PEARL: Me/ HANK PENNY:
Taxes Taxes/ Fan It/ DAVE RICH: Ain't It Fine/ I'm Glad/ TEXAS JIM
ROBERTSON: Jaw, Jaw, Yap, Yap, Yap!/ TOMMY SANDS: A Dime & A Dollar/
Love Pains/ HANK SNOW: One More Ride/ JACK TURNER: Hound Dog/ PORTER
WAGONER: Hey Maw!/ Settin' The Woods On Fire/ TEX WILLIAMS: Sinful/
BOBBY WILLIAMSON: Steady Diet/ JOHNNIE LEE WILLS: Oo Oooh Daddy/
FLOYD WILSON: Baby, Baby Baby
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus 055 |
MGM Hillbilly, Vol. 5 - Cryin' In
Your Beer Honky-Tonk |
● CD $15.98 |
31 tracks, 77 mins, very highly recommended
Maybe
it's because MGM was the home of country music's greatest honky tonk
singer but this collection of honky tonk ballads is one of Cactus's
best. The influence of Hank can be heard in several of the artists
here and I suspect that members of the Drifting Cowboys appear on
some of the sides here. Whatever, this collection has some truly
great tearjerkers including sides by Bob Gallion, George McCormick,
Jimmie Williams, Red Sovine, Charlie Carson, Jimmy Swan (an
exceptional singer!), and others. Most Cactus CDs have a few duds
but this one is superb from start to finish. (FS)
TOM ANDERSON: My Heart Couldn't See/ THE ANDREWS
BROTHERS: Sundown/ AL BRITT: Blue Water/ CHARLIE CARSON: The Ache In
My Heart/ VIC CLAIBORNE: No Letter Today/ PAUL DAVIS: I Must Turn My
Face To The Wall/ What A Fool I've Been/ BUD DECKELMAN: I Love You/
I'd Only Be Acting A Fool/ DAVE DENNY: Cry Fool Cry/ RUSTY GABBARD:
It Hurts Too Much To Cry/ BOB GALLION: Out Of A Honky Tonk/ Your
Wild Life's Gonna Get You Down/ BUD HOBBS: Last Dance Tonight/ BOB
JENNINGS: I'd Be The Last To Know/ MARY ANN JOHNSON: Blue Teardrops/
Lend Me Your Handkerchief/ JOE CANNONBALL LEWIS: Only In Dreams/
GEORGE MCCORMICK: I Guess You Don't Care/ MARVIN RAINWATER: I Feel
Like Leaving Town/ JESSE ROGERS: I Never Knew I Needed You/ You're
Sorry For Yourself/ RED SOVINE: A Quarter's Worth Of Heartaches/
JIMMY SWAN: The Way That You're Living/ Why Did You Change Your
Mind/ FRED WAMBLE: Since My True Love Said Goodbye/ TED WEST: An
Angel's Face (& A Devil's Heart)/ JIMMIE WILLIAMS: These Blues Over
You/ Throwing My Life Away/ BILLY JACK WILLS: Four Beers & Forty
Tears/ SKEETS YANEY: If It Was A Teardrop
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus 063B |
MGM Hillbilly, Vol. 6 |
● CD $15.98 |
31 tracks, highly recommended
The sixth volume
brings us back to mostly uptempo numbers starting off in fine form
with the risque country boogie Keep You Motor Hot by Sam
Nichols and continuing with more fine sides from Sheb Wooley, Benny
Martin (the excellent Midnight Flyer with fine fiddle and
harmonica), Jimmy Williams (hot bluegrass gospel), Joe "Cannonball"
Lewis, Zeke Clements (the bluesy Louisiana with hot guitar),
Ernie Lee, Arthur Smith (a humorous song about green stamps), Jimmie
Allen, Smiley Wilson, Tom Anderson, George McCormick, Skeets Yaney
and others. Many tracks are making their first appearance on CD.
JIMMIE ALLEN: I Was A Fool To Fool Around/ The
Pain Of Love/ You Upset My Apple Cart/ TOM ANDERSON: My Worried,
Troubled Mind/ Our Love Goes On Just Like A Ballgame/ The Moon & I/
THE ANDREWS BROTHERS: I Got Shook/ JACK BOLES: Rockin' Chair Blues/
Runnin' Round/ ZEKE CLEMENTS: Louisiana/ PAUL DAVIS: That Ain't Hard
To Take/ BOB GALLION: Baby Love Me/ BUD HOBBS: Louisiana Swing/
ERNIE LEE: How Come You Never Answer/ JOE (CANNONBALL) LEWIS: I
Wonder If I Can Lose The Blues/ BENNY MARTIN: Midnight Flyer/ GEORGE
MCCORMICK: The Blues Moved In This Morning/ DON MEEHAN: Im Gonna
Tell Your Conscience On You/ SAM NICHOLS: Keep Your Motor Hot/ Who
Puts The Cat Out/ JINNIE RODGERS: Everything You Do To Me/ AL
ROGERS: I'm Getting' Nowhere Fast/ ARTHUR SMITH: Stamps/ JIMMIE
WILLIAMS: Don't Come Knockin' At My Door/ JIMMY WILLIAMS: Alpha &
Omega/ BOB WILLS: The End Of The Line/ HAPPY WILSON: The Haunted
House Boogie/ SMILEY WILSON: Mister Big/ SHEB WOOLEY: Country
Kisses/ Hoot Owl Boogie/ SKEETS YANEY: Paper To Burn
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Cactus 105 |
High On The Hog, Vol. 5 |
● CD $15.98 |
32 tracks, 76 mins, recommended Another fine
collection of country drawn from small labels in the 50s and early
60s. Among the better known names here are Alabama singer Jack
Cardwell who does two songs about Alabama governor Big Jimy Wilson
who was one of the first Southern governors to embrace civil right.
There are also sides by Dewey Groom (a 60s remake of his earlier Butane Blues), singer & ssession guitarist Jimmie Widener and the
popular Marvin Rainwater with a track on the Brave label (his own
label?). Other artists include Dewey Long, Ken Adams (the fine
acoustic Tow The Mark), Mack McCray, Al Oster (a singer from the
Canadian Yukon), Sammy Julian (a Johnny Cash imitator), Charlie
Brown, Jim Minor, The Runabouts, Cousin Zeke (the risque Get Your
Finger Out Of It), Little Leon Payne (any connection to THE Leon
Payne?), Johnny Diamond and others. Perhaps not quite as strong as
earlier volumes but worthwhile, nevertheless. (FS)
KEN ADAMS: Tow The Mark/ SHARY BLAKE: Two Weeks
Notice/ CHARLIE BROWN: $50 Fine!/ JACK CARDWELL: Ballad Of Big Jim
Folsom/ Big Jim Folsom/ EVERETT CENNA: Another In my Life/ LEON
COLLARD: Silver Queen/ COUSIN ZEKE: Get Your Finger Out Of It/
JIMMIE DAWSON: Hot Tamale Wagon/ If I Can't Have You/ JOHNNY
DIAMOND: Cry Baby Cry/ DEWEY GROOM: Butane Blues/ BOBBY HODGE: Don't
Call The Law/ CURLY HOWARD: Little Ole Heart/ SAMMY JULIAN: The Man
That Plays The Lead Guitar/ DEWEY LONG: One More Time/ BOBBY MC:
Lonely World Of Hurt/ MACK MCCRAY: Shorts Crazy/ OAKIE MCDONALD:
Take Your Heart/ DOUG MCGINNIS: Wrong Number/ JIM MINOR: Aggravatin'
Waitin'/ AL OSTER: Northland/ LITTLE LEON PAYNE: Hard Row To Hoe/
MARVIN RAINWATER: It Wasn't Enough/ HOOT ROBERTS: Hey Sheriff/ CHUCK
ROGERS: Out Of Gasoline/ THE RUNABOUTS: Train/ HAROLD STORIE: Loved
& Lost/ CLEVE WARNOCK: Boy & A Guitar/ JIMMIE WIDENER: Rollin' Tide/
JIMMIE WILLIAMS: Hey, Hey Little Dreamboat/ NORMAN WOOD: Black Lake
Boogie
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Country Stars 55495 |
Lost Highway - A Tribute to Hank
Williams |
● CD $10.98 |
24 Tracks, 61 Mins, highly recommended
A great
collection of not only classic Country cover versions of Hank
Williams songs, but Jazz, R&B, and Pop versions as well. When Tony
Bennett covered Cold, Cold Heart in 1951, it was a big deal;
not only did it go all the way to #1 on the Pop charts, it opened up
Hank Williams and Country music to a whole different type of music
listener, exposing both to levels of society that had largely before
held their noses up at so called Hillbilly music. In 2011, Hank
Williams is a pillar of the American songbook, but it wasn't always
that way. This collection features all kinds of great artists
exploring his songs and spreading the word on one of America's
greatest songwriters. With so many great tracks, here's a just a
sample of what you will get: Lovesick Blues by Patsy Cline,
My Bucket's Got A Hole In It by Maddox Brothers and Rose,
Take These Chains From My Heart by Dean Martin, Kaw-Liga
by Johnny & The Hurricanes, Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (live)
by Fats Domino, and so on. Most of the artists here are big names,
but one of my favorites on this one has to be the obscure version of
Moanin' The Blues by Outpost Scotty & His Bar-X Boys, just
for its pure Honky-Tonk flavor. Aside from the Fats track, all
recordings seem to be done in the 1950's - 1960s, but the limited
liner notes don't provide much in discographal info, a minor
complaint on a fantastic collection. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Country Stars 55532 |
Will There Always Be Yodelers In
Heaven |
● CD $10.98 |
24 tracks, 67 min., very highly recommended
A lot of
country fans will be surprised at the number of major artists who
pressed into service the vocal register-shifting technique known as
yodeling. For a time, the record buying public had a real appetite
for yodeling, but that hunger has fallen off sharply over the last
60 or so years. This collection opens with the extremely influential
Jimmie Rodgers, singing The Yodeling Ranger. There and else
where it is hard to miss the connection between the blues and the
country yodel. Other practitioners represented include Rosalie
Allen, Sons Of The Pioneers, Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe
& HIs Blue Grass Boys, Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys, The Delmore
Brothers, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hank Snow, Slim Whitman, Roy Acuff
The Carter Family, and more. Sometimes the yodel expresses joy,
sometimes sorrow. For single disc collections, it doesn't get much
better. (JC)
ROY ACUFF: Mule Skinner Blues/ ROSALIE ALLEN: Wide
Rolling Plains/ EDDY ARNOLD: Cattle Call/ GENE AUTRY: A Yodeling
Hobo/ ELTON BRITT: Give Me a Pinto Pal/ CLIFF CARLISLE: That Nasty
Swing/ WILF CARTER: A Little Old Log Shack I Can Always Call My
Home/ THE CARTER FAMILY: My Clinch Mountain Home/ THE DELMORE
BROTHERS: Lonesome Yodel Blues/ RED FOLEY: Yodeling Radio Joe/
TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: Anticipation Blues/ THE GIRLS OF THE GOLDEN
WEST: Will There Be Any Yodelers in Heaven?/ REX GRIFFIN: You Got to
Go to Work/ BILL MONROE & HIS BLUEGRASS BOYS: Blue Yodel, No. 4/
PATSY MONTANA: I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart/ JIMMIE RODGERS:
The Yodeling Ranger/ ROY ROGERS: Cowboy Night Herd Song/ HANK SNOW:
Lonesome Blue Yodel/ THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS: The Devil's Great
Grand Son/ ERNEST TUBB: Married Man Blues/ RAY WHITLEY: Blue Yodel
Blues/ SLIM WHITMAN: I'm Casting My Lasso Towards the Sky/ HANK
WILLIAMS: Long Gone Lonesome Blues/ BOB WILLS AND HIS TEXAS
PLAYBOYS: Blue Yodel, No. 1
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Dust-To-Digital 16 |
Baby, How Can It Be? Songs Of Love,
Lust & Contempt |
● CD $29.98 |
Three CDs, 66 tracks, highly recommended
Great
collection of music from the 20s and 30s from the collection of John Heneghan dealing with various aspects of love. The music is mostly
old time country and blues with some jazz, Hawaiian, Cajun and Irish
music thrown in for good measure. Disc 1 deales with the more
romantic side of love with songs from Bo Carter, "Dock" Walsh, Davey
Miller, Oscar Ford, Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band, Dick Reinhart and
others. The second disc titled "Lust" deals with some of the more
carnal aspects of love including some outrageous risque songs (Pussy
by Harry Roy, Let Me Play With It by Hartman's Heart
Breakers, etc) with tracks by Uncle Dave Macon, the Virginia Four,
George "Shortbuckle" Roark, Eddie Peabody, etc. The third disc
"Contempt" looks at the after effects of unsatisfactory
relationships like Laura Smith's I'm Gonna Kill Myself and
Married Girls Troubles by Hazel Scherf as well as songs from
Cliff "Ukulele Ike" edwards, The Dallas String Band, The Carolina
Buddies, The Georgia Browns, Mississippi Sheiks, etc. Although the
blues tracks have been out before it's great to have them in this
context and many of the rest are making their first appearance on
CD. The music is great, sound is excellent and the package is
attractive - the only disappointment is the documentation which
consists of a three page essay by Nick Tosches and an irrelevant
centrefold design by R. Crumb but no information on the artists,
songs or any discographical information - a bit of a surprise from
this label. But still, it's the music that ultimately counts and
that is superb. (FS)
THE BROADWAY BELLHOPS: Wimmin-Aaah!/ BURNETT &
RUTHERFORD: Curley-Headed Woman/ THE CALLAHAN BROTHERS: I Want To
Ask The Stars/ CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Some Of These Days/
BILL CARLISLE: I'm Wearin' the Britches Now/ THE CAROLINA BUDDIES:
He Went In Like a Lion (But Came Out Like a Lamb)/ FIDDLIN' JOHN
CARSON & HIS VIRGINIA REELERS: It's a Shame To Whip Your Wife on
Sunday/ BO CARTER: Baby, How Can It Be?/ LONNIE COLEMAN: Wild About
My Loving/ DOC COOK AND HIS 14 DOCTORS OF SYNCOPATION: I Got Worry
(Love Is On My Mind)/ THE CROWDER BROTHERS: I Don't Let the Girls
Worry My Mind/ BERNIE CUMMINS AND HIS HOTEL NEW YORKER ORCHEST:
Minnie the Mermaid (A Love Song in Fish Time)/ THE DALLAS STRING
BAND: I Used to Call Her Baby/ CLIFF EDWARDS: How Can You Look So
Good/ If You Can't Land Her on the Old Veranda/ CLYDE EVANS BAND:
How I Got My Gal/ JOSEPH FALCON: Poche Town/ OSCAR FORD: Sweetest
Girl in Town/ THE GEORGIA BROWNS: Who Stole De Lock?/ HARTMAN'S
HEARTBREAKERS: Let Me Play With It/ HAWAIIAN BEACH COMBERS: Queen of
the South Sea Isles/ BERTHA "CHIPPIE" HILL: Some Cold Rainy Day/
ROBERT HILL: You Gonna Look Like a Monkey When You Get Old/
MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT: Big Leg Blues/ FRANKIE "HALF-PINT" JAXON:
It's Heated/ BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON: Corinna Blues/ KALAMA'S
QUARTETTE: Hapa Haole Hula Girl/ KANUI & LULA: Tomi, Tomi-Stomp/
LOTTIE KIMBROUGH AND WINSTON HOLMES: Lost Lover Blues/ BOBBIE
LEECAN'S NEED-MORE BAND: Shortnin' Bread/ TED LEWIS AND HIS BAND:
I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby/ JOE LINTHCOME: Pretty Mama Blues/ CRIPPLE
CLARENCE LOFTON: Strut That Thing/ UNCLE DAVE MACON: The Gal That
Got Stuck on Everything She Seen Said/ MACON ED & TAMPA JOE:
Worrying Blues/ ASA MARTIN: She Ain't Built That Way/ NORRIDGE
MAYHAMS AND HIS BARBECUE BOYS: If I Had My Way/ MCGHEE & WELLING: I
Wants My Lulu/ THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND: Insane Crazy Blues/ DAVEY
MILLER: My Pretty Little Indian Napanee/ MISSISSIPPI MATILDA: Hard
Working Woman/ THE MISSISSIPPI MAULERS: My Angeline/ THE MISSISSIPPI
SHEIKS: The World Is Going Wrong/ EDDIE PEABODY: Tiptoe Through the
Tulips/ FRANK QUINN: Murphy's Wife/ DICK REINHART: Always Marry Your
Lover/ GEORGE "SHORTBUCKLE" ROARK: I Ain't a Bit Drunk/ BANJO IKEY
ROBINSON AND HIS BULL FIDDLE BAND: My Four Reasons/ HARRY ROY AND
HIS BAT CLUB BOYS: Pussy/ RUTHERFORD & FOSTER: There's More Pretty
Girls Than One/ HAZEL SCHERF: Married Girls Troubles/ HAYES
SHEPHERD: Hard For To Love/ LAURA SMITH: I'm Gonna Kill Myself/ KID
SMITH AND FAMILY: Mama You're a Mess/ EDDIE SOUTH AND HIS
ALABAMIANS: That's What I Call Keen/ THE SOUTHERN SERENADERS: Then
I'll Be Happy/ THE STATE STREET BOYS: Sweet to Mama/ FRANK STOKES:
Nehi Mama Blues/ LOWE STOKES & HIS NORTH GEORGIANS: Left All Alone
Again Blues/ DAN SULLIVAN'S SHAMROCK STRING BAND: Johnny, Will You
Marry Me?/ TAYLOR'S KENTUCKY BOYS: That's What the Old Bachelor's
Made Out Of/ HENRY THOMAS: Don't Leave Me Here/ AL TRENT AND HIS
ORCHESTRA: After You've Gone/ THE VIRGINIA FOUR: I'd Feel Much
Better/ DOCK WALSH: We Courted in the Rain/ FESS WILLIAMS AND HIS
ROYAL FLUSH ORCHESTRA: I'm Feelin' Devilish
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Jasmine 3540 |
Country Brothers - The Brother Bands
Of Country Music |
● CD $11.98 |
23 tracks, 64 min., highly recommended
With 23
artists out of 24 tracks, this collection is a fine introduction to
the brother acts that populated country music in the 1930s and '40s
and beyond. Only J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers rate two cuts. The
wildly influential Delmore Brothers are represented by what sounds
like an relatively early recording (The Nashville Blues).
Other bands of brothers include Bailes, Louvin, York, Maddox (and
Rose), Stanley, Carlisle, and Blue Sky. Perhaps less well known are
the Morris Brothers, the Callahan Brothers, the Cartwright Brothers,
the Shelton Brothers, the Rouse Brothers, the Monroe Brothers, and
the Allen Brothers. The Farr Brothers (who made names in the Sons Of
The Pioneers) offer one of the only swing-inspired performances with
Alabamy Stomp, and an excellent performance it is. And one
can hear a little of Bob Dylan's vocal debt in the Bailey Brothers'
Alabama. But generally the emphasis is on vocal harmony, and
few if any can top the Louvin Brothers on that score. Decent notes
but no recording dates or session details. Still, the variety here
makes this an absolute winner. (JC)
THE ALLEN BROTHERS: Roll Down The Line/ THE BAILES
BROTHERS: That Beautiful Picture/ THE BAILEY BROTHERS: Alabama/ THE
BLUE SKY BOYS: Sold Down The River/ THE BUCHANAN BROTHERS: The
Silver Meteor/ THE CALLAHAN BROTHERS: Somebody's Been Using That
Thing/ THE CARLISLE BROTHERS: Chicken Roost Blues/ THE CARTWRIGHT
BROTHERS: The Dying Ranger/ THE DELMORE BROTHERS: The Nashville
Blues/ THE DIXON BROTHERS: The Intoxicated Rat/ THE FARR BROTHERS:
Alabamy Stomp/ THE LONE STAR COWBOYS (BOB & JOE ATTLESEY): Just
Because/ THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: Seven Year Blues/ THE MADDOX BROTHERS
& ROSE: The Meanest Man In Town/ J.E. MAINER'S MOUNTAINEERS:
Johnson's Old Grey Mule/ Seven And A Half/ SAM & KIRK MCGEE:
C-H-I-C-K-E-N/ THE MONROE BROTHERS: In My Dear Old Southern Home/
THE MORRIS BROTHERS: Salty Dog Blues/ THE ROUSE BROTHERS: Orange
Blossom Special/ THE SHELTON BROTHERS: Hang Out The Front Door Key/
THE STANLEY BROTHERS: The Rambler's Blues/ THE YORK BROTHERS: My
Tears Will Never Make You Change
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Jasmine 3595/6 |
Hillbilly Bop, Boogie & The Honky
Tonk Blues, Vol. 4 |
● CD $18.98 |
Two CDs, 48 tracks, 112 mins, highly recommended
The
fourth in this great series (previous volumes are Jasmine 3560/61 -
1948->1950, Jasmine 3562/3 - 1951->1953 and Jasmine 3583/4 -
1954-1955 : $18.98 each)) covers the years 1956 and '57 and is
devoted to West Coast artists. The recordings are drawn from tiny
labels like Fable, Rodeo and High Time - some done as custom
pressings for the artists. Apart from a handful of artists most of
the performers are biographical blanks but most are very good with
solid honky tonk vocals and strong backing with sawing fiddles and
soaring steel guitar. Among the artists featured are Chuck Ray & His
Gang, Jack Morris, Roy Counts (his I'm Tired is a real
beauty), Jack Turner & His OKlahoma Playboys, Glen Rice, Ramblin'
Everitt & Swannie River, The Nettles Sisters with The Rodeo Tune
Wranglers, Whitey Knight, Kenny Brown & The Arkansas Ramblers,
George Rich (superb honky tonker), Tex Holland (a fine version of
Jimmie Rodgers' T For Texas with some nice yodeling), Norma
McCall, Alden Holloway & His Prairie Ramblers (great bluegrass style
harmonies) and others. Most of the tracks appear on CD for the first
time. Sound quality is superb and there are informative notes by
hillbilly expert Al Turner. (FS)
LES "CARROT TOP" ANDERSON: Thirty Two Riverside
Drive/ BILL BROCK: Let's Make New Memories/ KENNY BROWN & THE
ARKANSAS RAMBLERS: Throw A Little Wood On The Fire/ KENNY BROWN AND
THE ARKANSAS RAMBLERS: Passing Fancy/ PHIL BROWN WITH BILL WOOD'S
BAND: You're A Luxury/ WES BUCHANAN: Give Some Love My Way/ ROY
COUNTS: I'm Tired/ I Ain't Got No Blues/ JOHNNY DECHAINE & THE CARA
SISTERS: Come On Home/ 'RAMBLIN' EVERETT: Music by SANDY STANTON &
HIS FABLE RECORDING STARS -Cincinnatti Woman/ RAMBLIN' EVERETT &
SWANNIE RIVER: Forever In Dreams/ JOHNNY GITTAR & HIS TARGITS: San
Antonio Boogie/ GLEN GOFF & EDWARD DAVIDSON: Livin' For Your Lovin'/
JOHNNY HENDERSON: Any Old Port In A Storm/ BUD HOBBS & HIS TRAIL
HERDERS: Mean, Mean, Mean/ You're Just What The Doctor Ordered/ TEX
HOLLAND: T For Texas/ ALDEN HOLLOWAY & HIS PRAIRIE RAMBLERS: Red
Rose Of Arkansas/ Woodpecker Love/ ROY KELLY & THE WESTERNAIRS:
Dragen-It Boogie/ WHITEY KNIGHT: From An Angel To A Devil/ Another
Brew Bartender/ LUCKY LEE: Mistreaded Blues/ BILLIE LUKE AND HIS
SOUTHERN SERENADERS: Be On The Lookout/ BILLY MACKLIN: Knock On
Wood/ NORMA MCCALL WITH SMILEY DAVIS' BAND: The Next Time I See You/
JODY MCGEARY & HIS SOUTHLAND PLAYBOYS: That's When You're Gonna Be
Sorry/ GENE MCGOWN: Knee Deep In The Blues/ DICK MILLER: Walkin' The
Floor Over You/ Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before/ JACK MORRIS:
Cooing To The Wrong Pigeon/ Four Wheel Bungalow/ Glad I'm Lookin'
Back On You/ My Pony Wants To Go/ White Line/ THE NETTLES SISTERS
WITH THE RODEO TUNE WRAN: Real Gone Jive/ PAULINE PARKER AND MARILYN
KAYE & THE TEXARKANA: Love Fever/ CHUCK RAY & HIS GANG: I May Not Be
Able But I'm Willin' To Try/ GLEN RICE: What Makes My Woman So Mean/
GEORGE RICH: Drivin' Away My Blues/ SAGE BRUSH WILLIE & HIS CACTUS
BOYS: Black Berry Boogie/ JIMMY SNYDER & WESTERN BAND: Don't Slam
The Door/ MORRIS TAYLOR & HIS SIERRA MELODY GANG: Look-A-What (My
Baby's Done Done To Me)/ JACK TUCKER & HIS OKLA. PLAYBOYS: Let Me
Practice With You/ EARNEY VANDAGRIFF: You Can't Come In/ SANDY
WALKER & HIS COUNTRY BOYS: Beatin' 'Round The Bush/ DUSTY WARD: If
You Two Time Me/ DALLAS WILSON AND HIS WESTERN TROUBADORS:
Hi-Steppin' Daddy
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Jasmine 3600/1 |
Westerns: Music And Songs From
Classic Westerns |
● CD $18.98 |
2 CDs, 62 tracks. 141 mins, highly recommended
We've
all been there: you are watching some old western and you hear a
song that you would love to have -- whether it was an epic Western
theme, or a plaintive Cowboy ballad; you hear it, love it, and have
no idea where to find a copy of it. Well, Jasmine records have
helped remedy that situation to a large degree with this fine
collection. Almost two and a half hours of music from some of the
greatest American westerns. Movies like "High Noon", "Destry Rides
Again," "Shane," "My Darling Clementine," "Rawhide," "Rio Grande,"
"Stagecoach," "3:10 To Yuma, and so many more. Stand out tracks like
Dean Martin & Ricky Nelson doing My Rifle, My Pony and Me
from Rio Bravo, Tex Ritter with Wichita from the movie of the
same name, plus a whole lot of Sons Of The Pioneers. Not to mention
the great Marlene Dietrich on several tracks, the sultry Julie
London, and a girl named Marilyn Monroe, who doesn't sing quite as
good as she looks, but she could still handle a western ballad or
two just fine. Fans of classic Country music and classic Western
movies should find this essential. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 77131 |
Classic Field Recordings - Landmark
Country Sessions |
● CD $28.98 |
Four CDs, 100 tracks, highly recommended
The title
of this fine four CD set is a bit misleading as "field recordings'
generally refers to non commercial recordings made by institutions -
the tracks here are all commercial tracks recorded for Bluebird in
locations away from their head office in North & South Carolina,
Louisiana, Illinois & Texas. Most of the tracks here were cut
between 1936 and 1940 with one session by singer/ guitarist
Louisiana Lou from 1933. The heyday of the exciting string bands is
in the past and here we mostly have solo artists, duets and trios
along with some larger groups. Among the highlights are 12 tracks by
the superb Georgia singer/ guitarist Johnny Barfield who was the
first country singer to record a song with the words "boogie woogie"
in the title and his recording of this bluesy gem was so popular
that he recorded The New Boogie Woogie six months later.
Other fine songs by him include his reworking of Railroad Bill
called Ain't That Right and a cover of Rex Griffin's
Everybody's Trying To be My Baby which is best known from the
Carl Perkins 1956 reworking. The four tracks by The Tennessee
Ramblers are early examples of western swing and a couple of their
tracks feature fine trumpet by Jack Gillette. There are two charming
sides by The Pine Valley Boys featuring the vocal and guitar of
Ernie Cornlison with steel guitar by Jerry Byrd (as Gerry Byrd) -
the first recordings of this steel guitar legend. There are eight
very fine and varied sides by J.H. Howell - vocal duets, vocal trios
and a couple of harmonica solos. Other artists includes George Wade
& His Caro-Ginians, Smith's Carolina Crackerjacks (fine old-timey
gospel with an early appearance of Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith on
mandolin), Grady & Hazel Cole, The Hill Brothers with Willie Simmons
(wonderful old time gospel with autoharp and guitar), The Blind
Fiddler (not in the country discography!), Jack Pierce (white blues
influenced by Blind lemon Jefferson), The Rouse Brothers (their
frequently reissued original recording of Orange Blossom Special
and their previously unreissued version of Will The Circle Be
Unbroken) and others. Sound is excellent and there are
informative notes by Pat Harrison (FS)
JOHNNY BARFIELD: Ain't I Right?/ Boogie Woogie/
Desert Lullaby/ Don't Take My Memories/ Everybody's Trying To Be My
Baby/ Heartaches And Tears/ It AIn't No Good/ Long Tongue Woman/
Love Me Only/ My Poodle Doodle Dog/ That Little Shirt My Mother Made
For Me/ The New 'Boogie Woogie'/ DEWEY & GASSIE BASSETT: Back Water
Blues/ Blue Moon/ No Deep True Love/ One Year Ago Today/ The Great
Final Agreement/ There's A Grave In The Wilderness/ LESTER "PETE"
BIVENS: Back In My Home Town/ Big Fat Girl/ Home With Mother And Dad
In The West/ Knocking On The Hen House Door/ Married Life Blues/
Minor Blues/ THE BLIND FIDDLER: Maggie/ Slim Girl/ GRADY & HAZEL
COLE: Forbidden Love/ Precious Thoughs Of Mother/ Shattered Love/
What A Change One Day Can Make/ WALTER CROUCH & THE WILKS RAMBLERS:
Cheasapeake Bay/ Fourteen Days In Georgia/ I Want My Baby Back/ GWEN
FOSTER: How Many Biscuits Can I Eat?/ Side-Line Blues/ THE FOUR
PICKELD PEPPERS: Bungalow Big Enough For Two/ I'll Remember You,
Love In My Prayers/ I'm Not Angry With You Darling/ When I Was A
Baby/ THE HAPPY VALLEY BOYS: Homecoming Time In Happy Valley/ I'll
Never Leave Old Dixieland Again/ THE HILL BROTHERS WITH WILLIE
SIMMONS: I Am On My Way To Heaven/ I'm Glad I Counted The Cost/ Just
Over In The Glory Land/ HINSON, PITTS & COLEY: Farmer Grey/ Whoa,
Mule, Whoa/ J.H. HOWELL: Burning Of Cleveland School/ Girl That
Worries My Mind/ Howell's Railroad/ Lonesome Life Of Worry/ Lost
John/ Mollie Married A Travelin' Man/ My Sweetheart Has Gone And
Left Me/ Rock City Blues/ WALTER HURDT: Fiddle And Guitar Running
Wild/ Fox Hunter's Luck/ JULIAN JOHNSON & LEON HYATT: Little Paper
Boy/ T.B. Killed My Daddy/ LOUISIANA LOU: A Package Of Love Letters/
Go 'Long Mule/ Sinful To Flirt/ The Export Gal/ With My Banjo On My
Knee/ THE MCCLENDON BROTHERS: Goodbye Baby, Goodbye/ Love Hunting
Blues/ Free As I Can Be/ Gamblin' On The Sabbath/ Heaven Bound Gold/
Keep Your Love Letter, I'll Keep Mine/ My Little Mountain Lady Queen
Of Alabam/ Red Roses, Sweet Biolets So Blues/ The Story Of Love
Divine/ JACK PIERCE: Rabbit Blues/ Soap Box Blue/ THE PINE RIDGE
BOYS: Farther Along/ You Are My Sunshine/ PETE PYLE: It's So Hard To
Be Just A Pal To You/ Little Blue Eyed Blonde, Goodbye/ THE ROUSE
BROTHERS: My Family Circle (Will The Circle Be Unbroken)/ Orange
Blossom Special/ ROY SHAFFER: Bury Me Out On The Prairie/ Coupon
Song/ Cowboy Jack/ Disappointed In Love (I Wish I Had Never Met
Sunshine)/ Rocking Alone In An Old Rocking Chair/ The Answer To
'Disappointed In Love'/ SMITH'S CAROLINA CRACKERJACKS: There Are No
Disappointments In Heaven/ Your Soul Never Dies/ THE SOUTHERN MELODY
BOYS: Down In Baltimore/ I'll Remember You, Love, In My Prayer/ If
You See My Saviour/ Sweet Lucust Blossom/ Tribulation Days/ Wind The
Little Ball Of Yarn/ THE TENNESSEE RAMBLERS: All My Natural Life/
Don't Put A Tax On Beautiful Girls/ Four Or Five Times/ I'll Keep On
Loving You/ GEORGE WADE & THE CARO-GINIANS: He Turned Around And
Went The Other Way/ Long And Bony
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Performance 38152 |
Historic Country & Western |
● CD $18.98 |
Entertaining two CD set featuring 50 classic country and
western sides from the late 40s through mid 50s - most of them chart
hits. It includes sides by Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, Jimmie Davis,
Floyd Tillman, Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage, Roy
Rogers, Jimmy Wakely, Red Foley, Hank Williams, Porter Wagoner, Rex
Allen, Jim Reeves, Webb Pierce, Hank Thompson, Tommy Collins, George
Morgan and many more. No surprises just a heap of good music in
excellent sound. One curiosity is the inclusion of I Believe
by Frankie Laine which is a great song but not country. Booklet has
brief notes by Neil Kellas.
ROY ACUFF: I'll Forgive You, But I Can't Forget/
REX ALLEN: Crying in the Chapel/ EDDY ARNOLD: I Really Don't Want to
Know/ Kentucky Waltz/ GENE AUTRY: Have I Told You Lately That I Love
You/ BILL BOYD & THE COWBOY RANGERS: It's Been So Long Darling/
ELTON BRITT: Someday/ THE CARLISLES: No Help Wanted/ TOMMY COLLINS:
You Better Not Do That/ COWBOY COPAS: Signed, Sealed & Delivered/
JIMMIE DAVIS: There's A New Moon over My Shoulder/ THE DELMORE
BROTHERS: Freight Train Boogie/ AL DEXTER: Rosalita/ RED FOLEY:
Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy/ As Long As I Live/ TENNESSEE ERNIE
FORD: Sixteen Tons/ LEFTY FRIZZELL: Give Me More More More of Your
Kisses/ JACK GUTHRIE & HIS OKLAHOMANS: Oklahoma Hills/ FERLIN HUSKY
& JEAN SHEPHERD: A Dear John Letter/ GEORGE JONES: Why Baby Why?/
PEE WEE KING: Slow Poke/ FRANKIE LAINE: I Believe/ SKEETS MCDONALD:
Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes/ BILL MONROE: Blue Moon of
Kentucky/ GEORGE MORGAN: Almost/ WEBB PIERCE: It's Been So Long/ JIM
REEVES: Bimbo/ I Love You/ TEX RITTER: You Two Timed Me One Time Too
Often/ MARTY ROBBINS: I'll Go on Alone/ ROY ROGERS: My Chickashay
Girl/ CARL SMITH: Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way/ Loose Talk/
HANK SNOW: I Don't Hurt Anymore/ THE SONS OF PIONEERS: Teardrops in
My Heart/ KAY STARR & TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD: I'll Never Be Free/ HANK
THOMPSON: Wake Up Irene/ FLOYD TILLMAN: They Took the Stars out of
Heavan/ MERLE TRAVIS: So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed/ ERNEST
TUBB: Shame on You/ Goodnight Irene/ PORTER WAGONER: A Satisfied
Mind/ JIMMY WAKELY: I Love You So Much It Hurts Me/ KITTY WELLS: It
Wasn't God Who Made the Honky to/ One by One/ SLIM WHITMAN: Secret
Love/ HANK WILLIAMS: Cold Cold Heart/ FOY WILLING & RIDERS OF THE
PURPLE SAGE: Detour/ BOB WILLS & HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS: New Spanish
TwoStep/ FARON YOUNG: Forgive Me Dear
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Righteous PSALM 23:21 |
Frankie And Johnny - 15 Different
Accounts |
● CD $15.98 |
15 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended
Starting off
with a great melodramatic version by Lena Horne, this CD presents a
fantastic sampling of interpretations of one of the most famous
American Folk Tales ever. The legend of Frankie and Johnny has been
passed down in one art form or another for the last 100 years or so.
Form Folk Tales to murder ballads, film and T.V. to comic books, the
tale (based on a true story) of Frankie and Johnny (sometimes
Albert) has permeated the American conscience like few other tales
have. The best way to tell the tale has consistently been in song.
Out of the 300 plus recorded versions of the song, the folks at
Righteous records have compiled 15 of their favorites. At first, I
was thinking that this collection would probably get a bit
repetitive; but, there is a such a variety of great artists
here--each doing their own particular take on the story--that this
is a compelling, fun, CD that stands up to many repeat spins without
getting tiresome. Among the giants of American music included here,
you get performances from Louis Armstrong, Big Bill Broonzy,
Champion Jack Dupree, Benny Goodman, Jimmie Rogers, King Oliver and
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra. Not to mention great versions by
lesser known names like Jewell Long, Fate Marable's Society
Syncopaters, and The Isham Jones Orchestra. Folklorists and
musicologists will flip over this, but its appeal is certainly far
wider than that. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Righteous PSALM 23:47 |
Riding The Range - The Songs Of
Townes Van Zandt |
● CD $15.98 |
20 tracks, 72 mins, highly recommended
Towns Van
Zandt has been getting a lot of the widespread acclaim lately that
was so elusive to him during most of his career. This collection of
diverse artists covering his songs is a fine example of how well
loved and influential his work has become. Alternative Rock darlings
The Magic Numbers start off the collection with a dreamy version of
Quicksilver Dreams Of Maria, setting a proper tone of gentle,
slightly spacy reverence to follow. Michael Weston King follows with
an excellent version of Marie, with those, the bar is raised
and for the most part this collection keeps up that high standard.
The track list reads like a "best of" selection that most Towns fans
would be happy with; no "Poncho & Lefty," but that's OK, that one's
already had a pretty good cover version done. Waitin' Round to
Die, from Mighty Stef With Shane Macgowan, If I Was
Washington, by Stan Ridgway and Peter Case, Flyin' Shoes
by Jeb Loy Nichols, and so on. In general this is a melancholy
affair and reflects so much of the sadness of Towns Van Zandt, at
times I wished that people would remember that T.V.Z. had a great
sense of humor as well, Boo Hewerdine captures a bit of it in his
cover of Lungs, but I guess we can save that aspect of him
for another compilation. Things here end up with Towns himself with
The Calvins doing Riding The Range. He sounds rough--I'm not
sure how late in his career this is from--but it definitely captures
him sounding in pretty bad shape, the beauty is there as well and in
a way it's the perfect compliment to all the sad versions of his
songs that you just finished listening to. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
T-Bird 0010 |
Rare Bluegrass From Nashville - The
1960s |
● CD $18.98 |
28 tracks, 68 mins, very good
A collection of sides
recorded for the Spar and Sur-Speed labels in the mid 60s. The most
familiar name here is Carl Story with his fine band The Rambling
Mountaineers on 10 tunes from 1966. Although best known as a
bluegrass gospel pioneer the tracks here find him performing a fine
selection of secular material including original songs like
Action Speaks Louder Than Words and Who's That Man I Saw You
With and instrumentals - mostly old favorites like Blackberry
Blossom and Orange Blossom Special
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
T-Bird 016 |
Early Country And Western From
Bullet Records, Nashville |
● CD $18.98 |
28 tracks, highly recommended
Superb collection of
country sides recorded for the important Bullet label from the mid
40s to early 50s. Although a fair number of these tracks have been
reissued before most of those were on the now deleted box set
"Tennessee Jive" on Bear Family and even if you have that set there
are a number of fine sides not available on that set and if you
don't have that set then most of this will be new to you. There are
four tracks by the outstanding blind singer and songwriter Leon
Payne including his original recordings of Lost Highway and
They'll Never Take Her Love From Me, later recorded by Hank
Williams. The Bullet label gave a start to a number of important
country artists and this collection includes the earliest recordings
of Ray Price (relatively undistinguished), Sheb Wooley, Pee Wee King
and Chet Atkins (doing a vocal on Brown Eyes A' Cryin' In The
Rain). Other artists include Calvin Tubb (Ernest's brother who
sings in a very similar style), Pete Pyle (the splendid Talking
The Blues, Butterball Paige, Johnnie Lee Wills (four cuts of
fine wetsrn swing from Bob's brother), Bill Nettles, Clyde Moody and
others. Sound is fine and there informative notes by Fred James. For
more Bullet hillbilly be sure to check out T-Bird 024 which focuses
on the hillbilly boogie tracks from the label. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Tee-Vee 0768 |
Road Music Two |
● CD $9.98 |
20 tracks, 55 mins, fans only
Gusto's "Road Music
Vol. 1" was a huge seller and a pretty fine collection of truck
driving classics. The label presents this as the long awaited
sequel, a present for the fans of the first one. Far than a present,
though, this is a pretty mediocre cash in that is only for hardcore
trucker fans at most. You get strong artists like David Allen Coe,
Red Sovine, etc, with some of their lesser tracks, or weak artists
like David Frizzell and Charlie Craig doing what they do. A few good
tracks like Roving Gambler by Billy Walker, and Trucker's
Rag by Moon Mullican help out the compilation, but can't really
save it. Only for the most hardcore truck driving song collectors.
(JM)
BETTY AMOS: 18 Wheels A Rolling/ DAVID ALLAN COE:
White Line Fever/ CHARLIE CRAIG: I Married Your Sister/ Only Light
On The Road/ JOHNNY DOLLAR: Truck Driver's Lament/ DAVID FRIZZELL:
California Turn Arounds/ Home, Home On The Road/ TINY HARRIS: King
Of The Highway/ MIKE LUNSFORD: Movin' On/ FRANKIE MILLER: Truck
Driving Buddy/ MOORE & NAPIER: This Truck And Me/ GEORGE MORGAN: Man
Behind The Wheel/ MOON MULLICAN: Trucker's Rag/ SANDY POSEY: 18
Wheels Hummin' Home Sweet Home/ BILLY JOE ROYAL: Lay Me Down A Truck
Driving Man/ RED SIMPSON: Don't Fall Asleep At The Wheel/ RED
SOVINE: 10 Days Out, 2 Days In/ Woman Behind The Man Behind The
Wheel/ BILLY WALKER: Roving Gambler/ COLEMAN WILSON: Radar Blues
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
TeeVee 772 |
Nashville Steel Guitar - 20 Greatest |
● CD $7.98 |
20 tracks, 51 min., recommended
World-class steel
guitarists Roy Wiggins, Buddy Emmons, Leon McAuliffe, Jimmy Day, Jim
Baker, Shot Jackson, Ray Pennington, and the Nashville Rhythm
Section make this budget release a worthwhile acquisition. Western
swing fans will remember McAuliffe from his days with Bob Wills And
The Texas Playboys ("Take it away, Leon"), and his 5 tracks are
easily the best performances here. Day played with Webb Pierce, T.
Texas Tyler, Jim Reeves, and others. Shot Jackson worked with the
Bailes Brothers, Kitty Wells, Jimmie Osborne, among others. You get
the idea. These guys are good. Not sure about including Little
Drummer Boy and Silver Bells by Wiggins and Baker, since
Christmas music is usually best served up with its own kind sometime
between Halloween and New Year's Eve, but perhaps it could be argued
that it works along side the NRS's Amazing Grace and What
A Friend We Have In Jesus. And then again, perhaps not. Solid if
unspectacular. (JC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Tompkins Square 2479 |
Bloody War; Songs, 1924-1939 |
● CD $15.98 |
15 tracks, 45 mins, essential
For as long as rich
old men have been sending poor young men off to die in battle, there
have been artists chronicling the experience. This collection take
the unique approach of featuring songs recorded from the end of the
First World War up to the precipice of the second. This provides us
with a tapestry of String Band, Country, Folk and Blues covering the
subject from the Civil War through WW1, with compositions going as
far back as 1865. No doubt, this is stirring stuff, bloody and
heartbreaking, but with an occasional biting humor. You won't be
getting any "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or the like here; this is the real
deal for sure. For example, you get tracks like Bloody War by
Jimmy Yates' Boll Weevils from 1928 about the misfortunes of a
"simple country boy" and his bloody misadventures in the First World
War, The Old Vacant Chair by The Dixon Brothers in 1936,
which tells of the loss, on either side, of important family
members, or The Faded Coat Of Blue by Buell Kazee in 1928
about a fallen Union soldier, later done by the Carter Family.
Copious notes and fantastic graphics included with the CD tell the
story much better than I can in a short review, let me just say that
this is a wonderful collection that was truly a moving experience
listening to, and I strongly recommend picking this up especially
for those history buffs like me out there. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Trailer-Park 004 |
Twisted Tales From The Vinyl
Wastelands, Vol. 4 |
● CD $15.98 |
31 songs + 2 spoken interludes, highly recommended
Our wild and crazy friends at the trailer park are at it again. This
time they have turned their attention to the "hippy revolution" of
the 1960s with 31 (mostly country) songs dealing with hippies and
all that word implies including long hair, love-ins, marijuana, LSD,
protesting and more. If you though that Merle Haggard's Okie From
Muskogie was pretty scathing stuff, wait until you hear Place
For Them Called Hell by Smokey Harless. No collection of hippie
songs would be complete without Red RIver Dave's amazing account of
the Manson murders - The California Hippie Murders and we
also get Hippie In A Blunder by Johnny Bucket, Barber Hair
Blues by Wayne Satkamp and Chesney Carroll's tongue in cheek
response to Merle Hippie From Mississippi. Autry Inman is
here with two ultra patriotic songs The Ballad Of two Brothers
and Vietnam Blues, Don Hinson pokes fun at The Protest
Singer, Don Bowman fills us in on The San Francisco Scene
and Lester Flatt Can't Tell The Boys From The Girls. More
songs - serious and comical from Guy Drake, Wild Bill Cooksy, Ben
Colder, Wendell Austin and more. The only slightly out of place song
is The Evil Dope by Phil Phillips which is about drug use in
the hood but it's such an all time classic that if you don't already
have it is worth the price of admission. No notes but you'd probably
be too stoned to read 'em anyway! (FS)
WENDELL AUSTIN: LSD/ MOE AVERICK: Middle Age
Hippie Blues/ JIMMY D. BENNETT: Sapadelic/ DON BOWMAN: The San
Francisco Scene/ JOHNNY BUCKETT: Hippie In A Blunder/ CHESNEY
CARROLL: Hippie From Mississippi/ LINDA CASSADY: Is Santa Claus A
Hippy/ WILD BILL COOKSY: Mississippi Hippie/ FREDDY COUNTRYMAN:
Cocaine Blues/ GUY DRAKE: The Marching Hippies/ LESTER FLATT: I
Can't Tell The Boys From The Girls/ BUD FREEMAN: Because Of LSD/
SMOKEY HARLESS: Place For Them Called Hell/ DON HINSON: The Protest
Singer/ HOMER & JETHRO: Hill Billy Hippie/ AUTRY INMAN: Ballad Of
Two Brothers/ Vietnam Blues/ INTRO: The Hippie Revolt/ BUCK JONES: A
Box Of Grass/ LARRY KIRBY: Country Western Hippy/ STU MITCHELL:
Acid/ BEN OLDER: The Love-In/ PHIL PHILLIPS: The Evil Dope/ JOHNNY
PRICE: Marijuana, The Devil Flower/ LEON RAUSCH: Hanoi Jane/ BILLY
RAY: The Story Of Suzie/ RED RIVER DAVE: California Hippie Murders!/
WAYNE SATKAMP: Barber Hair Blues/ ALVIE SELF: Hippieville/ SKIT:
What The Bible Says About Drug Addiction/ HARRY SNYDER: The Needle/
BILL WOODS: The Story Of Suzy/ VIC WOODWARD & CLAUDIA: Hippie Yippie
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Trailer-Park 006 |
Twisted Tales From The Vinyl
Wastelands, Vol. 6 |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, 79 mins, essential
Just when you think
that all of the odd, wild and obscure nuggets have been unearthed
from the Rock 'n' Roll and Country mine, you get a collection like
this with all kinds of crazy diamonds. I personally think that there
is a compound somewhere in the Ozark Mountains where they have a
bunch of wild-eyed southern boys holed up, fed a steady diet of
moonshine and cheeseburgers, with nothing but vintage Grand Ole'
Opry broadcasts, Sun Records 45s, and Ed Wood movies for
entertainment. At this compound they are given cheap guitars,
stand-up basses, and two-piece drum kits and encouraged to record
all these wild tracks, which are then made to look like rare old
records that nobody has ever heard of... That's my conspiracy
theory, and there are plenty more on this collection for you to
enjoy. Tackling so many of the pressing issues of the day like:
Puberty - (Cowboy) Jack Clement My Voice Is Changing;
inter-racial adoption - Johnny Starr Little Brown Baby;
government conspiracies - The Space Walkers - Swamp Gas; drug
addiction - Margie Singleton - Jesus is My Pusher; and so on.
Also possibly the most unsung issue, the one of women wearing other
women's hair, thankfully tackled here by Bud & Darlene Chambers in
The Wig Song, with the phenomenal line "When a woman wears
another woman's hair, you can't hardly tell who they 'air" (sic).
You get songs about John Wayne, the Devil, monsters, and even one
Sitar Pickin' Man. There're also two great alligator songs:
Bobby Hodge's Alligator Man, which celebrates the great
alligator hunters of the south, and Johnny Ray Harris's Alligator
Meat, which celebrates the fruits of that labor. Aside from
Swamp Gas, and Hank Hill (from the show King Of The Hill) doing
Red Sovine's Teddy Bear, I can't say as I have ever heard
many of the tracks here--and this kinda stuff is what I love! I have
made a point of hunting down collections like these for the last 20
years or so. If you like it weird, if obscure Rock 'n' Roll, and
Country music, Wrastlin' and b-movies are what you call
high-culture, then you won't want to miss this one. (JM)
GLENN BARBER: I Created A Monster/ BILLY BARTON:
The Devil My Conscience & I/ TOMMY JIM BEAM: Bayou/ DON BOWMAN:
Giddyup Do Nut/ TV Commercials/ BILL CARLISLE: Tiny Space Man/ BUD &
DARLENE CHAMBERS: The Wig Song/ JACK CLEMENT: My Voice Is Changing/
JOHNNY RAY HARRIS: Alligator Meat/ LUM HATCHER: Behind The Fear/
White Lightning 'N Excess/ HANK HILL: Teddy Bear/ BOBBY HODGE:
Alligator Man/ THE HOUSE BROTHERS: Rock 'Round The Old Corral/ LLOYD
HUGO: Mother Trucker/ MERLE KILGORE: Lover's Hell/ LUKE THE DRIFTER
JR: I Was With Red Foley/ PINKY PINKSTON: Blue Moon Of Kentucky/
JACKIE POWERS: Heeby Jeeby Blues/ LEROY PULLINS: Out In The
Smokehouse Takin' A Bath/ VINCE ROBERTS: Stars Guitar/ JOHN TEXAS
ROCKER: Teddy Bears' Epitaph/ MARGIE SINGLETON: Jesus Is My Pusher/
RED SOVINE: The Hero (John Wayne)/ THE SPACE WALKERS: Swamp Gas/
JOHNNY STARR: Little Brown Baby/ BOBBY WAYNE: TV Dream/ GEORGE
WESTON: Dead Man/ FARON YOUNG: Dingaka (The Witch Doctor)/ BOBBY
ZEHM: Sitar Pickin' Man
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Trailer-Park 008 |
Twisted Tales From The Vinyl
Wastelands, Vol. 8 |
● CD $15.98 |
30 tracks, 80 mins, highly recommended
If you don't
have a good recipe for cooking up opossum, or a bail bondsman on
speed-dial, then you might not quite understand this collection.
Basically this is a gathering of unhinged, uninhibited, and often
unlawful Country recordings, the likes of which you probably haven't
ever quite experienced before. You get songs about being drunk -
Drunk On The Street by Bo Ratliff, Drunk-Drunk-Again by
Billy Brown; songs about mental problems - Insane by Katie
Lee, unlucky love - Cousin Zeke's Lover Man Minus Sex Appeal;
ghosts - Slim O'Mary's Ghost Of Henry Wells; more songs about
getting drunk - Luke Gibbons' Queen Of Skid Row; and then a
couple tragic tales of motherhood - The Hi-Fi Guys with Rock 'n
Roll Killed My Mother, and the title track Please Don't Go
Topless Mother by that talented little scamp Troy Hess. You also
get a bonus drunk song with an unissued Phillips recording Drunk
by J.W. Brown, possibly the oddest and best track on here. If you
have some beer that needs crying into, or you need to kill some time
waiting for your grandma to get out of prison, than this CD is
certainly made for you; the rest of us are just witnesses. (JM)
HOUSTON BARKS: Stranger/ RUSS "BIG DADDY"
BLACKWELL: The Little Monster/ BILLY BROWN: Drunk - Drunk Again/ J.W.
BROWN: Drunk/ WAYLAND CHANDLER: Cold Cold Grave/ Just About Dawn/
LOY CLINGMAN: It's Nothing To Me/ COUSIN ZEKE: Lover Man Minus Sex
Appeal/ TEX CRADDOCK: Carolina Beach/ DICK CURLESS: Chick Inspector/
LUKE GIBBONS: Prisoner's Promise/ Queen Of Skid Row/ LEON HART: Long
White Line/ TROY HESS: Please Don't Go Topless Mother/ Wild Hog
Boogie/ THE HI FI GUYS: Rock n Roll Killed My Mother/ HOWARD & THE
TRUETONES: Harlan County/ GINNY KENNEDY: Miss Irene/ DUKE LARSON:
Heartbreakin' Special/ KATIE LEE: Insane/ THE LUMBERJACK: Hell Bound
Train/ DUDE MARTIN: On A Hill/ FILTHY MCNASTY: Ice Man/ SLIM O'MARY:
Ghost Of Henry Wells/ BO RATLIFF: Drunk On The Street/ SIERRA
RHYTHMS: Big Feet/ JOHNNY STARR: Fire Burns/ BOOTS TILL: Shadows Of
The Prison Bars/ PATSY TIMMONS: Answer To Life To Go/ CHUCK WELLS:
Down & Out
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Trikont 310 |
Flowers In The Wildwood - Women In
Early Country Music |
● CD $18.98 |
25 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended
Available
again at a lower price. Wonderful collection of country recordings
made between 1923 and 1939. Most of these tracks are making their
first appearance on CD. Among the artists featured a Lulu Belle &
Scotty, The Dezurik Sisters (some of the most amazing yodelling
you'll ever hear), The Aaron Sisters (a fascinating acapella trio
recorded by Columbia in 1932), The Girls Of The Golden West,
Moonshine Kate (fine Jimmie Rodgers style blues by Fiddlin' John
Carson's daughter), Joe & Alma, Fred & Gertrude Gossett (a fine
version of All The Good Times Are Past & Gone), The
Leatherman Sisters (fine duet vocals and guitars on the gospel song
Home-Coming Week), Mr. & Mrs J.W. Baker (fine group with
guitar, fiddle, banjo & autoharp), The Carter Family ( a couple of
their less familiar tracks), The Coon Creek Girls, The Wisdom
Sisters and others. Sound quality is a bit rough on some cuts but is
mostly excellent. Set comes with 28 page illustrated booklet with
extensive notes in German and English including an interview with
Carolyn Dezurik and biographical profiles of all the performers.
(FS)
THE AARON SISTERS: She Came Rollin' Down the
Mountain/ How'm I Doin'?/ MR. & MRS. J.W. BAKER: On the Banks of the
Old Tennessee/ SAMANTHA BUMGARNER & EVA DAVIS: Big-Eyed Rabbit/ THE
CARTER FAMILY: Just Another Broken Heart/ Walking in the King's
Highway/ THE CHUCK WAGON GANG: We Are Climbing/ GRADY & HAZEL COLE:
Brother, Be Ready for That Day/ THE COON CREEK GIRL: Flowers
Blooming in the Wildwood/ Little Birdie/ THE DEZURIK SISTERS: Go to
Sleep My Darling/ I Left Her Standing There/ THE GIRLS OF THE GOLDEN
WEST: Round-Up Time in Texas/ FRED & GERTRUDE GOSSETT: All the Good
Times Are Past and Gone/ AUNT MOLLY JACKSON: Kentucky Miner's Wife
(Ragged Hungery Blues), Pt.1/ JOE & ALMA (THE KENTUCKY GIRLS):
Lorena/ THE LEATHERMAN SISTERS: Home-Coming Week/ LOUISIANA LOU:
With My Banjo on My Knee Blues/ LULU BELLE & SCOTT: Wish I Was a
Single Girl Again/ PATSY MONTANA: My Poncho Pony/ MOONSHINE KATE: My
Man's a Jolly Railroad Man/ WANDA & RUTH NEAL: Round Town Girls/
SOUTHLAND'S LADIES QUARTETTE: My Loved Ones Are Waiting for Me/ ROBA
STANLEY: Single Life/ THE WISDOM SISTERS: Prayer
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