Hank The Drifter

I was going to add my Hank Williams review to this thread, but I decided to write another review for this thread instead. Hope you enjoy.

Marty Robbins
1959 [LP] 1999[CD]

Marty Robbins is one of my favorite Country/Western musicians of all time for these twelve songs alone. I'm not a big fan of most of Robbins other work, but this album is superb. I got into Robbins after listening to massive amounts of Hank Williams and still wanting more of that great Country music. Someone suggest I check this album out by Marty Robbins and boy am I grateful they made this suggestion. This is real Country/Western music, recorded and released in 1959 this album peaked on the charts at number one in 1960. I know this doesn't mean anything, but this is one album I feel is truly worthy of a spot on the charts. I got into this album because someone suggested it too me, and now I'm suggesting it to those of you that haven't heard it! So check it out!

Marty Robbins had an extremely clear baritone voice that was at its peak on this album, at least comparing to the other work of his I've heard. Which its nearly impossible to hear all of his music being he released fifty some-odd studio albums, and over one-hundred singles.

Big Iron is the opening track on this album, is probably my favorite on the album. This song is just so descriptive and pains such vivid pictures in your mind. Not to mention Robbins smooth voice that seems to be pretty much perfect on these recordings. Cool Water is a song written by Bob Nolan and recorded by man different bands/musicians and charted for something around fifteen weeks and within the top ten. However, Robbins cover never charted although he done a very good job with the track. I've heard other recordings of the song including the one by the group that the song charted with and I think Robbins done the best job with it. The song is about a mule by the name of Dan and his owner[?] seeing a mirage in the middle of the desert. Billy the Kid is another great cowboy [western] song about a young outlaw who was by legend said to have killed over 20 men in his time. In this song Robbins says he "At the age of twelve years he did kill his first man." This is another one of my favorites on the album a lot of fun to listen to. El Paso is easily the most well known song on this album. Robbins both wrote is and recorded it, and it charted well on both the Pop and Country charts. This song has two different version, a full length one that's over 4 minutes long and another version that's three minutes long. The song had to be shortened because at the time of the song being released it was longer than anything played on the radio. So, in order to assure it would be played on the radio Robbins recorded a shorter version of it. From my experience I much prefer the full version over the other, and I assume others do too. Anyway, this song is about a cowboy that falls in love with a woman in El Paso, Texas. After falling in love with her someone tries to take her and the cowboy guns the man down. Once the cowboy kills the man the cowboy flees El Paso because he is scared he will be killed himself. This is a pretty interesting song that has been used for many different things and cover by many great bands, and some bands you wouldn't think of recording a song like this such as The Grateful Dead. Sorry for the lengthy explanation of this song, but its the biggest hit on the record so I figured I might as well tell the entire story about it as I know it. Simply put Running Gun is a song that explains how you can't turn your back on a life of crime.




This album in my opinion is one that any who calls their self a Classic Country fan should at least give a chance. I know its technically Country/Western but I feel like it belongs in this thread, personally. The new version has some bonus material on it. No matter which copy you listen to its worth your time! This actually seems like a really good album to get if you're trying to get into classic Country/Western stuff, because I know plenty of people that aren't Country fans and can listen to this and enjoy it. So, for those trying to get into this type of stuff GIVE THIS ALBUM A LISTEN!

Absolute classic album, but one of County's greatest acts of all time.

__________________
“If a song can't be written in 20 minutes, it ain't worth writing.” - Hank Williams