Classic Country Albums

~~Flower Child~~ · 05-08-2010, 09:14 PM

Wow, I'm blown away crushedblind! Excellent, excellent addition sir. Very insightful. I hope you stick around.

Ah, Dolly Parton. Definitely someone who needed to be mentioned in the thread.

Quote:

‘one of the prettiest, singinest, songwritinest (and you can probably add rootinest, tootinest for good measure) little blondes in country music,’

I don't know if I would say 'little'

but wow, yes, the woman knows how market herself. But if most people are like me, I know her more for her big boobs than I do for her music though. So her marketing may also have been a downfall from a musical stand point. I do really enjoy a few of her songs, and I'm glad you put this album up here because I might look more into her than just the stuff I've heard on classic country cd collection informercials. Thanks!

crushedblind · 05-08-2010, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flower Child

Wow, I'm blown away crushedblind! Excellent, excellent addition sir. Very insightful. I hope you stick around.

Ah, Dolly Parton. Definitely someone who needed to be mentioned in the thread.

I don't know if I would say 'little'

but wow, yes, the woman knows how market herself. But if most people are like me, I know her more for her big boobs than I do for her music though. So her marketing may also have been a downfall from a musical stand point. I do really enjoy a few of her songs, and I'm glad you put this album up here because I might look more into her than just the stuff I've heard on classic country cd collection informercials. Thanks!

well im really glad you liked it! i've had a good time reading the ones already here--some of which i wouldnt have even thought of

im kinda like you---familiar with just the hits, but i thought it would be fun to pick an album of hers and see what she's about

lol on the boobs--i got that quote from this video which i think was before the 'work' was done

her image seems strange to me, almost at times like a female elvis

crushedblind · 05-11-2010, 08:43 PM

found these in a box of records my neighbor gave me

thinking about doing one of them once i get my stereo fixed

Hank The Drifter · 06-04-2010, 09:02 PM

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.

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

Marty Robbins
1959 [LP] 1999[CD]

Big Iron
Cool Water
Billy The Kid
A Hundred And Sixty Acres
They're Hanging Me Tonight
The Strawberry Roan
El Paso
In The Valley
The Master's Call
Running Gun
The Little Green Valley
Utah Carol

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.

~~Flower Child~~ · 06-07-2010, 07:45 PM

Bravo, Hank, well reviewed.
Always been a Marty Robbins fan myself, thought I was about the only one in the world until you.

He does have a bit more of a country & western tumbleweed vibe to him, and I like it. Sometimes I get a little stuck on my Texas men, and guys like Marty Robbins are a nice change. He almost reminds me of a much jollier Townes Van Zandt.

Hank The Drifter · 06-07-2010, 07:58 PM

Thanks man.

Yeah, sucks there isn't more Marty Robbins fans out there. I'm a big fan of some of his stuff. Actually a jollier TVZ isn't a bad comparison in my opinion.

Funkymonk · 08-10-2010, 02:37 AM

I wish i found this site along time ago! whaqt brilliant reviews on here! track by track too Fanbluddytastic folks! haha!

LL5466 · 08-30-2010, 09:46 AM

I defiantly listened to some of these bands growing up. Great suggestions, keep them coming!

Bulldog · 12-10-2009, 07:52 AM

Bumped because a) this is a cool thread and b) I'm as hungover as some sort of crazy person and therefore in a good frame of mind to contribute another review of my own. I'll get to work on one in a bit - should be up here in a few hours or summat.

Bulldog · 12-10-2009, 10:42 AM

Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Almost Blue
1981

1. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? [Williams]
2. Sweet Dreams [Gibson]
3. Success [Mullins]
4. I'm Your Toy [Parsons/Ethridge]
5. Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down [Haggard]
6. Brown To Blue [Jones/Franks]
7. A Good Year For the Roses [Chesnut]
8. Sittin' and Thinkin' [Rich]
9. Colour Of the Blues [L. Williams/Jones]
10. Too Far Gone [Sherril]
11. Honey Hush [Turner]
12. How Much I Lied [Parsons/Rifkin]

So then, I've already taken the opportunity to introduce to one gateway album for the delights of country music in the shape of Ringo Starr's Beaucoups Of Blues - not a classic by any means, but a massively important album in my music collection when it comes to the direction my musical journey's taken on. Even though Ringo's album certainly gave me the push I needed to start to fully explore a very rich and totally new area of music to me, it wasn't my first brush with classic country and western music in the form of an album.

That's where Elvis Costello, another Englishman with a real love for country music, comes in with a covers album of his own. Again, the actual album itself is very good but no classic, but more importantly than that, in buying this is some HMV store however many years ago it was, Almost Blue here was officially the first country album I ever owned. Even if it's no classic then, it's certainly one of the most influential albums on my musical taste. On top of all that, I've been listening to Elvis Costello's albums virtually all day, and my opinions of this album have changed quite a bit since I posted the review of it in the guy's discography thread, so it's time for another bite of the cherry!

Anyway, on with the actual review! By 1981, Elvis Costello and his backing band the Attractions had made a bit of a name for themselves on either side of the Atlantic as a result of, upon emerging from the British pub rock scene, a virtually seamless run of six album releases (five studio projects, one live album) in the space of about four and a half years. As great as a lot of that work turned out though, Costello himself hadn't been able to find an outlet to express his love for country music outside of the odd B-side or album track. After the release of his brilliant Trust album earlier that year (which featured a nicely country-flavoured original called Different Finger), upon meeting up with his old buddy and professional steel guitarist John McPhee, it dawned on Costello that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go to Nashville Tennessee and record his own renditions of some of his favourite country songs with McPhee and the Attractions in tow. Legendary producer Billy Sherril was in the producer's chair for the sessions.

A total of about thirty songs (all covers and only one original) were recorded in the space of just six days. Overall, the result is a much more faithful reading of classic country standards than you'd imagine. The exception is the furiously-paced, rollicking, punked-up cover of Hank Williams' Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?, give us an intriguing kind of hybrid of punk and country rock.

From there though, things follow a much more traditional path, as the slow, syrupy version of the Don Gibson ballad Sweet Dreams should make obvious. Not exactly one of my favourite songs that Costello's ever sung (I'm not a huge fan of those string arrangements and backing vocals), but again, interesting when you think who exactly's singing it. Probably the weak point of the album when all's said and done, which is ok as it's followed up by the brilliant, piano-led rendition of Success (pianist Steve Nieve actually gives one of the best piano performances I've ever heard here as well). Following that is a slightly slower version of I'm Your Toy, aka the Flying Burrito Brothers' Hot Burrito 1. Good enough, but nowhere near as good as the Gram Parsons-led original. Next comes the Merle Haggard number, Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down, bringing the overall quality back up a few notches as it speeds proceedings up before the slower, slightly meandering version of Brown To Blue.

It's an album which has a few less interesting moments, but those are easily made up for by the highlights, like the following, anthemic and absolutely beautiful A Good Year For the Roses (a surprise top 10 hit in the UK, incidentally), and the gorgeously twangy, alcoholic ramble of Charlie Rich's Sittin' and Thinkin'. To follow on from those though are a couple more not necessarily bad but merely not-so-great covers, those being George Jones' Colour Of the Blues and Billy Sherril's own Too Far Gone (the latter of which is done a bit better by one Emmylou Harris). Honey Hush (also covered by Paul McCartney of all people) picks up the pace again and has a neat melody, while How Much I Lied is possibly the best cover Costello's ever performed, seeing as I think it beats Gram Parsons' original (and considering that I love all things Parsons, that's quite a thing to say).

All in all, a very interesting album for how faithful all these renditions are to their respective originals, and considering they were recorded by a band that made their name in new wave, that's quite something. Those twelve tracks are only the thin end of the wedge too, as there are plenty of great outtakes from these sessions (my personal favourite being the rendition of Hank Cochran's He's Got You, which you'll find in the bottom video here). More importantly than all that contextual stuff, although it took me a while to truly appreciate it (seeing as country and western was so alien to me when I bought this), this album got me started on the broader-than-you'd-think area of country music. Therefore, like the Ringo Starr album I reviewed a few posts back, it's no classic, but anyone wondering where to start with country should definitely turn to this album. Plus that sleeve art kicks arse, so what more reason do you need?!

That turned out a lot longer than I thought...

05-11-2010, 08:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
crushedblind real emotional trash Join Date: May 2010 Location: midwest Posts: 78	found these in a box of records my neighbor gave me thinking about doing one of them once i get my stereo fixed __________________ gimme danger little stranger

06-04-2010, 09:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Hank The Drifter Take it easy, but take it Join Date: May 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 213	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. Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs Marty Robbins 1959 [LP] 1999[CD] Big Iron Cool Water Billy The Kid A Hundred And Sixty Acres They're Hanging Me Tonight The Strawberry Roan El Paso In The Valley The Master's Call Running Gun The Little Green Valley Utah Carol 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

06-07-2010, 07:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
Hank The Drifter Take it easy, but take it Join Date: May 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 213	Thanks man. Yeah, sucks there isn't more Marty Robbins fans out there. I'm a big fan of some of his stuff. Actually a jollier TVZ isn't a bad comparison in my opinion. __________________ “If a song can't be written in 20 minutes, it ain't worth writing.” - Hank Williams

06-07-2010, 07:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
~~Flower Child~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: classified Posts: 639	Bravo, Hank, well reviewed. Always been a Marty Robbins fan myself, thought I was about the only one in the world until you. He does have a bit more of a country & western tumbleweed vibe to him, and I like it. Sometimes I get a little stuck on my Texas men, and guys like Marty Robbins are a nice change. He almost reminds me of a much jollier Townes Van Zandt.

08-10-2010, 02:37 AM	#7 (permalink)
Funkymonk Groupie Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 16	I wish i found this site along time ago! whaqt brilliant reviews on here! track by track too Fanbluddytastic folks! haha!

08-30-2010, 09:46 AM	#8 (permalink)
LL5466 Groupie Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 3	I defiantly listened to some of these bands growing up. Great suggestions, keep them coming!

12-10-2009, 07:52 AM	#9 (permalink)
Bulldog why bother? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: UK Posts: 4,840	Bumped because a) this is a cool thread and b) I'm as hungover as some sort of crazy person and therefore in a good frame of mind to contribute another review of my own. I'll get to work on one in a bit - should be up here in a few hours or summat.

12-10-2009, 10:42 AM	#10 (permalink)
Bulldog why bother? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: UK Posts: 4,840	Elvis Costello & the Attractions Almost Blue 1981 1. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? [Williams] 2. Sweet Dreams [Gibson] 3. Success [Mullins] 4. I'm Your Toy [Parsons/Ethridge] 5. Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down [Haggard] 6. Brown To Blue [Jones/Franks] 7. A Good Year For the Roses [Chesnut] 8. Sittin' and Thinkin' [Rich] 9. Colour Of the Blues [L. Williams/Jones] 10. Too Far Gone [Sherril] 11. Honey Hush [Turner] 12. How Much I Lied [Parsons/Rifkin] So then, I've already taken the opportunity to introduce to one gateway album for the delights of country music in the shape of Ringo Starr's Beaucoups Of Blues - not a classic by any means, but a massively important album in my music collection when it comes to the direction my musical journey's taken on. Even though Ringo's album certainly gave me the push I needed to start to fully explore a very rich and totally new area of music to me, it wasn't my first brush with classic country and western music in the form of an album. That's where Elvis Costello, another Englishman with a real love for country music, comes in with a covers album of his own. Again, the actual album itself is very good but no classic, but more importantly than that, in buying this is some HMV store however many years ago it was, Almost Blue here was officially the first country album I ever owned. Even if it's no classic then, it's certainly one of the most influential albums on my musical taste. On top of all that, I've been listening to Elvis Costello's albums virtually all day, and my opinions of this album have changed quite a bit since I posted the review of it in the guy's discography thread, so it's time for another bite of the cherry! Anyway, on with the actual review! By 1981, Elvis Costello and his backing band the Attractions had made a bit of a name for themselves on either side of the Atlantic as a result of, upon emerging from the British pub rock scene, a virtually seamless run of six album releases (five studio projects, one live album) in the space of about four and a half years. As great as a lot of that work turned out though, Costello himself hadn't been able to find an outlet to express his love for country music outside of the odd B-side or album track. After the release of his brilliant Trust album earlier that year (which featured a nicely country-flavoured original called Different Finger), upon meeting up with his old buddy and professional steel guitarist John McPhee, it dawned on Costello that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go to Nashville Tennessee and record his own renditions of some of his favourite country songs with McPhee and the Attractions in tow. Legendary producer Billy Sherril was in the producer's chair for the sessions. A total of about thirty songs (all covers and only one original) were recorded in the space of just six days. Overall, the result is a much more faithful reading of classic country standards than you'd imagine. The exception is the furiously-paced, rollicking, punked-up cover of Hank Williams' *Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?, give us an intriguing kind of hybrid of punk and country rock. From there though, things follow a much more traditional path, as the slow, syrupy version of the Don Gibson ballad Sweet Dreams* should make obvious. Not exactly one of my favourite songs that Costello's ever sung (I'm not a huge fan of those string arrangements and backing vocals), but again, interesting when you think who exactly's singing it. Probably the weak point of the album when all's said and done, which is ok as it's followed up by the brilliant, piano-led rendition of *Success* (pianist Steve Nieve actually gives one of the best piano performances I've ever heard here as well). Following that is a slightly slower version of *I'm Your Toy, aka the Flying Burrito Brothers' Hot Burrito 1. Good enough, but nowhere near as good as the Gram Parsons-led original. Next comes the Merle Haggard number, Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down, bringing the overall quality back up a few notches as it speeds proceedings up before the slower, slightly meandering version of Brown To Blue. It's an album which has a few less interesting moments, but those are easily made up for by the highlights, like the following, anthemic and absolutely beautiful A Good Year For the Roses* (a surprise top 10 hit in the UK, incidentally), and the gorgeously twangy, alcoholic ramble of Charlie Rich's *Sittin' and Thinkin'. To follow on from those though are a couple more not necessarily bad but merely not-so-great covers, those being George Jones' Colour Of the Blues* and Billy Sherril's own *Too Far Gone* (the latter of which is done a bit better by one Emmylou Harris). *Honey Hush* (also covered by Paul McCartney of all people) picks up the pace again and has a neat melody, while How Much I Lied is possibly the best cover Costello's ever performed, seeing as I think it beats Gram Parsons' original (and considering that I love all things Parsons, that's quite a thing to say). All in all, a very interesting album for how faithful all these renditions are to their respective originals, and considering they were recorded by a band that made their name in new wave, that's quite something. Those twelve tracks are only the thin end of the wedge too, as there are plenty of great outtakes from these sessions (my personal favourite being the rendition of Hank Cochran's He's Got You, which you'll find in the bottom video here). More importantly than all that contextual stuff, although it took me a while to truly appreciate it (seeing as country and western was so alien to me when I bought this), this album got me started on the broader-than-you'd-think area of country music. Therefore, like the Ringo Starr album I reviewed a few posts back, it's no classic, but anyone wondering where to start with country should definitely turn to this album. Plus that sleeve art kicks arse, so what more reason do you need?! That turned out a lot longer than I thought...