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O. J. Sikes New Radio Show Online "Western Music Time" on the Nostalgia Radio programs page of the www.BostonPete.com web site. O.J.'s E-Mail

THE MANY SIDES OF MARTY ROBBINS

    -Marty Robbins

                                                    
Sony Music Special Products 3 CD set

PARADISE

-Wylie & the Wild West

                                            
Rounder 82161-3178-2

If you've been looking for an economical collection that is really representative of the multi-faceted musical career of Marty Robbins, this is it. Marty could do anything and do it well, from early rockabilly, featured on Disc #1, to country ballads (on Disc #2), to Western (Disc #3). These 40 songs illustrate the range of his work beautifully.

    The set's strong point is that, in addition to his mega-hits like "Don't Worry," "Devil Woman" and "El Paso," there are recordings that are less well-known, but equally as good. They've been lying in vaults for years, or only available on large boxed sets. The "Easy Country" disc is most notable in this regard, with titles including "It's Your World," "Begging to You" and "One of These Days"---superb renditions all.

    The 16 Western songs are more numerous than the others, but few are very rare. Still, if you haven't heard "San Angelo," "Five Brothers," "The Ballad of the Alamo" or "Jimmy Martinez," you're in for a treat.  The Western disc opens with "El Paso" and closes with "El Paso City"!

  
           EDI
 P.O. Box 22738
 Eugene, OR 97402
 or call Collector's Choice 
1 (800) 923-1122 (item HMEDI5 0412)

Champion team roper Wylie Gustafson composed 8 of the 12 songs on this latest CD from Rounder. Half of the songs are western tunes, with several country songs thrown in along with a western folk song or two by Bob Dylan ("Girl from the North Country") and legendary cowboy poet Badger Clark ("To Her").  The Singin' Ranger, Hank Snow, used to do one called "The Gal Who Invented Kissin'." Another is Wylie's own "Without You," and it's my favorite from the non-western lot.

    But, of course, it's Wylie's way with the cowboy tunes that really wins the day. His upbeat "Saddle Bum," "Whoop-up Trail" and "When I'm Ridin' I'm Right" are super, and he does a great job with Douglas Green's "Lonely Yukon Stars," a slow yodel piece. Wylie is the cowboy who does the Yahoo.com commercials, so you know he's a pro at yodel tunes. To prove the point, "Yodel Boogie" is loads of fun.

    Widely available

AFTER ALL

    - Joni Harms

                                RealWest RWP 6001-2

25 COWBOY CLASSICS

-Gene Autry

                                                Varese Sarabande

When Joni Harms' CD "Cowgirl Dreams" came out, it hit with a bang. It was her 6th album, but none before had attracted such national attention. It was followed by a delightful children's CD. Now, she's returned to the cowboys.

    On this new CD, Joni brings back some of what country music fans have lamented losing the past few years. With talented musicians like fiddle player Hoot Hester (who can do anything!), she moves seamlessly between Texas swing, ballads and honky tonk. It's all done in Joni's unique, wonderful style.

    Before the CD's release, I heard her sing the title cut, a Texas shuffle, on TV, and I knew then that the album was going to be successful. It's full of great new tunes, everything from mariachi trumpets to Texas waltzes. Picking favorites is tough, but I'd go for "After All," "Cowboy Coffee," "Weakness for Cowboys" and "Every Cowgirl's Dream." Widely available.

As the cowboy who institutionalized the musical western film,Gene Autry was the ideal choice for an album of cowboy classics. He recorded lots of top-selling pop and country songs, but his western renditions were always something very special.

    This collection from radio, tv and film is beautifully done. On the film and tv selections, extraneous background noise is eliminated or kept to an almost inaudible minimum. And the radio cuts maintain high fidelity, with only  brief introductory commentary by Gene which does not detract at all from the music. For some listeners, it will enhance it.

    Highlights among the 25 selections include good, clear versions of a number of great songs, the Columbia recordings of which Sony has not yet re-issued on CD. Among them are "Rim of the Canyon," "Purple Sage in the Twilight," "Rainbow on the Rio Colorado," "When the Silvery Colorado Turns to Gold," "Hills of Old Wyoming" and several others. The version of "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" is particularly interesting, performed here by Gene with the Ranch Boys.

     For the liner notes, Johnny Western reminisced about his work with Gene, and I wrote about western music and how these songs illustrate the genre. (Needless to say, this one's highly recommended!)

    Try your local store, phone Collector's Choice (800) 923-1122.

THE BEST OF   

    -Tompall & The Glaser Brothers

         Collector'sChoice

OLD TIME TEXAS STRING BANDS, VOLs 1&2

-Eck Robertson, Red Headed Fiddlers, Oscar & Doc Harper, etc.
County Records
CO-CD 3524 (Vol 1)
CO-CD 3525 (Vol 2)

                                                                              

                                                                                 

                                                                               

  Few people know that these Nebraska boys were "discovered" by Marty Robbins. Their smooth harmonies and style led Robbins to take them on the road with him when he first heard them in the late 1950s. They served as perfect back-up for Marty's then-new western songs, and were right at home on Marty's landmark LP, GUNFIGHTER BALLADS AND TRAIL SONGS. In fact, two of the three brothers wrote Marty Robbins' big hit, "Running Gun."

    None of those '50s recordings are on this CD. Except for a wonderful rendition of "Faded Love," little on this CD is western. Here, the boys do their own thing, with Tompall's solos and the group's superb harmony. Tompall was one of the leaders of country music's revolutionary "Outlaw" movement, so some of the selections (composed by Tompall, Shel Silverstein, etc.) represent that era. For me, the standouts are the earlier recordings like "Streets of Baltimore," "Gone, on the Other Hand," "Gentle on My Mind" and "Gone Girl."

    This is the first CD of Glaser Bros. music to be released in the U.S. Informative liner notes (but a little more about the association with Marty's western projects would have been useful). Excellent representation of the Brothers' work.
(1-800-932-1122).

   

This collection is a gold mine of rare, mostly instrumental treasures that will have great appeal to followers of early Texas music. It is also of major importance as an introduction to the various styles that made up Texas fiddling during the 1925-30 period.

    Captain M.J. Bonner, a confederate veteran who recorded at the age of 78, brings to light a style used long before the phonograph was invented. The first recording of "Beaumont Rag"  (by Smith's Garage Fiddle Band) is also here (on Vol. 2). The East Texas Serenaders illustrate what the roots of western swing sounded like.

    It's hard to find good, clear recordings from this era, but with the help of collectors including my former neighbor Frank Mare, and excellent remastering, you have in this set the best possible sound quality. It varies, of course, but overall, it's excellent. And the music is delightful, even if you're not a big old-time fan!   Informative liner notes by Chris King.

    Each CD is $13.50 + $3.50 postage for one or both. Call (540) 745-2001, County Sales, P.O. Box 191, Floyd, VA 24091

OUR FIRST TRAIL RIDE

-Prairie Twins

GRANDE OLDE RIDE

-Gary Fjellgaard

              Slim Creek Music    SCR 11

When I first heard this sister duo's unique, novelty version of "Sioux City Sue" on Mike Gross's radio show, I knew right away they were going to make folks sit up and take notice.  Kalani & Kalea Moniz-Bray are only 12 years old, but their voices sound older.They won two national duet titles singing Broadway music. Now, they've discovered western music and have fallen in love with it, encouraged by Wayne Austin, Riders in the Sky and Janet McBride (yes, they are award-winning yodelers, too!).

    I haven't seen them perform (as of this writing) but I'll be looking for them at the first opportunity. Young folks like these often are stronger on stage than on record. I doubt that to be the case here. Their acoustic recordings of these excellent western standards  hold up.

    These young ladies are going places! A most enjoyable CD! $18 ppd from 
Kalani + Kalea Moniz-Bray
 4700 NW 25th St.
 Oklahoma City, OK 73127

Gary Fjellgaaard is widely recognized as one of Canada's leading western artists. His unique style, the sound of his voice and the melodies he composes have a special niche in the Canadian West.

    Gary says this collection is inspired by his "western roots, cattle drives, wagon treks and Zane Grey novels." Indeed, "Zane Grey" leads off the album in fine fashion. It's followed by "Buffalo are Back," heralding the return of the bison to the plains.

    He continues to enjoy cattle drives and riding above the Canadian timberline, and his music says it well. You can close your eyes and see the big locomotive rumbling through western Canada when Gary sings "Train A Comin'." I like his upbeat "Dancin' in the Grass, too, but there are great ballads as well, and a gorgeous instrumental intro to "Tears on Main Street."  
 $17.50 ppd.
 Box 323 
Gabriola Island, B.C. Canada V0R 1X0 
or online
 www.fjellgaard.bc.ca