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March 2007 NewsletterNewsletter also available as printable PDF. Yesterday & Today Records 255A Church St Parramatta NSW 2150 phone/fax: (02) 9633-3585 email: steve@yesterdayandtoday.com.au web: www.yesterdayandtoday.com.au Postage: 1 cd $2.00/ 2cd $3/ 3-4 cds $5.80* (*Recent Australia Post price increase.) Guess what? We have just celebrated our 18th anniversary. Those who try things we recommend are rewarded. We have stayed in business for one reason and that is we have never attempted to appeal to the lowest common denominator as mainstream outlets do. At the same time we recognise that people do have different tastes and to some CMT is actually good. We also appeal to those people and offer many mainstream items in our bargain bin. But the legends and true country music are our bread butter and will always be. If you see something you think you may like but are worried let us know. If you pass our inquisition we may be able to send it on a sale or return basis. I say inquisition because if your favourite artists are SheDaisy and Rascal Flatts we certainly aren't going to risk something as precious as Justin Trevino. By the same token we believe great music is timeless and knows no bounds. People may think chuck steak is good until they try the best rump! Recently I had the pleasure of seeing Dale Watson. Before hand I had the added pleasure of sitting in with my compatriot Eddie White (a.k.a. "The Cosmic Cowboy") for an interview at the 2RRR Studios. Dale is a humble, engaging and extremely likeable man with a passion for tradition. He has in the past presented himself as somewhat of an angry man especially when referring to the Nashville brand of "country music" which as he so correctly puts it (and you don't need to be Einstein to work this out) is not "country" by any way shape or form. That has now changed, the angry bit that is, and even though he does his "Mister DJ" it is somewhat of a less venomous version. He has declared his music "Ameripolitan". This is new music with very prominent roots influences. "You can listen to any of my songs and probably every song you hear will remind you of someone else....maybe Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard or Bob Wills and its not an accident because it's a prominent roots influence to me...that is what the old definition of country was in the first place." And so say all of us. In other words they can call that Nashville stuff "country". What we specialise in is Ameripolitan....though we do have some "country" as well. Cds you don't want anymore?? We may be interested, especially in box sets and out of print cds. Our prices are a lot higher than used cd stores around the traps but we don't want every thing. You can email, fax or send a list and we will get back to you with price and instructions. Generally we will also pay the postage costs of getting the cds to us, and you can take payment as a credit on stock or straight payment. 2006 Albums of the YearThis is an alphabetic run-down of our albums of the year. Dave Alvin - "West of the West"$32 From the roots rocker of Blasters' fame to the deep voiced folk styled interpreter and performer as he generally is seen now it has been a long and successful road for Dave Alvin. Here he personalises songs which are well known (CCR's "Don't Look Now {It Ain't You or Me"}) and obscure (Kate Wolf's lovely "Here in California") as well as including a couple of his own."Between the Cracks", a Tex Mex flavoured Tom Russell co-write is as good as it gets. Jason Boland & The Stragglers - "The Bourbon Legend"$32 Neo-outlaw music has made a comeback over the last few years with the likes of Jarrod Birmingham, Jackson Taylor and Jason Boland being at the top of the tree (must be a Christian name starting with "J" is a pre-requisite). As always those politically incorrect songs are in abundance. This is his best album yet. Brian Burns - "Border Radio" $32 Texan Brian Burns is a close stylistic relative of Tom Russell, Dave Alvin, John Prine etc and writes instant classics that you swear you've heard before. 17 songs clock in at around an hour and all are uniformly grand. Texas border music at its very best. Cousin Harley - "Hillbilly Madness" $32 "They" are an exceptional 3 piece rockabilly outfit with a country bent reminiscent of the superb Sonny George. Paul Pigat (aka Cousin Harley) has obviously listened to a little Jimmy Bryant. 15 tracks in all. His, woops their, other album "Jukin'" is just as good. Amber Digby - "Her Come the Teardrops"$32 Second album from the enchanting Amber is right up there with our 2005 Album of the Year "Music from the Honky Tonks". Yet it is destined never to make any of the published trade publication lists which is a reflection on their lack of merit and nothing more. Again, the album is beautifully produced with the pick of Texas musicians backing her. The great Dickie Overbey on steel continues to impress. And this time we even get a duet with the great Justin Trevino. There are a few minor flaws. She over sings a little on "Bitter They Are" for example but this is just nitpicking. The glorious rendition of the wonderful Loretta Lynn cheating song "Another Man Loved Me Last Night" is as good as it gets or is ever going to get anywhere and anytime. Bobby Flores - "Direct from Blanco County" $32 Equally fine as a vocalist and instrumentalist Bobby stands at the forefront of Texas music. The swing and honky tonk stylings of the 50s and 60s are alive as ever. As always nothing is cooler than a Johnny Paycheck cover and "Meanest Jukebox in Town" is just one of the highlights. Vince Gill - "These Days" $58 Has anyone in any genre put out a 4cd set which isn't a greatest hits package or a Grateful Dead Live Concert?? Chances are there hasn't been any. Vince Gill's "The Key" is a superb album...one of the all time greats and the good news is that 2 of the 4 cds contained here fit in closely with that superb album. Highlight is "This New Heartache" which features the brilliant Buddy Emmons, who shows he is still steel guitar kingpin, Stuart Duncan and Billy Joe Walker Jnr. 43 songs!! Compare our price on this. I nearly passed out when I saw a store often self-proclaiming their greatness had it for almost double my $58. Wayne Hancock - "Tulsa"$32 Like Dale Watson, Heather Myles, Justin Trevino etc Wayne is part of Y & T royalty. Produced by Lloyd Maines and featuring the triple lead guitars of Paul Skelton, Dave Biller and touring guitarist, Eddie Biebel this is one of Wayne's strongest albums to date. Bob "Texaco" Stafford is back to provide that touch of uniqueness on trombone. It fits in so well with Wayne the Train's music you just don't notice there is no fiddle for example. The old style postcard cover is extremely attractive. "No Sleep Blues" is a delightful call and response ode to insomnia. James Hand - "The Truth Will Set you Free" $32 The epitome of the old school "yes ma'am, no sir" school of etiquette James also knows what hard core country music is all about and juke boxes, honky tonks, Texas, lost loves, true stories, waltzes and lies form the bases for his excellent songs. Production by Lloyd Maines & Ray Benson is first class as is the lead guitar of Redd Volkhaert. Jake Hooker - "Faded Lights"$32 Best album cover of the year...but that doesn't garner a place in the year end best of list. What does is the great Ray Price style vocals and superb song selection, of which only two are originals. Dolly Parton's classic "Put it Off Until Tomorrow" is performed as a duet with Amber Digby. And it is as good as you'd imagine. "I'm Barely Hanging on to Me", an early hit for Johnny Paycheck is nailed perfectly. The Texas shuffle lives! Jamey Johnson - "The Dollar" $20 (only a few left at this price) Wow, a major label release in the year's top album list! Well it makes it on two counts. Firstly it is darn fine music....for the most part anyway. There are perhaps two songs that are programmed for mainstream radio but the rest is uniformly good. He has a superb voice with enough nuances to call it truly original. The second reason for the inclusion is the delicious irony in the fact that Jamey was punted from the label for having a tempestuous affair with a young starlet who was (in Dickensian terms) much more than "Barkus is willing". "The Dollar" is a great song and being all about family values it seems just a tad unusual that the singer should carry on in a manner totally contra to the spirit of that song. But, there is always room for a bit of good sleaze and this doesn't leave us disappointed. The strange thing is how quiet this was kept. None of the usual entries in the National Enquirer for example. I mean Wynonna only has to have her third Big Mac, large fries & shake and it makes front page. And then there are the scandals of Keith. There is something about Jamey Johnson you really have to like. And I'd certainly get the autobiography! Vernon Oxford - "Sings Gospel, Country & Bluegrass"$32 When country music was all country music Vernon was considered "too country for country"!! Vernon is still at the top of his game and his excellent post-Hank style is as relevant as ever. "This Terrible Thing Called Sin" sounds like it could have been on the Louvins' "Satan is Real" album whilst the chilling "The Last Days of New Orleans" shows Vern knows all about the relevance of modern tragedy as well. Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys - "Texas Hill Country"$32 Sean Reefer, a Houston native, is a stylistic triplet of Wayne Hancock and Hank III but they are comparitively well known compared to him. As such he is one of the best best-kept secrets you'd be ever likely to hear. Mind you I don't think Sean came by his surname by accident. He is also a fine writer. Find out why they have been at the top of the Houston country music scene for the past 3 years. Rick Sousley - "Twang"$32 His previous album had one of the best ever album tracks in "Patsy Proof". The rest of the album was fine too, but overshadowed by that great song. Overall this album is much stronger. Some fine honky tonk and a few excellent covers such as "Looking Out My Back Door" which enforces the fact John Fogerty must have had the worst diction of any rock performer as you can actually understand the lyrics! Tennessee Rounders- "Here We Go"$30 With lead vocalist Channing Wilson having a passing resemblance to Dale Watson and 16 songs, many of which have a "heard it before" quality you know you are on a winner. In many ways they remind of Sydney's great lamented "Whiteliners". A couple of drinking songs and lonely road songs are the highlights. Appropriately named Bass Ape is a standout on slap bass. Justin Trevino - "Before You Say Amen"$32 Justin may be the first person to perfect the gospel-shuffle and what would you expect with the great Dickey Overbey on steel guitar and Bobby Flores on fiddle. But, Justin's voice is still the finest instrument in the band. Bradley Walker - "Highway of Dreams"$30 There have been some great hard core country vocalists who had their start in bluegrass with the tragic Keith Whitley being best in recent times. Bradley Walker is so good that comparisons with Keith Whitley are more than apt. And when the production is by the talented Carl Jackson and features the likes of Randy Kohrs and Rob Ickes along with guest vocalists Rhonda Vincent and Vince Gill you know it is a winner. Pat Waters - "Right Where I Belong"$32 Major label country music reached its peak in the late 80s and early 90s. Above all it was country. There were great albums from young veterans such as George Strait and new kids on the block such as Randy Travis, Ricky Van Shelton and Alan Jackson. This could be a long lost album from that era. "Is That Such a Foolish Thing" is a superb ballad whilst "Texas Tears & Mexican Beer" is a lively outing every bit as good as the title. For those who recognise that Jackson and Strait are both dreary safe shadows of their former selves this may be the album you have been seeking. He is that good. Dale Watson - "Whiskey or God" $32 In the post Merle Haggard traditionalist style there is none better than Dale Watson. Whether questioning whether he'll find salvation by "bending his elbow" or "bending his knees" (title song) or doing a great shuffle in "I Wish I Was Crazy Again" (which would have been perfect for Johnny Paycheck) or a mariachi flavoured "Tequila &Teardrops" there is no one better. 14 tracks which are right up there with his 3 Hightone albums. Dale's new album is out in April and he is trying to get the time to record a duet album with Heather Myles. True! We couldn't make up anything this good. Hank Williams III - "Straight to Hell" $32 If there is anyone more politically incorrect than Hank III, please let me know. But then again as he mentions they have a Hank Williams imitator (or Hank Senior as he is so often erroneously referred) greeting guests to the Grand Ol Opry yet had kicked Hank off that very show. The set has a bonus second disc consisting of "Louisiana Stripes" and a 45 minute bonus track which starts off making "Revolution Number 9" seem like a ditty but gets interesting around the 15 minute mark where various snippets join together to form what you could only term a very different track. Actually a major release as well but you'd never know it. And our Top albums list in order is: Compare this to the Swedish Cowboy's list. Many appear on both: Reissues1) Porter Wagoner - The Rubber Room $28....even when he wasn't quirky he was....quirky that is. Heaps of tracks none better than the title track or the classic Porter-Dolly duet "The Party" Hon. mentions**John Anderson - Wild & Blue $28 Biggest Disappointment: Carrie Rodriguez - Seven Angels on a Bicycle (actually dual award winner if you count dumbest album title). Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing Live!DVD $35 Blue Sky Boys - The Very Best of Classic Country Remastered 5cds $70. The Blue Sky Boys influenced the Louvin Brothers who influenced the Everly Brothers and so on. Bill and Earl Bolick are arguably the best. Exquisite harmonies and with the saddest voices ever to sing a song. Their version of "I'm Here to get My Baby Out of Jail" has never been bettered. A lot of the songs were covered a generation later by the Louvin Brothers. It is hard to separate the early and latter versions of songs such as "Kentucky" or "Knoxville Girl" both mainstays of the Blue Sky Boys and the Louvin Brothers. 121 tracks, and a mix of gospel and non-gospel tracks. All the tracks are on the Bear Family box but that is over 4 times the cost. These tracks were remastered by the eccentric Joe Bussard. Delmore Brothers - Volume 2: 1933-1952 $60 4cds. Also from JSP in the UK, this features 97 tracks which includes early songs as well as later 50s recordings including many of the King boogie tracks. Again from masters supplied by Joe Bussard. Lefty Frizzell - "Give Me More,More,More" $50 Proper label 4 cd reissue containing 86 of Lefty's recordings from the 50s including a 12 song show from a Navy Transcription. Includes 48 page booklet with good notes from Adam Komorowski who has the good sense to do a bit of shopping in Yesterday & Today Records whenever he is in Sydney. Joe Ely - "Happy Songs from Rattlesnake Gulch" $32 New album from the West Texas legend features10 Joe Ely solo written songs plus a cover of Butch Hancock's "Firewater". This is on his own Rack ‘Em Records label. "Miss Bonnie & Mr Clyde" is one of the story songs on the album, highly reminiscent of Robert Earl Keen's "The Road Goes On Forever" in which we see the narrator meeting up with the legendary duo and has some great lines. Bonnie "looked like an innocent country girl who had gone astray" whilst "Clyde once imagined he was Robin Hood but now his greed was starting to show". The album almost sounds like a countrier version of Dylan's early electric work. Ely's voice is strong and true. "Little Blossom", not the track recorded by Hank Thompson, has some nice accordion work, most probably from Joel Guzman. "Firewater" is one of several tracks which features some excellent horn work. This is a powerful album which generally steers clear of the folky style of his earliest albums or his work with the Flatlanders. Tompall Glaser - Outlaw to the Cross $30 First album in who knows how long from the distinctive voiced Tompall. Famed in songwriting circles for co-writing "Streets of Baltimore" and probably best known in musical circles for his inclusion on the classic "Wanted the Outlaws" compilation he was and still is a top artist in his own right. His voice is as strong as ever and the songs include a mix of originals and covers, which are well chosen in that they are not overly familiar in many instances. Favourite track is the allegorical "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning" which is ostensibly about sailors and the ocean but really represents the passage through life in general. Tompall never takes a preachy stance and in many places you wouldn't know it was a gospel album. He may be a little grizzled but is strong as ever. Recommended even if you think you don't like gospel music.
Mary Chapin Carpenter - "The Calling" $32 New album from Mary, now on the Rounder label. Some of the songs seem to ramble to their detriment. "It Must Have Happened" seems a lot longer than its 4 minutes running time. It reinforces my belief that she is purely a folky and the next track. "On and On It Goes" has a similar feel to the monumental "This Shirt" which still is her magnum opus. The more introspective she is the better she is and the better her melodies stand out. It is the effort to implant a sense of commercialism on songs such as "You Life Story" with some unnecessary percussive effects that lose me. So on that basis it's a 50/50 call. The less adorned the better it works. Johnny Bush & Justin Trevino - "Texas on a Saturday Night" $32 Bill Kirchen - Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods $32 First in a while from the Telecaster wiz (the guitar being the subject of the title song), who had his start in Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen for whom he played lead guitar and was one of the 3 lead vocalists. For this album he is joined by Nick Lowe and some of the less frantic tracks bare more than a passing influence to Lowe's recent recordings. Tracks: Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods/ Rocks Into Sand/ Get a little Goner/ Skid Row in My Mind/ Working Man / Soul Cruisin' / Truth Be Told/ Devil With the Blue Dress/ One More Day/ Heart of Gold/ If It's Really Got tO Be This way. Blaze Foley - Cold Cold World $32 They seem to come up with new Blaze Foley recordings on a regular basis and this is one of the best. Good notes from Gurf Morlix paint a picture of a rather quirky humour...he appeared one night with an IV rig attached to a bottle of whiskey. Blaze and the Beaver Valley boys have a good sound somewhat akin in style to Townes Van Zandt and the 17 tracks offered here feature a lot of new songs as well as old favourites such as "Officer Norris". Kimmie Rhodes - Small Town Girl $32 This is possibly the second best album that Kimmie has released and comparisons with the landmark "West Texas Heaven" are very apt. This is the soundtrack for a stage play in two acts with many references to carnivals and Texas life. "Card House" is written by Kimmie in cahoots with Beth Nielsen Chapman and Jessie Colter and features one of Kimmie's best vocals sung in unison with Joe Sears. Lots of metaphors. "Daddy Took the Small Town Girl Away" segues nicely into "She's Starring". 16 tracks in all, no cosmos just great songs. Miss Leslie & Her Jukejointers - "Honky Tonk Happy Hour - Live at the Continental Club" $32 Second full cd from Leslie Lindley and co. 19 tracks in all including one from her father "Country Jim" Sloan which is okay but the two from piano player Damian O'Grady are sensational, so much so you'd wish for a full album. This album is tops though in many ways it could have a few more different tracks than those which appeared on Leslie's previous "Honky Tonk revival" which scored very well on our year end 2006 list. Interesting band members include former Dale Watson steel man Ricky Davis whilst Sean Reefer, like Leslie from Houston, shows great country drumming skills. Anyone who is unlike Lonnie Wilson is fine by me. Thought it about time for a Lonnie "Thrasher"Wilson put down as I hadn't done one in a while. 19 tracks and the ultimate compliment must be paid, that being "I wish I had been there". Jason Michael Carroll - Waitin' in the Country $30 This is a country album (see definition in introduction to this newsletter) but with a certain outlaw quality that actually would appeal to the Ameripolitan fan. He does a nice duet with the scrumptious Jewel on "No Good in Goodbye" and has contributed a few songs. We have some in the bargain bin for $20 and is not bad at all. Karen Dalton - "In My Own Time" $30 Tragic only begins to describe the life of Karen Dalton who died on the streets of New York from the after effects of both hard drugs and alcohol and with a scant legacy of two albums. Her raw vocals so influenced one Jill Croston that she adapted the "Dalton" part when she became Lacy J Dalton (not "Lazy" J Dalton as someone once erroneously requested), and Lacy is quoted quite often in the excellent notes by Lenny Kaye. Karen was never a writer, but an interpreter of the highest order who sang in a wonderfully warped voice and accompanied herself on 12 string guitar and banjo. She was ostensibly a folky. Her voice was probably the closest to a male singer in Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson who did the lead vocals on the epic Canned Heat tracks "On the Road Again" and "Going Up the Country". "Something on Your Mind" features entrancing violin. An incredible version of "When a Man Loves a Woman" has subtle accompaniment. Karen's vocals lead the way. You'd never recognise it as a soul classic. The old George Jones song "Take Me" is given a laid back treatment. She was a beautiful looking woman of Cherokee background. I wonder if she met the equally tragic Pete LaFarge??. This reissue has been extremely attractively presented with a 32 page booklet and a faithfully produced replication of the original lp. Her only other recordings appear on "It's So Hard to Tell Who's Going to Love You the Best" (Koch) $32. Also a fine offering. Daryle Singletary - "Straight from the Heart" $32 Daryle has what we call a "stopper" of a voice. In other words when people hear it they stop what they are doing and listen. It is right up there with the best of all time. What we have here is a new album of mainly covers which with two exceptions don't fall in the too familiar category. The "Bottle Let Me Down" and "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" are these two but the latter is well presented as a duet with Ricky Skaggs. Of the remaining tracks "I Still Sing This Way" is an original written with reference to the classic "That's Why I Sing This Way", the title of his previous album. "Jesus and Bartenders" is a song we have raved about when performed by writer Larry Cordle and covered by Joe Bonson, this is the definitive version. But it is hard to imagine a better song than "Promises", which was an early Randy Travis composition, so early in fact it is attributed to Randy Traywick, Randy's true name. Daryle wrings an emotion out of it that even Randy couldn't manage. An early George Jones song "We're Gonna Hold On" is performed as a duet with Rhonda Vincent, and John Anderson duets on his hit "Black Sheep". Nice backing with Aubrey Haynie on fiddle, Brent Mason on guitar and the immortal Pig Robbins on piano. 12 tracks in all. Superb. Red Jenkins - Neon Bible $32 Red Jenkins - The Bartender:It's All on the Jukebox $32 Intro(Merle Kilgore)/The Bartender(with Ed Bruce)/Jones on the Juekbox(with Becky Hobbs)/Easier Said Than Done (with Billy Yates)/ Whiskey Flavored Kisses(with Joe Diamond)/ You Make Me Feel More Like a Man(with John Riggs)/Rebel on the Rocks(With Joe Sun)/ This Time Around(with Melba Montgomery)/ She Took His Breath Away(with Billy Yates)/ As Long as Honky Tonks Have Doors(with Joe Diamond)/Ship My Body Back to Texas(with Ed Bruce). Second cd from the Swedish gentleman with fine taste. "Jones on the Jukebox" has long been a favourite and it is hard to beat the duet with originator Becky Hobbs. Ed Bruce shows he sings as well as ever, as does long lost outlaw Joe Sun.
Jann Browne - "Buckin' Around" $32 Who can remember that single Sydney gig Jann did in Sydney in the early 90s?? During that gig she invited Gina Jeffreys out of the audience and proceeded to out-sing her in every way imaginable on a duet of "My Shoes Kepp Walkin' Back to You". Good news is she is back with a new album consisting entirely of Buck songs which are superbly recorded with former Dwight alumni Scott Joss and Skip Edwards being outstanding on fiddle and keyboards respectively. Former Desert Rose Band and Buckaroo members Bill Bryson and Jay Dee Maness are equally grand on bass and steel guitar respectively. Guest vocalists Joy Lynn White and Iris Dement are terrific on "Sweethearts in Heaven" whilst Jann really belts it out on "Hot Dog" which Buck re-recorded as the title track on his comeback album in the early 90s. She also adapts "Playboy" to become "Playgirl" and nails it superbly. Full listing: Love's Gonna Live Here Again/ Before You Go/ Excuse Me(I Think I've Got a Heartache)/ Play Together Again, Again/ I Don't Care/ Loose Talk/ Think of Me/ Hot Dog/ Sweethearts in Heaven/ Waitin' in Your Welfare Line/ Playgirl. Honky tonk delightful! Chuck Maultsky and His Old Band - The Best And/or Worst $32 Horton Brothers - Tempo for Two $30 Definitely with a rockabilly bent some what akin to that of the Dave & Deke Combo. They have fine harmonies, almost Everly Brothers-ish in places, especially on a couple of the ballads. Most of the tracks are originals by the brothers Billy & Bobby, however they manage to do a couple of covers including Johnny Horton's "Shadows of the Old Bayou" (no indicator is given that they are related). Recorded I nAustin the album features contributions from Dave Biller on guitar and T Jarrod Bonta on piano. Durwood Haddock - Honky Tonk Crazy $28 3rd cd from a true character. 13 songs with many having a drinking theme. David John and the Comstock Cowboys Jimmy Maddox - Boogie-Woogie Gospel II $28 Recorded in Nashville this features gospel songs with the strong boogie woogie piano and vocals of Jimmy Maddox. This is real barrelhouse stuff with a mix of black gospel standards such as "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus". "This Little Light of Mine" and the pre-pop Sam Cooke song "Touch the Hem of His Garment". Roy Acuff's "Just Inside The Pearly Gates" is performed a s duet with Claudia Nygard. Definitely has a fire and brimstone treatment. His previous album, appropriately called "boogie Woogie Gospel" (!) was very well received. Joe Paul Nichols - Tree of Life $32 Very productive independent artist who is also one of the best country gospel artists we've heard. No originals this time round but some fine covers such as Grandpa Jones' "Falling leaves" plus new songs by Gina White in "What's It Gonna Take" and "The Price He Paid for Me". Dawn Sears assists on backing vocals and the line up includes Hoot Hester on fiddle, Hargus Robbins on piano and Doug Jernigan on steel. Seems it is appropriate he lives in Church Rd in Jacksboro Texas. Augie Meyers- My Freeholies Ain't Free Anymore $30 First release in a while from the accordion and keyboard wiz from the Texas Tornadoes who is also a fine artist in his own right. Sadly, with the demise of Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender the Tornadoes are a thing of the past but Augie shines on this so we can be asured their memory will certainly never fade. He wrote all bar one of the songs in this collection with the title song, "Go Down to Mexico" and "Hey LA Ronda" being particularly in the Texas Tornadoes spirit. Skeeter Davis - Pop Hits Collection Volume Two $32 Asleep at the Wheel - "Kings of the Texas Swing" $32 cd + dvd Top value with a 12 track cd & a 23 track dvd which is not replicated by the other dvds of Asleep at the Wheel. Includes many of the Wheel favourites such as "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", "Hot Rod Lincoln" and much more. Excellent. As always they display great versatilty doing some traditional fiddle breakdowns followed by some full on blues. New album "Reinventing the Wheel" is due soon. Ry Cooder - "My Name is Buddy" $35 Brand new cd from Ry Cooder which comes with super deluxe packaging. A fully bound book with 48 pages is extremely impressive. Many will have a passing interest in Ry Cooder and in recent times it has been very passing but this harks back to classic albums such as "Into the Purple Valley", "Paradise & Lunch" and "Chicken Skin Music", which also featured the peerless Flaco Jiminez. Ostensibly it is about the tales of a wandering cat and his adventures; but is not childlike in any way whatsoever, with the cat assuming human and timeless qualities such as on "Hank Williams" in which he tells of his friendship, "Well , Buddy, you know there's something mighty strange about trying to live a life of fame you see...It's supposed to make me happy, all it does is worry me...Nobody else seems to understand the things that I go through...Only time I feel peaceful is when I'm riding round with you". Buddy is the pussycat version of "The Littlest Hobo". "Three Chords and the Truth" is about the McCarthy era in the USA in which Senator Joseph McCarthy began blackballing anyone who he assumed may have had Communist sympathies. One such person was Paul Robeson and another was Pete Seeger who along with brother Mike Seeger guests here and there on banjo. The entire cast is impressive. Chieftain Paddy Moloney is featured on tin whistle, Van Dyke Parks is on piano, Roland White on mandolin and vocals, the aforementioned Flaco on accordion. Almost a Woody Guthrie feel and true Americana music. By the way it is Fergus the Wondercat's favourite album. Did I ever tell you about Fergus? Adopted 18 months ago...he adopted us. Never had a better cat. Smart as they come...doesn't like thunder or fireworks though and gives headbutts like Skull Murphy! He has great taste. 17 tracks. Tops. Ameripolitan and Americana!! Who needs country! David Bromberg - "Try Me One More Time" $32 First album in 17 years from the bluesy country singer who took time out to learn how to make fiddles yet only plays acoustic guitar this time around. This is folk blues at its best. He contributes "Try Me One More Time"...I guess he has to sell himself! Fifteen tracks have been adopted from the likes of Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Elizabeth Cotton as well as a superb version of the Bob Dylan classic "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry". "Buck Dancer's Choice" was adapted from a recording of Sam & Kirk McGee. Comparisons would have to be made with Jorma Kaukonen who has a similar field of influences. We also approve strongly of his "Demon in Disguise" album which has been reissued on the Wounded Bird label ($25) and features his ultra funny version of "Mr Bojangles". Darrell McCall - The Essential $32 One of the best of the post Ray Price school of great country vocalists, equally adept at ballads ("Eleven Roses"...which he also wrote), honky tonkers ("Long Line of Empties") and Texas shuffles ("There's Stil la Lot of Love in San Antone". Heart of Texas Records is the home of Justin Trevino who is superb on his duet with Darrell on "Face to the Wall". Darrell is a fine writer as well as a superb singer and "Eleven Roses" was a huge hit for Hank Williams Jnr. Darrell also wrote ‘The Loser" and "It's in the Water". These, along with a couple of Bob McDill gems in "It took Us All Night Long to Say Goodbye" and "Married Women" are just some of the many highlights from this 15 tracker. Delia Bell - Delia Bell $25 (Wounded Bird) This is a reissue of an album that was originally issued in 1983 on Warner Brothers. It was produced by Emmylou Harris and the style is similar to that of Emmylou's epic "Roses in the Snow" with a lot of the same musicians featuring on both albums (Byron Berline, Barry Tashian, Carl Jackson, Emory Gordy, Glen D. Hardin). Emmylou features on harmony and duet vocals throughout as well as showing a deft touch on acoustic guitar. Songs include Carter Family classics ("Will You Miss Me" and "Wildwood Flower") as well as classic cheating songs ("Back Street Affair") as well as country classics and lesser known songs such as "Good Lord A'Mighty" which features the vocals of John Anderson in solid support. This was Delia's only major label album but she has recorded many solo albums and duet albums (with Bill Grant...their version of the Hugh Moffatt classic "Jack & Lucy" is worth checking out). A terrific reissue and an absolute must for fans of Emmylou Harris. It sounds even better today than when first released. Tommy Cash - Tommy Cash $30 This is a reissue of Tommy's Playback label recordings. His 1992 album "The 25th Anniversary Album" featured great contributions from George Jones on "Hank & George, Lefty & Me" and the quartet of Tommy & Johnny Cash, Tom T Hall and George on "Thoughts on the Flag'. Great hand over the heart stuff. Tommy & Johnny duet on the Jack Clement classic "Guess Things Happen That Way". 17 tracks in all. This also features tracks from "Let an Old Racehorse Run" and a couple of rare singles. Tommy Cash is a successful real estate agent and was never a full time performer (hard to live up to the success of big brother John) but had a talent and this is a fine indicator of it. Calvin Russell - "Calvin Russell/Sam" 2cds $40 Craggy as they come. This Texan has achieved a measure of success in Europe where he has released any number of albums. He covers the same field as the likes of Jimmy LaFave, Townes Van Zandt etc and very well indeed. This double includes both albums plus 4 previously unissued bonus tracks, one of which is his version of "All Along the Watchtower" which would lie easily with fans of LaFave. Rebel Beat - The Story of L.A. Rockabilly $38 Semi documentary that clocks in at a shade under 2 hours and features Ray Campi, Big Sandy, Paladins etc. Booth about the music and the lifestyle. Burrito Deluxe - "Disciples of the Truth" $28 Third album and the last recordings of West Coast legend Sneaky Pete Kleinow.... is "Front Row Seat to Heaven" about him?? Lead vocalist is Carlton Moody along with Walter Egan, Jeff Stick Davis, Barry Burton etc. DVDs Don't Knock the Rock/ Rock Around the Clock $38
Back InBig Bill Lister - "Remembering Hank Williams" $32 Big Bill was the first to record the Hank Willams gem "Tear in My Beer" which was done as a acetate especially for Bill. The song was never recorded by Hank except as a demo and Bill and Bill offers some fascinating anecdotes as to how the Hank Williams and Hank Jnr version came to fruition. The album is part spoken remembrances of Hank Williams which are absolutely fascinating as Bill's voice is as deep and drawly as they come. Well over an hour long, with the anecdotes being fascinating. As a singer Bill's voice is now a tad dicey but the strength of this is the stories. Lawrence Reynolds - "He Comes from Alabama" $32 Fabulous 16 tracker, produced by Mike Headrick and one of the all time favourites among Yesterday and Today Records regulars. "Haggard & Jones", "Them Old Hank Williams Songs" and "There Ain't Enough Whiskey are just as good as it gets. Lawrence is in the George Jones/ Norman Wade vein and has tragically passed on. How long this will be available again is not known, but do yourself a favour. Marti Brom - "Heartache Numbers" $32 Rockabilly gal Marti tones things down a tad with 13 country standards each with a corresponding number in the title. Track 6 for example is "Whiskey Six Years Old" whilst track 8 is "8 Weeks in a Barroom". Was a 2005 top ten and has been out of stock a little while. Justin Trevino, Dickie Overbey , Levi Mullen and Bobby Flores provide the fabulous Texas backing this great album demands. Happy Birthday Buck $32 22 track tribute featuring the likes of David Ball, Rodney Crowell, Rosie Flores, Derailers, Rick Trevino etc. L.M. Stone - "Looking Through the Mirror of My Life" $30 African American country vocalists are rare, a bit like Kenyan swimmers, but haven't we had some good ones, notably Charley Pride and Stoney Edwards. Well L M Stone is right up there and believe it or not sings just like George Jones. It is uncanny. The nuances are perfect. Good original material also much of it written by a person with the delightful moniker of Lambert Atkins. 12 tracks.
In When You Get This1. Willie Nelson, Ray Price & Merle Haggard - "Last of the Breed" 2cds $38 Produced by Fred Foster with similar personnel to those who played on the recent Willie "Cindy Walker Tribute" cd. They trade vocals and even include a couple of new songs. Curently touring on this album. What a show that would be! Due Soon(within next couple of weeks). Please feel free to order. Nothing is charged until sent out and you get them as soon as they are released in the USA. DVDSFlatt & Scruggs "Best of the Flatt & Scruggs TV Shows Vol 1" $38 CDS1. David Ball - Heartaches by the Number $32 Bear Family ReleasesRecent Arrivals (all in stock.)Wanda Jackson - "The Ballads of Wanda Jackson" $35 Dean Reed - "The Red Elvis" $32 The story of of Dean Reed makes great reading. He was an American singer who gained great popularity in East Germany (hence the "Red" bit). These are his early Capitol recordings. He moved on to South America and Soviet Union always supporting left wing causes. He died in 1986 and the verdict was suicide. But, was it?? Tom Hanks has bought the film rights and will play the lead with Steven Spielberg directing. Maybe his obscurity will no longer exist. Short by Bear standards at 42 minutes but what a story! Johnny Bond - "Put Me to Bed - Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight" $32 30 tracks of his Columbia recordings from the fifties. Lots of boogies, blues and a bit of swing. Recorded in both Hollywood and Nashville with the pick of musicians in both places: Joe Maphis, Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West in California and Grady Martin, Bob Moore and Harold Bradley in Nashville. Jack Scott - "The Ballads of Jack Scott" $35 deluxe digipak which is a fitting companion to "Jack Scott Rocks". His "What In the World's Come Over You" is simply one of the finest country songs of any era and whilst mainly considered a rock and roll artist he had a distinctive country style. You could imagine Jim Reeves recording "Burning Bridges" and not sounding as country as Jack. There are so many great tracks. The classic "I Prayed for an Angel" is very Elvis like but great if no comparison existed. 25 tracks and all are grand. Bill Monroe - "My Last Days on Earth" $180 4cds + 84 page hard cover book. This set completes all Bill's studio recordings on reissue, from 1936-1994. This set, far from being a throw together of an over the hill artist actually contains some of Bill's finest work. One of the classic albums contained herein is the "Bluegrass Hall of Fame" album in which Bill joins with fellow bluegrass luminaries such as the Osborne Brothers, Ralph Stanley, Jim & Jesse, Mac Wiseman etc. Personal favourite is the "Bill Monroe and Friends" album. Before each track Bill & the artist pay each other a small tribute. "It is the thrill of my life to be here", to which Bill replies "It is the thrill of my life to have you here". Larry Gatlin is about my favourite where he tells "how Brother Rudy & Brother Steve would charge a whole bunch of folks a whole lot of money just to walk across the street but we'd do it for you for nothing". A 2 hour tour of the Kraft factory would not have the cheesiness of this offering. But that makes the appeal all the more greater. It is actually fun to do your own made up dedications. I won't tell you what I though Bill would have said to Emmylou! Delicious stuff. There are many other fine albums in their entirety including an excellent instrumental album. Top shelf! Rod McKuen - "If You Go Away -The RCA Years" $300 7cd + 104 page hard cover book. Spoken word and songs from the American singer-songwriter who often collaborated with Jacques Brel. Best known for "If You Go Away" , "The World I Used to Know" and of course "Seasons in the Sun". It also includes a string of demos he wrote to pitch to the likes of Sgt Barry Sadler ("When the Green Berets Come Home") and the Beach Boys. Some people really dig the spoken word stuff. "Dig" is of course a word they would use. Apparently McKuen is going on his first tour in years to promote this set. Believe it or not I actually saw him in the early 70s at the Sydney Opera House. Hopefully they have improved the acoustics! Bonanza $35 deluxe digipak presentation which features cast recordings, versions of the song Bonanza (inc. Johnny Cash), orchestral themes etc. The notes are good and a little tongue in cheek which is great. I mean didn't you wonder too that here was Ben with a thousand acre spread yet the only help he had was Hop-Sing who was a cook. Also Lorne Greene was only older brother age compared to Pernell Roberts and Dan Blocker yet played their father. Those that want more would look to the Bonanza box set (4cds + book) $150 which includes all of Lorne Greene's solo recordings and all cast recordings. Incidentally....a few good trivia question ask someone what television show featured Maurice Orowitz in a main role. The answer is Bonanza but you all knew that was Little Joe didn't you!! April releases for Bear Family.As always we get them direct from Bear Family. No middleman. For the unitiated they are expensive but the initiated will tell you they are simply the best. The Rolls Royce of cd reissues. Johnny Cash - The Outtakes 3cds $85. A massive 129 tracks collecting various outtakes from the Sun years and early CBS years of Johnny Cash. Not to be missed by true fans of Cash. It is a pleasant change to have something that is not being peddled by the chains. Cash's cds have been prostituted by the local record companies like no other artist I have known. They should stick to peddling poop and leave the good stuff to us specialists. This one also includes lots of studio talk which gives some great behind the scenes insights. Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper - "Big Midnight Special" 4cd + large hard cover book $180 Apart from an excellent but rather scant US best of there has been very little available from the husband and wife team who were mainstays of the Grand Ol Opry for so long. Their daughter Carol Lee Cooper is the mainstay of the Carole Lee singers who feature on the Opry now. 122 tracks and over 5 1/4 hours playing time. This set features their Rich-R-Tone, Columbia and Hickory recordings and the first ever recording (but until this set unissued) "Hillbilly Heaven". Lots of gospel and secular songs. Their material was always tops with Felice & Boudleaux Bryant rating them as favourite artists. "Stoney (Are You Mad At Your Gal)" has always been a favourite. Nashville Stars on Tour 4cds + dvd + large hard cover book $240 At the height of the English pop invasion in 1964 RCA took the step of sending their biggets stars to Europe. These included Jim Reeves, Bobby Bare, Chet Atkins, Skeeter Davis, Willie Nelson etc. The dvd has a documentary section and 20 performance tracks from the tour including 7 Chet Atkins, 5 Jim Reeves and 4 Bobby Bare. Shit Happens! Songs of Everyday Life. $38 NO!This is not a typo but the actual title of the album which should be monstrously popular in that this is the first cd of its type ever to be released (until Mr Omni gets off his arse!!...allowed to use that course language in view of the title!....David???) The notes from Bear Family describing this set are almost worth quoting verbatim: "Children, parents and loving wives were slaughtered wholesale for the sake of family entertainment. Whether you call this music schmaltz or kitsch or tear-jerkers, they're guaranteed to make you feel good about your own life by comparison. .....These songs celebrate sadness for its own sake......these are finely crafted songs and performances by the likes of Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, Hank Snow, Webb Pierce and Red Foley to name but a few. The fact you don't know whether to laugh or cry is some measure to their success." Couldn't have said it better myself. The songs are all illustrated by German artist Reinhard Kleist and are individually written up by Hank Davis. This is one of Bear's super deluxe digi-paks. The 25 tracks even mark the first official cd release of Ferlin Husky's epic "Drunken Driver". Impossible to go past though Hank Snow's "Blind Boy's Dog" and Porter and Dolly's "Jeannie's Afraid of the Dark" come mighty close. 25 tracks of cheesy tearjerkers of the highest order. Hank Snow - "The Goldrush is Over: Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight" $32 This series features the classic uptempo songs of the artists concerned, many of which point toward rockabilly or rock and roll. Thus far in this series we have had Maddox Brothers & Rose, Red Foley, Bill Carlisle, Faron Young, Pee Wee King and Johnny Bond. I've always loved "Music Makin' Mama from Memphis", which is naturally here as are other obvious selections such as "Hula Rock", "Reindeer Boogie", "Rhumba Boogie" and "Golden Rocket". 30 tracks in all with that distinctive Hank Snow vocal and guitar sound being the driving force behind them all. A must! Ricky Nelson - "Rock" $35 The deluxe 33 track digipak presentation is about as good as it gets. I must say all the tracks in this series sound better than any previous presentation. Other cds in this series are: Jim Ford - "The Sounds of Our Time" $35 Deluxe digipak with 40 page booklet and over 75 minutes running time. Jim Ford is considered as a quintessential country soul artist and writer, best known for the classic "Ode to Billie Joe". Vocally he is Nick Lowe's biggest influence. Previous cd reissues go for over $200 US...this will probably downgrade that a little. "R&B meets country; Memphis and Nashville meet Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta meets Appalachia. Jim Ford blended the ingredients in a way that had never, and would never be done again". Bobby Williamson - "Sh-Boom(Life Could Be a Dream" $32The title was a country cover of the rock and roll hitfrom 1954, something that was quite common. He was a regional star on Big D Jamboree and Saturday Night Shindig and recorded in both Texas and Nashville. The Nashville sessions included Jerry Byrd and Chet Atkins. This set contains his entire 22 track output and challenges the listener to ask why he wasn't a major star. Jerry Lee Lewis - "Southern Swagger" $32 Notes indicate this contains 32 tracks of his most confident/sexually aggressive recordings. It covers both Sun and Mercury recordings, and by its nature features a mix of well known and more obscure material. Tommy Blake - "Koolit - The Sun Years Plus" $32 29 tracks covering his Sun label recordings and various RCA and demo (for Johnny Cash) cuts. He didn't have a happy Christmas, at least in 1985 as his second wife shot him dead in front of the Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve 1985. Specialist labelsSome of the Specialist labels we carry, that you certainly will not find elsewhere. Collector's ChoiceCollector's Choice are a Chicago based label who do classic reissues both straight album releases (sometimes 2 original albums on one cd) and special compilations. All are of the highest quality with special notes. I have listed country/folk/50s etc. Ackles, David American Gothic $20 Wounded Bird LabelThis is a New York based label who reissue a lot of 60s, 70s & 80s albums. All are faithful reproductions of the originals with great sound. They do a lot of country rock type reissues. All are $25, except where noted. Amazing Rhythm Aces How Do You Spell Rhythum? TV Shows on Dvd.We are stocking a lot of tv shows that of course are not released in Australia. Some of the ones we carry are: DVDS due soon. * Brady Bunch Complete Series t.b.a. Rarities Bin1. Joe Barnhill - Joe Barnhill $25 Bargain Bin (All are $18 unless noted)BluegrassAnger, Darol/Mike Marshall The Duo (mandolin/fiddle) Country including "Country" & "Ameripolitan"!!Acuff, Roy Greatest Gospel Songs Judds Greatest Hits Volume One Various 1. Cold Mountain Soundtrack (like O Brother) A Few Alternate & Female Folky thingsBlack, Mary Full Tide. That's it folks. Biggest first newsletter of the year yet. As always we would request that you make an occasional purchase to continue receiving this newsletter. We'd like to send it to everyone but unfortunately the reality is that if you can't find at least one item of interest then you never will. Thanks for reading and all the best. |