Best Western Swing
Merry Texas Christmas Y' All by Asleep At The Wheel.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful and a fun album!"
"The set opens with a great version of Feliz Navidad, on which Ray Benson is joined by Tish Hinojosa (a brilliant but vastly under-rated singer) continuing with an amusing look at Christmas in jail and maintaining a light-hearted approach throughout."
"Fantastic Western swing Christmas songs."
"Great item, great price and very quick delivery."
"It's Asleep at the Wheel, and it's Christmas."
"We had been looking for this for two years."
The 30 Capitol recordings from 1951 to 1955 are here, and they all feature Texas beerhall legend Perk Williams on lead vocal and Butterball Harris on singing steel guitar.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great old country with a beat!"
"Great 40's Western music."
"In 1954 it became a hit for future Country Music Hall Of Fame inductees Ray Price (# 6 Country) and Kitty Wells (# 8), in 1962 Esther Phillips would take it to # 1 R&B (3 weeks at the top) and # 8 Billboard Pop Hot 100, in 1967 Engelbert Humperdinck scored with it on both the Hot 100 (# 4) and Adult Contemporary charts (# 28), in 1969 the great rendition by Johnny Adams topped out at # 34 R&B and # 82 Hot 100, in 1973 an instrumental version by another Country Music Hall Of Fame inductee, Charlie McCoy, finished at # 33 Country, and in 1974 Marie Owens would have her take end up at # 71 Country. All this is explained in the 24-page insert containing liner notes written by Jon Emery providing details on the 30 sides which, including both sides of his one hit, features guitarist/vocalist Jimmy Heap, fiddler/vocalist Perk Williams, guitarist Horace Barnett, steel guitarist Cecil "Butterball" Harris, pianist Arlie Carter, bassist "Big Bill" Glendening and drummer George Harrison."
"Uncle Jimmy's music always made us smile when we were growing up, awed by his gittar playing and love of Texas songs. While modern concertgoers might prefer the now-standard change of pace, Jimmy Heap's band played music for people to dance to."
"This disc has Bear Family's high standards of good sound quality, generous (30 song) programming and great liner notes with thorough archival documentation."
"Many of these songs on this album I have heard on my dad's old seventy-eights; but they never sounded as clear as they do on this album."
"If you ever need info about this album just give me a call."
"It's difficult to find music by Jimmie Heap and the Melody Masters."
Country jazz guitarist Jimmie Rivers and The Cherokees, a Western Swing band, with Vance Terry (Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys) on pedal steel. Rivers was a sophisticated, fleet-fingered player with a love for Charlie Christian and Barney Kessel, and eclectic taste in material that encompassed everything from pop standards to the odd Art Pepper cover.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am willing to bet that you're favorite swing guitarist listened to this recording."
"Sound quality is not very good but that's forgivable since it's an old live recording."
"A hugely underrated guitarist, alongside some fantastic musicians, notably Vance Terry on steel."
"Great country swing...music made to be listened to...Country Jazz."
"Two thumbs up."
"Of particular interest are the breathtaking duets featuring Rivers and teen-aged steel guitar innovator Vance Terry, formerly with Billy Jack Wills' Western Swing Band. Thankfully, these live recordings have been reissued with 6 additional tracks (featuring Rivers' hilarious microphone antics) which prove the case convincingly."
"It blows my mind to think that a guitarist of such high caliber could toil away nightly in total obscurity at such a rough&tumble blue collar dive bar."
"One insane, blistering run after another."
Best General
An aptly named album if ever there was one, Not for Kids Only combines the talents of two legendary performers, the late Jerry Garcia, singer-guitarist of the Grateful Dead , and David Grisman, mandolinist and father of "dawg music," a melding of bluegrass, jazz, swing, Latin, and Jewish klezmer sounds. On this 1993 recording, the two devoted friends make seemingly effortless music, adapting traditional and old-time folk into a personalized sound so "homemade" (with jew's-harp and tambourine) as to inspire any child, young or old, to pick up whatever's at hand to play along.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Thinking of buying two for gifts........... Purchase during July when everyone else is at the beach - and get a steal of price.. on Amazon or ebay .... sometimes better prices on Amazon and better selection of sellers."
"This is now our favorite kids music album."
"Great for parents who know other less enjoyable kids songs by heart, but want to listen to something they enjoy."
"Unlike a lot of children's albums, this offers music that won't drive parents batty."
"Gift for neighbor kids."
"Everyone loves this album, such beautiful music."
"If you are tired of listening to Barney or the Wiggles, or any other obnoxious children's CD in the car with your kids, buy this CD."
"Got it for the Teddy Bears Picnic."
Best Country Folk
After his career peaked with one of the most unlikely top five hits ever, the gloom-laden 1976 narrative "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," Lightfoot's production tailed off sharply, though this anthology's "Stay Loose" ('86) and "Restless" ('93) are testament to his enduring skills as a songwriter and performer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We watched a CBS Sunday morning interview with Lightfoot, which shared his continued devotion to native Canada and his type of ballads and story songs."
"Brings back a lot of good times cant go wrong with this one."
"Great collection of many of his favorites."
"Always loved his ballads."
"He has been a favorite of mine for years... this collection brings not only memories and the feelings from long ago, but a new interpretation of the classics he has given us through his long career."
Best Bluegrass
An aptly named album if ever there was one, Not for Kids Only combines the talents of two legendary performers, the late Jerry Garcia, singer-guitarist of the Grateful Dead , and David Grisman, mandolinist and father of "dawg music," a melding of bluegrass, jazz, swing, Latin, and Jewish klezmer sounds. On this 1993 recording, the two devoted friends make seemingly effortless music, adapting traditional and old-time folk into a personalized sound so "homemade" (with jew's-harp and tambourine) as to inspire any child, young or old, to pick up whatever's at hand to play along.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Thinking of buying two for gifts........... Purchase during July when everyone else is at the beach - and get a steal of price.. on Amazon or ebay .... sometimes better prices on Amazon and better selection of sellers."
"This is now our favorite kids music album."
"Great for parents who know other less enjoyable kids songs by heart, but want to listen to something they enjoy."
"Unlike a lot of children's albums, this offers music that won't drive parents batty."
"Gift for neighbor kids."
"Everyone loves this album, such beautiful music."
"If you are tired of listening to Barney or the Wiggles, or any other obnoxious children's CD in the car with your kids, buy this CD."
"Got it for the Teddy Bears Picnic."
Best Honky-Tonk
That success, scored in the wake of the Kingston Trio's Tom Dooley , prompted the Atkins-Arnold team to prepare an album of folk-based saga songs, Thereby Hangs A Tale .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My husband is really into the old time country music and has several favorite singers."
"The best, IMO, collection of real western songs and ballads by anyone."
"If you like the cowboy era, this CD is certainly one to add to your collection of Western music."
"Mostly I love Eddy Arnold's Cattle Call .. that's why I bought this CD."
"If you like Eddy Arnold, It's an oldie & a GOODY!"
"This was a gift for my father in-law and he was delightfully surprised by the musical gift."
"It takes me back to the old days when things were much simpler and life was easier."
"Very good album-As described-fast shipment7 very well packed-VERY satisfied-Thank you."
Best Contemporary Country
This nicely priced 2-CD set marks the first time that John's hits from his Warner Bros, RCA and Mercury LPs have all been available in one package!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"he is a greatly underrated true country artist - this compilation has all of his sings I wanted and a few I didn't know."
"Classic John Anderson - it don't get no better than this - I could listen all day!"
"I really enjoy John Anderson and have seen him in concert with his band."
"Great CD and love his voice and songs."
"Great recordings by one of the legends."
Best Traditional Country
NEW Combo BLUWAVS CD and FLAC FILE.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've never enjoyed the western cowboy genre before, but this album changed it for me.Ian Tyson writes quite poetic lyrics for some of the songs on this cd."
"It's a great CD with over 70 minutes of cowboy songs."
"Great cd."
"Although I already have several Ian Tyson CDs, I really like having a majority of my favorites on this CD."
"Classic Ian Tyson in the unique Canadian western cowboy laments like: Spring Time in Alberta; The Wonder of It All; Barrel Racing Angel; Navajo Rug; and for nostalgic humor "Magpie"."
"If you're wanting to give someone thoughtful a thoughtful gift, something that might challenge their overly civilized sensibilities but not leave their ears twanging, then this is a great introduction to great lyrics and good, memorable music, celebrating really good lives."
"This is the album that led me to loving this guy's music."
"Ian's music simply reminds us of the real Western US, reliving the themes like Lonesome Dove and Centennial."
Best Alt-Country & Americana
Twisting strains of Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Merle Haggard, and Gram Parsons into a stripped-down sound wholly his own, Yoakam is one of music's true mavericks, and his body of work is one of the most innovative in all of country. Rooted in the purest country traditions, and wrapped in raw rock 'n' roll attitude, Yoakam's art rivets fans of both genres and remains as utterly original today as when it started burning up the charts in the '80s.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What can you say beyond Dwight Yoakam."
"Very good excellent music thank you."
"Great collection of his hits!"
"if you are his fans...thus is a good cd to have."
"Had adj if the find I enjoy listening to."