GEORGE JONES - ALONG CAME YOU / FEELING SINGLE, SEEING DOUBLE

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Side A = Along Came You

Side B = Feeling Single, Seeing Double

Sleazy Records / SR125

Sleazy Records keeps on offering treat after treat to all of us, lovers of the good old Rock'n'Roll friendly rhythms, and here we have a brand new one in 7" vinyl format in their Original Rockin' Series. This time the honour goes to a Country superstar such as George Jones, with two songs of really good Country & Western with an obvious Rock'n'Roll coating: "Along Came You" on side A and "Feeling Single, Seeing Double" on side B. Note that on the brief but informative sleeve notes written by Pooly Record Hop, the orden is given the other way round... although it's not really important in a single.

Both songs were first released on George Jones' second long play for the Musicor label back in 1965, shinning on both cuts the lead guitar.

Another good 7" for any decent record collection.

DEAD BRONCO - BEDRIDDEN & HELLBOUND

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1. Florida Grown   2. Drinking Alone   3. Make My Eyes Bleed   4. Thy Mother's Ways   5. Bedridden & Hellbound   6. My True Love   7. Keg Stand   8. Devil Woman   9. Mudd The Demon   10. Mama Tried   11. Stop Killing All My Friends   12. Rambling On My Mind

Autoeditado / Sin nº de referencia

Damn it! One of the best Country bands we can get to listen to nowadays is from the Basque Country, Spain, and not from the USA! Funny as it may seem, it's absolutely true and Dead Bronco is the name of the band. They are the real thing, not that sweetened wannabe Country that some big multinational labels want to sell us (Pop at its worst). What these guys play is good, old Country with a good deal of Rock'n'Roll and tons of attitude. Broncobilly is the name that they use to explain their style... and it seems quite clear and a good one to me.

But lets go ahead writting something about this "Bedridden & Hellbound" that brings, as said before, lots of Country and some Rock'n'Roll... and when I write Rock'n'Roll, this time I mean from Rockabilly to Southern Rock and beyond. For the Country end, we can use the terrific "Drinking Alone" as an example, while from the opposite side, that kind of even Hard Rock edge but without loosing the Country feeling, we can take "Stop Killing All My Friends". Yes, sure Country purists may say it goes too Rockabilly at a moment and too Hard Rock at another, but that's the Broncobilly style above-mentioned and maybe that's the charm of Dead Bronco. And all that mix of styles, all those rhythms, come from five more than accomplished musicians. It's no strange at all that this band is being called from almost everywhere around Europe and even the USA for live shows.

Regarding band members, the Hillbilly touch comes from Matt Horan's voice (he also plays rhythm guitar), and Dani Merino's lap steel, while the Rock'n'Roll, even Rockabilly, feeling is provided by Manu Heredia on lead guitar and Oscar Calleja on slapbass, with Danel Marin giving a steady beat from behind the drumset. Very good musicians all of them by their own and great together as a band.

Eleven of the songs included are penned by the band, with Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" as the only cover. I like that preference for their own compositions and I understand it's not easy in a world, the one of Country music, where it's so easy to find a good song to cover.

A good record, yes sir, in which I have some favourite songs to be highlighted, of course from my preferences and point of view, being so "Drinking Alone" in first place, with "My True Love" close behind and also "Rambling On My Mind", all three in the most Country part of the record.

By the way, the title ("Bedridden & Hellbound"), added up to the yellowish eyed beasts on the cover plus skulls, might scare the faint-hearted...

Then, I'll say it once again: a good record from a very good band. Probably the best record in the history of Dead Bronco for the time being. Recommended.

FERLIN HUSKY - GONNA SHAKE THIS SHACK TONIGHT

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1. Black Sheep   2. Prize Possession   3. Detour   4. Tennessee Central #9   5. Cross Eyed Gal From The Ozarks   6. This Moment Of Love   7. Watch The Company You Keep   8. Sioux City Sue   9. I Wouldn't Treat A Dog Like You're Treatin' Me   10. Alabama Jubilee   11. Draggin' The River   12. I Can't Go On This Way   13. Aladdin's Lamp   14. Bebe Beautiful Baby   15. Slow Down Brother   16. I Feel Better All Over   17. I'll Baby Sit With You   18. I'll Be Here For A Lifetime   19. Minni-Ha-Cha   20. You Make Me Feel Funny Honey   21. Pick-A-Nickin'   22. Eli, The Camel   23. Excuse Me Stranger   24. Stand Up, Sit Down, Close Your Mouth   25. What'cha Doin' After School   26. Don't Be Mad   27. Muki-Ruki   28. Bop Cat Bop   29. Missing Persons   30. Wang Dang Doo   31. I Will   32. Little Red Web

Bear Family Productions / BCD17415

In their excellent "Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight" series, Bear Family has just released this CD with 32 uptempo songs by Ferlin Husky. For those of you not knowing about this kind of a collection, just note that each CD is dedicated to a Hillbilly singer from the 1950's (and around), including the most danceables and uptempo songs. As said at the beginning, this collection is excellent. Marvelous.

And just that has to be said about this CD compiling songs from Ferlin Husky: marvelous. In it, have been included the songs that ought to be, in my very own oppinion, and to highlight any of them is pointless, as all of them are great and perfect to be played once and again, with rhythms going from plain Hillbilly to almost Rockabilly and everything in between. Each one of you will find your very own favourites. By the way, there have been included some cuts Ferlin Husky recorded under the name of his alter-egos Simon Crum and Terry Preston.

I can go on praising the quality of the music included and also the stunning, almost pristine, sound quality, but the treatment Bear Family gives to their releases has to be always duly highlighted as well: this time we have the digipack type case for the CD including an over 70 pages booklet, complete with bio (written by Scott B. Bomar), comments, recording sessions data, plenty of pictures and so on. Luxurious is the adjective that better fits.

No need, I think, to add much more: if you like old-school, uptempo, Hillbilly music this record compiling songs from Ferlin Husky (any of the ones from this "Shake This Shak Tonight" series, as a matter of fact) will please you a lot.

WILLIE NELSON & MERLE HAGGARD - DJANGO AND JIMMIE

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1. Django And Jimmie   2. It's All Going To Pot   3. Unfair Weather Friend   4. Missin' Ol' Johnny Cash   5. Live This Long   6. Alice In Hulaland   7. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right   8. Family Bible   9. It's Only Money   10. Swinging Doors   11. Where Dreams Come To Die   12. Somewhere Between   13. Driving The Herd   14. The Only Man Wilder Than Me

Legacy (Sony Music) / 88875093782

Two true Country & Western veterans such as Willie Nelson (born in 1933, so 82 years old) and Merle Haggard (born four years later, in 1937, and then 78 years old) have released in 2015 this record working together, showing that their age is not a problem at all for doing a good job. Because this record is a very good job, yes indeed.

Good old Country music. The real deal, not that sweetened Pop music that some people want to sell as Country music just because the singer sports a Stetson hat. No way. this CD is not that at all. Of course, with the background of the couple it is impossible to get that and it has to be real Country & Western. And more than that, despite being around 80 years old both of them, their voices sound powerful.

It is, I insist, a classic Country & Western record, with some songs made to dance, such as "It's All Going To Pot" or "It's Only Money"; some others of those called "tear in the beer songs", with "Live This Long", "Unfair Weather Friend" and "Where Dreams Come To Die" outstanding among them; and a third group of songs that remain in the middle of the road, being "Missing Ol' Johnny Cash" the best of them, a beautiful tribute to the Man in Black. A song that I believe is the best one of the whole CD and in which they have received the help of another Country star: Bobby Bare.

Fourteen songs, including some composed by Willie Nelson and/or Merle Haggard and some from different sources, both brand new for this record and old ones receiving a new chance.

The record, in its style, is a good one and I have to admit that I like it a lot. The only "negative" thing of the CD (and it's not that negative!) is to have included another cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right". Even with the good version recorded by Mr. Nelson and Mr. Haggard, I wonder if the world was really needing the zillionth cover of that song...

Just a few more lines to highlight the good artwork for the sleave and for the booklet, with wonderful pictures of the two stars.

If you like Country & Wester music, you're going to enjoy this record for good.

THE COUNTRY SIDE OF HARMONICA SAM - OPEN LETTER TO THE BLUES

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1. A Double Shot Of Heartache   2. Forbidden Wine   3. Farther Than My Eyes Can See   4. It's Such A Pretty World Today   5. I Regret It Every Day   6. That's Why I Sing In A Honky Tonk   7. Open Letter To The Blues   8. I'm Walking Slow   9. We Have Strayed So Far Away   10. Followed Closely By My Teardrops   11. The Day I Let Him In   12. The Storm Within My Heart   13. Dying A Little Every Day Is Killing Me   14. I'm Down To My Last Cigarette

El Toro Records / ETCD 6068

Terrific! What a great record! I loved this record from the very first time I played it. Really, what a very good record by the Swedish singer and band members. I knew Harmonica Sam for his Rhythm'n'Blues side: he is very good in Rhythm'n'Blues and Rock'n'Roll, but this step to Country music has been well done, showing a good knowledge of the field he was entering in. After listening to the CD, I feel that Harmonica Sam took the way knowing for sure where he was going to. Doing and not trying.

From the very first notes of the very first song ("A Double Shot Of Heartache") I felt I was listening to a 50's or early 60's Hillbilly band and I kept that feeling up to the last song ("I'm Down To My Last Cigarette"). Pure good old Hillbilly, Honky Tonk, with a Baskerfild Sound feeling and, why not saying it, sometimes Dwight Yoakam's first records coming to my mind.

I'll say it again: it is a very good record indeed, with not a single bad song in it. Fourteen great songs going from uptempo to ballads, including a mixture of own compositions (such as "I Regret It Every Day") and well chosen covers (like "Farther Than My Eyes Can See"). It would be unfair to highlight any of them among the others as all are great songs, very well played.

Believe me, please: if you like old style Country & Western, you'll love this record. If not... this is the record to start loving it. By the way, all the good words and praises witten by Deke Dikerson in the booklet are well deserved by the band and are an act of justice.

Their share of applause has to be given as well to El Toro Records for believing in a Country band from Sweden such as The Country Side Of Harmonica Sam. Note that you can also get this album in vinyl LP format (ref. # BE117).

Standing ovation for "Open Letter To The Blues" by The Country Side Of Harmonica Sam.

Harmonica Sam on the stage

during Ubangi Stomp festival 2015.