A Country Legend

A Country Legend

A Country Legend

ASIN: B0009X76FU

Track Listings
 
1. It's Only Make Believe
2. Heavenly
3. Blue Is the Way I Feel
4. Hurt in My Heart
5. Big Town
6. Shake It Up Baby
7. Maybe Baby
8. I Need Your Loving
9. This Road That I Walk
10. Don't Go Too Far
11. What Am I Living For
12. I'll Try

A Country Legend,Conway Twitty,Legacy,Country,Country Gospel,Country-Pop,Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan,Pop,Traditional Country
The Legend of Johnny Cash
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent Single CD Overview of The Man in Black
  • Cash is the man!
  • "Well I taught the weeping willow how to cry cry cry..."
  • A Pocketful of Cash
  • Can't stop listening to this cd!
 The Legend of Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Manufacturer: Hip-O Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. At Folsom Prison
  2. Walk the Line
  3. American Recordings
  4. Unchained
  5. American IV: The Man Comes Around

ASIN: B000BISBDY
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Cry! Cry! Cry!
  2. Hey Porter
  3. Folsom Prison Blues
  4. I Walk The Line
  5. Get Rhythm
  6. Big River
  7. Guess THings Happen That Way
  8. Ring Of Fire
  9. Jackson
  10. A Boy Named Sue
  11. Sunday Morning Coming Down
  12. Man In Black
  13. One Piece At A Time
  14. Highwayman
  15. The Wanderer - U2
  16. Delia's Gone
  17. Rusty Cage
  18. I've Been Everywhere
  19. Give My Love To Rose
  20. The Man Comes Around (Early Take)
  21. Hurt

Amazon.com

This introduction to the Man in Black's catalog is about as fine a one as can be found on one disc, primarily because the 21 classic tracks span J.R. Cash's entire career, from his first rockabilly single, "Hey, Porter"/"Cry! Cry! Cry!" (Sun Records, 1955), to his last significant alt-country tracks (American Recordings, 2003). Though Cash had his peaks and valleys in the studio, what shines brightly on this collection is how constant--how unwavering--his creativity remained, whether he was writing and performing original material or interpreting the work of others. His voice, too, remained a majestic thing of wonder, even as Cash often sang off-beat; settled his bass-baritone somewhere around, if not on the note; and cared more about power and emotion than strict rules of measure--something that became especially important as illness changed his great oaken voice into a frail instrument. In this way, he was able to infuse novelty songs ("One Piece at a Time," "A Boy Named Sue") with undeniable cool and maintain the poetry of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down" even in the awful advent of a gloppy, too-peppy string section. Other chestnuts here take on new dimension in retrospect. "Jackson," a duet with wife June Carter Cash, seemed almost comedic ("hotter than a pepper sprout") when it was released, but now reveals the couple's own white-hot sexuality, primarily in June's elegant, if straightahead vocal. The surprise of The Legend of Johnny Cash is how seamlessly the newer material blends with the seminal, and how full-circle it sometimes comes: Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" doesn't seem markedly different from the quietly defiant songs that Cash defined himself with in the '50s and early '60s. Yet the compilation producers, like Cash himself, saved the best for last. "Hurt," Trent Reznor's poignant meditation on addiction, is devastating as written, but becomes a thing of terrible beauty in the ailing Cash's ravaged, autobiographical delivery. Sequenced as the final cut on the album, it ends with a kind of shocking void; stunning in its intensity, dropping the listener off a cliff of something very akin to grief. No artist, no matter what genre, could have planned a more haunting exit. --Alanna Nash

Album Description

The Legend of Johnny Cash spans his entire career for the first time on a single disc. Featuring 21 of his recordings on the Sun, Columbia, Island, and American Recordings labels, it's the first compilation to include his work on American. Also highlighting the package is a 16-page deluxe booklet with photos and essay by author Rich Kienzle.

His Sun Records tracks begin with his first single, "Hey, Porter"/"Cry! Cry! Cry!," a Country Top 20 penned by Cash and produced by Sam Phillips. Straddling country and rock 'n' roll, they scored in 1956 with the Top 10 Country "Folsom Prison Blues," #1 Country/Top 20 Pop "I Walk The Line" and #1 Country "Get Rhythm." Also heard from his Sun days are 1958's "Big River" (#4 Country/Top 20 Pop) and "Guess Things Happen That Way" (#1 Country/Top 20 Pop).

Cash signed with Columbia in 1958 and five years later had a #1 Country/Top 20 Pop hit with "Ring of Fire," a ballad co-written by June Carter, who in 1967 would duet with him on the #2 Country "Jackson" and later become his wife. In 1969, the live Johnny Cash at San Quentin yielded his biggest hit: Shel Silverstein's novelty "A Boy Named Sue" (#1 Country/#2 Pop).

Kris Kristofferson composed Cash's 1970 #1 Country hit "Sunday Morning Coming Down" while Cash himself composed his personal philosophy on 1971's #3 Country "Man in Black," his nickname for the rest of his days. Also from his Columbia tenure are 1976's "One Piece at a Time" (#1 Country/Top 30 Pop) and 1985's "Highwayman" with Waylon Jennings and Kristofferson.

Cash joined Mercury in 1986 and The Legend of Johnny Cash includes a track from that period titled "The Wanderer," a duet with U2 written by Bono and U2, taken from the group's 1993 release Zooropa. That same year Rick Rubin, known for producing rap and rock acts, offered to record Cash singing whatever he chose. 1994's American Recordings, including college radio favorite "Delia's Gone," brought Cash to a new generation and won the Best Contemporary Folk Album Grammy. On 1996's Unchained, Cash brilliantly interpreted Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" as well as the Hank Snow classic "I've Been Everywhere" and copped the Grammy for Best Country Album. On 2003's American IV: The Man Comes Around, he revisited old favorite "Give My Love to Rose" and gave new meaning to Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" (the video for "Hurt" was 6 times nominated at MTV's 2003 VMAs and also won a Grammy for "Best Short Form Music Video" that same year). From 2003's posthumous box set Unearthed, The Legend of Johnny Cash adds an early take on "The Man Comes Around."

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Single CD Overview of The Man in Black.......2007-06-29

Johnny Cash's music and popularity has transcended generations and genres. His fans consist of people like myself who don't care much for the current crop of country artists that Nashville is promoting,younger fans who were introduced to his music through excellent covers of Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails tunes and longtime country fans. With a career that lasted as long as his it's hard to narrow his material down to one CD but this collection does a good job. You get his early stuff with the Tennessee Two ("Cry, Cry, Cry", "Folsum Prison Blues", "Get Rhythm") his middle era ("Man In Black","Sunday Morning Coming Down", "A Boy Named Sue")and his amazing comeback on the Rick Rubin "American Recordings" ("Rusty Cage", "Hurt"(dare I say this is better than the NIN version), "Delia's Gone"). All in all an excellent overview of a legendary career.

5 out of 5 stars Cash is the man!.......2007-03-21

Cant go wrong with CD no matter what you listen to. It is full of his signature attitude and style. Not much more to say that hasnt been said about the lengend, Johnny Cash.

5 out of 5 stars "Well I taught the weeping willow how to cry cry cry...".......2007-02-23

Such an excellent CD. Have listened to this over and over so many times. Liked this CD so much that I just ordered Volume II of "Legend". Get it, you won't regret it!

5 out of 5 stars A Pocketful of Cash.......2007-02-09

Johnny Cash left a huge legacy of recordings from a career that spanned six decades, so to condense that catalog into one CD is a nearly impossible feat. This collection comes about as close as one could hope, though - "Legend" starts with his very first single, "Cry Cry Cry"/"Hey Porter" and works through most of the familiar classics: "I Walk the Line", "Ring of Fire", "Jackson", "A Boy Named Sue", and so on into the 70's. Then it jumps to his "comeback" era, starting with his collaborations with the Highwaynen (Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson) and U2. Finally, we get to the sublime "American Recordings", his inspired and moving series of stripped-down and personal performances produced by Rick Rubin, ending with "Hurt", one of the most mesmerizing and cathartic covers anyone has ever done of any song. This is the only single CD on the market, to my knowledge, that tries to summarize Cash's entire career, so that makes it a pretty good introduction to the Man in Black.

5 out of 5 stars Can't stop listening to this cd!.......2007-02-08

It has been wonderful to rediscover the robust voice of Johnny Cash with this cd. The first half of the cd makes you sing out loud with him and the second half is like a story book. You can't go wrong with this one!
The Legend
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Man In Black.
  • Excellent
  • Awesome CDs, bad packaging
  • Verty good colection of Cash music.
  • essential
The Legend
Johnny Cash
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. At Folsom Prison
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  3. Cash: The Autobiography
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  5. Walk the Line (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0009YNSC4
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

  1. I Walk The Line
  2. There You Go
  3. House Of The Blues
  4. Ballad Of A Teenage Queen
  5. Guess Things Happen That Way
  6. The Ways Of A Woman To Love
  7. Don't Take Your Guns To Town
  8. Ring Of Fire
  9. The Matador
  10. Understand Your Man
  11. The Ballad Of Ira Hayes
  12. Orange Blossum Special
  13. The One On The Right Is On The Left
  14. Rosanna's Going Wild
  15. Folsom Prison Blues
  16. Daddy Sang Bass
  17. A Boy Named Sue
  18. What Is Truth
  19. Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
  20. Flesh And Blood
  21. Man In Black
  22. A Thing Called Love
  23. Kate
  24. Oney
  25. Any Old Wind That Blows
  26. One Piece At A Time
  27. (Ghost) Riders In The Sky

Tracks:

  1. Hey Porter
  2. Cry, Cry, Cry
  3. Luther Played The Boogie
  4. Get Rhythm
  5. Give My Love To Rose
  6. I Was There When It Happened
  7. Big River
  8. I Still Miss Someone
  9. Pickin' Time
  10. The Man On The Hill
  11. Five Feet And Rising
  12. Tennessee Flat Top Box
  13. i Got Stripes
  14. Troublesome Waters
  15. The Long Black Veil
  16. Dark As A Dungeon
  17. The Wall
  18. 25 Minutes To Go
  19. Cocaine Blues
  20. Doin' My Time
  21. I Will Rock And Roll With You
  22. Without Love
  23. The Big Light
  24. Highway Patrolman
  25. I'm Never Gonna Roam Again
  26. When I'm Gray
  27. Forever Young

Tracks:

  1. The Wreck Of The Old 97
  2. Rock Island Line
  3. Good Night Irene
  4. Goodbye, Little Darlin'
  5. Born To Love
  6. Walking The Blues
  7. Frankie's Man, Johnny
  8. Delia's Gone
  9. In The Jailhouse Now
  10. Waiting For A Train
  11. Casey Jones
  12. The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer
  13. I've Been Working On The Railroad
  14. Sweet Betsy From Pike
  15. The Streets Of Laredo
  16. Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie
  17. Down In The Valley
  18. Wabash Cannonball
  19. The Great Speckle Brid
  20. Wildwood Flower
  21. Cotton Fields
  22. Pick A Bale O' Cotton
  23. Old Shep
  24. I'll Be All Smiles Tonight
  25. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
  26. Time Changes Everything

Tracks:

  1. Keep In The Sunny Side
  2. Diamonds In The Rough
  3. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley
  4. Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)
  5. Another Man Done Good
  6. Pick The Wildwood Flower
  7. Jackson
  8. If I Were A Carpenter
  9. Girl From The North Country
  10. One More Ride
  11. You Can't Beat Jesus Christ
  12. There Ain't No Good Chain Gang
  13. We Ought To Be Ashamed
  14. Crazy Old Soldier
  15. Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine
  16. Who's Gene Autry
  17. The Night Hank Williams Came To Town
  18. I Walk The Line (Revisited)
  19. Highwayman
  20. The Wanderer
  21. September When It Comes
  22. Tears In The Holston River
  23. Far Side Banks Of Jordan
  24. It Takes One To Know Me

Amazon.com

There are several Cash boxes available, but The Legend--spanning the years 1955-2002 but concentrating on his long tenure at Columbia and, to a lesser degree, his beginnings at Sun--probably belongs at the top of the list. Cash's greatest strengths are dramatized on these four, thematically programmed discs: Win, Place and Show: The Hits; Old Favorites and New; The Great American Songbook (mostly traditional songs); and Family and Friends (collaborations). For starters, consider the staggering depth and breadth of his repertoire (perhaps matched only by those of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles), embracing ancient folk tunes ("Streets of Laredo"), teen pop ("Ballad of a Teenage Queen"), mature contemporary rock ("Highway Patrolman"), gospel ("Were You There When They Crucified My Lord"), topical fare ("Ballad of Ira Hayes"), country standards ("Time Changes Everything"), novelties ("One Piece at a Time"), and more. Then there's the way his spare, spacious sound opens up to take in horns ("Ring of Fire"), strings ("Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"), anything. The Legend includes seven previously unissued sides, most prominently "It Takes One to Know Me," a stirring salute to his wife June. --John Morthland

NOTE: There is also a deluxe limited edition of The Legend, featuring a lithograph, a bonus disc, and a DVD, and housed in a 120-page, 12" x 16" hardcover book.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Man In Black........2007-07-01

What can I say? It's Johnny as we all want to remember him. His kind has died out and we will never see a singer larger than life like John Cash.
Bye buddy, we love ya!

5 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2007-05-17

A great collection for someone like me who was really pretty new to Cash's music, since it's a long way from my normal genre. An awesome amount of great music for the money, I love it and wish I'd discovered this music years ago.

It gives a great sampling of everything that Johnny Cash delved into musically, and arranged in a way that lets you listen to an album at a time rather than just skipping to your favorites like some collections.

A great start for a new Cash fan (I can't see how a long time fan could go wrong here either). If you can, pick up the Unearthed boxed set of his American recordings to complement it.


Bottom line, this is the definitive box set for Cash and if you can only get one... this is the one to get.

4 out of 5 stars Awesome CDs, bad packaging.......2007-05-06

This is an awesome collection of Cash tunes. My only gripe is that the CDs come in a large (tall and skinny) book that doesn't fit well into any CD rack.

3 out of 5 stars Verty good colection of Cash music........2007-04-11

The only reason that I did not give this outstanding compilation a 5 star rating is because it could not contain all of this legendary entertainers music. This is understandable however considering he recorded hundreds and hundreds of songs. This is a very good overall grouping. Very satisified.

5 out of 5 stars essential .......2007-03-21

any Cash fan needs this it is a good collection at a very very good price
White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Legend of Jesse James
  • A Gem
  • Two Magnificent and Historically Accurate Song Cycles About the American South
  • A secret treasure!
  • The CD to save if your house was on fire!
 White Mansions/The Legend of Jesse James
Johnny Cash , and Waylon Jennings
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000839H
Release Date: 1999-07-27

Tracks:

  1. White Mansions: Story To Tell (The Preface)
  2. White Mansions: Dixie, Hold On
  3. White Mansions: Join Around The Flag
  4. White Mansions: White Trash
  5. White Mansions: The Last Dance & The Kentucky Racehorse
  6. White Mansions: Southern Boys
  7. White Mansions: The Union Mare & Confederate Grey
  8. White Mansions: No One Would Believe A Summer Could Be So Cold
  9. White Mansions: The Southland's Bleeding
  10. White Mansions: Bring Up The Twelve Pounders
  11. White Mansions: They Laid Waste To Our Land
  12. White Mansions: Praise The Lord
  13. White Mansions: The King Has Called Me Home
  14. White Mansions: Bad Man
  15. White Mansions: Dixie, Now You're Done

Tracks:

  1. Legend Of Jesse James: Ride Of The Redlegs
  2. Legend Of Jesse James: Quantrill's Guerillas
  3. Legend Of Jesse James: Six Gun Shooting
  4. Legend Of Jesse James: Have You Heard The News?
  5. Legend Of Jesse James: Heaven Ain't Ready For You Yet
  6. Legend Of Jesse James: Help Him, Jesus
  7. Legend Of Jesse James: The Old Clay Country
  8. Legend Of Jesse James: Riding With Jesse James
  9. Legend Of Jesse James: Hunt Them Down
  10. Legend Of Jesse James: Wish We Were Back In Missouri
  11. Legend Of Jesse James: Northfield: The Plan
  12. Legend Of Jesse James: Northfield: The Disaster
  13. Legend Of Jesse James: High Walls
  14. Legend Of Jesse James: The Death Of Me
  15. Legend Of Jesse James: The Plot
  16. Legend Of Jesse James: One More Shot
  17. Bonus Track: A Train Robbery

Amazon.com

This double-disc reissue documents one of the more curious careers in country music. Both 1978's White Mansions and 1980's The Legend of Jesse James are Southern song cycles that were conceived by Britain's Paul Kennerley, then an unknown songwriter who somehow recruited a high-profile cast for each. A Civil War saga from the Southern perspective, White Mansions suffers from caricature and cliché but benefits from signature contributions by Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Eric Clapton. Jesse James has more focus and narrative momentum, with Levon Helm, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris in lead roles. Though the albums are more noteworthy for artistic ambition than memorable material, Kennerley subsequently became a successful Nashville songwriter and Harris's husband from 1985 to 1993. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Legend of Jesse James.......2007-05-13

I had heard of this album in 1981 or so. Although I have the LP I wanted the
CD also. I really like the story telling aspect of this cd. Starting with the
first tract completely through the last. Also, the caliber of the singers
included really pleased me. Charlie Daniels, Johnny Cash and Levon Helm's
voices are so well suited for the characters that they portray. It also made
me interested enough to do a little history reading on the real Jesse James.
History would be a lot more interesting to people, I think, if more were
presented in such a well done way.

5 out of 5 stars A Gem.......2007-04-11

My husband bought the LP years ago and pretty much wore it out. When I bought this CD for him as a gift he was thrilled to hear elements of the recordings he says he never heard on the LP. We are both very happy with this CD and have told many of our friends and relatives who are interested in the history of the US during the civil war and post civil war period. I wish they would make a video of this even if they have to recast the parts with contemporary singers to replace those who have left this planet.

5 out of 5 stars Two Magnificent and Historically Accurate Song Cycles About the American South.......2006-09-01

I accidentally ran into the cassette version of "The Story of Jesse James" probably shortly after the cassette was released. My 35 year old daughter remembers well hearing it played over and over again, when she was a child. Naturally, the tape finally wore out and I had no idea where to find another copy. I felt an unbelievable sense of loss because of this for many years, until I recently decided to search "Jesse" on Amazon.com, hoping to find that it had been re-released as a CD.

When I found that "White Mansions", which I had never even heard of before, had been combined into a double CD set with "Jesse", I was ecstatic and I immediately ordered two copies of the set, one for my car and one for my house. I found that I had to immerse myself in hearing "Jesse", until my "thirst" for it had been satisfied, before I could bring myself to listen seriously to "White Mansions". However, the Civil War/the War Between the States/the War of Northern Aggression/the Late Unpleasantness, as it is variously called, has always extremely interested me and filled me with great sadness, especially since most people today do not understand the complexities of the war, its many heart-breaking aspects, and how lasting its influence has been on our country.

These song cycles are replete with superb music and equally superb singers whose voices fit the characters who tell the story of the Civil War from the Southern white point of view in "White Mansions" and the story of Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang in "The Story of Jesse James". These song cycles are most highly recommended by me, however, not only because of their superb music and vocalists, but also because they are historically so accurate. I am a history buff and I know Civil War history and the lives and activities of the James brothers and the Younger brothers very well. My only bone to pick with the cycles is the song "High Walls" on "Jesse". Although I enjoy the song greatly, I personally do not believe that Jesse James ever was so self-pitying, although he probably did regret the path that he had chosen, after he had matured and had become a loving husband and father who had decided to settle down on a farm with his family.

I most highly recommend this set to anyone who appreciates the best in country music, to anyone who is interested in the Civil War, especially those who are interested in the different points of view of its Southern caucasian socio-economic groups, and/or to those who are interested in the war's resulting production of some of our nation's most notorious outlaws. I am now also so emotionally involved in "White Mansions", as well as in "Jesse", that today, I literally burst out with a loud exclamation concerning what had just been sung in one of its songs, while I was driving my car, startling my friend who was riding with me and embarrassing myself!

5 out of 5 stars A secret treasure!.......2006-02-17

I bought "The legend of Jesse James" vinyl LP in 1980 when I was 17 and was immediately struck by the solid writing, emotional narrative and excellent musicianship found on this concept album. I remember "One more shot" got some airplay on country radio stations at the time, but without the rest of the album to provide the appropriate context, the single didn't have much impact. One listen to the entire album, and it's hard not to be impressed by this collection of country/folk/rock jewels.

This 2-CD set was my first introduction to "White Mansions", Paul Kennerley's original Southern Americana musical history lesson. This album is as well produced and the song writing as strong as on "Jesse James". However, this collection is not as emotionally engaging as the tracks on "Jesse James". The performances are all first rate and Waylon Jennings' vocals on this album are perhaps his best ever and proves that he was at his peak in the late 1970s!

Anyone that listens to this compilation of two great country concept albums will become instant fans. I sincerely hope more people will find this secret treasure.

5 out of 5 stars The CD to save if your house was on fire!.......2005-12-04

White Mansions and especially The Legend of Jesse James gives me chills when I listen to it. I grew up in Clay County,Missouri right up the road from the James Farm. This music is so authentic in the style and the way the voices sound as if they are truly Missouri locals. Anybody who knows the true outlaw story of the James Boys knows this cd is so dead on it will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Jesse James is not just a train robber but a true southern farmer turned guerilla who just wanted his money back from the Yankee Feds. This CD has the best I believe of Waylon & Jessi, Johnny Cash and Levon Helm singing in a southern rock style that will have you swilling sweetea out of a mason jar. If you like hog callers and mules, tobacco and whiskey culture and realize the Civil War really started on the southern Frontier in Missouri, buy this you will play it for years!!!
Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection, Vol. 2
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Not My Style
  • Rockin' Western Collection
  • Hard to Find Great Western Themes
  • Western Music
  • A great follow-up
 Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000060PBU
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Tracks:

  1. The Hallejuah Trail-Overture
  2. The Alamo-The Green Leaves Of Summer
  3. The Alamo-Davy Crocket
  4. The Big Country-The Welcoming/Finale
  5. The Big Valley-Main Theme
  6. Blazing Saddles-Blazing Saddles
  7. Bonaza-Main Theme
  8. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid-raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
  9. The Comancheros-McBain/Main Title
  10. Duel In The Sun-Main Title/The Legend/Orizaba
  11. A Fistfull Of Dynamite-Duck You Sucker
  12. For A Few Dollars More-Main Theme
  13. Friendly Persuasion-Thee I Love
  14. Giant-Main Theme
  15. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly-Main Theme
  16. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly-The Ecstasy Of Gold
  17. Gunfight At The O.K. Corral-Suite
  18. Hang 'Em High-Main Theme
  19. The Hanging Tree-Main Title

Tracks:

  1. High Caparral-Main Theme
  2. How The West Was Won-Prelude/The Land
  3. High Noon-Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin'
  4. The Jayhawkers-The Lynching/Two Brothers/The Hayhawkers
  5. The Lone Ranger-William Tell Overture: Finale
  6. Nevada Smith-Main Title
  7. Old Gringo-Main Themes
  8. Once Upon A Time In The West-Man With The Harmonica
  9. One Eyed Jacks-Main Title
  10. The Proud Rebel-Main Titles
  11. The Quick And The Dead-End Titles
  12. Quigley Down Under-End Titles
  13. Rio Bravo-Rio Bravo/De Guella
  14. The Scalphunters-Main Title
  15. Shane-Main Theme: The Call Of The Farwaway Hills
  16. The Shootist-Main Title
  17. The Unforgiven-The Need For Love
  18. Viva Zapata-Gathering Forces
  19. The Virginian-Main Theme

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Not My Style.......2007-05-11

This CD has a lot of good songs on it, but it just too bland for our taste. We prefer Western music to sound as though genuine cowboys are singing it - not a fancy chorus!

5 out of 5 stars Rockin' Western Collection.......2006-08-28

For anyone who likes movie/tv music from westerns should purchase this CD. What a wonderful collection of both film and tv with great renditions of each piece. I'm about to purchase Vol. 1 to complete my collection.

5 out of 5 stars Hard to Find Great Western Themes .......2006-03-16

This CD has a number of great western themes that are not in some of the standard lists. For example it includes "The Hallejuah Trail", "Blazing Saddles", and "Giant". This CD also has what I consider the true theme of "The Comancheros". I have been disappointed with some other CDs I have purchased listing "The Comancheros" which had a song rather than this theme. Many of the tracks on this two disk CD go beyond the main theme music and are actually suites. The "Big Country" and "How the West Was Won" are just a couple of examples. It may be a little more expense than some CDs, but not bad for a two disk set. I am really happy with my purchase.

4 out of 5 stars Western Music.......2005-07-29

I enjoy this CD. It has many familiar melodies. Good background for reading, nice to listen while driving. It is also the only CD I've ever found that has the great theme from the movie "Giant."

5 out of 5 stars A great follow-up.......2003-08-29

This is the second collection by SilvaScreen, who are also responsible for "The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection" (see my review). And it's just as good as the first. There are themes in here that everyone will recognize ("Bonanza," "A Fistful of Dollars"), themes that may not be so familiar ("Duel in the Sun," "The Hanging Tree," the lively "Blazing Saddles"), and even themes you may not associate with Westerns at all ("The Friendly Persuasion"). And no duplication either: when this disc includes a piece from one of the same sources covered in its predecessor, it's a different piece. One great treat: the full lyrics to "Gunfight at OK Corral," which I've never heard outside the soundtrack of the movie itself. The arrangement from "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid" includes not only the familiar song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" but an overview of the music--seguing almost seamlessly into Bernstein's magnificent "The Comancheros," a rare find indeed. An expensive item, but if you love Western film music, well worth it.
Legend
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Legendary
 Legend
Townes Van Zandt
Manufacturer: Snapper UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Country | Styles | Music
Outlaw & Progressive CountryOutlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional FolkTraditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Country RockCountry Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Country FolkCountry Folk | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
FolkFolk | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. High, Low And In Between/Late Great
  2. Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas
  3. A Gentle Evening with Townes Van Zandt
  4. Poncho & Lefty
  5. Townes Van Zandt - Be Here to Love Me

ASIN: B0002TRURA
Release Date: 2005-05-30

Tracks:

  1. If I Needed You
  2. Pancho and Lefty
  3. Snow Don't Fall
  4. No Lonesome Tune
  5. Silver Ships of Andilar
  6. Heavenly Houseboat Blues
  7. Be Here to Love Me
  8. Kathleen
  9. Snake Mountain Blues
  10. St. John the Gambler
  11. Our Mother the Mountain
  12. For the Sake of the Song
  13. None But the Rain
  14. Waiting Around to Die
  15. Lungs
  16. Colorado Girl
  17. I'll Be Here in the Morning
  18. Nothin'
  19. Tower Song
  20. Come Tomorrow
  21. Marie [Duet][*] - Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt
  22. Pancho and Lefty [Duet][*] - Freddy Fender, Townes Van Zandt
  23. If I Needed You [Duet][*] - Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt

Tracks:

  1. Turnstyled, Junkpiled
  2. Brand New Companion
  3. Delta Moma Blues
  4. No Deal
  5. You Are Not Needed Now
  6. Highway Kind
  7. To Live Is to Fly
  8. Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold
  9. High, Low and In-Between
  10. Loretta
  11. No Place to Fall
  12. Flyin' Shoes
  13. Who Do You Love
  14. When She Don't Need Me
  15. Snake Song
  16. Fraternity Blues [Live]
  17. Tecumseh Valley [Live]
  18. Cocaine Blues [Live]
  19. White Freight Liner Blues [Live]
  20. Only Him or Me [Live]
  21. Brother Flower [Duet][*] - Kimmie Rhodes, Townes Van Zandt
  22. Two Girls [Duet][*] - Doug Sahm, Townes Van Zandt
  23. At My Window [Duet][*] - Kathy Mattea, Townes Van Zandt

Album Description

Two CD compilation covers the artist's most creative period, when he was recording for the Poppy & Tomato labels between 1968 & 1978, & includes six duets with country stars including Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, & Freddy Fender. Snapper Music. 2004.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Legendary.......2007-02-15

What more can I say? This is an excellent collection of a music legend's early works. If you are at all interested in the blend of folk, blues, and country that is Townes van Zandt, you can't go wrong buying this one.
Guitar Legend: The RCA Years
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Velvet Glove
  • Stellar collection from the greatest guitarist ever
  • great stuff from a great guitar player
  • Excellent sampler of the first 30 years of Chet's career...
  • Nashville Cat
 Guitar Legend: The RCA Years
Chet Atkins
Manufacturer: Buddha
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Country | Styles | Music
Nashville SoundNashville Sound | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Essential Chet Atkins
  2. A Master And His Music
  3. The Essential Chet Atkins: The Columbia Years
  4. Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles
  5. Almost Alone

ASIN: B00004S7JG
Release Date: 2000-04-04

Tracks:

  1. Canned Heat
  2. The Nashville Jump
  3. Dizzy Strings
  4. Tellin' My Troubles To My Old Guitar
  5. Dance Of The Goldenrod
  6. Galloping On The Guitar
  7. Centipede Boogie
  8. Main Street Breakdown
  9. Indian Love Call
  10. Mountain Melody
  11. Jitterbug Waltz
  12. Rainbow
  13. Nobody's Sweetheart
  14. Chinatown, My Chinatown
  15. Fiddle Patch
  16. (When It's) Darkness On The Delta
  17. High Rockin' Swing
  18. Guitars On Parade
  19. Oh By Jingo!
  20. The Bells Of St. Mary's
  21. Country Gentlemen
  22. Memphis Blues
  23. Downhill Drag
  24. Ballin' The Jack
  25. Silver Bell

Tracks:

  1. Mister Sandman
  2. New Spanish Two Step
  3. The Poor People Of Paris (Jean's Song)
  4. Tweedlee Dee
  5. (The Wallflower) Dance With Me, Henry
  6. Blue Ocean Echo
  7. Trambone
  8. Dig These Blues
  9. Yesterdays
  10. Walk, Don't Run
  11. Hot Toddy
  12. Slinkey
  13. Frankie And Johnny
  14. Windy And Warm
  15. Early Times
  16. Satan's Doll
  17. So Rare
  18. Yakety Axe
  19. Blue Angel
  20. Steeplechase Lane
  21. Black Mountain Rag
  22. Take Five
  23. Blue Finger
  24. Cascade
  25. Carolina Shout

Amazon.com

Chet Atkins recorded way too often, in way too many dubious contexts; wanting to showcase the depth and breadth of his playing, he instead buried himself. So what's a fan to do? This two-disc set is beautifully programmed, keeping all emphasis on Chet himself, from the delicate drive of 1947's "Canned Heat" to the four-guitar interplay of 1978's "Carolina Shout." Though he recorded frequently over the years with A-list country sidemen under various names, his most enduring work remains the scintillating sides with guitarist Homer Haynes and mandolinist Jethro Burns (and you thought they were just a novelty act). There's also a rare rollicking reading of "Dig These Blues." And any set that follows the sweet timing of "Guitars on Parade" with the high-stepping "Bells of Saint Mary's" and the piercing "Country Gentleman" is indeed irrefutable testimonial to a guitarist who often hid his own virtues. This is the one Atkins album you really need to own. --John Morthland

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Velvet Glove.......2007-05-20

I finally discovered iTunes on my new MAC...and downloaded this today.
Is this a steel string right? Yeah babe it is... I'm seriously infatuated with listening to Chet Atkins this evening, Balling the Jack right now looking forward to hearing the Black Mountain Rag in a second. Who needs to hear me extol his playing ability? Who needs my opinion on his jazz undertones, on the way he plays... He makes a mockery of anyone foolish enough to forget how terrific a player he is...Take Five, lovely. Go man..gotta think on the Tennessee tones right now from my family roots I'm listening large tonight. And it's funny I'll tell you I can hear in this Centipede Boogie that ukulele he started with long ago and my dad loved so much.It's in there, trust me.

Tell me these are my roots, please...please...excuse me a second gotta bring this one on home no, up a little bit here to stomp it. Ah..that's right..smooth sound. Gliding. Cleanest player I ever heard. Blue Angel...let me pull myself together.Dig These Blues...And down here to the the Memphis Blues...listen to that awhile...gotta go tap around the kitchen table get me some sugar now. ...so... sweet.Ah babe.

Do you want to know the way I like to think about my life in West Virginia? The good times, arts fairs, the culture, the bluegrass, people, seeing friend Thelma in my mind, the schools, the mourning mist and the sweat of the sticky summer, the cranberry bogs, the coal tipples, the little ones waiting for your time, the cookin, the jams, jellies, four H, the days mowing the yard, times jumping over the violets, finding a boxturtle or indigo bunting? Well, now, listen to Chet tell you my life. Let him glide fingers, take you right away into a country girls' dreams of art, culture, meanings and metaphors set in the hills and Appalachian springs. It's here you'll find me. jazz and all...I'm here. Listen. My past is here. Mountain melody..

Looking for a good gift, this would make anyones day, beautiful compilation. Smooth, clean, exquisite. i just wish I was sitting in a room filled with hammered ddulcimers taking on playing along...right now. Ah...just have to settle for resting my head or jumping up with my son.
Play it baby.

"Years from now, after I'm gone someone will listen to what I've done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me."
Atkins

5 out of 5 stars Stellar collection from the greatest guitarist ever.......2006-02-20

No self respecting guitar player should be without Chet Atkins in his or her collection. Atkins' virtuosity, taste and almost incomprehensible range of playing are simply unparalled.
"The RCA Years" is a superb compilation of his work starting in 1947 with "Canned Heat" and follows through to the late '70's before Chet jumped ship to Columbia to pursue a more jazzy path than RCA was willing to allow.
Every track in this 50 song double CD is indispensible. We hear shred guitar before the term and the hot shots of the 80's, including Vai and Satriani were even born. Never hokey, Atkins was a living breathing slice of American music history. Rock and roll, bluegrass, country, blues and jazz are blended together in a musical soup that astonishes the listener, usually in the space of a single song.
The accompanying booklet is interesting, along with early photos of the great man. It's the best place to start for the serious Atkins fan and beginner alike, and damn hard to beat, although his "Essential" CD's are good company. Guitarists, pay your dues today.

4 out of 5 stars great stuff from a great guitar player.......2005-10-15

Chet Atkins was truly a great musician, although he recorded a lot of crap over the years. This CD showcases his guitar talent, ranging from 1947-1978. Not every song is a classic, but there are some truly good ones here, it will open up your eyes a lot.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent sampler of the first 30 years of Chet's career..........2004-02-25

I first became a fan of Chet Atkins in 1957, when I was 13. My new brother-in-law played an early LP for me in which Chet picked (and sang) a song about the Titanic. That tune's not included in these two hours, but one early Chet vocal is on here, just to show us why we don't need more of his voice. His artistic genius was in the picking, and this collection shows his versatility quite well. One criticism of Chet is that he recorded too much, and perhaps that is true, but after all, that was his job. Not every LP was ground-breaking, and a lot of Chet's work falls into the "easy listening" or "good background music" category, including some tracks on this set. But there was so much more to the man than those quiet recordings. He did jazz, pop, country/pop, traditional country, rock and roll, semi-classical---alone and with small groups, in duets and with orchestras. I was lucky enough to see Chet in person twice. Once was a concert, which included Boots Randolph on sax and Floyd Cramer on piano, but Chet was clearly the centerpiece. The other occasion was really special. In Nashville in 1968 I was in the audience for a recording session Chet produced, featuring country comedians (and superb instrumentalists) Homer and Jethro. One of the session musicians was Jerry Reed, later to become a star himself. Chet did not play, as I recall--- he supervised, and teased, and conducted, and solved problems. He was RCA's top man in Nashville at the time, and it was fascinating to watch him work. The result was released on LP as "Homer and Jethro Live at Vanderbilt University" but sadly has not been issued on CD. My applause is probably on it, and I'd like to own a copy. I knew who Homer and Jethro were because my parents had owned an earlier album of theirs, but I did not know at the time how respected they were as artists, or that their friendship with Chet went back 20 years. Since becoming a Chet fan in '57, I bought a handful of his own records over the years, but he made far too many for any one guy to own them all. This double CD set is welcome in my home as a tribute to a great guitarist and recording executive. If you are already a fan, it is a worthy addition. If you are new to Chet, I'd say this is essential. He helped make the guitar more prominent in both country and rock in his heyday during the '50's, and he helped make Nashville famous and country music more mainstream in the '60's. Many think the latter transformation was a mixed blessing, but overall Chet Atkins is a towering figure in American popular music, and this collection proves it.

4 out of 5 stars Nashville Cat.......2003-02-18

This is a great album. As point of departure I am a guitarist with eclectic tastes, and more interested in Chet for his technical and arrangeing abilitites than for the selections of tunes. That being said, this is my fifth or sixth Chester CD and it is interesting, and there are always great tunes on every album.

As with so many guitarists, such as Clapton and Page, the RCA collection showcases Chet's evolution from frantic virtuoso (with flaming L7 in tow) into a rounded, melodic interpretative artist.

The CD disc 1 is early stuff, with a more jazzy hillbilly feel-very cool, but a bit lacking in the fidelity department as befits the era. The disc 2 is some later stuff and it is extraordinary and worth the entire set price-there are some jazz tunes which are Chet at this best. This is a more sophisticated look into Chet and for the neophite not a bad first choice (although the best Chet sampler, IMHO, is Master and his Music). For those who really enjoy Chester and wish to visit his roots this is a good CD and bears the price.
The Bourbon Legend
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Not so good
  • Country Music On A Bender!!
  • Real Country Still Lives !
  • Whoops Jason
  • jason still rocks!!!
 The Bourbon Legend
Jason Boland & the Stragglers
Manufacturer: Sustain Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Alt-Country & AmericanaAlt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Country | Styles | Music
New TraditionalistNew Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music
Alt-Country & AmericanaAlt-Country & Americana | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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  5. Pearl Snaps

ASIN: B000IONLJ0
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Tracks:

  1. Last Country Song
  2. Bourbon Legend
  3. No One Left to Blame
  4. Jesus and Ruger
  5. Up and Gone
  6. Baby That's Just Me
  7. Can't Tell If I Drink
  8. Lonely by Choice
  9. Rattlesnakes
  10. Time in Hell
  11. Everyday Life

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Not so good.......2007-03-01

I have all the Jason Boland albums, and I am a huge fan. He is by far one of my favorites. However the Bourbon Legend, isnt his best work. It doesnt have the feel the rest of the albums have. I was very disappointed and sold it back after a week of owning it. However I would recommend any of the other albums, he is wonderful live!!

5 out of 5 stars Country Music On A Bender!!.......2007-01-10

Jason Boland and the Stragglers are straight bourbon compared to the watered down country coming out of Nashville. They are outlaws and the sound is raw but pure. Reminiscient of the great one, Waylon, these guys consider fiddles and steels to be essential country instruments. Buy this album but then buy all of their albums. You'll love them all.

5 out of 5 stars Real Country Still Lives !.......2007-01-03

If you are a Waylon Jennings fan, then this CD is a must! If you aren't familiar with Jason, you're in for a treat. Jason has a voice made to sing country and it comes through with true emotion in these songs, all of which he wrote. No big rockers here, just real country music with great tunes and lyrics. You won't have to skip through any "filler" songs, they are all good! Get This!

1 out of 5 stars Whoops Jason.......2006-12-19

This album is not worth your time. Every song has the same theme as far as the "music" goes. Bourbon Legend is a great song but this CD does not compare to Live at Billy Bob's Texas. I was very dissapointed after listening to this album once and immediately sold it back to Amazon. He should stay away from the studio and do what he does best. BE IN THE BAR!!!!!!!

5 out of 5 stars jason still rocks!!!.......2006-11-01

Jason boland is the godfather of the red dirt movement. He is the finest songwriter ever to come from the great state of Oklahoma, and he is certainly better than anything coming out of texas. "The Bourbon Legend" does not dissapoint, and I have to say it may be his best album so far. Thank you Jason and the Stragglers. KEEP SPREADIN' THE DIRT!!!!
Legend
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • My favorite Poco, but certainly not everyones.
  • Most Successful Album, But Not Their Best
  • Country Meets Disco... and It Works
  • AN EXCELLENT POCO ALBUM THAT CLIMED UP THE CHARTS
  • decent, but suffers from a frustrating lack of inspiration
 Legend
Poco
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Country | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
Soft RockSoft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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  1. Crazy Eyes
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ASIN: B000002PAV
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Boomerang
  2. Spellbound
  3. Barbados
  4. Little Darlin'
  5. Love Comes Love Goes
  6. Heart Of The Night
  7. Crazy Love
  8. The Last Goodbye
  9. Legend

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars My favorite Poco, but certainly not everyones........2007-02-14

Simply put, this was the right album at the right time for me. We all have those- albums or songs that came out at just the right time where we heard them loud and clear. Their songs practically spoke to us. Though Poco had put out a slew of records before "Legend," none matched it for impact. By the time this CD was released in 78 there were few California Sound bands still putting out strong music. Though Poco never matched The Eagles (who swiped Timothy B. Schmidt right before Poco recorded this CD) for number of hit songs, much less radio play, as this CD proves they were capable of putting out powerful, catchy radio worthy music. I'll admit this CD has a strong sentimental value to me. "Crazy Love" hit me like a brick when it came out. Judging by how high the song charted, I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Who can't relate to the simple, efficient lyrics that say so much, so beautifully. To me this song is flawless from beginning to end and is one of my all time favorite songs, period. But other spellbinding songs are, "Spellbond" and "Love Comes, Love Goes" both equally potent in delivering heartfelt emotions. "Heart of the Night" and "Little Darlin" are well produced tunes that caught radio play, as this was Poco's most polished sounding recording, if only in sound quality. You'll get debates over whether the material was also as polished, but also like the Eagles, Poco had evolved since their beginnings, culminating in a more pop sounding product that many early fans felt was a sell out (that's how I felt about the Eagles.) Endless numbers of bands have their fan base whose favorite musiic is either the old stuff or the new. Poco's "Legend" falls into that type of debate. They do offer a mere trickle of songs bearing some, albeit a sliver, of resemblence to their previous recordings. "Legend" and "Barbados" are songs where that influence is present. But that wasn't the point of this record. Poco, like the Eagles started to become more the balladeers in their more appealing offerings, as did any surviving remnants of the California sound. This is one of my favorite CDs of the 70s with some of my favorite songs of all time.

4 out of 5 stars Most Successful Album, But Not Their Best.......2006-09-04

This album stands as proof that great commercial success does not signify a great album. Poco recorded many far superior albums prior to Legend, but for some reason this one hit the spot for the masses.

Legend was a departure for Poco for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the loss of bassist Tim Schmit and drummer George Grantham, two of the greatest country-rock vocalists ever. For this reason, the vocal power that was Poco's long-time trademark is missing. It also marked the transformation of founding member Rusty Young from a full-time pedal steel player to his new role as guitarist/vocalist. Finally, the album is driven by the arrival of a rock-oriented rythm section featuring Charlie Harrison on bass and Steve Chapman on drums.

The primary thing that makes this album work are the songs. Rusty Young's had previously emerged as one of the band's primary songwriters and on this album he continues to shine. As Young himself likes to point out, his songs are simple and straightforward and there is great power in that simplicity. Young also steals the show on the few occasions when he does return to the pedal steel, particularly on Cotton's "Boomerang" and "In The Heart of the Night".

Legend stands out as the best of the post-Schmit/Grantham era of Poco. It did bring a lasting reputation and well deserved commercial success to a couple of guys that truly deserved the recognition for many years of great music.

4 out of 5 stars Country Meets Disco... and It Works.......2006-02-25

The Eagles' wings were pretty clearly melting fast when MCA went full-force on promotion of this slick country rock collection in early '78. (I know, 'cause I was right where I could see all this happening.) Schmidt may have jumped ship from Poco to help the birds' on one last effort, but it was not enough, and the blah around the Troubador Bar after this hit the street was that he'd a made major career blunder. (He survived.)

In whatever event, "Legend" is about as close to the Poco of ex-Buffalo Springfield-er Richie Furay's day as "Frontier" is to the Journey of Greg Rollie's. Given the nifty funk underpinnings (in selected places), portions of it, at least, smack of "country disco." (Though that's by no means a negative comment.)

"Legend" is crafty stuff, and as such, great fun to work over on your Tele or Strat as a comfortable bridge between the dancier stuff you may be used to as a working musician and the goupier stuff those "Stone Canyon Band" guys (and their progeny) were doing in that McGuinn, Frey, Meisner, Parsons, Hillman, Souther, Furay, (Neil) Young catch-all a few years earlier. (For the truly hip: Andy Gold and Karla Bonoff would have found -this- Poco to be the perfect backing band... if they could have afforded it.)

The lyrics here are "good," but rarely "deep." (But, as is generally the case with this genre, they are "understandable," and very much on meter.) There's plenty here some little girl with boots on can swipe to make her mark in Nashville or Barkersfield, however.

I did "Spellbound" and "Heart of the Night" onstage with a country crossover band in the mid-'90s ten-step era, and they went over well. Rusty's writing and the LA-production origins kept "Legend" off country radio (which seems to be -run- from Tennessee), but with country girls being what they are, most of what's here is formula regardless.

4 out of 5 stars AN EXCELLENT POCO ALBUM THAT CLIMED UP THE CHARTS.......2005-09-25

It was an unfortunate shame that POCO abandoned their trademark roots of the country/folk/rock sound that made them famous; however, it became their first and only album after a few years that became a hit seller for them and ABC RECORDS. This was also the first album with CHARLIE ROBINSON (TIM SCHMITT'S replacement) and STEVE CHAPMAN (GEORGE GRANTHAM'S replacement) and without banjo, mandolin, and pedal steel guitar by RUSTY YOUNG, and this was the last album on ABC RECORDS before they sold out to MCA RECORDS. I wish I had bought the ABC release of this album when I had the chance four months before I bought the MCA rerelease. The sound of PAUL COTTON'S guitar sound like either BAD COMPANY'S MICK RALPHS or STEHPEN STILLS during the 1969/1970 era of CROSBY STILLS NASH AND YOUNG. PAUL'S BOOMERANG has excellent sounding lead (played on a FENDER STRATOCASTER) and slide guitar riffs, vocals, drums, bass guitar, and the clavinet. RUSTY'S SPELLBOUND is an excellent quiet ballad with his soft-calm lead vocals, FENDER RHODES piano, and PAUL'S loud guitar solo. PAUL'S tropical BARBADOS features his out-going lead vocals, FENDER RHODES piano, lead and steel guitar riffs. RUSTY'S LITTLE DARLIN' is an excellent gutar rock song with his soft-calm lead vocals, PAUL'S guitar solos, and the piano, and his LOVE COMES LOVE GOES with the sax solo, PAUL'S lead vocals and guitar solo is excellent too. Then comes the FM radio classic HEART OF THE NIGHT written and sung by PAUL who delivers excellent lead vocals and rhythm guitar, accompanied by the orchestra, a sax solo, and the pedal steel guitar by RUSTY; however, the FENDER RHODES piano do not blend well with the pedal steel guitar. The other FM classic is RUSTY'S CRAZY LOVE with his soft-calm vocals, the acoustic guitars, and the harmony vocals. I did not relized that they recorded these 2 songs until I saw them at the BIG SPRING JAM in 2K in Huntsville, Alabama, my hometown. His THE LAST GOODBYE sounds like PAUL and RUSTY take turns singing different verses and features excellent guitar solos, piano riffs, and harmony vocals, and the title-track written by RUSTY is an excellent guitar-rock song features PAUL'S laed vocals, guitar riffs by RUSTY and PAUL, harmony vocals, and the organ. After hearing all the songs sung by RUSTY on this and future albums to come, I wish he would have sung more of his songs that he wrote during their country/folk/rock era.

3 out of 5 stars decent, but suffers from a frustrating lack of inspiration.......2005-06-14

Timothy B. Schmit left Poco after 1977's "Indian Summer" to join, of course, the Eagles. His departure pulled the rug out from under the group from a songwriting standpoint, and as a result, all the songs on 1978's "Legend" were written either by Rusty Young or Paul Cotton. The resulting album certainly isn't bad and is a clear improvement over "Indian Summer", but it still does tend to feel workmanlike with songwriting that leaves quite a lot to be desired. Cotton offers the nicely funky album-opener "Boomerang" although it's got some annoying falsetto vocals, and "Barbados" also has some nice moodiness though it's weighed down by an underdeveloped chorus. Young's "Spellbound" is an engagingly tuneful ballad with a nice layered electric piano and acoustic guitar hook, and the mid-tempo pop-rocker "Little Darlin'" is pretty catchy. The hit "Crazy Love", also by Young, is nicely tuneful though a bit drippy, and it also suffers a bit from some thin, shaky harmonies. The problems with the aforementioned tracks get to the core of what's so frustrating about this album--Cotton and Young had some solid songwriting ideas, but it's like they either didn't have it in them or just got too impatient to bring these songs to the level of truly high quality. This is extremely noticeable in the lyrics which are uniformly weak--painfully shallow and unimaginative to the point where you often can see the next line coming a mile away. The one tune that's a total dud is "Love Comes Love Goes" which is a sluggish, sappy ballad. Cotton's hit ballad "Heart of the Night" is listenable, but the sentimentality of it is pretty dull. Young's album-closing title track has some nice catchy riffage, but it's frustratingly aimless. "The Last Goodbye" is another track with some nice moodiness, but again, it's underwritten, and at over 5 & ½ minutes, it's impossible to escape the feeling they were just trying to jack up the album's length in lieu of enough worthy material. So, if you see "Legend" dirt cheap, there IS some stuff here that makes it worthwhile, but it leaves a lot to be desired.
More a Legend Than a Band
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Wonderful, Wonderful
  • One of the truly great country albums of all time
  • In addition to Johnny Cash
  • An Alt-Country Classic
  • One saw too many
 More a Legend Than a Band
The Flatlanders
Manufacturer: Rounder Select
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000002C1
Release Date: 1992-10-07

Tracks:

  1. Dallas
  2. Tonight I'm Gonna Go Downtown
  3. You've Never Seen Me Cry
  4. She Had Everything
  5. Rose From The Mountain
  6. One Day At A Time
  7. Jole Blon
  8. Down In My Hometown
  9. Bhagavan Decreed
  10. The Heart You Left Behind
  11. Keeper Of The Mountain
  12. Stars In My Life
  13. One Road More

Amazon.com

More a legend than a band because, even though the Flatlanders included the likes of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, and Butch Hancock, their 1972 album wasn't actually released on vinyl until 1980 and on CD until 1990. By then, that trio of singer-songwriters had become solo stars. But this long-lost debut isn't just historically interesting. Gilmore songs here, such as "Dallas" and "Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown," have become folk-country classics, and the old-time arrangements--often featuring little more than guitar, Dobro, and (on a few cuts) musical saw--are quite haunting, as are Gilmore's piercing lead vocals. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful, Wonderful.......2007-07-08

I had this record some years back, and just recently went to see a concert by the Flatlanders, looked for the record to listen to before, and couldn't find it! Well, I've got it again and couldn't be happier. These 3 guys are really legends on their own, but together they make some of the best music around. Standouts are Dallas. Jole Blon, Stars in my Life, Rose from the Mountain, well, I could go on, but if you've never heard a musical saw, get this record, you won't be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars One of the truly great country albums of all time.......2006-06-22

Although Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, and Butch Hancock were all destined for alt country greatness, for some unfathomable reason the band of which they were all members was not. They recorded an album in 1972, but it only received widespread attention in 1990 when it was rereleased with additional cuts on Rounder. I remember seeing the title when it was released thinking it the most pretentious I had ever seen. Only upon reading the back and learning that it featured both Gilmore and Ely, two performers I tremendously loved, did I realize that the title was almost certainly not hype.

The problem with the Flatlanders is that they were a band before their time. The concept of playing traditional country songs without the overproduction typical of Nashville and Billy Sherill was unheard of at the time. Gram Parsons work was just beginning to reach a wider audience and Emmylou Harris was still singing with Parsons and would do so until his death in 1973. So, the Flatlanders truly was a revolutionary band. By the time this repackaging of their work was released, however, all three primary members of the band had established themselves as major forces in the burgeoning alternative, anti-Nashville scene. What is especially amazing is the fact that Gilmore, Ely, and Hancock formed the band in Lubbock, Texas, a town that has produced far more hometown musicians than anyone could have had a right to expect. Starting with Buddy Holly and Waylon Jennings, the town has produced more than its fair share of musicians since the fifties including Delbert McClinton, Mac Davis, and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, while Roy Orbison and Bob Wills came from not too far away. Must be something in the water.

The songs on this album are absolute gems of simplicity. They pretty much anticipated much of what would happen in country music in the next thirty years. Jimmie Dale Gilmore, blessed with one of the great male voices in country music (perhaps the greatest of the past thirty years), sang most of the songs in his exquisite tenor, while Ely and Hancock provided guitars and back up vocals. Unfortunately, their friend Steve Wesson played musical saw on a number of the cuts and it can't be said that this was much in the way of a positive contribution. It would be hard to say whether the cowbell or the saw was the single most irritating "musical instrument" to see its way onto a musical recording. Both have their vices and little in the way of virtues. Neither requires much in the way of talent.

But if one can get past the saw, the songs are simply spectacular. The album begins with three glorious songs, beginning with Gilmore's lovely "Dallas." His voice is so clear and pure on this one that someone previously unfamiliar with his work could instantly understand why he is so esteemed as a vocalist. The song is one of Gilmore's best, in which Dallas is personified over and over in the verses. "Tonight I'm Gonna Go Downtown" is just so simple with the kind of stuff that was being recorded at the time in Nashville. Contrast it with Charlie Rich's dreadful BEHIND CLOSED DOORS (mind you, I love the many bits and pieces that Rich did before he ever met Billy Sherill, such as THE FABULOUS CHARLIE RICH, but artistically meeting Sherill was his doom). It sounds almost like country minimalism by comparison. The album then moves into two wonderful Butch Hancock compositions, "You've Never Seen Me Cry" and "She Had Everything." The rest of the album is also very good, but for me those four songs stand out.

If one loves Alt Country, this is one of the essential albums. By any measure it is one of the truly great discs in the genre, but quite apart from that, it is simply great music.

5 out of 5 stars In addition to Johnny Cash.......2005-02-05

I am not much for country music but it has the potential for beauty, with its combined inclusions of comedy and sadness. The Rolling Stones were influenced by country ('It's All Over Now' is glaringly rock/country and 'Dead Flowers' is of the same vein and is out of this world) but after a while, they couldn't take it seriously and made a parody out of it with 'Far Away Eyes.'

I have also had a difficult time holding country music in high esteem (when Willie Nelson is one of the greats of this type of music, you no you're in trouble because he is booooorrrrinnnnggggg) I am also one of those people who joins the masses and says, 'I don't like country music but I do like Johnny Cash.' Now, finally, with my discovery of the Flatlanders, I'm finding a reason to dig deeper into country music and see what other nuggets I can find, once through all the twangy crap that permeates most of it.

'Keeper of the Mountain' is my favorite number on the cd and it is very weepy and sad but to a reflective soul it really hits the spot. It's a moody album and will take you somewhere you may not want to go, depending on how you feel at a given moment. But if country music is supposed to deal with heartbreak and loneliness a little more often than other styles, then this was does it well, and somehow, after listening, I feel strengthened and as though someone out there understands.

5 out of 5 stars An Alt-Country Classic.......2004-07-15

13 soulful twangy perfect gems. Yes, there's a saw being played amongst the other instruments, but it just adds to the feeling of other-worldliness on this legendary recording. I was delighted and moved by this CD; so much so that it is high up on my list of essential recordings, and I listen to A LOT of music. Perhaps not for everyone, but for anyone who likes great songs and great performances, and anyone who wants to be swept away to the lonesome plains of West Texas.

Those who liked it when country went pop need not apply. This is for folks who like *real* country.

1 out of 5 stars One saw too many.......2004-02-24

Didn't know what a musical saw was, but henceforth I will be on the lookout. Unless you like an eerie wail floating over most of the tunes, this album is nigh unlistenable.
Legend of Johnny Cash - Volume II
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Well selected career-spanning single disc
  • "The Legend Of Johnny Cash, Vol. 2" is brilliant!
 Legend of Johnny Cash - Volume II
Johnny Cash
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000JRYNX4
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Tracks:

  1. There You Go
  2. Home Of The Blues
  3. Ballas Of A Teenage Queen
  4. The Ways Of A Woman In Love
  5. I Still Miss Someone
  6. Don't Take Your Guns To Town
  7. The Long Black Veil
  8. The Ballad Of Ira Hayes
  9. It Ain't Me Babe
  10. Girl From The North Country
  11. Dady Sang Bass
  12. Flesh And Blood
  13. The Night Hank Williams Came To Town
  14. That Old Wheel
  15. The Beast In Me
  16. Unchained
  17. I Won't Back Down
  18. I Hung My Head
  19. Bird On A Wire (Live With Orchestra)
  20. In the Sweet By And By

Amazon.com

The legend of Johnny Cash has loomed even larger since his death, though this 20-cut anthology appears designed more to capitalize on that legend than enhance it. While it chronologically spans nearly half a century, the scattershot selection seems almost arbitrary: a few hits (though none of the biggest), a few lesser-known album cuts (though not necessarily his best), and a better sampling of the career-reviving recordings he made with producer Rick Rubin that reestablished him as an alt-rock icon. Among the highlights are the irresistibly cheesy "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" from his early Sun Records days, the socially conscious "Ballad of Ira Hayes" (the Marine whose story is told so movingly in Flags of Our Fathers), and a live, fully orchestrated rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on a Wire." This might fill a gap for those who want to go deeper into the Cash legacy than a greatest-hits collection but aren't ready to splurge on a definitive box set. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Well selected career-spanning single disc.......2006-11-22

This 20-track collection is a good follow-up to last year's volume one. Both offer up seminal Cash sides, from his early days at Sun through his golden years at Columbia, his stay at Mercury in the '80s and his career capping sides for American. Both volumes also sandwich themselves in the narrow space between single-disc hit collections and deeper anthologies like 1992 and 2002's "Essential" titles, 2000's thematic "Love, God, Murder," 2005's 4-disc "The Legend," or Bear Family's oppressive triple-shot of box sets.

Both single-disc "Legend" volumes sample from the entire length of Cash's career, which means that they necessarily short-change any one phase, and leave out some seminal album releases. What you get instead is a sketch - rather than a full-color picture - of Cash's artistic arc, from slap-back echo at Sun through his righteous songs of the man in black, and finishing with stark, folk-styled renditions recorded with Rick Rubin for the American label.

Cash's fans may find this selection of tracks to be scattershot, duplicative of discs they already own, or unrepresentative of their particular favorites. But fans with deep Cash collections aren't the audience for this release. Instead, the songs have been selected and sequenced to make a compelling spin for new converts, those inspired by Cash's passing and subsequent biopic. And for these new fans, the Legend discs provide a good introduction to Cash's vast catalog that provides a bird's eye view from which to zoom in on specific eras or styles. [©2006 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

5 out of 5 stars "The Legend Of Johnny Cash, Vol. 2" is brilliant!.......2006-11-22

"The Legend Of Johnny Cash, Vol. 2" is brilliant! This is an brilliant companion to Volume 1, with equally impressive songs.

Track Listing
1. There You Go
2. Home of the Blues
3. Ballad of a Teenage Queen
4. Ways of a Woman in Love
5. I Still Miss Someone
6. Don't Take Your Guns to Town
7. Long Black Veil
8. Ballad of Ira Hayes
9. It Ain't Me Babe - Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash
10. Girl from the North Country - Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan
11. Daddy Sang Bass
12. Flesh and Blood
13. Night Hank Williams Came to Town - Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings
14. That Old Wheel - Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Jr.
15. Beast in Me
16. Unchained
17. I Won't Back Down
18. I Hung My Head
19. Bird on a Wire [Live]
20. In the Sweet By and By

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