Don't Fence Me In: Western Music's Early Golden Era

Don't Fence Me In: Western Music's Early Golden Era

ASIN: B0000002TI

Track Listings

1. Back in the Saddle Again - Gene Autry

2. Tumbling Tumbleweeds - The Sons of the Pioneers

3. (I Got Spurs That) Jingle, Jangle, Jingle - Tex Ritter

4. Don't Fence Me In - Roy Rogers

5. On the Banks of the Sunny San Juan - Eddie Dean

6. Dusty Skies - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

7. Wah-Hoo! - Ray Whitley

8. Give Me a Pinto Pal - Elton Britt

9. Wide Rolling Plains - Rosalie Allen

10. My Adobe Hacienda - Louise Massey & Her Westerners

11. There's a Loveknot in My Lariat - Wilf Carter

12. Cimarron

13. Dust - Jimmy Wakely

14. Tumbleweed Trail - The Sons of the Pioneers

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Don't Fence Me In anthologizes cowboy music for greenhorns. Which isn't a bad thing at all! The 14 titles included here are culled from the catalogs of the genre's most popular practitioners and represent the era (roughly the late '30s through the mid-'40s) when guitar-strumming cowpokes ruled the airwaves and the silver screen. Thus one is presented with Gene Autry crooning "Back in the Saddle Again," Tex Ritter kicking up his heels with "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle," and Roy Rogers taking a shot at "Don't Fence Me In." The likes of Bob Wills, Rosalie Allen, and the Sons of the Pioneers flesh out the album. While there are penetrating cowboy collections out there (this is the second release in Rounder's four-part cowboy series, so check out Cattle Call, Stampede!, and Saddle Up! for a thorough overview of Western music), this one is rife with the setting-sun romanticism that once fired America's matinee imagination. --Steven Stolder

Tracks:

Back In The Saddle Again - Gene Autry
Tumblin' Tumbleweeds - The Sons Of The Pioneers
Jingle, Jangle, Jingle - Tex Ritter
Don't Fence Me In - Roy Rogers
On The Banks Of The Sunny San Juan - Eddie Dean
Dusty Skies - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
Wah-Hoo! - Ray Whitley
Give Me A Pinto Pal - Elton Britt
Wide Rolling Plains - Rosalie Allen
My Adobe Hacienda - Louise Massey & The Westerners
There's A Love Knot In My Lariat - Wilf Carter (Montana Slim)
Cimarron - Jimmy Wakely Trio
Dust - Jimmy Wakely
Tumbleweed Trail - The Sons Of The Pioneers

Amazon.com

Don't Fence Me In anthologizes cowboy music for greenhorns. Which isn't a bad thing at all! The 14 titles included here are culled from the catalogs of the genre's most popular practitioners and represent the era (roughly the late '30s through the mid-'40s) when guitar-strumming cowpokes ruled the airwaves and the silver screen. Thus one is presented with Gene Autry crooning "Back in the Saddle Again," Tex Ritter kicking up his heels with "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle," and Roy Rogers taking a shot at "Don't Fence Me In." The likes of Bob Wills, Rosalie Allen, and the Sons of the Pioneers flesh out the album. While there are penetrating cowboy collections out there (this is the second release in Rounder's four-part cowboy series, so check out Cattle Call, Stampede!, and Saddle Up! for a thorough overview of Western music), this one is rife with the setting-sun romanticism that once fired America's matinee imagination. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Very good overall, but with a couple of clunkers.......2000-02-18

This disc is an excellent sampler of early cowboy music by Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tex Ritter, Sons of the Pioneers, etc. I stopped "one star short" in my rating, however, because of two tracks that I wish were different. The obligatory comic relief is provided by a song titled "Wa-Hoo", in which a member of the band shouts out these words at various story-related places (e.g., what Anthony said when he first saw Cleopatra!). The song is neither cowboy nor amusing. Keep that remote control handy. The next track, by Elton Britt(?), was recorded in 1954, more than a decade later than the average date of the other pieces. Not only is the performance style more modern, the sound quality--full and resonant--comes as a shock after your ears get adjusted to the lean sound of the other tracks. I would rather have heard an earlier work by this artist. Aside from these admittedly minor nits that I felt obliged to pick, the disc is a lot of fun. It also includes a truly beautiful, haunting song (Dusty Skies) by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Listeners who might be deterred because they don't like the "Country Swing" style of Bob Wills need not fear. This is one of the prettiest, most moving western songs I have ever heard. If the recording were on vinyl, the track would get worn out quickly from repeated playing. One more point: The sound of even the oldest pieces is great and approaches demonstration quality when one considers their age. In summary, a highly recommended collection that could have been even better and probably will be most enjoyed by die-hard fans of cowboy music.

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