Light Crust Doughboys "Western Swing Memories" (Binge Disc, 1998)
A nice collection of golden oldies collected by this fab German reissue label. A lot of these recordings simply aren't available elsewhere, and haven't been inprint for decades... So this may be your only chance to hear this music for some time to come!

The Light Crust Doughboys "Guitar Jump" (BACM, 2005)
Solo recordings from one of western swing's best-respected vocalists... This disc also includes a few later tunes made with his wife, Texas fiddler Laura Lee. (Available through the British Archive of Country Music website.)

Dickie McBride "I Still Care For You" (BACM, 2005)
Solo recordings from one of western swing's best-respected vocalists... This disc also includes a few later tunes made with his wife, Texas fiddler Laura Lee. (Available through the British Archive of Country Music website.)

Patsy Montana "The Best Of Patsy Montana" (Sony/Collector's Choice, 2001)
Was there ever another country performer as adorable as Patsy Montana? I doubt it. Montana was the greatest of the "cowgirl" singers, and now at last we get a chance to really check out Montana at her peak form -- perkily yodeling away on these delightfully antiquated, sentimental "western" tunes, with plenty of hot fiddling to back her up. This is a long-overdue American edition collecting her best work from the 1930s and '40s -- two dozen old tracks from Vocalion and several smaller labels that have been out of print for decades, available only on teeny specialty labels, and in dribs and drabs on various compilation albums. The songs are corny, but Montana's delivery is not, especially later on as her band put more and more swing into their sound -- and you can hear that progression as it actually happened, since these songs are presented in straight chronological order. A particular highlight is a tune Montana penned herself, "Cowboy Rhythm," which demonstrates how strange musical fads such as opera and jazz can't hold a candle to a coyote's howl and a lonesome guitar as the moon starts to rise... Fans of swing-string revivalists such as The Hot Club of Cowtown are strongly urged not to let this one slip by -- records this fun don't come along that often.

Moon Mullican "The EP Collection" (See For Miles, 2000)
Piano plunker Aubrey "Moon" Mullican played in a variety of western swing bands through the 1930s, and inherited Cliff Bruner's band at the end of WWII, shifting direction in a bluesier, boog-woogie style... This is a collection of tunes drawn from several EPs made for King Records from 1947-56, some of the material is pretty rough and raw -- ricketty, even -- but all of it is distictively Mullican. His western swing roots are evident throughout, although Mullican didn't seem to pay as much attention to tight musicianship as many of his peers. Some of his best material came when he fully embraced R&B styles, as on "Cherokee Boogie," or his cover of Tiny Bradshaw's "Well Oh Well..." Also included here is his hit "New Jole Blon," a dopey parody version of the old cajun favorite -- personally I find the wordplay (and the music) a bit lame, but apparently it slayed them in the honkytonks back then... This is a nice collection that includes a lot of rare, seldom-reissued material. Not all of it is great, but it's certainly worth checking out.

Moon Mullican "Showboy Special" (Westside, 2000)
This collection highlights Mullican's earliest work on King, straight reissues of his 1946 and '47 sessions, digging even deeper into material that time has forgotten. As ever, this is craggy but curious music, with more than a couple of gems embedded within.

Moon Mullican "I Left My Heart In Texas" (Binge Disc/Bronco Buster)

Hank Penny "Crazy Rhythm: The Standard Transcriptions" (Bloodshot/Soundies, 2000)
What the hell are you waiting for? Go get this disc now. For sheer fun value, this is one of the best releases in Bloodshot's new Soundies series, made up of old radio transcription recordings... Penny was one of western swing's most impish, playful performers, and also one of the fellows who had the deepest connections to the jump blues scene that blossomed alongside the postwar country boom. Penny regularly covered popular R&B tunes, and found his own songs picked up by blues bands (most notably, Louis Jordan's version of "Bloodshot Eyes"). The thirty tracks on this CD are all killer -- ranging from bouncy, upbeat novelty tunes to quite pleasant romantic schmaltz. A hefty chunk of the songs are Hank Penny originals, and the other are pretty well chosen, top-notch material. Although Penny is often cited as a favorite by revivalists such as The Dave and Deke Combo and Big Sandy, his material is pretty hard to find. Although another recent collection on the Krazy Kat label was pretty disappointing, this disc is HIGHLY recommended. Like I said, go get it. Now. What the hell are you waiting for?

Hank Penny "Flamin' Mamie: 1938-1941" (Krazy Kat, 2004)
Penny's early years during the rough-and-tumble birth of western swing, when blues and jazz collided with hillbilly stringband music... Cool historical document; when I check it out later, I'll give y'all a full review.

Hank Penny "Hollywood Western Swing: 1944-1947" (Krazy Kat, 2000)
This collection was fairly disappointing -- especially in comparison to the Soundies disc reviewed above. I'm not sure why. The material is pretty good; mostly scrappy indie-label material with a heavy blues flavor. Maybe it's just the pacing of the disc. Or maybe I'm just nuts. But if you're a Hank Penny fan -- or even just curious -- you should check this disc out. Don't listen to me.

Hank Penny "The Penny Opus #1" (Jasmine, 2000)

Hank Penny "Hillbilly Be-Bop -- The King Anthology: 1944-1950" (Westside, 2002)

Hank Penny "King Of Hillbilly Bebop" (Proper, 2005)
A budget-priced 2-CD set; not sure what the sound, etc. is like, but it's probably worth checking out if you haven't found any of the others listed above.

Gene Pistilli "I Still Get Dressed On Sundays" (Memphis International, 2003)
An amiable set of western swing oldies and fine new originals, written by one of the founding members of the retro-jazz vocals ensemble, Manhattan Transfer. (No -- I'm not kidding!) Pistilli, who's nicknamed himself "The Hoboken Saddletramp," has a real feel for the music, which isn't too surprising -- he's moving from one style of retro swing to another -- and has written several swell new tunes (the title track in particular). There's a certain reserve to this album that makes it less than overpowering, but it's still pretty nice -- fans of The Hot Club Of Cowtown will wanna check this out as well.

The Prairie Ramblers "Swingin' Down The Orchard Lane" (Bronco Buster, 1999)
Wow! Rollicking string band swing from Patsy Montana's back-up band. The Ramblers swung on everything they tackled, from corny cowboy compositions to mildly naughty hokum blues and cute Depression-era novelty songs. A catchy, upbeat outfit with some hot pickers -- this disc is highly recommended ... definitely worth tracking down!

Ole Rasmussen "Sleepy Eyed John" (Bear Family, 1999)
Nebraska native Floyd "Ole" Rasmussen led a West Coast swing band that copped a lot of its sound from Bob Wills... Rasmussen and his Nebraskan Cornhuskers were derided in the early 1950s as mere copycats, but these vintage tracks from 1950-52 are as much fun as any other western swing band of the era, and have a distinctive, bluesy feel to them. The twenty-eight tunes are the total output of his years on Capitol Records, and they'd fit in nicely with any set of classic country; the basic form is very much like the Texas Playboys, but with a heavier emphasis on the country part of the equation, less on the jazzy side. His vocalist, Teddy K. Wilds, has moments that are reminiscent of Tommy Duncan, but overall he's a deeper, throatier, more earthy singer, in addition to sounding quite appealing and robust. This is good stuff -- although you might initially roll your eyes and think, oh come on!, it won't take long for these guys to win you over. Good stuff... recommended!

Red Steagall "Lone Star Beer And Bob Wills Music" (ABC/Dot, 1976)
One of the greatest western swing albums of the 1970s, this fine, fiddle-drenched, beer-happy singalong set gave the Bob Wills sound a hefty infusion of honkytonk barroom backbeat, while offering up a swell batch of original new tunes. If Steagall had only recorded the album's anthemic title track, his name would still be forever set in the annals of true-country immortality, but the rest of the album rocks mightily as well. Songs like "Neons And Nylons," "Alexis From Texas," "The Walls Of This Old Honky Tonk" and "My First Night Without You" are, quite simply, about as good as hard country can get, and Steagall's jaunty delivery is just about the most upbeat, jovial thing this side of Hank Thompson.

Hank Thompson - see artist discography.

Tune Wranglers "1936-1938" (Krazy Kat, 2000)
Wow! What a fun record! One of the hottest (and peppiest) western swing bands of the time, this San Antonio outfit also had a way with saucy novelty songs, and a real sweet-tooth for jazzy arrangements... With over two dozen tracks and nice sound quality, this disc is a darn fine way to spend your hard-earned sheckels. Also, check out Joe Barnes' trademark trick banjo playing -- hwere he plays so fast that the notes start to blur and distort chromatically -- a technique used on "Sarah Jane" and several other tunes. High-powered pickin' and hilarious story-telling. HIGHLY recommended!!

The Tune Wranglers "1936-1938" (Texas Rose, 1982) (LP)
Ages before the reissue era of today, this fine LP came out... It features some of the same material as the Krazy Kat CD above, but either record is worth snapping up as soon as you see them. Vinyl only.

Curley Williams & His Georgia Peach Pickers "Just A-Pickin' And A-Singin' " (Bear Family, 2004)
Georgia-born Curley Williams joined the Opry in 1942 when he was still in his late twenties, and after a couple of years as a regular on the show, he pulled up stakes and headed for Hollywood, where he joined the rollicking West Coast honkytonk swing scene. By decade's end, he'd wound up in Louisiana, sharing top billing with the ill-starred honkytonk god, Hank Williams, with whom he played quite a bit and wrote a few songs. Williams had a sharp, professional band, and a smooth yet solid sound that was just a shade sweeter than Tommy Duncan and Bob Wills, yet not as goofy and popped-up as Spade Cooley... This is the first of two albums collecting all his sides recorded for the Columbia label between 1945-52, and brothers, sisters... let me tell you: it's pretty darn fine. If you like good-natured western swing and the smoother side of the postwar sound, then this disc is for you. Highly recommended!

Curley Williams & His Georgia Peach Pickers "Half As Much" (Bear Family, 2004)
Although many of the songs on here pale in comparison to his earlier work, this is still a swell set of postwar honkytonk swing from an artist whose legacy deserves the attention of al us true country fans. My initial response to this disc was that many of the performances seemed lackluster and perfunctory, but somehow it wound up spinning in my CD player for several days straight, and after a while I really got into it. Another gem from Bear Family: and more power to 'em!

Tex Williams And His Western Caravan "Vintage Collections" (Capitol Vintage, 1996)
In the 1940s, Tex Williams was one of the stars of Spade Cooley's band, and was one of western swing's great singers. His solo career had a lot to offer, too, especially the novelty classic, "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" and the good-naturedly mysogynistic anthem "Never Trust A Woman." This disc's a little uneven, especially towards the end, but it's still a spiffy collection. Also check out a young Glen Campbell backing Williams up on an early '60s concert recording!

Tex Williams "The Very Best Of: The Shasta Years" (Varese Sarabande, 2000)
This collection picks up where the Capitol collection (above) left off: in the twilight of Williams' career, in the early 1960s, when he was recording for cowboy singer Jimmy Wakeley's independent Shasta label. These are not, frankly, the greatest country recordings ever, and the lingering traces of his western swing past are all but gone at this point. It's okay, but there's certainly better material to be heard elsewhere...

Bob Wills - see artist discography

Billy Jack Wills - see Bob Wills

Johnny Lee Wills - see Bob Wills

Smoky Woods "The Houston Hipster" (Rambler, 1991)
A classic country ne'er-do-well and legendary screw-up, Woods had the distinction of singing about his pastimes -- having sex and smoking pot -- and making a living at it, too... well, kind of. Apparently Woods had a hard time holding it together financially, although he was fun to hang out with, even when he was down and out. This out-of-print LP appears to still be the only Smokey Woods album around. What a shame, 'cause this is really great stuff, and deserves a wider audience! If you see this album, don't hesitate to snap it up.

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Various Artists "CAT'N AROUND" (Krazy Kat, 1992)
The fab Krazy Kat series has plenty of great western swing collections (see below), but this one remains my favorite. In fact, this is one of my favorite country reissues ever. An incredible collection of obscure old country singles originally recorded for the tiny Houston independent, Macy's Records. You can imagine these long-forgotten musicians slogging away at day jobs -- fixing cars, or maybe out in the oil fields -- just waiting to bust loose playing at a Saturday night dance. Everybody tears away at their tunes, ranging from swinging instrumentals such as "Pickin," by Dolores Farriss to priceless novelty tunes like "Steppin On Feet For Fun" and weepy honkytonkers like the Vance Brothers' "Can't Get You Out Of My Dreams." Sometimes the musicians flub their licks, but this only adds to the charm -- these are real people really playing music, unlike the tediously re-re-reprocessed digital pop of today. This high calibre compilation succeeds on every level: great sound, great material, great chance to hear some excellent old-time country, and to stump your snooty No Depression-reading buddies.

Various Artists "DOUGHBOYS, PLAYBOYS AND COWBOYS" (Proper, 1999)
Well, dang. Hard to imagine a sharper collection of western swing oldies. Raunchy, funny, punchy and upbeat, this 4-CD set is flawlessly paced, and features plenty of obscure (but killer) tracks. It starts off with all the big-name bands -- Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Bill Boyd, Adolph Hofner, Hank Penny -- and works its way down into the lesser ranks -- Claude Casey, Porky Freeman, the Crystal Spring Ramblers, etc. This may be familiar territory to anyone fortunate enough to have climbed on board during the early '80s boom years of western swing vinyl reissues, but for country fans who came of age in the digital era, this collection will be like a bolt from the blue. Get it while you can. (Contact: Proper Records: Unit 5, Forest Hill Industrial Estate, Perry Vale, London, SE23 2LX, ENGLAND)

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Various Artists "SWING WEST! v.1: BAKERSFIELD" (Razor & Tie, 1999)
Various Artists "SWING WEST! v.2: GUITAR SLINGERS" (Razor & Tie, 1999)
Various Artists "SWING WEST! v.3: WESTERN SWING" (Razor & Tie, 1999)
This series is bound to surprise a lot of folks... These CDs look as generic as can be, but each disc contains a trove of lesser-known tracks by big-name stars and forgotten artists alike. Curated by Bear Family head Rich Kienzle, the SWING WEST series delicately picks its way through the Capitol Records back catalog, and by and large skips over the big hits you'd expect to hear, opting instead for lesser-known and unusual tracks. In some cases, this means recordings taken from sketchy albums made by artists well past their glory years -- Jimmy Bryant recording on the Imperial label in 1967, for example, or Leon McAuliffe in 1964. Yet, these are good later tracks... the sort of songs you'd have to dig pretty deep to find on vinyl, though afterwards you might wonder afterwards if it was worth keeping the whole album for just that one song ("...gee, if only someone would put out an album of this stuff...!") On the other end of the spectrum are the cool rarities, such as Merle Haggard's first recordings on an indie label, or enduring classics like Tex Williams' "Smoke That Cigarette." Kienzle, of course, knows what he's doing. He's one of the greatest reissue producers on the planet, and few people could do a better job poking around the Capitol vaults -- as a result, these discs are hella fun! So, if you want to encourage the major labels to put out more good old stuff, here's an excellent chance to put your money where your mouth is. Yes, yes, yes!

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Specialty Labels

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• Binge Disc/Cowgirlboy - hard to find in the USA, but worth every effort to track down, the records on this teeny German label include some of rarest -- and best -- classic country music available, including dozens of western swing titles by the great artists of yesteryear.

• Krazy Kat - another amazing European collector label, the Krazy Kat imprint features a series of western swing releases that will knock your socks off. Check 'em out!

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Links

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• Western Swing.Com... the name kinda says it all, doesn't it? Not a lot going on graphically, but plenty of good information, including a voluminous CD discography, links to other western swing websites, artists and enthusiasts, and info on a self-published western swing newsletter...

• Jim Lowe's Western Swing site is a nice intro, if a bit dense visually. Lots of good album reviews and reading recommendations.

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Hick Music Index

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