Hi, there! This page is part of an opinionated guide to what I call "hard country" music -- the real stuff -- with a bunch of record reviews and recommendations by me, Joe Sixpack. Naturally, it's a work in progress, and will hopefully be expanded on quite a bit, as time allows.
Bad Bob & His Good Friends "Bad Bob & His Good Friends" (Self-Released, 2001)
Good-timin' western swing and the local spirit of independent Texas music are alive and well, as heard in this fun album by fiddler and songwriter Bob Rohan. He pays dutiful homage to the spirit of Bob Wills in a rousing version of "Deep In The Heart of Texas," and on his original tune, "When You Play The Fiddle In Texas (You Better Know All The Tunes!)" It was the charm of his original material that caught my attention -- especially on great novelty tunes like "She Took A Blowtorch To My Workbench" and the similarly-themed "Daddy's Pad (When Momma's Mad)," which extols the virtues of sleeping in the cab of your truck when domestic tension looms. Fans of humble, obscuro alt.country greats such as Deadly Earnest, Alvin Crow, Chuck Wagon & The Wheels, or Cornell Hurd will find a lot to celebrate in this album -- this ain't super-slick Nashville pop, it's just a guy with a friendly-sounding voice and a bunch of pals who can pick some nice country music, and it's pretty cool. This is the kind of independently-produced album you used to hear a lot more often; nice to know someone out there still has the magic formula. (As far as I can tell, the only way to get a copy of this album is to contact Bob Rohan directly, at: badbob1026@aol.com.... Tell him I said "howdy!" )
Moe Bandy "Honky-Tonk Amnesia" (Razor & Tie, 1997)
Good-timing, beer-guzzlin', girl-chasin' honkytonk novelty songs are this fellow's stock in trade. Hard to go wrong with any of his old stuff -- his indie releases on GRP were so good they landed him a major-label deal on Epic Records, and the stuff he did for the big boys stayed true to country roots for way longer than anyone had a right to expect. Once he paired up with Joe Stampley and their "Good Old Boys" gimmick became a brand name, it was only a matter of time before the music started to suffer. Still, well into the early '80s Bandy's albums were more real than most of his Top 40 peers... Uncomplicated, upbeat material with great arrangements and studio work -- well worth checking out, even with the redneck schtick. I think all his old LPs from the '70s are must-haves, but for those of you who are vinyl-phobic, this kickass CD best-of should do the trick. An excellent selection of his best songs, including a lot of the early stuff. HIGHLY recommended!
Moe Bandy "The Legend Continues..." (Sweetsong Nashville, 2006)
(Produced by Dennis Money)
After good ole Moe Bandy cut such a wide swath through the country charts as a honkytonk firebrand back in the 1970s, it was inevitable that the '80s would show him softening up and slogging through syrupy romantic ballads. Like so many other hard-country singers, he hit the top singing hard and then slid back down, getting soft. Like other master singers such as Gene Watson and George Jones, It's been a while since Bandy has been on the minds of the powers-that-be in country radio, but this new album shows that at least he's gotten back into singing songs that are funny and fun. Bandy's voice hasn't weathered as well as we might wish -- that sly, sardonic delivery he had back in the golden years is now blunted by his reduced vocal range, but I'm still a sucker for old coots who sing great songs. This disc is packed with swell novelty songs, with several that'll stick to your ribs, such as "Long Shadow," "Only Time Will Tell," "Waiting For My Angel To Show" and even the Bubbadelic "Blue Collar Holler." I dunno about you, but I love this kinda stuff -- glad to see Bandy's still in there swinging, and that when he lands one, it can still knock your socks off. If you're a fan of old-fashioned, tab-poppin,' beer-drinkin' barroom novelty songs, you might wanna track this one down. It's not great country, but it's pretty darn good.
Bobby Bare -- see artist profile
High Sheriff Ricky Barnes - see artist discography
Jeff Bates "Rainbow Man" (RCA, 2003)
Nice one! Mainstream, Top-40 neotrad that opens with a fun Bubbadelic ode to the joys of good ole boy anthems, and Bates doing a pretty good job balancing those low, rumbly George Jones notes with a lighter, growling croon. The songs are pleasantly gimmicky, following the more traditionally-oriented country formulas, mixing Hank Jr.-ish redneck/working man anthems with tough-but-sensitive romantic anthems that recall the best work by Conway Twitty or Alabama. ("Long Slow Kisses" is a bit suspect... who ever heard of a country song where some dude talks about lighting candles in the bedroom. But man, he gets pretty raunchy on "I Wanna Make You Cry," which he promises to do with his masterful lovemaking...) Bates is clearly derivative of innumerable artists, but in a really good way. It's rare that I hear a contemporary commercial country album that I can listen to from end to end without flinching at over half the songs... This one has a pretty good hit ratio, though -- I think it's pretty darn listenable and worth checking out, if you're into old-school rowdiness.
Ray Benson - see Asleep At The Wheel
Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys - see artist discography
