The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
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December 23, 2008
New CD Album Releases, 12-23-2008: Dim Lights, Thick Smoke Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, Cowboy Copas, Eddy Arnold This Christmas week I see absolutely nothing in the way of new music of any interest whatsoever. But then, you probably wouldn't be expecting much.
But I see a lovely series of re-issues from the German import Bear Family records, Dim Lights, Thick Smoke & Hillbilly Music. These look really outstanding. They are putting out separate volumes year by year from 1945 to 1970. So you get some depth in 27 selections from 1945, for starters.
These Bear Family imports are expensive as hell - and this stuff should be (and a lot of it probably is) absolutely public domain. But Bear routinely fairly well justify themselves with great musicology, picking good or influential stuff beyond just the obvious artists and hits, and with routinely outstanding notes and documentation. Even if the Porky Freeman Trio is likely public domain, where would you have found it?
Just for starters, the 1945 set has big names (but not necessarily the most obvious songs) from Bob Wills, Gene Autry and Ernest Tubb. But also, I'd be more interested in checking out the unfamiliar Jenny Lou Carson, Wesley Tuttle & Jerry Irby.
Just advancing one year to 1946, you get among 29 songs Eddy Arnold, Tex Ritter and Grandpa Jones - but also folks that even so dedicated a hillbilly musicologist as me doesn't know, like Cousin Emmy and Hank Penny. I'd be particularly interested to hear the Buchanan Brothers sing about "Atomic Power."
1947 brings the familiar Tex Williams "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)" and Bill Monroe - but also Fairley Holden and Clyde Moody. I'm particularly curious what a hillbilly singer named Billy Hughes in 1947 would have to say about a "Cocaine Blues."
You get the point by now that these volumes are all look to be outstanding and thoughtfully put together. You get your Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff and Merle Travis - and also some Arkie Shibley and Skeets McDonald. Still, at $27 a pop for single discs, I got to say they're just ASKING for someone to turn the whole series into one big (free) bittorent.
Still, that's enough music new and/or long forgotten to you for sweet Christmas dreaming.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Eddy Arnold There's Been a Change in Me (1951-1955) Bear Family Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Country-Pop, Cowboy, Traditional Country, Honky Tonk
Brutha Brutha Def Jam Urban, Contemporary R&B
The Cadillacs Rock Bear Family Doo Wop, Early R&B
Don Gibson Rocks Bear Family Traditional Country, Country-Pop, Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan
Original Soundtrack Revolutionary Road [Soundtrack] Nonesuch Original Score, Soundtracks
Original Soundtrack Slumdog Millionaire [Soundtrack] Interscope Alternative Dance, Club/Dance, Original Score, Film Music, Soundtracks, Bollywood, Hip-Hop
Lloyd Price Rocks Bear Family New Orleans R&B, Early R&B, Rock & Roll
Shirley & Lee Shirley & Lee Rock Bear Family New Orleans R&B, Early R&B
Sterling Simms Yours, Mine and the Truth Def Jam Urban, Contemporary R&B
Various Artists Dim Lights, Thick Smoke 1945 Bear Family Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Cowboy, Traditional Country
Various Artists Dim Lights, Thick Smoke 1946 Bear Family Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Cowboy, Traditional Country
Various Artists Dim Lights, Thick Smoke 1947 Bear Family Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Cowboy, Traditional Country
Various Artists Dim Lights, Thick Smoke 1949 Bear Family Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Cowboy, Traditional Country
