Frankie Marvin "The Golden Age Of Frankie Marvin" (Binge Disc, 2000)
Outstanding "cowboy" material from one of Gene Autry's original running mates. Frankie Marvin and his brother, Johnny, backed Autry up on some of his first recording sessions in the late 1920s -- they went to Hollywood with him and were part of his ensemble throughout the next three decades. This disc collects a couple dozen of Frankie Marvin's best solo recordings, released on a variety of labels, large and small -- it's all very rare material, and all very good. Frankie shared the same Jazz Era, vaudvillean mix of styles as his boss -- jazz, blues, old-timey and cornball western tunes mix in Marvin's repertoire; it's not all just cowboy hokum. From his first, Depression-era 78s to his later post-war material, it's all a delight. Autry fans simply have to check this out -- the uninitiated should give it a try, too: this stuff is just too good to pass up.

Patsy Montana "The Best Of..." (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. 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.

The Ranch Boys "Cowboy Harmony" (Binge Disc, 1998)
A delightful set of cowboy tunes from a "western" trio that worked with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette onstage and in a film or two. Curley Bradley, Ken Carson and Jack Ross met int he early 1930s as members of the popular Beverly Hill Billies, out in Los Angeles, then they formed their own act and left the West Coast for a gig in the Midwest. The Ranch Boys were popular throughout the 'Thirties, recording a couple of albums for Decca Records, and giving the Sons Of The Pioneers a run for their money. Indeed, after the Ranch Boys split up, Ken Carson was offered a spot in a wartime edition of the Sons, and became a fixture in the Roy Rogers crew, and continued recording as a solo artist after the War. This generously programmed disc includesalmost two dozen of their prime recordings, including an album of songs by Western artist Billy Hill, and a few radio transcription recordings. It kicks off with a swinging, jazzy version of "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," and swiftly settles into more standard Western fare, all of it marked by smooth, professional harmonies and sweet vocal phrasing. If you're a fan of singing cowboy music, you'll want to track this one down!

Riders In The Sky "Saddle Pals" (Rounder, 1987)
Kiddie comedy versions of old cowboy ballads and original songs by this western music revivalists. I find it a little precious, but I bet a live version -- ie seen in person, live, and when you're six years old or under -- would have been a lot of fun.

Riders In The Sky "A Great Big Western Howdy..." (Rounder, 1998)
Ranger Doug, Too Slim and Woody Paul are back, with a pretty snappy little album... Well produced and tuneful; the comedy angle only get in the way occasionally... Nice harmonizing, and a pleasantly stripped-down musical approach. Not bad!

Tex Ritter "Country Music Hall Of Fame Series" (MCA, 1991)
Here are about half the songs he recorded for Decca in the 1930s, when he was a Hollywood box-office star. Several tracks are traditional cowboy songs, though the bulk of them were churned out by Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths, specifically for the movies. Ritter's style is poppy and stiff, but sometimes he hits the mark-- much moreso here than on his later Capitol recordings, which tend towards out-and-out corn.

Tex Ritter "Collectors Series" (Capitol, 1992)
A notoriously unaccomplished vocalist, Ritter nonetheless had phenomenal success as a country-themed hitmaker, particularly on these tracks recorded for Capitol in the '40s, '50s and '60s. Ritter had a melodic flatness that almost made Ernest Tubb seem like a Caruso; indeed, he copied Tubb's barebones style on more than one occasion. But with the synergy of his acting and singing careers -- and the fact that he signed with the West Coast's maverick Capitol label right at its inception -- brought Ritter into the American mainstream in a way that few of his country brethren could hope to achieve. This collection has all his big hits -- including "Jingle Jangle Jingle," "Blood On The Saddle," "Deck Of Cards," "High Noon" and "Hillbilly Heaven" -- and exhaustively shows the langour and flatness... and the inevitable charm... of Ritter's limited musicality. Also included is his last chart hit, from 1973(!), Gordon Sinclair's patriotic recitation, "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)," the text of which resurfaced as an Internet hoax posting in the wake of the September, 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center. This disc may not be for everyone, but it's a pretty definite look at Ritter's most famous material.

Tex Ritter "Vintage Collection" (Capitol, 1996)
This set is fairly comparable, with ten fewer tracks, and a few included that were not on the 25-song Collector's Series set... It doesn't have "Deck Of Cards," though, so it's far from a definitive best-of.

Tex Ritter "Blood On The Saddle" (Box set) (Bear Family, 1999)
Tex Ritter "High Noon" (Box set) (Bear Family, 2000)
Tex Ritter "Have I Stayed Away Too Long" (Box set) (Bear Family, 2003)
Then, for the Tex Ritter true believer, there's these massive, multi-disc box sets on the venerable Bear Family label... Probably more than enough Ritterology to satisfy even the most curious fan...!!

Roy Rogers "Happy Trails" (Box Set) (Rhino, 1999)
It's tempting to write Roy Rogers' music off as faux-country hokum, but this would totally miss the point. Roy Rogers was Mr. Showbiz back in the 1940s and '50s, a one-man entertainment industry, with dozens of movies, a weekly television show, a monthly comic book, and product endorsements out the wazoo. As with the Gene Autry box, this 3-CD collection reveals the depth of Rogers' mainstream pop sensibility -- in the middle of a schmaltzy version of "Pistol Packin' Mama," the orchestra bursts in with a full-on Tommy Dorsey-style swing arrangement. Dale Evans alternates between a Jo Stafford-style fake-hick twang and gorgeous, sotto voce Peggy Lee pop balladry. Rogers himself had a natural, easy delivery which is comparable to the suave sincerity of fellow icon, Bing Crosby, and he could croon or call a square dance with equal aplomb. Add to this the masterful harmonies and instrumentation of the Sons of The Pioneers (who accompanied Rogers on most of his best performances), and it's hard to go wrong. More than anything else, though, this compilation of big hits, rehearsal outtakes, and broadcast transcriptions brings back the incredible strengths of his ensemble cast. Even the skits with Gabby Hayes, although blatant schtick, are still vivid and enjoyable, perhaps even because it's so obvious and plain. This is the height of show biz slick, but way back when, before all the morphs, quick edits and bells and whistles of today. And it's a lot of fun. Plus, the typically lavish Rhino packaging makes this a real class act.

Roy Rogers "Country Music Hall Of Fame Series" (MCA, 1992)
A beautiful set of "western" songs -- sentimental pop material from old cowboy films. Rogers has a fine voice, and joined here by Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers, he's got it made. The band is really what makes these tracks wonderful, with the perfect balance of sincerity and polish.

Roy Rogers "A Man From Duck Run" (Capitol, 1970)
Roy Rogers "The Country Side Of Roy Rogers" (Capitol, 1971)
I gotta say, for a guy like Roy Rogers, whose western-themed glory days were long behind him, and who had long since retreated into the country gospel ghetto, his push towards the top of the charts was petty impressive. Okay, so most of these songs are pretty sluggish, but "Lovenworth," his last big hit (#12 in '71) was a pretty fun little song, and the sunshine-country arrangements on many of these tracks are kind of a hoot. Country Side features covers of other folks' hits -- "Okie From Muskogee," "Washed My Hands In The Morning Dew," etc. -- and it's kind of a mixed bag. Yeah, there's plenty of better country stuff out there you could listen to instead of this, but you still gotta give Roy credit for trying... and for doing as well as he did!

Roy Rogers "King Of The Singing Cowboys" (Collector's Choice, 2004)
Because they performed so frequently on radio and in the movies, the silver screen "singing cowboys" all have a wealth of live material for reissue labels to plow through. This disc is an especially fine, fun selection of Roy Rogers material from 1943-44 (with a couple of later tunes from the 1954 Roy Rogers Show) Laced in with all the cowpoke corn is some might fine, mighty jazzy musicianship, giving these songs a special little bounce that makes 'em as irresistible today as they were decades ago. If you haven't checked Roy Rogers out yet because you think he's hokey and square... well, that's an easy mistake to make. But if you want to hear "western" pop music at its best, this disc is a fine place to start. (You can also check out my Singing Cowboys discography as well!)

The Sons Of The Pioneers - see artist discography

The Sons Of The San Joaquin "Sing One For The Cowboy" (Shanachie/Western Jubilee, 2000)
As singing cowboy revivalists go, the Hannah Brothers -- Joe, Jack and Lon -- are pretty on the ball. These guys love those corny old ridin'-the-range tunes, and while they pay homage to the old masters such as Bob Nolan, they also write a bunch of new tunes which easily stand up on their own. The best of the new batch includes Jack Hannah's anthemic "California," which will now be the theme song to every trip I make up to Yosemite from now 'til the end of time. The rest of the album is pretty swell, too, with smooth, rounded tones galore and tons of exaggerated Americana and nostalgic western imagery. If you like the style already, this is worth checking out.

Jimmy Wakely "Vintage Collections" (Capitol Vintage, 1996)
Wakely was a "western" singer who also starred in the early "oaters," although in the mid-1940s his career shifted into more or less straight pop singing (much of which is collected on this disc). After his heyday in the 1940s, he recorded for a bunch of labels, including his own Shasta Records, though this disc makes a pretty good case for his Capitol years. A lot of croony pop stuff, high-class schmaltz, with the shadow of Bing Crosby in the background, but also some surprisingly solid borderline honkytonk. Of all the Capitol Vintage discs, this is the one that's most unique, and the one which is least likely to be reissued in any future version. So what are you waiting for? Go find this now! It's cool.

Jimmy Wakely "The Very Best Of Jimmy Wakely" (Varese Sarabande, 2000)

Jimmy Wakely "The Singing Cowboy" (Varese Sarabande, 2002)
Wakely started his own independent Shasta label while riding on the wave of his nationwide 1950s TV show fame, mostly releasing material culled from that long-running show, or western-themed albums that caught his fancy. This is one of several Varese discs reissuing that material for a new generation... Here, Wakely is caught firmly in the grip of Bing Crosby's crooner style, so much so that it might be heard to tell that it isn't actually Der Bingle singing on these tunes. The arrangements are also kinda odd, lush, sometimes syrupy refashionings of cowboys standards, often with a churchy organ setting the tone for Wakely's soft crooning. Overall, folks might find this slow going, but it's certainly a different take on this material.

Jimmy Wakely "The Jimmy Wakely Christmas Collection" (Varese Sarabande, 2000)
This holiday offering includes tracks taken from two albums, 1958's Merry Christmas From Jimmy Wakely and An Old-Fashioned Christmas, from 1975. (For more country Christmas music, check out my Hillbilly Holiday section)

Foy Willing & The Riders Of The Purple Sage "Sagebrush Swing" (Collector's Choice, 2004)
A sweet, swinging set of western-themed oldies from the 1940s edition of the fabled Riders Of The Purple Sage. The harmonies are sublime, the musicianship is first rate, and the songs are all a lot of fun... The liner notes don't say exactly when these radio performances were made, but the late 'Forties seem like a safe bet, perhaps when the band was on the All-Star Western Theatre program... Anyway, it's great stuff, with bandleader Foy Willing at the peak of his powers. This is a generously programmed, 20-song collection, well-paced and with great sound quality. Recommended!

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Hick Music Index

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