Hillbilly boogie and honkytonk music were two blues-influenced country styles that took off after the Second World War. Although hillbilly boogie was more obviously a temporary fad than honkytonk, both had tremendous influence on the growth of both country and popular music. Hillbilly boogie -- a driving, sometimes manic, guitar-based style -- was a clear precursor to the rockabilly and rock-and-roll sounds of the 1950s, particularly the enduring influence exerted by artists such as the Delmore Brothers, Hank Penny and The Maddox Brothers and Rose. Honkytonk, exemplified by early pioneers such as Ernest Tubb and Lefty Frizzell, was less stylistically confined and soon became the basis for modern country music. During the late 1950s, facing intense sales competition from legions of greasy-haired Elvis clones, Nashville watered down the honkytonk, and offered the poppy compromise known as "The Nashville Sound".
Here's a look at some of the major players and best records from the classic years of hard country and hillbilly boogie. It's not meant to be definitive by a longshot, but it should be helpful and doubtless will be expanded greatly as time permits.
Various Artists "HEADING BACK TO HOUSTON - TEXAS C&W: 1950-1951"
Loping, slower Texas honkytonk made in the long, thin shadow of Hank Williams. These tracks were originally made for the Houston, Texas independent label, Freedom Records. Plenty of obscure singers, but all topnotch material. Only a few tracks are overt Hank imitations; other tracks include hip, jazzy Hank Penny-ish bounces, maudlin drink-a-beer weepers and Bob Wills-y blues tunes, and a brace of cheerful novelty songs. The most tantalizing glimpses include one track by Tex Owens daughter, Laura Lee, and a couple by the adenoidal Little Tommy Sands, who went on to become a teen singer on RCA and Capitol. This album includes great liner notes, with a slightly more readable layout than other Interstate releases. Highly recommended!
Various Artists "HILLBILLY HOT ROD AND AUTOMOBILE SONGS" (Jasmine, 2006)
Start your engines...! This is a mighty fine set of obscure old country novelty songs... Sure, there are about a half dozen too many "answer songs" based on Arkie Sibley's epochal "Hot Rod Race," but with other far-fetched oddities with titles like "The Battery To My Heart," "No Parking Here," "Service Station Blues," "I'm Trading You In On A Later Model" and "She Won't Turn Over For Me," this disc has more than enough to offer devoted fans of real, live postwar hillbilly music. Lots of fun!
Various Artists "JITTERBUG JIVE - HOT TEXAS SWING: 1940-1941" (Krazy Kat)
More great stuff-- obscuro western swing with a heavy dose of Cab Calloway-ish bounce. Taken from pre-war sessions on RCA's Bluebird subsidiary, this disc features a slew of famous Texas country players, such as Leon Payne, Moon Mullican and Cliff Bruner. On these sessions, though, they were recording in anonymous, now-forgotten bands, such as the Modern Mountaineers, the Village Boys, etc. Highly recommended -- another kickass Krazy Kat collection!
Various Artists "KINDRED SPIRITS" (Sony-Columbia, 2002)
Well, here's the big surprise of 2002: with two competing Johnny Cash tributes coming out within a week of each other (this and the DRESSED IN BLACK album above...), it turns out that the major-label, packed-with-commercial-stars tribute is by far the better of the two. The reason why is that finally, for once, someone pays homage to Cash without simply aping his style and sound to a "T." Almost all of the songs on here take a markedly new approach to all the same old songs. Cash's trademark slap bass is left behind in favor of languid, drifting rhythms, and instrumental touches that Cash himself would rarely (if ever) approach, such as slide guitars and keyboards, dominate the album, creating entirely original takes on a dozen+ Cash classics. The album opens up with Dwight Yoakam's expansive reinterpretation of "Understand Your Man," followed by a mournful version of "I Still Miss Someone," by Johnny's daughter, Rosanne Cash. Other surprises include neo-Southern rocker Travis Tritt's authoritative reading of "I Walk The Line," here taken as a mellow, super-slow ballad, and blues picker Keb Mo's haunting and similarly slow version of "Folson Prison Blues." Bob Dylan sings "Train Of Love," one of his own songs that Cash covered back in the politically polarized '60s, acknowledges Cash's open-minded approach to music making in a brief but heartfelt introduction. A couple of artists, like Hank Williams Jr. and Steve Earle, fail to surprise us, and an Emmylou Harris/Mary Chapin Carpenter/Sheryl Crow team-up on "Flesh and Blood" sounds perky and bland on a song that is deeply, smoulderingly erotic. On balance, though, this is the Cash tribute album we've all been waiting years for -- respectful, but adventuresome, giving Cash's work new resonance and depth, teasing out nuances that were easy to miss in Cash's rollicking original performances. Check it out!
Various Artists "MEMPHIS BELLES" THE WOMEN OF SUN RECORDS" (Bear Family, 2002)
This is an amazing and historically significant 6-CD set that gathers together all the songs ever recorded by female artists on the legendary Sun Records label during its brief and glorious reign in the early years of rock'n'roll. To be honest, these are mostly marginal performances, demo-y sessions from a flock of gals of variable talent, with material ranging from triplet-heavy pop vocals and proto-girl group weepers to awkward hillbilly numbers and a surprisingly solid cache of little-known blues sides. There was very little of the raw rockabilly that the label's male artists made so famous -- if you're looking for some obscure, unremembered Janis Martin or Wanda Jackson type, this set will come as a bit of a letdown. But as a glimpse into the creative process at Sun, hearing their house bands back up the gals is a pretty fascinating exercise -- and there are certainly several gems scattered throughout the collection. (These tunes could probably be condensed down to a single-disc set that would still have a mediocre air about it, but would give more bang for the buck. But then the authoritative, archival quality of the collection would be lost, and that would be a shame.) There are tantalizing glimpses of lost opportunities: some of the most promising rockers never really got a fair shot, gals like Gloria Brady, who apparently only got to record a handful of demos, but never waxed a proper single. Jerry Lee Lewis's little sister, Linda Gail Lewis emerges clearly ahead of the pack with a couple of ripsnorters, but really it's the forlorn, amateur-hour quality that makes many of these tracks so charming, and the clear emulation of other artists, particularly the heavy presence of Dinah Washington hovering over the robust vocals on the fourth disc, "Blues," and the taunting awareness of how much more vibrant --and more successful -- the sides recorded by the boys had been. The packaging of this set should also be noted... What the box set lacks in musical punch, it more than makes up for in scholarship and presentation -- the enclosed squarebound booklet is an impressive coffeetable collection, with copious liner notes and archival photos and extensive biographical entries for each of the artists. These gals might not have shaken up the world with their chart action, but they still occupy a unique and significant place in the heart of American popular culture, and this box set certainly does their legacy up right. If you're a 'Fifties rock or pop music fan, it's certainly worth checking this set out.
Various Artists "OLD-TIME MOUNTAIN BLUES: RURAL CLASSICS: 1927-1937" (County, 2003)
An outstanding set of hillbilly blues from the Depression era, including relatively well-known figures such as Dock Boggs, Sam McGee and Cliff Carlisle, as well as a slew of more obscure (but no less fantastic) rural pickers. The spirit of Jimmie Rodgers looms large over this collection; folks who dig the Delmore Brothers will appreciate this compilation, as it digs deeper into the tradition that they came out of... Great song selection and sound quality... This disc is a class act!
Various Artists "OLD-TIME TEXAS STRING BANDS, v.1: TEXAS FAREWELL" (County, 2001)
If you like squeaky fiddles -- and I mean really like really squeaky fiddles, then this collection is for you. Dunno what it was about them Lone Star fellers, but they did seem to love super-squeaky fiddlin', or at least they did back in 1928-29, when these old recordings were first waxed. The best-known player on here is the venerable Eck Robertson, but you may find yourself entranced by less well-known artists such as the Red Headed Fiddlers band, whose version of "Cheat 'Em" is an album standout, along with the "Three-In-One Two Step," by the East Texas Serenaders. The performances on here are uniformly archaic and perhaps a bit inaccessible for folks who are not already deeply into the old-time fiddle traditions... But for folks who are into it, this is a treasure trove.
Various Artists "PLAYBOY BOOGIE" (Krazy Kat, 2001)
Another one of the Krazy Kat gems, this time drawn from the catalog of Star-Talent Records, a teeny-tiny Dallas, Texas label that floated around the peripheries of the vibrant Big D Jamboree radio show in the late '40s and early '50s. The sound quality on most of these ancient recordings is fairly rough, but the material is priceless, capturing the rough-hewn, jovial mood of the early 'Fifties honkytonk crowd. As implied by the title, there's a bluesy streak throughout this disc, as well as a strong (but effective) penchant for novelty tunes. Most of the artists are real nonentities (which makes discovering them even more enjoyable) but the Talent label also had a few hits, notably by Riley Crabtree and Hoyle Nix. What marks this disc, though, is the sheer goofy fun of the songs -- it's well-programmed and very listenable. Recommended!
Various Artists "SHOULD HAVE BEEN HITS" (Koch/Little Darlin', 2005)
A fun, funky set of obscuro recordings, drawn from the bottom drawers of the dusty file cabinets at Aubrey Mayhew's long-defunct indie label, Little Darlin'. These artists are all super-nobodies -- Dugg Collins, The Herbert Brothers, Joe Pain, Eddie Reday? Yeah, right. Of course, that's the attraction here: this is stuff that's way off the Nashville radar, and while some of it's pretty weak, a lot of it is great. There's some rough and rugged hillbilly boogie (on the 1953 cut "Hot Rod Race, Navy Style," which features a young Roy Clark on guitar), plenty of mopey, boozy jukebox honkytonk from the '60s and '70s, some great novelty songs (notably "Problem Solving Doctor" by Roy Weldon and the fabulous, Tommy Collins-styled "Too Light To Fight, Too Thin To Win," by Lee Howell. There's also some lame stuff, like Merv Shiner's belated attempt to imitate Marty Robbins, alongside truly surprising material like Larry Steele's civil rights anthem, "Why Don't They Want Me..." Chances are you are never going to hear any of this stuff on the radio or Internet any time soon, and that this disc won't be around all that long, either... So if you dig oddball, obscure material, snap this one up. It's a country keeper.
Various Artists "SWINGBILLIES: HILLBILLY AND WESTERN SWING ON MODERN/COLONIAL/FLAIR - 1947-52" (Ace, 2003)
A fine collection of old-school hillbilly tunes released on the LA-based Modern label (and its affiliate labels, Colonial and Flair). Interesting story here: Modern was a blues and R&B label run by the Bihari brothers -- Saul, Jules, Lester and Joe -- that made a few postwar forays into the country field and, finding it profitable, delved deeper just as the West Coast country scene was beginning to gel in the late 1940s. Included in this raspy, unruly set are the earliest known recordings of steel guitar whiz Jimmy Bryant, Louisiana crooner Jimmy C. Newman, and two tracks by Bakersfield bandleader Bill Woods, whose band acted as the cradle for West Coast bigshots Billy Mize and Buck Owens. Like many of these old-time hillbilly boogie/western swing compilations, this is definitely an acquired taste -- but for connoisseurs, this is a real treat.
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!
Various Artists "TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC MAKERS v.2: HILLBILLY HOTSHOTS" (Magnet Publishing, 2002)
Let's hear it for copyright expirations! And for crazy British uber-collectors with lots of time on their hands. This Traditional Country series has soared up into the teens, but I picked up Volume 2 because the goofy song titles and high proportion of unfamiliar musicians made it look right up my alley. A handful of these artists have made it into the orbit of Bear Family and other ground-level labels -- Buddy Jones, Jess Willard, Texas Jim Lewis -- but others, such as Bob Eaton, Graham Bailey, Allen Flatt, etc. are a bit more of the beaten track. This is a nice set of oldies, burned (onto CDR, sorry) off of old 78s with good sound quality, and some of the sonic rough edges intentionally left intact -- no real skips or pops, but a nice, pleasant hiss that makes you feel like you've got the old Victrola cranked up on a Saturday night. This disc may be a little pricey for a CDR, but obscuro-country fans will be mighty happy to hear these odd old tunes. I'm not sure if the mailing address on the disc is accurate, but I bought this volume at Down Home Music and I think you can get other volumes in the series there as well. Recommended!
Various Artists "TREATING HER WRONG: SWEETHEART AND HEARTBREAK SONGS" (Jasmine, 2006)
For those of us interested in super-obscure hillbilly singers, and gal singers in particular, this disc is a real goldmine. The Beaver Valley Sweethearts? Betsy Gay? Jenny & Jill? Jeanie Peason? Never heard of 'em. Now, Melisa Monroe was the daughter of bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe and Margie Collie was Floyd Tillman's wife, but I'd never heard of them before, either. Charline Arthur and Helen Carter (of the Carter Family) are the most recognizable names... This isn't an earthshaking set, but it's genuine hillbilly music and the rediscovery of a slew of long-forgotten country gals is always a welcome thing, as far as I'm concerned... Good heartsongs and a few surprisingly rough honkytonk numbers as well... Worth checking out!
Various Artists "WANDERER'S SWING - TEXAS DANCE HALL MUSIC" (Krazy Kat, 1994)
Another awesome entry in this fab western swing/honkytonk series. If you're lucky, you've already heard of Jerry Irby and Eddie Miller... but Rip Ramsey, Dub Adams or Grouchy & The Texas Pioneers?? Forget it! Don't even try to tell me you've heard of these guys before! Sure, these old singles from the late '40s and early '50s, on labels like Groovy and Humming Bird, are an obscurophiles wet dream... but they also rock! Great old country music from also rans, would-bes and never-weres that still has as much wallop now as it did back then. Highly recommended!
Various Artists "WILL SING FOR FOOD: THE SONGS OF DWIGHT YOAKAM" (Mercury/Little Dog, 1998)
Pete Anderson, guitar player (and production wizard) for Dwight Yoakam's best efforts, organized this charity tribute album, with proceeds going to benefit the homeless (although I'm not sure which organizations were included; the CD doesn't say...) It's a nice album, though -- among the artists donating their time and talent are alt.hick and Top Country luminaries such as Kim Richey, Tim O'Brien, Sara Evans, David Ball, The Lonesome Strangers, The Blazers. Rhonda Vincent, and Bonnie Bramlett. Generally speaking, no one can do these songs as well as Dwight did the first time around, but these folks sure give it a go! Highlights include bluegrass neotraditionalist Rhonda Vincent pounding out "I Sang Dixie," and a typically sublime Gillian Welch/David Rawlings duet on "Miner's Prayer." Good stuff.
Hillbilly boogie and honkytonk music were two blues-influenced country styles that took off after the Second World War. Although hillbilly boogie was more obviously a temporary fad than honkytonk, both had tremendous influence on the growth of both country and popular music. Hillbilly boogie -- a driving, sometimes manic, guitar-based style -- was a clear precursor to the rockabilly and rock-and-roll sounds of the 1950s, particularly the enduring influence exerted by artists such as the Delmore Brothers, Hank Penny and The Maddox Brothers and Rose. Honkytonk, exemplified by early pioneers such as Ernest Tubb and Lefty Frizzell, was less stylistically confined and soon became the basis for modern country music. During the late 1950s, facing intense sales competition from legions of greasy-haired Elvis clones, Nashville watered down the honkytonk, and offered the poppy compromise known as "The Nashville Sound".
Various Artists "SWING WEST! v.1: BAKERSFIELD" (Razor & Tie, 1999)
