Onie Wheeler "Onie's Bop" (Bear Family, 1991)
Although this disc is not as rowdy as the title would imply, it's still pretty tasty... Wheeler was one of those unreconstructable hick artists, who sounded more back-woods country than seems humanly possible, with debts to Lefty Frizzell early in his career, and broad swipes of the Ernest Tubb sound later on... When he started out in the early '50s, he was actually more polished than his mid-'50s material. Wheeler couldn't quite rock out the way some '50s honkytonkers tried to during the rockabilly era, although he did briefly wind up on the Sun label after a short stint on Columbia failed to produce any real hits... Specializing in light novelty songs, Wheeler wasn't a particularly dazzling lyricist, but his vocals are compelling. Junior Brown fans, in particular, might enjoy Wheeler's ET-like growls.... This is yet another Bear Family disc that no one else would put out, or produce with such loving care. Worth checking out!

Whiskeytown - see alt.country guide

Keith Whitley "Sad Songs & Waltzes" (Rounder, 2000)
Wow. A stunning, superior set of penetratingly soulful hard country heartsongs and pure, undying weepers. This disc is a reissue of Whitley's 1982 album, Somewhere Between, which marked Whitley's transition from a country-drenched bluegrasser to a rising Nashville idol. And you can see why: the disc starts out with his soul-crushing cover version of Lefty Frizzell's late period masterpiece, "I Never Go Around Mirrors," and just gets better from there. With his deep, mournful tones and heartfelt delivery, Whitley proves himself a masterful honkytonk singer, easily on a par with the elders he tips his hat towards... His later Top 40 work would soften things up a bit, but these sessions with bluegrass buddy J.D. Crowe filling in as producer, and together they nail it. In addition to the ten original tracks from the '82 album, this disc includes five previously unreleased songs, and each of them's a gem. Whitley doesn't pepper this disc with stylistic variations or concessions to the high-tech sounds of the time: it's just pure country from start to finish. Highly recommended. (For more Keith Whitley reviews, see my Commercial Country section.)

Slim Whitman "Vintage Collections" (Capitol Vintage, 1996)
He hit it big in the early 1950s with a few choice songs, but even bigger in the early '80s when his TV-only best-of album sold over a million copies (!) and made Whitman's a household name again... Hard country fans can be forgiven for looking askance at Whitman's accomplishments and his ouvre: his thin, emotionally flat, milquetoast yodel can almost be seen as a parody of country music, and likewise his steel guitar player's simplistic lines sound more like someone playing a lumber saw than a proper steel player. But hey, it's hard to argue with success -- Whitman was one of country music's stalwart players throughout the 'Fifties, and despite the stylistic drabness and mainstream pop inclinations, these clunky old recordings may grow on you after a while. This is a first-rate collection of all his best material, including "Song Of The Waterfall," "Indian Love Call," "Secret Love" and other early classics. If you want to check Whitman out, this disc ought to just about cover it.

Cody Widner "Right Where I Belong" (CW Records, 2003)
Hill-country Texas honkytonker Cody Widner has a smoky, smooth voice, and plenty of great original material, packed with no-nonsense fiddle-and-steel arrangements and a bright-eyed enthusiasm that recalls the glory years of George Strait, a Lone Star legend who flew the coop for the bright lights of Nashville, just as Widner might, if he plays his cards right. For now, though, let's be thankful he's keepin' it country and that the spirit of independent twang is alive and well in Texas. The opening song on this album is a real doozy: "He's Right Where I Belong" is as fine and as catchy a hard country shuffle as you're ever gonna hear; anyone who can record a country song that good deserves our full attention. Other tracks sound a little less confident and convincing, but overall this is a pretty strong album, consistently engaging and charmingly sincere. Widner's guitarist, Benny MacArthur, contributes a couple of tunes, but most of the songs were penned by Widner. This isn't as well-produced as his next album, but it's still pretty nice. If you're into tracking down independently released country artists, this is an album you won't want to miss. (For more info on this album, check out Widner's website: www.codywidnercountry.com )

Cody Widner "Honky Tonk Heart" (Dreamkeeper, 2005)
Another fine, fine, independently released "red dirt" honkytonk album. Rhythm guitarist Benny McArthur emerges as a powerful songwriter, a fella who seems to be yet another undiscovered major talent, tucked away in the lil' ol' Lone Star State. The album opens with a song they wrote together, "Drinkin' Doubles (Every Single Night)" that sets the tone for the entire album, a traditional-sounding honkytonk tune with understated fiddle-and-steel arrangements and well-chiseled lyrics. From there on out, it's smooth sailing, one great song after another, with Widner recalling the glory years of George Strait, Merle Haggard and any other hard-country hero you'd care to remember... There are several great songs on here, including "When The Smoke Clears" and the title track, "Honky Tonk Heart," written by Russell Smith... The album closes with the humorous McArthur-penned "What Time Does The Band Start," which is probably the best song about about singing tough gigs in tiny dives since Robb Strandlund's "Just Another Country Song": you can practically taste the beer-soaked cigarette butts at the foot of the bar and hear the whoo-hoooos from here. Whoo-hoo, indeed. Check this guy out while you get a chance; although you can easily imagine him making the bump up to mainstream Top 40 success, Widner's still keepin' it real and keepin' it country, giving us hope for the future of honkytonk music.

Wilco - see alt.country guide

Jess Willard "Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor" (Bear Family, 2000)
Willard is one of those inexplicably attractive figures in hard country history - so craggy and odd that his authenticity is undeniable, so boisterous and upbeat that his songs are irresistible. This is real hillbilly stuff -- Willard was an unruly and unrestrained singer, but a guy whose every bark and yowlp projected immense enthusiasm. These beer-drenched Capitol recordings from the early 'Fifties are certainly material you're not likely to hear anywhere else any time soon... So take my advice: track this one down and check it out.

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 martyr, 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!

Curley Williams & His Georgia Peach Pickers "Swing And Boogie Time With..." (Binge Disc, 2002)
This single-disc collection has a lot of overlap with the Bear Family discs above, gathering all of the Peach Pickers' best known songs, with over two dozen tracks total... There are two songs on here that don't appear on either of the BF sets, "Oh, Monah" and "Puttin' On The Style," as well as several alternate versions of several songs, lifted from old live TV performances. If you're looking to slim down your record collection, you might not need both this and the Bear collections, but if you just can't help yourself and gotta dig as deep into the Curley Williams ouvre as possible, then this is a must-have.

Hank Williams - see artist profile

Lucinda Williams - see artist discography

Tex Williams And His Western Caravan "Vintage Collections" (Capitol, 1996)
In the 1940s, Williams was a star performer in 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 (which samples his later career, in the early 1960s) but it's still a pretty spiffy collection.

Tex Williams "That's What I Like About The West" (ASV, 2001)
Novelty-oriented Californian western swing, featuring the jovial vocals of Spade Cooley's former lead singer... Williams set out on his own after WWII, and had hits of his own, notably "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette" and the cheerfully misogynistic "Never Trust A Woman." This brisk collection gathers 25 of his best recordings from 1944-49, including several with the Spade Cooley Orchestra, and plenty more from the years that followed. Williams had kind of a raspy voice, which sometimes precluded him from singing serious heartsongs (but not always, as a few tracks on this disc demonstrate...) but when it came to humorous, half-recited novelty ditties, he was the king. Admittedly, the schtick can wear thin, but for the most part it's still pretty fun... There have been other fine Tex Williams retrospectives before, this is one of the liveliest, with little-known gems usch as "Wild Card," "Ham & Eggs" and "Who? Me?" as well as the lofty "Artistry In Western Swing," a countrified cover of Stan Kenton's groundbreaking jazz-classical crossovers of the late '40s. Nice record... definitely recommended!

Bobby Williamson "Sh-Boom! (Life Could Be A Dream)" (Bear Family, 2007)
Here's another hillbilly who-dat, rescued from the brink of oblivion by the good people at Bear Family... Best remembered for his twanged-up cover of the doo-wop classic, "Sh-Boom," "Texas" Bobby Williamson was a regionally successful country cat and veteran of the Dallas-based Big "D" Jamboree radio show who recorded for a few years in the early 1950s, then faded from sight. This disc collects all his recordings for RCA from 1951-54... It's generally marginal material, mainly because Williamson was (to be honest) a marginal singer. There are some charming songs, though, especially original material written by Williamson himself, notably "Just Skip It" and "A Little Bit Of This (A Little Bit Of That)." The funny thing is, while the vocals are a bit iffy, Williamson's band was pretty sharp -- indeed, if they'd been a little more ragged and rough-hewn this disc might be more fun, in that way that the best old hillbilly music can be, but with a slew of Nashville studio cats backing him up, Williamson's vocals sound a bit out of place. This is actually one of the few Bear Family sets that I've purchased but not kept in my collection... Don't let that dissuade you, though: fans of old obscuro-country tunes should still check it out for themselves.

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!

Kelly Willis - see artist discography

Bob Wills - see artist discography

Smoky Woods "The Houston Hipster" (Rambler, 1991)
A classic country ne'er-do-well and legendary screw-up, western swingster Smoky Woods had the distinction of singing about his passtimes -- 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.

Jimmy Work "Making Believe" (Bear Family, 1993)
Like many Southerners, songwriter Jimmy Work headed up to Detroit looking for work during the Second World War, and was lucky enough to land a gig singing on a local radio station. A prolific compser, Work made his mark both as a hillbilly singer and as a songsmith, eventually racking up a couple of Top Ten hits and penning several songs that became some of the biggest hits of a generation. His biggest success was "Making Believe," which was recorded by Kitty Wells at the height of her fame (and revived by Emmylou Harris in the 1970s); he also wrote "That's What Makes The Jukebox Play" (a hit for himself, and later for Jimmie Skinner) and "Tennessee Border," which was recorded by several top stars in the early '50s. This 2-CD set, which reprises two LPs that came out in the '80s, gathers nearly fifty of his recordings from 1945-59, nearly all of them songs written by Work himself. Compared to the rollicking honkytonk and hillbilly boogie artists of the time, Work's style is smooth and subdued, but it's undeniably real hillbilly music (not countrypolitan) and the softer approach fits his modest vocal talents. If you're on the right wavelength, this is pretty sweet stuff, and a rare chance to hear the entire career of a country craftsman, pretty much from start to finish. Recommended!

Hick Music Index