Search - Al Dexter :: Pistol Packin Mama

25 tracks from one of C&W's major stars during the 1940's

Bradley Olson | Bemidji, MN United States | 06/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation features 25 classics from one of country music's most popular artists during the 1940's. Among them are 15 out of his 16 biggest hits on the charts including the classic title track; Rosalita; Guitar Polka; It's Up To You; Down at The Roadside Inn; Rock and Rye Rag; Wine, Women and Song; Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry and I'm Losin' My Mind Over You. The title track was one of World War II's biggest hits and was also covered by other artists such as Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, Gene Vincent and Frank Sinatra. The sound on this compilation, mastered from original 78's, is pristine and is definitely worth the money, despite the fact that the #11 hit Calico Rag is missing from the collection, but otherwise this all you'd ever want from Al and his Troopers and this is the only CD collection on Al ever released."

Another Country Hall Of Fame Oversight

Bradley Olson | 09/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Al Dexter was among those pure "Hillbilly" artists whose music, because it appealed to a wide spectrum of audiences. put that genre on the national map, so to speak. He is also reputedly responsible for the term "Honky Tonk" becoming widespread in Country music following his 1937 song Honky Tonk Blues [about raucous beer halls].



When his seminal self-penned Pistol Packin' Mama hit the scene in early 1944, the first year of the Billboard Country charts (then called Most Played Juke Box Folk Records, but we'll just call them Country here for ease of reference), it rocketed to # 1 on those charts [where it stayed for three weeks], # 1 on the Pop charts, AND # 5 on the Harlem Hit Parade [now the R&B charts]. The flipside, Rosalita, was also a winner, rising to # 1 Country and # 22 Pop, and in 22 months the disc sold over 3,000,000 copies!! Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters would also take it to # 1 Country (for five weeks), # 2 Pop, and # 3 R&B, so to say it touched a nerve with the public would be putting it mildly.



To show that that was no fluke, he repeated the pattern with his next five hits: So Long Pal (# 1 Country for THIRTEEN weeks) b/w Too Late To Worry - # 1 Country for two weeks and # 18 Pop - in May 1944); I'm Losing My Mind Over You - # 1 Country for SEVEN weeks b/w I'll Wait For You Dear - # 2 Country - in February 1945); Triflin' Gal - # 2 Country b/w I'm Lost Without You - # 5 Country in September 1945).



At this stage Columbia decided to move him from their Okeh subsidiary to their main label, just in time for Guitar Polka - # 1 Country for SIXTEEN weeks and # 16 Pop b/w Honey, Do You Think It's Wrong - # 2 Country - in April 1946, and Wine, Women & Song - # 1 Country for five weeks b/w It's Up To You - # 3 Country - in October 1946.



Things slowed down a bit for Al in 1947 when Kokomo Island was the only side of his first hit that year to chart, going to # 4 Country in January (the flip was I Learned About Love - not in this set). The same applied to 1947 hit number two when Down At the Roadside Inn also peaked at # 4 Country in May/June while the B-side, My Love Goes With You, did not chart (it's also not here). His lowest charter then came in July 1948 when Rock And Rye Rag topped out at # 14 Country b/w the instrumental I'm Leaving My Troubles Behind [not here].



As another reviewer points out, his last charted hit, Calico Rag (# 11 Country in September 1948) has also been omitted, along with its flipside Rose Of Mexico [It's not in the other Al Dexter CD advertised either]. Why anyone would put out a 25-selection compilation and leave off one hit, never mind the missing B-sides, is beyond me. Is this some form of "producer torture?" For that reason I had to reluctantly deduct one star.



Clarence Albert Poindexter died at age 81 on January 28, 1984, never to see his name enshrined in the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Shame on them."