Search - Asleep at the Wheel :: Reinventing the Wheel

The Wheel rolls on ... and it's all good

Terry Mathews | a small town in east Texas | 03/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"During their impressive 36-year run as Texas' premiere Western Swing band, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have not rested on the laurels of their considerable talents. They continue to push the boundaries of what defines their unique genre. On their new CD, "Reinventing the Wheel," Benson and the band show their fans how Western Swing should be done.



"I asked the band to step up to the plate with the new album," Benson said. "Jason (Roberts) and Elizabeth (McQueen) really delivered."



The first cut is a rare Bob Wills tune, "The Devil Ain't Lazy." It features a rip-roaring turn by the Blind Boys of Alabama. (Think The Mills Brothers meet a steel guitar.) I dare you not to smile while listening.



Benson's bad boy image will surely be solidified with his turn on "Your Mind is on Vacation." Van Morrison might have cut the Mose Allison tune first, but Benson sure puts his stamp on it. Da-Da-Da-Dum. "If silence was golden, you couldn't raise a dime./Your mind is on vacation and your mouth is working overtime." Da-Da-Da-Dum.



The band has a new girl singer and she is a keeper. Elizabeth McQueen's voice dances across the tunes on bright, shiny tippy toes. She lights up "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine" and she gets a chance to wail on "I'm an Old Cowhand." She earned some new fans, based on the crowd's enthusiastic reactions the last three times I've seen them.



She and Roberts team up on "You're My Sugar," a toe-tapping number with some great guitar licks and some pretty fast fiddling.



The band rocks on the instrumental "Pop a Wheelie" as they get a chance to strut their musical stuff. Benson wrote the tune, which features Rolf Sieker on banjo.



The group tips its hat to Bob Wills with a fine rendition of "Misery." Roberts, who has developed the ability to channel Wills' melancholy, can make his fiddle weep. The harmonies are filled with blue lonesome. Wills and Tommy Duncan, who co-wrote the song, would be proud.



"Hot Like That" is a great new two-stepping tune from Benson. My money says this one will become a crowd favorite. It's perfect for a Saturday night on the town. Hot. Hot. Hot. The band's take on the 1949 Louis Jordan classic, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" will also make you want to scoot your boots across the sawdust on the hardwood floors.



"This Old Cowboy" is the perfect road trip turn. Benson's jazz roots make a strong showing on this 1974 Marshall Tucker Band cover . . . and it's all good. Put the top down, grab your sunshades and head down the open road. Roberts' fiddle is outstanding in the quick break. The song is just as good live ... wow!



The Wheel's cover of Guy Clark's 1995 tune "The Cape" closes the CD. Clark's introspective lyrics and Benson's soulful interpretation are like Irish coffee after a really fine meal -- immensely satisfying and a perfect way to end the evening. "He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith./ Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape." It was a real treat to hear them do the song live Friday night. It's a soulful song, and Benson took his time to let the lyrics sink in.



Asleep at the Wheel has spent three decades as the champions of Texas Swing, and as they prove with this new CD, their place at the top of the heap is safe and secure. They've just returned from a 15 city tour with Willie, Merle and Ray Price. Would have loved to have been a fly on THOSE tour buses!



Enjoy!



"

"A high caliber of muscianship"

G. Thorson | Maryland United States | 04/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Those are the words that AATW's new vocalist/guitarist Elizabeth McQueen used on joining the group. Heck this whole band is 1st chair/session caliber players that hone their musical craft night after night live across the USA. IMO this is one of their top 3 CD's ever, the other two being "Western Standard Time" & "A Ride With Bob". For a long time fan of AATW Brother Ray Benson, Elizabeth McQueen, Jason Roberts, Eddie Rivers,David Miller, John Michael Whitby & David Sanger are musicians, musicians. Buy this CD, see the play a "Ride With Bob", but above all else catch them LIVE. You WILL be amazed!"

Absolutely Unbelievable!!!

G. Griffin | Alexandria, Va. | 07/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most talentless, unmusical groups of the year. The drumming guaranteed to send you up the wall. Absolutely Unbelievable!!!! Oh, sorry--I got these guys confused with Coldplay. AATW can always be counted on to deliver a solid, polished, and listenable recording. This one is no exception. Like Morton salt, AATW should be on every table and in every home. Buy your copy today!!!!"