Search - David Allan Coe :: Tattoo / Family Album

My daddy called this chip-kicking music!

06/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"And he was right, though these are also two of DAC'S more subdued albums with a passionate spiritual-romantic theme running through most of the songs. And overall it's low on the violence and kink scale- and a good introduction for the uninitiated to his audacious talent. Of course, it contains all the elements you'd expect from perfect Country & Western music: mentions of mama, trains, prison, Mormons and getting drunk(some together in the same song)- a couple of recitations(spoken word bits)- some of his heartfelt impressions of other country singers -and lots of pedal steel and fiddle. Any fanatic of hardcore country should own it!



In fact, I would recommend any of the other five(5) Bear Family recordings- which together with this one* -collect a dozen of his prime 1970's Columbia albums as twofers-along with assorted B-sides. These are the ones that made him famous- not infamous. You've heard the singles- now collect the original recordings they came from. You'll have to hide these from your friends because they will want to borrow them!



This German label even created some original covers from promotional photos, and included the original album covers and all the lyrics inside. Well done! Hey, some of the music in these recordings are obviously better than others BUT I'd have trouble rating any of them down.



You'll be glad to hear that the sound is clear and crisp and made for cranking up LOUD, so that the neighbors will know you have good taste. I wouldn't want to be the friend of anyone who couldn't revel at every minute of these recordings! Like the works of Shakespeare- you'll wonder how one man could have had this much vision. I'm glad I listened to daddy.



*There are now at least 11 of these Bear Family Two-fers w/ extra tracks that are all well-worth hearing and often surprising!*



Garrison...Texas Valley, Georgia"

Two classics from the seventies

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 01/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although David has had plenty of problems through the years, it appears that he was content with life when he recorded these albums. There are fewer of the darker songs that you'll find plenty of on his other albums, although even here sadness is never far away.



The first album of this twofer, Tattoo, opens brightly with Just to prove my love for you and Face to face, a couple of upbeat songs. These are followed by a couple of sad ballads, You'll always live inside to me (an ode to a former partner) and Play me a sad song. The next track, Daddy was a God-fearing man, is an upbeat tribute to his father.



Canteen of water is a very sad song about an old couple although the lyrics of the song are unclear. Maria is a mystery, despite its title, is much clearer - it is about a man fantasizing about Maria. Just in time to watch love die is one of those woman-leaves-man songs, but in this case the man knows it's definitely his fault. Several singers have covered San Francisco Mabel Joy, a very sad Mickey Newbury song about two of life's losers, including Joan Baez, John Denver and Kenny Rogers. The Tattoo album concludes with a much lighter song, Hey Gypsy.



The second album of this twofer, Family album, includes David's own version of Take this job and shove it, which he wrote for Johnny Paycheck. Johnny had a country number one hit with it before David's version appeared. Of the other songs here, Divers do it deeper (a catchy, upbeat song) may be the most familiar.



The other great songs here are the title track (dedicated to the two women who David regards as his two mothers - David explains that he was raised a Mormon), Million dollar memories (which he dedicates to Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley and Gary Stewart), Houston Dallas San Antone (dedicated to Charley Pride), I've got to have you (Willie Nelson), Whole lot of lonesome (dedicated to George Jones and Tammy Wynette because of their divorce), Bad impressions (dedicated to the country singers who influenced David - Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Marty Robbins, Freddy Hart, Johnny Paycheck, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash), Heavenly father holy mother (dedicated to all Mormons) and If I could climb the walls of this bottle (co-written by Dan Seals who at the time was part of England Dan and John Ford Coley, but became a major country star of the eighties).



So here you get two excellent albums from a brilliant traditional country singer, sounding generally upbeat, at least by his standards."