Search - Gene Autry, Louise Massey, Rosalie Allen :: Don't Fence Me in

Very good overall, but with a couple of clunkers

02/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is an excellent sampler of early cowboy music by Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tex Ritter, Sons of the Pioneers, etc. I stopped "one star short" in my rating, however, because of two tracks that I wish were different. The obligatory comic relief is provided by a song titled "Wa-Hoo", in which a member of the band shouts out these words at various story-related places (e.g., what Anthony said when he first saw Cleopatra!). The song is neither cowboy nor amusing. Keep that remote control handy. The next track, by Elton Britt(?), was recorded in 1954, more than a decade later than the average date of the other pieces. Not only is the performance style more modern, the sound quality--full and resonant--comes as a shock after your ears get adjusted to the lean sound of the other tracks. I would rather have heard an earlier work by this artist. Aside from these admittedly minor nits that I felt obliged to pick, the disc is a lot of fun. It also includes a truly beautiful, haunting song (Dusty Skies) by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Listeners who might be deterred because they don't like the "Country Swing" style of Bob Wills need not fear. This is one of the prettiest, most moving western songs I have ever heard. If the recording were on vinyl, the track would get worn out quickly from repeated playing. One more point: The sound of even the oldest pieces is great and approaches demonstration quality when one considers their age. In summary, a highly recommended collection that could have been even better and probably will be most enjoyed by die-hard fans of cowboy music."