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Don Walser Songs (add music)No songs available for this artist.Don Walser BioHere's to Country Music is Don Walser's 1999 CD. He has an original song about Jimmie Rodgers on this album, as well as great traditional numbers by Hank Thompson, Marty Robbins, and Floyd Tillman. Walser comments about many of the songs in the liner notes, and says, "The roots of country music are intact, but there are only a few leaves left on the tree." He is doing his part in keeping the great music of yesterday alive with this album.
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Don Walser's 1998 album, Down at the Sky-Vue Drive-in, is dedicated to his wife of 46 years, Patricia Jane. Those facts alone tell you a lot about the man. He plays traditional music in a cutting edge world. He sings songs that are 50 years old. He yodels and gets away with it. Don Walser and his Pure Texas Band represent the preservation of a genre. "You let the roots die," he says, "and you lose the whole darn tree." Walser grew up in Lamesa and he plays his music the way he heard it on the radio in Lamesa back in high school. He spent nearly 40 years in the National Guard, making a living for his family, and only at the age of 60 did he begin devoting full time to the music he'd loved all his life. His 1994 disc, Rolling Stone From Texas, contained eight covers, including songs originally recorded by Jimmie Rodgers, Marty Robbins, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Willie Nelson. He's not a cover artist, however. He takes old songs that many country fans don't know and makes them his own, and he also writes his own music. He says of his songwriting, "I'm not prolific, but sometimes I write good songs, even great songs." He released Archive I and Archive II in 1995 and Texas Top Hand in 1996. He moved to Austin in 1984, spent ten years putting together his Pure Texas Band, and considers what has happened since then to be pure fun. He enjoys people watching from his position on the stage and gets a kick out of playing in towns where he worked before he "retired." He plays regular gigs in Austin at Jovita's, Threadgills and the Broken Spoke. Find his biography, performance dates, and complete information on every album at Don Walser's website. You will also find information about him on the Nancy Fly Agency site. |
Don Walser's Albums
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Don Walser Album Review:
Pure Texas, pure delight at 2002-07-24 This album is an absolute gem! If youve never heard Don Walser, get this album. If you have heard him, get this album - its a collection of his best. Walser has one of the clearest voices youll ever hear - his falsetto voice and his yodels send chills down my spine. The album contains a variety of styles and genres, all united by the authenticity of Walsers Texas voice. His version of Rose Marie, with the Kronos Quartet, is magic. We Could, You and I, with Crystal Gayle, is pure country (not Nashville!) Big Balls in Cowtown is pure Walser! You can envision Don at the Broken Spoke, a classic Texas honky-tonk in Austin, and at Carnegie Hall. If youre ever in Austin, catch him at the Spoke. If not, get this album - the next best thing. Don Walser Album Review: DARE TO DREAM at 2006-07-28 THIS IS ABOUT DON WALSER CDs ALL I CAN SAY IS I LUV TO HEAR DON W. SING ANYTHING HE WILL SING AND MOST OF ALL HE SURE CAN YODEL. TROUBLE IS OUT OF ALL THE YODELERS I HAVE PLUS HAVE LISTEN TO I DONT KNOW WHICH HAS THE OTHER OUT YODELD, HA. OVER ALL I LOVE ALL YODELERs. WELL ENUFF IS ENUFF SAID HERE.TRY HIM OUT, YOU;LL LUV HIM. TOO. Don Walser Album Review: Wake up Country Posers! at 2004-12-12 This album is pretty cool and Don Walser has an amazing voice because he can yodel with the best of them. I do not know if he is as good as that yodeling guy from Montana but this is a real country album, sorry Rascall Chesney but keep singing about peaking in high school. Okay so you have yodeling, western swing, and some real traditional ballads. The album starts off with and ends with Rolling Stone from Texas, and it sounds like he pulled out a recording from his younger days on the last track. I guess this is his signature song, if so its a dang good one partner. Some of my favorite songs on this album are The John Deere Tractor Song, which is a quite fun loving song. Riding around on a tractor is pretty fun in my opinion. I love Walsers version of Please Help me Im falling its really good. This is a good song for driving out in the middle of nowhere and looking up under the stars. Walser has such a versatile vocal range and command of his material. This guy is definitely a gem. Arkansas is another great song even if Arkasnas the state still leaves a lot to be desired. The song is simply beautiful and if you love and admire Arkanasas no doubt you will love it. There are a ton of enchanting songs on this album, and if I was even more of a Texas or Western Swing fan this would get five stars. If you are from Texas and you dont like or have never heard of Don Walser, sorry you are not a real Texan. Good job Don Walser! |
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Don Walser Album Review:
Great album, good ol songs at 1999-09-10 As a fellow Lamesa, Texan now residing in Tucson, AZ I really enjoy this kind of music. Good singer and yodeler. Reminds me of oltime country. |
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Don Walser Album Review:
A jewel of an artist at 1999-05-09 Whether country-swing or just good olfashioned yodeling, Don Walser can do it all. Reminiscent of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, its really countrys loss that Don is so-late discovered. Want a taste of Blue Grass or heart-wrenching country, this album provides it all. Don Walser Album Review: Rolling Stone from Texas at 2004-09-07 I heard this song while grocery shopping -- they had the movie playing and went WOW!!! You are really missing out, this is great music!!!! A great find, on the order of the music from Oh Brother Where Art Thou -- where has this music been :) Don Walser Album Review: CROWN JEWEL OF TEXAS at 2000-06-05 We Texans are a mixed-up lot; sometimes we just dont have our priorities straight. In this Great State we will MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH to preserve the (sometimes perverse) spectacle of High School Football but do next to nothing to preserve the historical, cultural and literary traditions of our state, (and we wont even mention the wholesale ignorance of Texas rich Hispanic heritage). Don Walser is a cultural treasure of our state and his recordings are keeping alive a beautiful Texas musical tradition. If youre not familiar with old fashioned Texas crooning, youre in for a treat. Don Walser Album Review: What A Treasure Of Texas at 2005-03-14 Im afraid Im just getting on the Don Walser wagon. If you got to see Second Hand Lion, In the closing credits they played Rolling Stone From Texas. I loved this Movie and was sure this would be on the Soundtract CD, But no. So now I own the Don Walser Cd. A great collection of country swing and old favorites. A very great cover of Dont Worry and Thats Why Im Walkin. A great voice and wonderful Yodeling. Keep playing and singing Don. Its great. Jerry From Texas Don Walser Album Review: Southern music hasnt been hiding! at 2005-03-03 This album, along with many, many others are descendants of Bob Willis and the Texas Playboys, among others, who were themselves descendants of Pickers who honed their music and their identity in the woods, plains, and lowlands of the South. Its not just a musical genre, it a way of life. Keep listening, Mary from New York, weve always been here. |
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Don Walser Album Review:
Don Walser is a true Americana gem... at 2000-10-04 With the release of I Hold You in My Heart, Don Walser continues his long tradition of recording true, American heritage music. His work is akin to barbeques, children smiling and pickin up a handful of dirt. He music is authentic and real. Another quality record from the one of a kind, Don Walser. Don Walser Album Review: The Best at 2000-10-05 Don Walser is a unique American talent. This is a great CD. Don is backed by a great group of musicians. Howard Kalish plays fiddle and guitar, and the steel guitar player is great. But everyone is outstanding.Buy it! Don Walser Album Review: The real sound of Don Walser at 2000-10-08 Except for the title track this album features Don and his band as you might hear them at any live show. The yodels are still there as well as the songwriting skills of Don and fiddler Howard Kalish. When was the last time you heard Springtime In the Rockies? Don Walser Album Review: Don Holds My Heart, But The CD Let Me Down at 2001-02-03 I fell in love with I Will Hold You In My Heart from the film THE HI-LO COUNTRY. I ran out and picked up the movie CD just for that one song! I expected the other songs of Dons CD to have the same caliber and seamlessness that I Will Hold You In My Heart does. Unfortunately, it doesnt. It has more of a live sound than a studio feel. I will do my best to appreciate the other tracks, for Don truly is the genuine article; he gives us his heart in his music. Dons God given talent, grace and love of the Old West, in I Will Hold You In My Heart, is truly evident. But, I encourage Don Walser, as a new fan, to find a producer and engineer who can give him the chance to render the same effortless, lyrical and embracing music that the Martin Scorsese/Carter Burwell studio mix gave him in THE HI-LO COUNTRY. He deserves it and so do his fans! Don Walser Album Editorial: This is the most live-sounding Don Walser album yet no doubt because for the first time in many years hes backed in the studio by his own Pure Texas Band (the sole exception is the title song originally cut for the movie IHi-Lo Country). The opening Yodeling the Blues which features some of Dons most rambunctious yodeling--on the first try he pushes to the outer reaches of and almost past his range--sets the tone with tracks like El Paso Cowboy settling effortlessly into his West Texas honky-tonk swing groove. Walser mixes it up a bit with Rock-A-Billy Rage (more boogie than billy actually) and puts a Lone Star spin on classic Bakersfield with the original Buck and Merle and a cover of Haggards Hungry Eyes. The rhythm section is solid the soloists are short snappy and swinging and if you think this stuff is retro you havent spent a Saturday night in a small-town Texas dance hall. John Morthland |
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Don Walser Album Review:
Im surprised that Im the first reviewer! at 2000-03-09 Don Walser has one of the most recognizable voices in country music - strong, loud, and crystal clear - and his yodeling is outstanding. I say hes recognizable because once you hear him, you wont forget him, but youre not likely to hear him on your average country station. Why? Because the modern country stations wont play this for fear of alienating the spoon-fed general public. Its really sad to hear the garbage that passes for country music these days, while the great songs and styles of yesteryear are now regarded as alt-country. Thank goodness that Don Walser and a few others are keeping the true spirit of country music alive. That said, this CD is a great selection of older tunes that Walser listened to on the radio while growing up. He always does a great job in his selction of songs, as well as the ones he pens himself. Theres not much of his first-class yodeling on this release, but the music and production is top notch, and it has a bit more depth than his other releases. But hey, try them all! Don Walser Album Editorial: Don Walser has a unique approach to Top 40 country music: he plays the top country songs from 40 years ago (or longer). IHeres to Country Music includes such vintage favorites as Bob Willss Sugar Moon Floyd Tillmans It Makes No Difference Now Red Foleys Tennessee Saturday Night and Marty Robbinss At the End of a Long Lonely Day. In Hank Thompsons title track the singer wonders why hes hearing rock roll on his country radio station bringing an old complaint up to date. This album was recorded in Nashville with such veteran studio hands as steel guitarist Buddy Emmons and fiddler Buddy Spicher along with guest vocalists Crystal Gayle and Teddy Wilburn. While theres less here of the daredevil yodeling that has made Walser a legend among alt-country audiences hes still the best damn cowboy singer in Texas with a sky-high range that erases the distinction between opera and opry. Rick Mitchell |
