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Texas: A Musical Celebration... 150 Years
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Texas: A Musical Celebration... 150 Years at 2005-09-17
Track Listing:1. Asleep At The Wheel: Miles And Miles Of Texas2. T. Gozney Thornton: Strawberry Stallion 3. Rusty Wier: Dont It Make You Wanna Dance4. Ruben Y Alfonso Ramos And The Texas Revolution: La Bamba5. Karen Kraft: Feets 6. Mickey Newbury: Wish I Was 7. Rusty Wier: Black-Eyed Susan 8. Eliza Gilkyson: Rosie Strike Back9. Alex Harvey: Ruben James 10. Ray Wylie Hubbard: Texas Is A State Of Mind11. Mack Abernathy: Pocket Rocket Ranger 12. Roy Head: Treat Her Right13. Johnny Dee And The Rocket 88s: Why Do Foods Fall In Love?14. Skeet Anglin: So Long 15. Ray Wiley Hubbard: Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother16. Johnny Gimble: Under The X In Texas 17. Ruben Y Alfonso Ramos And The Texas Revolution: Volver Volver18. Alex Harvey: Going Home
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Wonderful Western Swing Collection at 2004-02-21
If you are a fan of western swing, you have more than likely listened to Asleep at the Wheel. If you are looking for a definitive, modern western swing collection, this is it. Asleep at the Wheel does the music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys with a passion. George Strait, Alan Jackson and Mark Chesnutt all throw a little swing in on each album, but Asleep at the Wheel makes western swing their genre. Recently, they have given us two great Bob Wills tribute albums filled with duets with superstars of country and rock. Now, they give us their very best selections from over thrity years of swinging. Asleep at the Wheel is one of those bands that has been critically acclaimed yet all but ignored by radio. After winning eight Grammies and still being a stranger to the Top 10, Asleep at the Wheel still has a great time on stage and they still make great music for the sake of making great music. This album is about great music and it is filled the greatest these guys have put out. There are many highlights on the album. It would actually be safe to say that they whole album is one huge highlight. One of the most fun tunes is the Sugarfoot Rag, which has Brad Paisley picking his guitar. Another great Asleep at the Wheel and Bob Wills classic is Big Balls in Cowtown and its inclusion on the album is more than just a song. The mandolin on this song is actually played by Johnny Gimble, who was fiddler for the Texas Playboys. Hearing Johnny Gimble play is a dreamlike experience and it definitely does great things for this album. Also included is a cover of one of the greatest Bob Wills songs of all time, Take Me Back To Tulsa. Take Me Back To Tulsa is one of the greatest demonstrations of twin fiddles as the strings playfully wrap around one another. The band pays homage to Texas with several songs, including Boogie Back to Texas, Miles and Miles of Texas and Texas Me and You. Another high point for the album is the opening song, The Letter (That Johnny Walker Read). It was recorded in 1975 during the very early days of Asleep at the Wheel and has a unique Tex-Mex sound that sets it apart from the other songs on the album. Each selection on the album was hand picked from the vast Asleep at the Wheel catalog of music and each song has its own special features. Asleep at the Wheel deserves so much credit for keeping western swing and the music of Bob Wills alive. They are one of the hardest working bands in the business, playing night after night all over the country, putting smiles on faces and making music that people love to dance to.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
This CD may broaden your listening pleasure at 2004-02-06
Im pretty much an east coast rock fan and at 50 years of age you can pretty much figure out my taste. I heard the Suzuki commercial a few times on TV which features Asleep at the Wheels version of Route 66. I was hooked on this version and tracked down the CD. If you have any rythm in your body this CD will find it. You immediately start an uncontrollable toe tap and find yourself singing along. I taught my fourteen year old daughter to jitterbug. We throw the CD on and dance in the basement rec room. The 12 year old is catching on fast. My wife thinks were nuts. I just ordered On the Road with Bob. Go to AATWs web site for more fun. Even if you dont own one Country Western album you should have AATW in your collection. It is strong medicine.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Best Modern-Day Texas Fiddle Band at 2002-04-24
Asleep at the Wheel is the best modern Texas fiddle band in existance. You may know it as Western Swing, but it is what it is...Though not as good as the originals, the recordings benefit from todays recording technoligy.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Fine album by the best western swing band! at 2001-07-31
If this music doesnt do it for you, nothing will! Its hard to pick a favorite from the album - this is Asleep at the Wheel at their best.
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Merlefest Live! The Best of 2003
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Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo
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Very Best of Asleep at the Wheel
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Wide Awake! Live in Oklahoma
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Live at Billy Bob"s Texas
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
The Wheel Keeps on Rolling! at 2003-11-16
This is the Asleep at the Wheels NEW live CD and IMHO superior to the prior one Live @ Arizona Charlies from a number of years back.The crowd at Billy Bobs really get into the Wheels 16 song set onthis CD. What I really like are the 6 new cuts the Wheel has added to their song selection, One Six Pack to Go (Hank Thompson), Hang Up My Spurs and Saddle, Dont Fence Me In, Before the Next Teardrop Falls (Freddy Fender) Amarillo By Morning (Geo. Strait) and If I Needed You (Townes Van Zandt) plus Cotton Eyed Joe. Once again Ray Benson highlights the talents of his fiddle player Jason Roberts. A DVD of this concert will be released shortly. Hopefully in 2004 the Wheel will put out a studio CD with 100% western swing cuts they have never recorded before. Also check out Ray Bensons solo effort Beyond Time, just great!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Mort lead than alive at Billy Bobs; mort, not asleep! at 2004-06-08
Wow! If this band could purge itself of the Lawrence Welk influences and find a way to make the voices sound even a little distinctive, it would still be a far cry from music that I wanna listen to! The group is bland and derivative, worse the entire group seems to be manufacturing the fun instead of having it. Two cuts, Route 66 and Dont Fence Me In are guaranteed covers...guaranteed enjoyable...but NOT HERE. It takes real lead to drag these cuts down, but Asleep is up to that, and does the job! The linar note boast that some of their tunes are truly honky tonk is gen-u-ine bunky bunk...Honky tonk isnt even a distant cousin of wannabe line-dance sound. Texas produced Bob Wills, but this is GeoBush...nothinbutMuzak. Hush.
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Remembers the Alamo
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
...it doesnt get more Texas than this. at 2004-02-09
In a word, this album IS Texas. The concept here is to unabashedly defend the heroic legend of the battle of the Alamo. Its interesting to see a concept album like this, you dont see them that often anymore. What better reason to release one than to further ingrain an epic American tale. Highly recommended.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Loving homage to a Lone Star legend at 2004-04-22
Ray Benson and his pals pay loving homage to the dismal defeat that made Texas legend, the 1836 battle that pitted the thousands-strong Mexican army under Santa Ana against nearly two hundred proto-Texan provocateurs, including legendary figures such as Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett... The two-week siege became the stuff of legend, and helped pave the political path for the United States to lay claim to the Spanish-held territories and annex the Lone Star State. AATW approach the subject with smirking affection, covering songs from old Hollywood films, Bob Wills classics such as San Antone Rose, and TV themes like The Ballad Of Davy Crockett, each with its own connection to the Alamo. The albums highlights include two more modern songs, Monty Wardens Stout And High, played as a plaintive ballad, and Dont Go There, a guffaw-worthy novelty song about the time rocker Ozzy Osbourne got arrested for peeing drunk on the side of the Alamo itself(!) (Miraculously, Ozzy was not lynched then and there, but he was banned from San Antonio for the next ten years... Funny song; wish I could play it on the radio...)
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
a good album with issues at 2006-07-11
Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo is a good album with two problems. For starters, this is the watershed that marked the end of the bands 10-15 year climax. Some of this may be due to expectations. This isnt a Western Swing album -its an eclectic collection of Americana that runs the gamut with traditional folk, country, spoken word, western swing and orchestral music. Regardless of the musical anthropology, the songs just arent as strong as the bands usual setlist. The second issue is that beyond remembering the Alamo, this is a celebration of the old mission. Anybody with a balanced sense of history appreciates that the events surrounding the Alamo constitute a shameful legacy of manifest destiny. Davy Crockett and the Texans were rebellious guests in an independent country. Theres little romance to be found in the fact that these jingoes facilitated their own destiny. If the goal is to let bygones be bygones and move forward, is it appropriate to resurrect and glorify the events that led to the imperial annexation of a neighboring country? Whats next, a celebratory tribute to the Trail of Tears or Jim Crow? Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo is a good album with issues -I would like to have awarded 3 1/2 stars, but bumped it up to 4 because it is Ray Benson and the boys after all! With so many better recordings, this Asleep at the Wheel release should be reserved for completists and Alamo history enthusiasts.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
AATW Remembers The Alamo at 2004-07-26
Great concept album-a tribute to The Alamo, one of historys biggest battles and not a direct tie-in to the recent movie flop. Just reading the liner notes by Ray Benson brings back memories of learning all about The Alamo in school all those years ago. I will confess, though, that the music starts out kind of slow and things dont really pick up swing-wise until the 6th cut. Despite the first 5 songs being slow, they are still worth a listen because of the historic value. I guess I am spoiled, as I own most of AATWs albums and consider them to be great party albums(especially their Christmas album in particular). This album took a few listens to get used to but I still would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Texas history as well as the music of Ray Benson and AATW.
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Served Live
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
SWINGING!!!!! at 2003-06-11
I dug an old vinyl version of this out of my uncles old collection and was I in for a surprise. This album totally jumps from start to end, theres not a bad song on it. It contains great live versions of the Wheels classics like Choo Choo Ch Boogie, Am I High? and Miles and Miles of Texas. While there is no way to avoid moving your feet or your butt to the instrumental Jumpin at the Woodside. And finally the classic gospel song Will the Circle Be Unbroken has new life here as all three vocalists (Ray, John and Chris) tear it up, while the band absolutely smokes. If you like Asleep at the wheel this is essential stuff to make you boogie!!
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Asleep at the Wheel - 20 Greatest Hits
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Asleep at the Wheel - 20 Greatest Hits at 2006-07-20
This is super album that helps me recall their many great songs. There could be a bit more documentation with the CD since this covers 30 years of their production.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
What a Ride ! at 2004-08-09
I remember buying my first Asleep at the Wheel album in the early seventies, so this band has been giving us fine music for over thirty years ! Of course, various musicians have come and gone, but there is one constant factor that keeps this band playing great stuff--Mr. Ray Benson--his leadership, talent and ear for a great song form the backbone of AATW.After all this time, no single CD or even a boxed set can cover all the music this band has recorded--but for a single, best of disc, this one is hard to beat. Of course, AATW diehards will want more than this--much more--but for the casual listener, this is a marvellous CD that is never going to become boring or dated. I first played this disc in my car, driving out in the country--a perfect combination !Texas swing is alive and well in this music. It wouldnt be hard to imagine the ghost of Bob Wills near the stage, tapping his feet and grabbing his fiddle ! At the same time, these twenty tracks really highlight the versatility of the band. For example, I think that the lovely ballad Texas Me and You has always been one of AATWs best songs. Of course there are jump tunes aplenty here--Take Me Back to Tulsa, Bump Bounce Boogie, Route 66, Choo Choo ChBoogie ( Ray must be a Louis Jordan fan too ! ), and Corrina Corrina to name a few. Guests like Brooks and Dunn, Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck add to the fun. Speaking of fun, Ray Benson really knows how to inject humour into a song too, for example, the old Tex Williams classic, Smoke ! Smoke ! Smoke ! ( That Cigarette ). A couple of previously-unreleased songs round out a terrific CD.Bottom line--a wonderful, one-disc retrospective of a great band that has shunned gimmicks and fads to remain true to its roots. Mr. Benson--if you ever read this--Thank You !
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Texas Gold/Wheelin" & Dealin"
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Collison Course/The Wheel
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
One oclock jump a Grammy Winning Classic at 2005-03-02
Collision Course is one create album, when this band had started to really jell. One OClock Jump won the Grammy for best instrumental that year and you have to hand it to Ray Bensen and Leroy Preston, who collaborated on most of the arraigning, to recognize the importance of the pedal steel in carrying the tune. The rest of the album is superb as well, with some country standards and the ever present fiddle, pedal steel and honky tonk piano. My Baby Thinks Shes a Train on the Wheel (written by Leroy Preston) is one of the best original tunes this band ever did. In fact the band was never the same after Preston left, his voice and song writing skills were irreplaceable. The only album that came close to these two was an album done with Maryann Price (of Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks) called Framed, which Ray took the art form to a higher level with Maryanns and Chris OConnells sweet feminine voices. If you like the country swing/honky tonk that Bob Wills invented, these two albums are must haves.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Probably the Best Single CD to Own from Asleep at the Wheel at 2002-11-28
...While the other double Album CD (Texas Gold / Wheelin and Dealin)is second best. The Band inproved their playing skills over the early course of their career. If you own both CDs you shouldnt need any more from this band, they have never done any better than those 4 albums.
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Asleep at the Wheel - Live & Kickin: Greatest Hits
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20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Asleep at the Wheel
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Asleep at the Wheel - Live & Kickin" Greatest Hits
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Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Lots of Fun at 2001-04-06
I call this a feel good CD. The performances are great all around and there is a feeling that everyone here is having a good time on this CD. Its like a party and youre invited. I only wish there were more of it. The CD is over way too soon!
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Comin" Right at Ya/Texas Gold
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Vocalization at 2000-10-03
As usual, the music of AATW was outstanding even though this album was remastered from quite a while ago. The fellow who did the vocals (also played guitar and drums), should sit down and listen to himself and see if he agrees with me that he should stick to guitar and drums and leave the singing to Benson or some other vocalist. This gentleman may well be the nicest person on earth, but I dont think he did AATW any favors by singing. Of course, this is my own opinion but I played rhythm guitar and sung country and swing music for 45 years, so I believe that my feelings about this album are justified.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
REMASTERED CLASSIC TWO-FER at 2004-01-12
As a kid, I was into rock and pop, which is now called Classic Rock, back in the 70s. I was scanning the radio tuner and came upon ASLEEP AT THE WHEELs [then] current hit The Letter That Johnny Walker Read and was stunned at how incredibly great this narrated and theatrical country weeper sounded. Not long after, another hit, Nothing Takes The Place Of You, featuring the great AATW vocalist CHRIS OCONNELL stormed up the charts and it was a bluesy gem of a performance to behold. The real Chris OConnell radio hit stunner followed in succession up the charts with her classic performance of THE BUMP BOUNCE BOOGIE, a toe-tappin mover and shakin swing number which would no doubt turn the Andrews Sisters(1940s pop superstars) green with envy. Ive had that TEXAS GOLD Vinyl Lp since way back then, but, am so happy that its been reissued here in a grand two-fer package in pristine REMASTERED sound! Id never heard the Comin Right At You album before, but, its also an awesome recording that I must explore much more. C and W, Swing, Big Band Jazz were my parents music, but, RAY BENSON and COMPANY gave my generation a superb blend of mesmerizing music to call our own...and, CHRIS OCONNELL, wherever you are now, a HUGE THANK YOU for your treasured stellar performances and memories you gave us during your AATW days! Two classic Lps remastered on one must have Cd.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
WESTERN SWING THAT WOULD MAKE BOB WILLS PROUD at 2001-04-16
The first time I heard this band was in the mid 70s when I went to visit my friend David out in San Francisco. He introduced me to Asleep At The Wheels first album Comin Right At Ya. When that great Bob Wills song TAKE ME BACK TO TULSA started playing, this kid from Oklahoma was hooked! This was a great album of western swing that, up to that point, these ears had never heard. Asleep At The Wheel, who were originally from Austin, moved to San Francisco, and under the influence of Commander Cody, worked the clubs there and eventually became these great pioneering rockabilly/western swing revivalists. The Wheel were a talented band of great musicians. They had what were probably the two best fiddle players around in the legendary Johnny Gimble and the multi-talented Andy Stein from the Commander Cody Band, who claimed he could play virtually any stringed instrument you put in front of him. As for the music on their first record; besides TAKE ME BACK TO TULSA, two other tracks that really stand out on here are CHEROKEE BOOGIE, which features some great piano playing by Floyd Domino, and my favorite alltime Wheel song IVE BEEN EVERYWHERE. You just gotta hear this one. It starts out ultra-slow and eventually turns into western swing on speed. Its great, and its one I guarantee youll be wanting to learn the words to. Youll be singin it for days, or in my case years. As for the second album on this CD called Texas Gold. I believe this is their third record. Its not as good as their first two albums, but its still a pretty good effort. The standout tracks on this one are THE LETTER THAT JOHNNY WALKER READ, which was cowritten by Commander Cody. ROLL EM FLOYD, which again features some great piano playing by Floyd Domino. Another song which I think is the best on the album is RUNNIN AFTER FOOLS, which was written and sung by Leroy Preston, who besides this one, penned most of the songs on these two albums. This is a really nice twofer by the Wheel. Asleep At The Wheels CD catalogue is not complete however, until Epic Records rereleases their self-titled second album, which has been mysteriously deleted. This was the Wheels best record. Asleep At The Wheel has gone through many band member changes over the last 30 years, but they were never better than this outfit of renegade western swingers. Ive seen these guys live, and I guarantee ya they can get your feet movin on the old hardwood floor. Highly recommended listenin!
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Ride With Bob
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Second great tribute to the king of western swing at 2003-09-06
Ray Benson and the other members of Asleep at the Wheel had never made any secret of the fact that Bob Wills was their biggest influence, but they emphasized the point by recording two tribute albums in the nineties devoted entirely to his music, of which this is the second. Both albums featured a star-studded line-up of guests.Bobs best and most famous song is Faded love, though the song is generally associated with Patsy Cline who made it her own. Here Shawn Colvin and Lyle Lovett sing it as a duet and it works very well this way.Among my other favorite tracks here are Roly Poly (with the Dixie Chicks), Heart to heart talk (with Lee Ann Womack), Youre from Texas (with Tracy Byrd), Right or wrong (with Reba McEntire) and Going away party (with Willie Nelson and the Manhattan Transfer).Another interesting track is Maidens prayer featuring the Squirrel nut zippers - surely the least well-known guests here - Id never heard of them till I heard them here. The version here is not based on Bobs standard recording but on a rare alternate version that Bob recorded with an arrangement reminiscent of Glenn Miller. The vocalist on this track is Katherine Whalen, who as an interesting voice that suits the song well.All the tracks here are brilliant. Your favorites may be different from mine, but if you like real country music that swings, Texas style, this is for you.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Western Swing aint dead, its Asleep At The Wheel! at 2003-01-15
Or so says the bumper sticker I bought at their concert and stuck on my Dobro case. This is, in my opinion, Ray Bensons best effort, with all of the great guest artists that appear on this recording. How often do you hear Willie Nelson sing a Bob Wills tune with Manhattan Transfer Company doing the vocal background? If you really love the Wheels other works, I believe youll find this to be a favorite.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Stands the test of time at 2006-03-26
I loved this CD when I bought it back in 2000. Played it countless times while commuting in my car, danced around the house to it on several occasions I wont say more about - and six years later I still enjoy listening to it! I could live without maybe three of the seventeen tracks, but overall I treasure this music. What a collection of artists here: the Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Clint Black, Lee Ann Womack, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Reba McEntire, The Manhattan Transfer, Tim McGraw and of course Asleep at the Wheel. The best talent, peforming strong songs. Classic country, Texas swing - whatever you call it, its music to enjoy for years. At least, it has been for me.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
The best theyve ever done ! at 2003-11-16
This is the pinnacle of Texas Swing! They add variety by adding cameos by other artists, with the ATW band providing instrumentals to the visiting stars vocals, and it works sooo well! I never get tired of listening to this album because its not one of those that just drones on with the same tempo and style in each track - it has tremendous variety. Asleep At The Wheel has produced some very good albums, but this is the best Ive heard. Very glad I bought it.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
What Country Music Is Missing--this album is not at 2005-06-20
As a resident of the Nashville area and having heard all the stories from insiders about the misdirection, if not indirection, of the major country labels, all one needs to do is to listen to Ride with Bob, and one is suddenly aware of what is missing in modern country music. True that the album is Texas swing, but it is a lot closer to country music than what is pouring out of Nashville these days. While I am not a prude, it is nice to listen to music that does not pound away at sexual and alcohol themes. Faded Love with Shawn Colvin and Lyle Lovett is my special favorite--Colvins voice is as good as it gets. And if Willie Nelson and Manhattan Transfer dont convince you to play Going Away Party at your funeral,your werent listening.
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Super Hits
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
The best country-swing band today at 1999-09-06
This band is so hot, scalding water would turncold. No other countrystyle band could ever com-pare to the sounds that areproduced from guitars, fiddles, horns, steel-guitars, and piano.Be prepared, because AsleepAt The Wheel will be the next biggest draw of thisgeneration.
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Pasture Prime
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
One Of Their Great Early Albums at 2000-03-09
Ray Benson is a true musical genius-this man really knows how to choose his material. He has a real appreciation of all kinds of music and it shows in every AATW album. If youre a major fan, this is a must-add to your collection. I keep hoping someday to see the re-release of their boxed set-or maybe a new one later this year in time for holiday shopping.
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Merry Texas Christmas+ Y"All
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
TraditionalChristmasSongsShouldNotBeScrewedUpJustToMakeABuck at 2005-12-13
Nothing worse than taking a traditional Christmas song and messing it up by any genre. I just heard Merry Texas Christmas, Yall on the radio and I am about sick to my stomach.Next thing we know someone will come out with a rap album called Deck the Hos -- no difference than this.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
May your days be sunny and bright at 2004-12-18
This is a very good Christmas album done Western Swing style. Its a lot of fun. All the songs here are good, but my favorite is probably Merry Texas Christmas, You All, which is a cover of an old Gene Autry song. If you enjoy country music that is more traditional sounding than most contemporary country music, you should get this album.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Upbeat swinging Christmas, Texas style at 2002-10-27
This is not one of those deadly-serious Christmas albums (which I also enjoy but in a different way) - it is obviously intended as a party album and makes ideal background music for Christmas.Many of the songs will be familiar, but some are given new treatments, like Swingin drummer boy and Swingin silent night.The set opens with a great version of Feliz Navidad, on which Ray Benson is joined by Tish Hinojosa (a brilliant but vastly under-rated singer) continuing with an amusing look at Christmas in jail and maintaining a light-hearted approach throughout. Fellow Texan Willie Nelson is featured on a couple of duets.I always think that this type of album must be the hardest to record - it would be very easy to end up with something mediocre, but Ray and the boys have shown, once again, that its possible to record an album of high quality which is also FUN.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Merry Christmas Yall Asleep at The Wheel at 2000-12-25
Ive had the pleasure of meeting Tish Hinojosa and knowing the band Asleep at the Wheel for years and their coupling with TEX Mex plus keeping the sounds of Bob Wills alive, not to mention the incredible vocals of Don Walser, who is totally unknown to many. Yes I am a record reviewer and Ive worked with many labels in my time, plus djing. Its a great taste of a blend of music that would give the listener a taste of fine music for years to come.this CD for the many that are on it, is a 4star to me.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Great, upbeat CD at 1999-12-11
Even as a non-country fan, I still enjoyed this bands up-beat and happy sound. If only it had been longer...
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Back To The Future Now: Live At Arizona Charlie"s
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
a great live album by a great live band at 2006-07-09
Playing hundreds of gigs a year, Asleep at the Wheel performs an outstanding live show. This recording captures a very special evening. The band is at times joined by Asleep at the Wheel alumni and special guests. Ray Bensons heartfelt charm and humor is in full gear. The setlist includes perennial favorites (Miles and Miles of Texas) and some seldom played treats (Fat Boy Rag). The bands studio version of Hot Rod Lincoln lacks the energy and extended rockabilly improvisation of the live renditions. This is the only album that captures the rockin humor of the song as played live. The McGuire Sisters helped the band to play their definitive version of House of Blue Lights; it swings unusually hard. The mood is light, the energy is high and the sound quality is excellent. While Asleep at the Wheel has other live albums, Back to the Future captured a historic moment by a good incarnation of the group. If you dig Asleep at the Wheel, you will adore Back To The Future Now: Live At Arizona Charlies. At the time of review, about ten copies could be purchased for fewer than five bucks through Amazons Marketplace Sellers. Go back to the future already and listen to this disc!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
I was there, and boy is this fun at 2003-10-21
I have been following Asleep at the Wheel since around 1976 when I first saw them. I cant think of a bad Asleep at the Wheel Album,but this is one of my favorites. Maybe it was because I WAS THERE at Arizona Charlies for this show. It was grade AAAAAAAA. This was a reunion show where old band members of the original group came and played with the band Ray had at the time. I think the music blossoms here. I havent purchased any of the other live albums yet, but I think this one shares with the cuts I have heard on other live albums, a kind of electricity that isnt on the studio albums. Ray Benson and the gang know how to electrify an audience, and spread the spirit of fun, and discovery like on one of the tunes not on the album where they morphed from from straight western swing into a Thelonius Monk tune. Moreover this music is made for drinking and dancing and romancing. That was what we were doing at Arizona Charlies that night! Get this album!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Party Time With AATW at 1999-11-02
If you cant see Asleep At The Wheel perform LIVE, this is the next best thing. When I first bought this cd I mustve played it at least 8 times in a row and Ive turned a few friends onto it. If I had to choose 10 cds to bring on a desert island, at least 5 would be by AATW.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
These guys know how to have FUN at 1998-08-23
Asleep At The Wheel are probably the BEST of the current western swing bands and have been around for well over 20 years. They get better with time and I always look forward to their latest works. This cd has them performing live at Arizona Charlies in Las Vegas and past and present band members joined together for a grand time along with special guests like Tracy Byrd and even the McGuire Sisters. I hope they perform in the metropolitan area soon so I can finally see them LIVE. This album is a real treat!
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Swing Time
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Asleep at the Wheel: Swing Time at 2000-05-10
My husband brought this cd home and I was skeptical! Once he played it, the family fell in love singing the lyrics together. My parents came to visit and enjoyed it so much I gave them our only copy. Ever since the family has bugged me to buy another copy and thats why I am on-line today!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
great country swing-and some honky-tonk at 1998-10-12
this album will bet you off your feet! it has the best of country swing-including Bob Wills and the great Ernest Tubb is marvelous.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Good compilation at 2002-11-06
Swing Time is a good compilation of some of the best songs from three other albums: 10, Western Standard Time, and their out-of-print 1974 Epic self-titled album. Its hard for an individual to put together a representative best of collection for a group like Asleep At The Wheel because theyve jumped around from one label to the next, and the labels certainly wouldnt want to cooperate with each other. This is a good pick to represent the best of their work for Sony/Epic, if you dont want to collect all their recordings.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Only 80% good. at 2001-12-01
Some good stuff (especially House of Blue Lights), but there are better covers of San Antonio Rose, Walkin the Floor Over You, and especially Hot Rod Lincoln (by Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen ,almost as good as the original) out there.
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The Wheel Keeps on Rollin"
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The Best of Asleep at the Wheel
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Not their best at 1999-11-24
This is lousy. Why wont capitol release The Wheel with the wonderful My Baby Thinks Shes A Train
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Terrific! at 1999-08-31
I never get tired of this one. I just love it
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Terrific! at 1999-08-31
I never get tired of this one. I just love it
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Best Texas Swing, boogie and easy listening at 1999-06-13
This CD has a style and lyrics which everyone will have one or more favorite tracks. Easy to replay, gets better with a few beers and friends. Not your typical anything you might have heard about Texas.
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Asleep at the Wheel
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Outstanding! at 2006-07-09
The song the previous reviewer labels vulgar is my favorite cut on the album. Happy sophisticated gorgeous music!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Except for one track...OUTSTANDING! at 2000-01-17
Over the years, I have developed an affinity for Texas Swing music. And Asleep at the Wheel is the best band currently performing this style. Their appreciation for the genius of Bob Wills is evident throughout this recording, with the exception of track #6 (Write your Own Song). They could eliminate this vulgar cut and improve this album at the same time. Cotton-Eyed Joe, This Is the Way to Mend a Broken Heart, Across the Alley from the Alamo, and Deep Water are terrific renditions of classic songs. The rest of the album is a showcase of the versatility of this great band. Fortunately, Asleep at the Wheel have released many more recordings...all worthy of residing in your collection. Please, though...no Willie Nelson pollution.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
That good ol Texas Swing as performed by masters of the art. at 1999-08-09
Ray Benson and his various incarnations of Asleep at the Wheel have long been icons in Texas Music. I first encountered their music in the mid 70s while attending 48 Hours in Atoka, an outlaw fest of the Woodstock style, where their music was featured between the acts. I must have heard their version of Take Me Back to Tulsa more times that weekend than I saw naked drunk chicks running around.Though they have lost a little of their edge since those days, and the humour may seem a little more camp, they are still an act to be reckoned with. In this album you will hear a version of Cotton-Eyed Joe, the perinial barroom dance song, as it was meant to be performed, complete with lyrics. Fiddle player Larry Franklin shows his skill on this number as well. Larry was a North Texas bar fav with his own band prior to joining Bensons Asleep at the Wheel, and his honky tonk time shows on this album.Rays voice flows beautifully in the version of Across the Alley from the Alamo, which is performed here as well as one can ever expect it to be.This is good, really good Texas swing. If you are a fan of the group and their music, then this is a must add to your collection. If you are unfamilar with Asleep at the Wheel, then dont expect this to be their best recorded effort ever made, but I still believe that you will find it a very enjoyable album to own.
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Tribute To The Music Of Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys (Dance Version)
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Ahh-h-h-h!! at 2003-02-22
This CD comes with a warning on the cover -- Dance Versions: This may get you out of the line and into the swing. And its a fair warning. Youll want to roll back the rug and cut loose. This CD tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys has all the good-time, rambunctious spirit of 1940s radio barndances, as band leader Ray Benson brings out one guest artist after another to perform with the band. And its an all-star line-up, with Chet Atkins, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Brooks and Dunn to mention only about half of them.It kicks off with a rousing instrumental rendition of Red Wing and sails through gems like George Straits Big Balls in Cowtown, and classic stompers Bring it on Down to My House and Ida Red. Maybe the most fun is listening to Brooks and Dunn tear into the Blind Lemon Jefferson song, Corine, Corina. Then there are the love and love-lost songs, including the sweetest version of Lily Dale, modified to Billy Dale, as sung by Dolly Parton. Also Vince Gills Yearning, Garth Brooks plaintive Deep Water, Marty Stuarts even more plantive Misery, and a fine version of I Wonder if You Feel the Way I Do by Merle Haggard.Theres much more on this CD packed with 18 great songs. And they swing with the trademark bluesy western blend that Bob Wills perfected. The CD comes with a booklet of Ray Bensons own thoughts on his discovery of Wills and a commitment to preserving his music. Theres also a full description of each song, its place in the Wills canon, and an account of its recording for this album. Plus theres a great publicity shot of the man himself circa 1941 in gray Stetson, colorful silk tie, and big smile. (Ahh-h-h-h!!)
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
High Energy Fun! at 2003-02-13
I LOVE this CD! (Ive even hooked my 10-year-old son too!) This is Asleep At The Wheel at their best. I especially like Big Balls In Cowtown. You cant sit still and listen to this one! The list of featured guest singers adds a nice variety to the mix. It has a healthy amount of banter between Ray and the rest of the performers. Another favorite is Hubbin It featuring Huey Lewis. I never would have pegged him for an AATW album but hes perfect for this one. The only low spots for me are Got A Letter... (too slow for me) and Corine, Corina (sounds like the channel was changed to pop-country radio). Overall, I highly recommend it for AATW fans and newcomers.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
The Dance Experiment at 1999-09-20
A friend loaned me the original release of this tribute CD from 1993, and I bought the dance remix version in hopes some of the great tracks would have extended choruses and jams. Well... only two tracks really add significant extra material (Hubbin It and Corine, Corina). The four or five other tracks that are changed from the first CD usually have only a tacked-on intro of vocal doo-wops by Ray and Co. Worst remix is on the intro to Yearning. The tricky key-shifted loop is jarring in a western swing context. Overall youll get 4 and a half more minutes of music on this CD. So, maybe its not a great dance remix effort, but damn these tracks still swing! And Corine is actually a pretty good expanded track. I also think the mix has a bit more bass and some brightening on top. Liner notes dont provide any extra info. Ray, if I could make a suggestion: next time drop Got a Letter with its lame sentimentality and give the band some room to kick a bit more!
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A Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys
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The Swinging Best of Asleep at the Wheel
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
You Cant Go Home Again at 2005-10-22
While the quality of this CD is good, the collection is not as representative of the groups work as it could have been. Maybe I was expecting too much. I attended several live performances by Asleep at the Wheel in their heyday and I wanted this collection to take me back. It didnt. Maybe their sound is just so unique live that it cant be duplicated.
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Asleep at the Wheel - Greatest Hits: Live & Kickin"
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Okay versions of great tunes at 2002-01-17
I am a huge Asleep at the Wheel fan--even waiting hours in a crowded bar across the street from Wrigley Field to hear There aint nobody here but us chickens...I find the live versions of their great songs just a bit worn around the edges. The vocals pushing to get a crowd excited but not adding much to the sound. It curiously lacks some of the verve and humor of their studio albums.Maybe you can only sing the Chickens song so many times...But if you want to fill out your AatW Collection, this album provides a good example of their material.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
LIVE AND KICKIN at 2000-06-23
THE BEST ARRAY OF COUNTRYMUSICIANS IN THE WORLDSET THE TABLE FOR THISFOOT-STUMPIN COUNTRY SWINGMUSIC.IF THIS MUSIC DOES NOT EXCITE YOUR TOES TO TAPPIN,THAN NOTHING WILL.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Great Toe-tappin Stuff! at 1998-08-03
Ive been listening to Asleep At The Wheel for about 20 years now,and they get better all the time. This is probably their best collection of hits,some tunes performed LIVE. You wont sit still for long listening to these tunes,just put it on your cd player and its party time!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
One of my favorites...great dancin music! at 1998-06-12
This is one of my favorite CDs. Great swing/2step music for dancing. It really puts you in an up beat mood!
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10
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Stellar from beginning to end! at 2005-06-04
I grew up on 70s rock, and listen generally to nothing but that. However, way back in the 80s I accidentally tuned to a country radio station, and House of Blue Lights was playing. I was captivated, and ran out and bought the cassette tape 10. As much as I listened to that tape, Im amazed it still plays well after all these years. Im listening to it right now after finding it in a box of old stuff, and every song on it sounds amazing. Im still no country fan (and this aint exactly country), but Ill make an exception for this. Still one of my all-time favorite recordings ever made. Very up-tempo and uplifting. Even if you dont dance, you will feel like it when you listen to this. Expertly crafted in every way. Sorry I cant provide more details or insights on the band, as I really know nothing about them. However, last week I did purchase the DVD Asleep At The Wheel: Live at Billy Bobs Texas, and also very highly recommend that if you like their music. That was recorded a couple years ago and it looks and sounds fantastic!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Recommended at 2002-12-29
This is a good album. All the tunes are fast tempo swingin dance tunes except for Blues Stay Away From Me, which is slow and melodic. Ray Benson sings all the lead vocals. Stand out songs are Way Down Texas Way, Tulsa Straight Ahead, House Of Blue Lights, and Boogie Back To Texas. Way Down Texas Way and Boogie Back To Texas are essential recordings for your Asleep At The Wheel collection, so you need to buy this album or the compilation album Swing Time to get those. String Of Pars is an instrumental. This album is named 10 because its their 10th album, and its their first recording made available on CD. It was released in 1987. Band line up: Ray Benson, Tim Alexander, David Dawson, John Ely, Michael Francis, Larry Franklin, David Sanger. Additional personnel: Johnny Gimble, Pete Anderson, Ray Campi, Tom Anastasio, Chris OConnell. Sorry, no lead vocals from Chris on this album.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
One Of Their Best at 1999-11-02
Everything these guys do is nothing less than great..though the band has periodically gone thru several personnel changes, they are never lacking in true talent. If youd like to get started with your own AATW music collection, dont forget to include this one! Great fun and music youll want to hear over and over again.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Asleep At The Wheel -- a real misnomer! at 1998-07-25
Back when I stubbornly insisted that punk rock and Charlie Parker were the only things that truly mattered in music, a friend loaned me this album. I have been a fan of their hip and swingin hoedown tunes ever since. No, its not the mosh pit, and its not a dark blue bar in New York City. Its a bunch of really cool cowboys who CANNOT sit still. You wont either!
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Western Standard Time
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Son, you gonna drive me to drinkin at 2004-02-22
This album by western swing band Asleep At The Wheel is an all covers album. If you think that modern country music doesnt sound country enough, you should enjoy this album. Asleep At The Wheel play in a style to similar to Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. In face, two of the songs here were first popularized by Bob Wills. Thats not to say that Asleep At The Wheel is derivative, because they manage to come up with unique arrangements for the songs. The only real criticism I have is that at 32 minutes long, its on the short side. But at least you get Willie Nelson as a bonus on Chatanooga Choo Choo.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Great western swing from Ray and the boys at 2002-11-23
Ray and the boys have been recording western swing music for around thirty years now, keeping the music alive even when no other singers and bands were interested.This particular album was recorded in 1988 and features many great covers. The bands particular style ensures that you wont ever mistake Asleep at the Wheels covers for other versions of the same songs.The set opens with a sensational version of Glenn Millers Chattanooga choo choo, in which Ray duets with Willie Nelson. Other great covers include Hot rod Lincoln (a song I always associate with Commander Cody, though I believe Johnny Bond was the original singer), Thats what I like about the south (Phil Harris), Walk on by (Leroy van Dyke), That lucky old sun (Frankie Laine), San Antonio rose (Bob Wills), Sugarfoot rag (Red Foley) and Walking the floor over you (Ernest Tubb). Indeed, all the tracks are of a very high quality.Those of you who recognise these names will know that most of the songs originate from the 1940s, generally regarded as the golden age of western swing. This album and others by Askeep at the wheel prove that the songs and the style are still very enjoyable.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Western Standard Time at 2006-07-23
Asleep at the Wheel has been one three favorite bands since the late 70s. I still follow them closely today.I think though that their best music was in their early years. When their female singer, Chris, OConnell, left the band I think that they lost something vital to their sound. Id strongly suggest that anybody interested in this band look at their earlier efforts like Texas Gold, The Wheel, Collision Course, and Wheelin and Dealin.That said, Western Standard Time is my favorite of the post-Chris OConnell albums. Most of the album consists of highly competent covers of old Country and Rockabilly classics such as Dont Let Go, The House of Blue Lights and Hot Rod Lincoln. The album kicks off with a swinging version of Chattanooga Choo Choo that is, in my opinion, worth the price of the album all by itself. A couple of other higlights are their version of the Bob Wills classic, Thats What I Like about the South and Walk on By.In conclusion, Id say that if you know and love Asleep at the Wheel, this would be a worthy addition to your collection. If youre new to the band, youd do better to purchase one of the albums I mentioned above.
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Tons Of Swingin Fun at 2000-03-12
If you only need one AATW album, this is the one. Or if youre just starting to put together a collection of their great music, this is definitely a good starting album. As is the case with all their albums, every cut is a winner. Whether their own material or remakes of classics, these guys know how to swing and party!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
relaxing swing music at 2001-08-09
CD has some nostalgia and timeless music. Well done swing music to relax to. Others who here it always ask who is the artist and name of CD. Must be heard to be truly appreciated.
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Keepin" Me Up Nights
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Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Keepin Me Swingin!! at 2005-06-18
This album (CD) was released in 1990, just before my junior year of high school. I didnt get it until Christmas of 1990, and didnt stop playing it for months (or longer)! My uncle and I spent many weekends working bird shoots in South Texas (Cotulla, baby!), and he is actually the one who got me interested in Western Swing with acts such as Asleep at the Wheel and Bob Wills (whos still The King). Well, during our long car trips down IH 35, wed put this tape in, enjoy the tunes, and follow the path of the highway ahead. Those that Ive marked as favorites include Thats the Way Love Is, Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar and You Dont Have To Go To Memphis. My uncle LOVED Pedernales Stroll (instrumental), Eyes, and Keepin Me Up Nights. Needless to say, ALL of these tracks have undoubtedly grown on me. Whenever I hear the tunes on this disc, I cant help but think of the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, the brush country of South Texas on a cold, brisk morning, and sharing the highway and musical influences with the uncle who would shape the way Ive developed as a person. Thanks for the memories and great music!
Asleep at the Wheel Album Review:
Great Party Album at 2000-02-24
This is one of many AATW cds that I put on whether having a houseparty or outdoor bbq. It always keeps everyone toetapping or even dancing along with their great music. They are probably the best country/swing band on earth. I always look forward to their next collection. This comes highly recommended.
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