Just as Duke Ellington is to jazz, Buck Owens was to country-western music; a man with a sound that is not only unique, but one that cuts to the marrow of what it right and true about music, and once you hear the music, you use it to compare it to all of the posers out there that give mere imitations.
The two disc collection includes every single that Buck Owens recorded, going back to his days when he had a dash of rockabilly as on “Sweet Thing.” Wisely, and ahead of his time, he recorded his songs with a high treble tone so that they would sound more accessible on the popular transistor radios. He also eschewed the obligatory “Nashville Sound” of background vocals, creating his own honky tonking “Bakersfield Sound” that has become the fingerprint for all subsequent rough and ready artists from Waylon Jennings to Garth Brooks.
His top hits still stand up and stand out, with “Together Again,” “Act Naturally” and “Foolin’ Around” sounding timeless, while “Tiger By The Tail” still a ribald hoot. Owens’ voice is completely unique and yet everyman, sounding perfectly maudlin on “Cryin’ Time” and good humored on “Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got A Headache.” I’d rather listen to this than 99% of what is on the radio, as Buck and the Buckaroos also had that indescribable quality called “swing” which is palpable on every tune.
Which brings us to the second album. Don Rich was with Owens and the Buckaroos from almost the very get go. He initially was the fiddler for the band, but then added acoustic and electric lead guitar along with a team that included Tom Brumley/stg, Bob Morris/b, Jerry Wiggins-Willie Cantu/dr and Doyle Holly/g. This album cherry picks the songs from Owens albums that featured the star sideman, as well as the vintage tune from the TV show Hee Haw that has him picking and singing on a toe tapping “Guitar Pickin’ Man.” His voice is manly and authoritive, and he is impressive without passing the Buck on “Number One Heal” and “”I’m A Comin’ Back Home To You’ while showing his impressive guitar chops on “Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch” “Chicken Pickin’” and “Aw Heck.”
These two releases swing harder than most jazz albums I’ve heard this year-a worthy guilty pleasure to be sure!