Customer Reviews

Asleep at the Wheel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 70's 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 Benson's Asleep at the Wheel, and his honky tonk time shows on this album.

Ray's 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 don't 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.

The song the previous reviewer labels "vulgar" is my favorite cut on the album. Happy sophisticated gorgeous music!

The three reviews below me are for a different album. This album appears to be Ray's current band running through a live set of classic Wheel and other songs. I am sad there is no official text for the album. The advantage of the live version is that you get to hear their longer improvisational versions of songs such as Cotton Eyed Joe or Under the Double Eagle. The recording quality is great and 20 songs for $5.49 is quite a deal! I have not listened to all the tracks yet but I like the few I have heard. And I am looking forward to all six minutes of Hot Rod Lincoln when I get the chance to crank it up.

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.