Customer Reviews

Bare Tracks

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

 

 

Bobby Bare is undeniably a legendary songwriter and performer; when he is at his best, as on his classic "Lullaby's, Legends and Lies", he exudes an intelligence and charm that elude most performers today. Over the course of his long and varied career, Bare has recorded for several labels, and this release, "Bare Tracks", attempts to summarize his seven-year stint at Columbia, with mixed results. One of Bare's strengths is his ability to transcend the most mediocre of material and unfortunately, there's plenty to be found on this release. When he and his songwriting collaborator Shel Silverstein are at their peak (as on the two best-known tracks here, "Numbers" and "Tequila Shiela"), Bare is simply unstoppable, with all of his prodigious talent on display. Unfortunately, several of Silverstein's other songs seem unmotivated and careless; Bare fights hard to maintain shreds of dignity in tracks like "Greasy Grit Gravy", "Food Blues" and "Diet Song", but succumbs to the sub-par material. He turns in some stunning work on two Guy Clark cuts, "Let Him Roll" and "New Cut Road", but the album as a whole seems distant and unstable. Personal Favorites: the sharp commentary on gender communication found in "Numbers"; the twisted tale of a fugitive on the run in "Tequila Shiela"; and the rollicking rhythm bouncing down "New Cut Road". Representative Lyrics: "She said, 'Well, another one of those macho 'matican men/ Trying to grade all women on a scale from one to ten!/ Now you give me an eight?/ Well, that's a generous thing to do/ Now let's just see just how much I give YOU.'" ("Numbers"); "Pour me another tequila, Shiela/ Take off your new satin dress/ I crossed the border/ And I beat the dealer/ For all of the gold in Juarez." ("Tequila Shiela")

By the time Bare arrived at Columbia in the late 70s, he had a long string of hits behind him, crossing back and forth from country to folk to pop. Luckily, his maturity didn't cramp his spirit of adventure. From rowdy live recordings of Shel Silverstein's "Numbers" and "Tequila Sheila" to his duet with Roseanne Cash on Rodney Crowell's "No Memories Hangin' Round," Bare lent considerable charm to these tales of losers, winos, prostitutes and overgrown good ol' boys.

A pre-Kenny Rogers version of "The Gambler" and a half-spoken, half-sung reading of Guy Clark's "Let Him Roll" are good examples of Bare's storytelling ability. His delivery is hypnotic, fleshing out the characters as he lures the listener in. It's a talent learned in front of live audiences, and rarely reproduced in a recording studio.

Pop culture may tend to revere newness and youth, but Bare proves that the patina of experience can be the more valuable quality.

My uncle had been looking for this CD for over three years and was thrilled that he was finally able to get the CD after so long.

The Shel Silverstein songs interpreted by Bobby Bare are as priceless today as when first released and I remember way back then..this album is worth the price just for these songs Bobby can sing a ballad and does on this cd ..his duo with Rosanne Cash is very moving ...BUY IT AND ENJOY

This CD is another great CD from Bobby Bear collection a must for BOBBY Bear fans. The price was great another hard to find CD in stores.

This Is Bobby Bare At Is Best Have Been A Fan Of The Man For A
Long Long Time He Is One Of The Great Country Singers To Have
Plessed Our Shores God Bless Amercia And Bobby Bare

Bobby Bare is undeniably a legendary songwriter and performer; when he is at his best, as on his classic "Lullaby's, Legends and Lies", he exudes an intelligence and charm that elude most performers today. Over the course of his long and varied career, Bare has recorded for several labels, and this release, "Bare Tracks", attempts to summarize his seven-year stint at Columbia, with mixed results. One of Bare's strengths is his ability to transcend the most mediocre of material and unfortunately, there's plenty to be found on this release. When he and his songwriting collaborator Shel Silverstein are at their peak (as on the two best-known tracks here, "Numbers" and "Tequila Shiela"), Bare is simply unstoppable, with all of his prodigious talent on display. Unfortunately, several of Silverstein's other songs seem unmotivated and careless; Bare fights hard to maintain sheds of dignity in tracks like "Greasy-Grit Gravy", "Food Blues" and "Diet Song", but he succumbs to the sub-par material. He turns in some stunning work on two Guy Clark cuts, "Let Him Roll" and "New Cut Road", but the album as a whole seems distant and unstable. Personal Favorites: the sharp commentary on gender communication found in "Numbers"; the twisted tale of a fugitive on the run in "Tequila Shiela"; and the rollicking rhythm bouncing down "New Cut Road". Representative Lyrics: "She said, 'Well, another one of those macho 'matician men/ Trying to grade all women on a scale from one to ten!/ Now you give me an eight?/ Well, that's a generous thing to do/ Now let's just see just how much I give YOU.'" ("Numbers"); "Pour me another tequila, Shiela/ Take off your new satin dress/ I crossed the border/ And I beat the dealer/ For all of the gold in Juarez." ("Tequila Shiela")

Bobby Bare is a great singer, one of the most underrated country singers ever. However, most of the songs on this cd pale in comparison to his earlier work like "Detroit City" and "Millers Cave".

BOBBY BARE HAS A TRUE COUNTRY VOICE AND PUTS REAL FEELING INTO EACH SONG. HE TELLS A STORY THAT JUST ABOUT ANYONE CAN RELATE TO. QUALITY THROUGH AND THROUGH. NOBODY COMPARES WITH HIM.