Customer Reviews

Best of Bob Wills

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If you are new to Bob Wills, you should know that this album title is a lie. These recordings were made in Nashville toward the end of Bob's life, and they do not capture the authentic sound of Bob Wills and HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS.

The good stuff was recorded from 1935 to 1947 WITH HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS. If you want the best of Bob Wills, buy something (anything) on Columbia or CBS. I also recommend Tiffany Transcriptions Volumes 2 and 3, but know that even those great albums are not his original classic Texas Playboys. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of his recordings on MGM or MCA.

The tracks on this album are later recordings of Bob Wills from 1965 until his death. They are, by and large, not recorded with the Playboys (though one or two show up on a few tracks). Instead of the 30's/40's West Texas sound I love, these recordings have something of a Vegas/Sinatra 60's feel to them, especially in the backing. I'd recommend The Essential Bob Wills or The Anthology instead.

As others have noted, this is Bob Wills, but not the Texas Playboys, but even so, it's a fun, toe-tapping listen. The songs are classics, and Bob is his usual rambunctious self. "Panhandle Rag" is especially good.

In answer to a question in an earlier comment, there's a two-disc collection of the Texas Playboys' MGM work called "Boot Heel Drag", and I believe it includes all the songs you mention.

Best of Bob Wills is a must-have if you are a fan of Western Swing. The surprisingly smooth and laid-back sound is very relaxing, and the beat is very steady and danceable. Bob was way before his time.

This is not a review of this particular Bob Wills CD. Bob & his band made some great recordings for MGM, I believe it was. I can't find these on any of his CDs. I have them on 78s. They are: " I laugh when I think how I cried over you", " The end of the Line", " Snatchin' and grabbin'" sung by Joe Holly. , " I want to be wanted", etc. Where are they? Maybe someone knows what CDs they're on. Thank you, GR bemshaw@earthlink.net

This is basically a good collection of wonderful music by this ahead-of-his-time performer. The tracks are great, and the old recording sound is authentic without being annoying. However, the disc--like many of its contemporaries--is not as amply filled as some more recent CD productions. So, while it's not bad for the price, two other discs--"King of Lonestar Swing" and "The Essential Bob Wills"--offer a lot more music, meaning, of course, that some of the good stuff on those discs is not contained on the "Best of Bob Wills." I would recommend this disc for collectors who want to own all of the Bob Wills CDs or for fans who find a track here that might not be available on the two more generous discs named above.

I bought this as a gift for my parents and they love it.

I'm much too young to know what this band sounded like live, but I checked out two cds from the library, one of them this one, and I can't help but love them. I don't know if Bob Wills himself plays any intstruments. I like to think of him more as the bosstone, or maybe as another band member's mildly retarded little brother who they keep around just cause he's a little wacky and they want him to feel wanted.

Ahhhhhhhhah! That San Antonio Rose!