Customer Reviews

Best of the West

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

 

 

Back before people were writing "country" songs about pickup trucks, airplanes, "just when you need me the most, so does the coast" (yecch!), etc., C/W music sounded like Riders in the Sky.

For the uninitiated, "Riders" consists of "Too Slim" on upright bass, "Woody Paul" on fiddle, and "Ranger Doug, 'The Idol of American Youth,'" on guitar. <grin> All of them sing, tight harmonies reminiscent of Sons of the Pioneers, but more "minimal." Very pure stuff.

They approach the task at hand with a perfect blend of reverence (no question they LOVE this music) and good humor that is truly engaging. (In "real life," I've heard that all three Riders are very well-educated engineer-types, but who would know?)

"Best of the West" is a greatest-hits collection of sorts. (Riders in the Sky? Greatest hits?!? Funny, huh?) It contains classic cowboy songs (Don't Fence Me In, Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Home on the Range, etc.) along with some lesser-known tunes and excellent "originals" that are true to the genre.

I'm a little perplexed by a couple of negative reviews. One states the tracks listed on the liner notes are not those on the CD; another says that the "quality of the back up instrumentation is terrible." MY CD (which I've had much longer than amazon.com has been around!) has the tracks listed correctly, and the backup instrumentation is just fine. (A little steel guitar, accordion, etc. - hardly noticeable in the mix.)

If you like traditional COWBOY music, or even if you are merely interested in the Lore of the West, I feel confident in recommending this CD to you.

Howdy, buckaroos and Buckarettes! If you are a fan of cowboy music, Riders In The Sky are the leading practioners of the genre.

Riders In The Sky recorded five albums for the Rounder Label before moving on to greener pastures at MCA in the late Eighties. This CD offers a generous hour-long sampling from their years at Rounder. [I'm not sure what some reviewers are listening to. The twenty-two tracks listed is exactly what you get and the vocals and instrumentation are mixed just fine. And all three members are excellent musicians.]

About half of these songs are originals--most by "Ranger Doug" Green--including "That's How the Yodel Was Born," a humorous number that, of course, features Green's marvelous yodeling technique. "Woody Paul" Chrisman penned the ballads "Soon As the Roundup's Through" and "Cowboy Song." These originals blend in beautifully with standards like "Ghost Riders In the Sky," "Don't Fence Me In," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "I Ride an Old Paint." Simply put, there is not a bad track here.

Riders In The Sky are not merely popularizers of an all but vanished genre. If you ever enjoyed listening to The Sons of the Pioneers, you'll not only enjoy this album but also be thankful that there are artists today that are continuing the tradition of cowboy music. RECOMMENDED

This was my first exposure to Riders in the Sky, and it was WAY back in 1981, just as I got out of the Army and was working at an electronics store while putting myself through college. We had a deal worked with the record store next door to us in the mall that they would loan us albums, and we would play them on our stereos. (We sold stereos, they sold albums.)

My wife and I were both Army musicians, so most pop music, including Country Western, just isn't my cup of tea. I was getting pretty sick of playing George Jones, but it sold stereos.

One evening I went next door to get some fresh music and they suggested this album, which had just been released. While I wasn't all that impressed with the album cover, I took it back next door into our store and put it on while I went to straighten up stock.

Within the third track, I had the album cover in my hands and was reading it. "Who are these guys?" I was hooked. 25 years, a gazillion albums of theirs and four live performances, I'm still hooked.

I've read the other reviews and can't agree. Maybe they got a bad CD. I just bought another one as a gift, and it was just as crisp, beautifully rehearsed, well-mixed and well recorded as ever. "Desperado Trail" is just as haunting- and "Old Cowpoke" is just as funny. Buy this one.

For anyone that grew up watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, and Gene Autry on Saturday mornings, this is really enjoyable, fun and relaxing music. I have seen Riders in the Sky on tv and really enjoyed their singing and comedy. I think it's a great CD and liked it so much, I gave my original copy to my father to enjoy also.

I hate to say this but the people saying the tracks are wrong are right. There are 14 tracks of original artists doing classic western songs like Back in the Saddle Again (I swear it's Autry) and Tumbling Tumbleweeds (the same version used in The Big Lebowski). It is definitely not the Riders (who I have seen live and heard recorded). I think there may be secret bonus tracks, but I am guessing they don't transition to the Riders' tracks or there was a manufacturing error and for some buyers the Riders' stuff never got burned. Those who get the Riders should count your blessings.

This CD is a suprise package...the titles listed bear no resemblance to what's on the CD. The music is good, you just don't know what song will be next.

The titles on this disc and it's liner notes are not what is actually on the disc. Further, there are only 14 tracks on the disc and the CD lists 22! It's nice music never-the-less, but for my purpose I like to know the title of the songs that I'm listening to. Otherwise I would have given this a higher rating.

I am a fan of Riders in the Sky; however, the quality of the back up instrumentation was terrible and I was disappointed in the overall quality of this CD.