Customer Reviews

Big Bad John

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While the CD I previously reviewed was for the Sony budget CD entitled "Big Bad John and Other Fabulous Songs and Tales," this is my review of the Bear Family compilation entitled "Big Bad John." While this CD does have all of the songs on the CD I previously reviewed, this collection does have many of the singles A & B as well as the entire "Big Bad John and Other Fabulous Songs and Tales" album, although unlike the Sony disc, this CD does have the version of the title track that has a lyric that goes "at the bottom of the mine lies one hell of a man, Big John," rather than the lyric "at the bottom of the mine lies a big, big man" that was used on the Sony budget disc of the "Big Bad John..." album and also appears on Sony/Legacy's "Greatest Hits" CD. Because the extra songs on this disc are first rate, it's worth buying this CD if you can afford the cost. This disc only goes up to 1962 while the "Greatest Hits" collection goes up to 1966 and both CD's are a must have as his recordings do have great sound, they both have liner notes and great remastering, while this Bear Family CD does have a discography of songs he recorded in 1961-1962 in the booklet as well. Before I had this disc today, I long had the Sony budget CD which has just as great sound as this import but the extra songs do justify the cost of this disc very well to the point that I gave the Sony budget CD to a local radio station who has been playing the tracks off of the album ever since. A couple of the songs are previously unreleased on LP and they are just great and this disc is recommended to all Jimmy Dean fans who want more than what "Greatest Hits" offers, but "Greatest Hits" offers the basics and nothing else for those who only want the hits or those who are new to his music. This is for the people who are already fans just like myself.

Back in the sixties when I was just becomming aware of what music was, my father listened to arists like Jimmy Dean, the New Christy Minstrels, the Kingston Trio, and others. No matter how wide musical tastes become, I think we all enjoy listening to the first sounds we remember as young people. And the musicians in those days were great story tellers and ballad singers. This album from Jimmy Dean is American folklore, history, and patriotism at its best.

This budget priced CD is a straight reissue of the album from 1961, yet it does have different cover art than the original LP. Every song on this album is a classic which makes this a must buy for your collection.

Generally speaking, former breakfast sausage king Jimmy Dean is a bit more commercial (and bland) a country artist than I tend to go for, but it can't be denied that his breakthrough hit, "Big Bad John" was a catchy little doozy. This disc includes plenty of lesser tunes, many of them, like "The Cajun Queen" and "Little Bitty Big John" were sequel tunes which barely recalled the grandeur of the original. There are also historical songs like the Kennedy-related "PT Boat 109" and corny recitations like "To A Sleeping Beauty" that are very much products of their time (circa 1961-62). This also includes Dean's somewhat peculiar political song, "Dear Ivan," an intriguing recitation tune that seems very sympathetic to the Russians... and this at the height of the Cold War! Honestly, I don't think Dean was a great talent, but he did have a nice string of hits 'way back when... If you want to check out his best material, I'd say this disc is the way to go, since Bear Family releases are always of the highest quality that can be found.

This would of been 5 stars, but I am unhappy to report (contrary to previous reviews) the version of Big Bad John on this CD ends with the phrase, "At the bottom of this mine lies a big, big man.... Big John". I bought this CD expecting to get the original "lies one hell of a man" version. It really does detract from a great song I've enjoyed listening to for more than 30 years. The other 9 songs on this CD are awesome! It's a great value even with the lame ending of Big Bad John.

My order came quickly and was in perfect condition. I thoroughly enjoyed all the CDS from this artist.

These are nostalgia songs I remember when I was a kid. If you like that kind of thing this is the CD for you.

Good CD, lot's of songs I'd been trying to find for a while but couldn't get. Good for any Jimmy Dean fan.

If you liked Jimmy Dean, you'll love this album. It contains the biggest selection of his hits, plus Big Bad John has not been changed from "hell of a man".

Loved the album. When I was young we had this record and I think that this is a compilation of at least two albums.