Customer Reviews

Del Rio Texas 1959

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a country aficionado. And the fact that I used the word aficionado proves that I am far too pretentious to be an expert on the Nashvillian ilk.

But dad-gum there are times when you just have to stick the Miles Davis and Alan Hovhaness back in the jewel case and drive the ol' Chrysler with the windows down across the Panhandle. And when those times come, this is the cd you need to be listening to.

Foster is Country and Western's answer to Marshall Crenshaw. He cannot write a bad tune. He cannot write an unclever phrase. But alas, he also cannot get the publicity he so richly deserves.

The pictures he paints in his songs makes you actually concerned about the people who live 6 miles from I-40 on FM1643. They make you hope things turn out for them. They make you want to call your grandfather and talk about the wheat crop. They make you want to go just out of town and hear "the lonesome sound of diesels winding up the grade".

I will probably never become a fan of country music. But if country turns more like Foster's work, I may indeed buy me a hat and some snakeskins.

I first saw Radney Foster in Olathe Kansas at Old Frontier Days. We thought we were going to hear some "young country" wannabe. Instead we saw and heard songs that took me back to my days growing up on a working ranch. This was the music I heard in Austin years later. This was real, honest to God, straight from the heart American country music. Harmony, twangy guitars when they fit, a great steel guitar, and lyrics! My God, someone remembers how to write lyrics that reach into your heart. Every song is great! Every word reaches out at several levels. Radney Foster got some limited air play with this album but if he keeps doing this excellent, no compromise, American Heartland music he will never be heard on country radio again.

A superb record. Radney Foster writes the sort of irresistible country music that only a few others seem capable of (such as Buddy Miller), complete with uniquely catchy melodies, smart lyrics, and enough emotion in a 4 minute song to change your day in under 5 minutes.

Here, every track is solid, particularly the country radio hits as well the stunning closing tune, "Old Silver." Throughout this record, it's hard to figure out how Foster isn't being begged in Nashville to repeat this magic. And as anyone who's seen him live can attest, Radney's no fluke, proving in his live show his voice, talent, and songwriting are as strong as anyone's going. Let's hope his recent problems with his manager are easily laid to rest, allowing him to crank out a new record a year.

A flat out great country record.

Ask any kid these days who claims to be a Country fan if they know who Radney Foster is and they'll probably give you a silly answer like, "Isn't that Tim McGraw's bassplayer?" or "He related to Kenny Chesney?" Yes, unfortunately, one of the greatest songwriters and singers of our time will probably fall to the wayside of artless, manufactured performers such as McGraw and Chesney. It's just the sad state of country music these days.

Radney Foster is heads and tails over ninety-five percent of today's country stars. This album, "Del Rio, TX 1959," released in the early 90's, is proof enough of that. Lest we forget Foster's contributions to "Foster & Lloyd" and all of his other albums, old and new. Songs like "Just Call Me Lonesome," "Louisiana Blue," and "Hammer and Nails" scream true country. The slower tracks here, especially "Easier Said Than Done" remind folks of what makes a real country song. Also, unlike many of the plastic stars of today, Foster either wrote or had a hand in writing every song on this disc. And with contributions from solid artists like Kim Richey and George Ducas, Foster lays down a set of tracks that'll make any Texas country fan proud.

Foster belongs in the same group of respected Texas and Tex-influenced songwriters and performers such as Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen. He's pure and intelligent country. That's a rare thing these days, and we need more artists like him.

Higlhly recommended.

Hard to believe it's been more than 10 years since this record was released - it sounds better and fresher than 99% of what's currently on the radio. Despite a lot of excellent work recently by Jack Ingram, Pat Green, Chris Knight, and oh, yeah, Radney Foster - this is still the all time best of the best. There is not one bit of filler on this one - every song, every phrase, every word is perfect! I would strongly recommend this disc to anyone, and have given it as a gift to several very different family and friends, and they all love it too!

This album, I've got to say, is amazing. It's representative of a very cool time in country music--a time when {insert shocked gasp} you could hear the likes of Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle on country radio! That time WILL come again, but I'm getting off the subject. "1959" is an unbelievable album for many reasons, but mostly because of Radney's phenomenal songwriting capabilities. When he sings "Old Silver", you can visualize his granddad. You can see him, as clearly as if he were right there in the room with you. The same thing with "A Fine Line". It paints a picture in your mind of the characters in the song, and THAT is what wonderful songwriting is all about.

In the same sense, he's so down-to-earth and has such a close friendship with many of his fans that he can get away with making personal references in the liner notes. Yep, I'm referring to the "little man" here, whom Rad thanked on the first two albums and then wrote a lullaby to on the third. You have to admire his ability to be THAT open with his fans.

If you happen to be a deprived soul who has never heard of this man, get "1959". If you dig country music but don't think there's a lot of it getting played on country radio anymore, you will adore this man and this album.

The song Just Call Me Lonesome is worth the price of the album by itself. I'm glad to see that it's making a well-deserved comeback now. We're talking some of the best music of all time. Just add some Willy Nelson, Tammy Wynette, and Mary Chapin Carpenter, and who needs amybody or anything else?

This is the greatest Country CD ever made. It embodies all that is Country: love, loss, heartbreak, success, failure, redemption....Hope. For an unassuming, reclusive genius who has written many songs for other artists, this is the masterpiece that defines who Radney Foster is, what we ALL share as human beings, and what true Country music should be. It is an absolute classic that has stood the test of time as well as any Elvis and Beatles albums -- and it should be "required listening" for any music fan with a heart, a soul.....and a conscience.

This was the first album Radney did as a solo after leaving Lloyd of "Foster & Lloyd". Outstanding songs here include "Old Silver", "Nobody Wins", "Just Call Me Lonesome", "A Fine Line", and "Louisianna Blue". The rest of the album is also very good. I highly recommend this CD.

This is a solid CD. Every song is a winner. If you're looking for a great country record to add to your collection, this one fits the bill. The radio hits are awesome, but songs like "Fine Line," "Louisiana Blue" and "Closing Time" are just as strong. Radney Foster is a brilliant songwriter and a soulful singer.