Customer Reviews

Doughboys Playboys & Cowboys: The Golden Years of Western Swing (Mini LP Sleeve)

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This is a great panorama of Western Swing from its origins with Bob Wills and Milton Brown working together inthe Original Light Crust Dough Boys in the early 1930s to Tex Williams' great electric swing band from just after WWII. I've had these sides since Columbia issue an earlier version on LP more than 20 years ago.

This music has little to do with what was considered Country music at the time or its emasculated mutant descendants in Nashville.

This was not marketed as Country music. In fact in 1945 when Bob Wills, the acme of Western SWing, was the biggest grossing public attraction in the entertainment business, he had his sole invitation to the Grand Ole Opry, and then he almost walked out of there before he played a song because the hayseeds wouldn't let him bring on his drums and horns (not allowed onthe Opry until the late 1950s!).

Western Swing comes from Jazz from the pop Jazz of the 20s and early 1930s, included people who went back and forth between bands like Wills and Spade Cooley to the white big bands (though Bob Wills once tried to hire a black alto player[against the law in Oklahoma] and of late Les Paul has taken to claiming he saw Charlie Christian sit in with the Playboys at Cains and there are pictures of the Playboys having drinks in Chicago with black Jazz greats like Ben Webster!!). Townsend Wills' biographer interviewed many Playboys and none of them felt they were part of Country, but part of Jazz.

Basically it begins with people trying to play Jazz and Blues influenced music with the instruments of the old Southwestern Barn dance bands: guitar, fiddle, piano, adding in drums, and in many bands all the instruments of the Jazz orchestras. Very quickly Bobby Dunne added in the electric Hawaii, pedaless steel guitar and Leon McAuliffe who replaced him in the Doughboys and went with Wills was so well known that Bob Wills' introduction to him "Take it Away Leon" became a catch phrase in the whole country and beyond in the 1940s!

At its most hyperbolic height (captured here in the Space Cooley Orchestra's Oklahoma Stomp, a recording anyone with a set of ears should treasure) you had 16 and 18 piece orchestras with full fiddle sections (in the early 1960s Wills even rounded his fiddles with a violist from the Lawrence Welch band!), complete reed sections, and more brass than they needed, and exotic additions like the Harpist who kicks off The Oklahoma Stomp.

Further on than these recordings go, you would have players like Tiny Moore and Johnny Gimble who incorporated Bebop styles in their solos.

Along the way, mostly during that war time period when recording bans and players going in and out of the army and different bands make following a little harder, the straight western swing style of combining a guitar, steel guitar, and sometimes electric mandolin trio alternating with fiddle choirs took hold as the paradigm for Western Swing. For some reason in most bands the horns seemed to disappear or roll down to just one after WWII.

One thing about this music is that a very high level of musical technique and education became more and more part of the Western Swing environment. We know that European Jazmen like Stephan Grappelli followed the recordings of Hugh Farr who played with the sons of the pioneers and later Spade Cooley, and that Down Beat magazine described Eldon Shamblin out of Bob Wills' band as the best rythm guitar player in the country (slighting Freedie Green who even Eldon probably acknowledge was better).

The other thing in contrast with much of what was being presented as country music contemporaneously is that this was not being presented as "old time music," craddling close to old conventions, but a new hot dangerous music, drawn as close as comfort would allow from Black sources, from the dangerous white swing bands, and from the part of down home music involved in drinking, dancing, cheating, and other things not permitted in the Baptist Southeast.

WSM Grand Old Opry Stars toured the deep South playing in school auditoriums, church houses, and public squares. From the beginning Western swing belonged in barrooms, in dance halls, and other places where "the wine and liquor flow." Even Hank Williams wasn't allowed to use the word "beer" when he sang "My Bucket's got a hole in it" on the Opry. Meanwhile Western Swingers like Wills and Brown were singing about Cocaine and Opium, whiskey and beer back in the early 1930s.

And Smokie Woods wasn't called smokie cause he liked Tobacco. LOL. In fact his tune here called "Everybody's Trukin," about what is done "up in Harlem" includes much use of a word that does sound like truckin', but does not contain an r or a T but does start with an F!!

No this is not Nashville Country or even old time country music. This is Western guys and gals trying to be jazzy, bluesy, wild, whiskey soaked, drug high, hip to the secrets of Negroid nights of "truckin," playing their hearts out fast hot and heavy!

Anyone with ears should own this collection!

ps another wierd side note to this is on the great Hit\
"Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)" both Tex Williams who sang it and Merle Travis who wrote it died of lung cancer!

This comes from a listener who hates what has become of country music and what passes for country music nowadays. It literally makes me sick, as do the "artists" who perform it, with their poofy hair, phony cowboy hats, phony twangy guitars and phony "country" accents. It is the worst music on the face of the earth--worse even than rap/hip hop (and that's saying something). The only thing as bad was that so-called "hair metal" from the 1980's, which is thankfully now a dead genre, while country music still lives on as the champ of awful musical garbage.

I do like to listen to the old, REAL country music from early recordings. I don't know how genuine this is as "mountain music", or if it's considered real country, as it is a meshing of different styles of music. In a way it sounds a lot like Cajun music, without the accordions, and in English. Since they originated in close geographical proximity (Louisiana and Texas), I guess there was a lot of trading influences back and forth. But I really dig this set. There is so much at such a great price, most of it being top-notch entertainment, that anyone interested in American music owes it to themself to buy this set.

The best recording in the set is Bob Wills's "Stay A Little Longer", but a many other songs are nearly as good. Highlights are the original recording of "Pistol Packing Mama" and "I Wanna Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart". "Buster's Crawdad Song" is a real gas, though if you're sensitive to politically incorrect lyrics, you shouldn't listen too closely to the words. "Who Walks In When I Walk Out", "Smoke Smoke Smoke (That Cigarette)" and the Light Crust Doughboy's hilarious, and very swingy "Pussy Pussy Pussy" are additional highlights, as are the countryfied versions of standard pop hits like "Who's Sorry Now", "There'll Be Some Changes Made" and "I'm Confessin"".

Get this record throw that Tim McGraw and Garth brooks stuff in the incinerator.

A huge slice of 20th century Americana, this 4 cd collection is a bargin too. This set from the UK beats anything available in the USA for an all around review of western swing music. All the bases are covered, and in chronological sequence. You can hear the progression from a jug band and string band sounds of the 30's to where it blended into honky tonk in the 50's. If you're only familiar with Bob Wills & his Texas Playboys, this is a real treat. Nobody here beats him, but this provides a great context of where he came. You can hear the roots of honky tonk and rock and roll on these four sides, but this is great music that stands on its own. Recommended! All the people buying O Brother should pick this up, its the real deal!

Western swing fans will be dancing in the streets over this brilliant box set. It features 99 cuts dating from 1932 through the late 40's. They run chronologically and features all the great architects of western swing: Milton Brown & his musical Brownies, Bob Wills & his Texas Playboys, Light Crust Doughboys etc. Even if you're not a fan of country music, you may enjoy this one. It is genuine feel-good, stomping music with honkytonk pianos, fiddles, drums, guitars and even saxes. This is without a doubt the best buy for any fan of this genre. It is timeless fun! Crank it all the way up, pop open a cold one and all of sudden it's 1938 and you're in a Dallas honky tonk. By the way, the liner notes in the booklet are outstanding with dates, pixs, stories. Most interesting was that the Crystal Springs Ramblers from Ft. Worth were a favorite of Bonnie and Clyde's at a popular dance hall down there. Great job by Proper Records!

I read some of the other reviews and I can apperciate a lot what other folks are saying. I really agree with the one who said that todays Country Music makes them sick. What in the name of God does a naked Faith Hill rolling around a bed under the sheets singing some half baked so called Modern Country have to do with the music that I was raised on and grown to love. As the Great Bill Monroe stated "That junk ain't part of nothing",(I saw that on a FH video that was being played on cabel TV). What a moral let down, instead of appearing as one of our Country Stars she looks a lot more like a B-girl- that's where we are today. I said all that to say this: If you love WesternSwing like I do then you will love this set - it really has a lot of good stuff and takes you back to the days of Bob, Milton,Tommy,Leon, Spade and many other outstanding Western Swing artists. This set was a real welcome to my Swing Collection.

Keep in mind that this music ain't for everybody.If you like spending time listening to the likes of a feuding Toby with the Dixie Chicks then this real Roots Music ain't for you. But if you would be willing to sell your top coon hound to get the money to get tickets to see "Asleep at the Wheel" then you might be a fan that can apperciate what was started by Bob & Milton way down in Texas back in the early 30's.

While I type this review I'm listening to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys perform "Faded Love" on my computer so I'll cut it short. Buy this set - at this price you can't afford not too. While you are at it do what I did and get the "Proper Records - Bob Wills/Take Me Back To Tulsa" also - you will be Blessed !

"ENJOY" Joe Kopeck / Parkville,MD.

This 4 volume box set by Proper is a fantastic overview of that great American musical art form Western Swing.

It's not country, it's not cowboy, it's not swing, it's just great toe-tapping fun music!

The songs in this album are presented in chronological order thus allowing the listener to experience the growth and progression of this great music.

The songs are remastered originals and the sound quality is first rate.

There's also a booklet containing liner notes about all the artists and a discography.

I own several box sets by Proper and every single one is a bargain, well worth far more than the asking price.

My first exposure to Western swing was the first Asleep At The Wheel Bob Wills tribute CD, and I have been hooked ever since. However, up until I bought this collection, I have only heard Bob Wills. I was pleased to buy this in a local branch of Half Price Books. In addition to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, it also has selections from Milton Brown, Patsy Montana, the Light Crust Doughboys, Spade Cooley - just to name a few. This vibrant blend of cowboy/fiddle music and black blues/swing has yet to wander far from my CD player!

Excellent content not readily available elsewhere. Lots of detail on printed pages inside the CD but in tiny print since it was condensed (apparently) from vinyl size pages.

IF SOMEBODY PUT TOGETHER THIS COMPILATION OF SONGS FOR A MASTER'S THESIS ON THE HISTORY OF WESTERN SWING MUSIC, THEY COULDN'T HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB THAN THIS. THIS IS A FOUR CD BOX SET WITH INFORMATIVE BOOKLETS IN EACH CD WITH LOTS OF PICTURES AND BIOGRAPHICAL INFO. ADMITTEDEDLY, THE EARLIEST STUFF DOESN'T QUITE "SWING" AS MUCH AS THE LATER RECORDINGS, BUT THE MUSIC IS STILL GREAT AND IT IS INTERESTING TO HEAR HOW THE MUSIC EVOLVES OVER TIME. A BARGAIN PRICE, I HAVE A FEW BOX SETS IN THIS SERIES (THE PROPPER LABEL) AND THEY ARE ALL FANTASTIC PRODUCTIONS AND VALUES. WHAT OFTEN GETS OVERLOOKED AS THAT WESTERN SWING IN MANY WAYS WAS A PRECURSOR TO ROCK AND ROLL, ALONG WITH R&B "JUMP BLUES" (AT LEAST TO MY EARS, ANYWAY).

Others have elloquently said it already - this is great music;

I'm basically a jazz fan and I can really appreciate this blend of country, jazz, blues, pop and everything else that matters in american music from the first half of 20th century...

Beatifuly packaged with excellently written booklet, colorful illustration...

I just wanted to support the prevailing opinion.