Customer Reviews

The Early Years

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

 

 

what some of these reviewers don't understand is that this is a box set, it's for hardcore fans. as a huge johnny horton fan i can do nothing but tell you if don't like alternate versions or different takes or only like the hits, don't buy this. but johnny horton is one of my favorite musicians of all time, he transcends all those historical saga songs so many times over it's ridiculous to even say so. the songs and the soul present on this set are before johnny ever made it big (though he did redo several songs)and are for the true fan, the ones who take music seriously and recognise johnny horton for what he was: one of the best musicians of all time.

One really has to think hard before spending this much on a 4 CD set that seems to contain the same songs in a number of places. Growing up,one of my favorite LPs was All For The Love Of A Girl.In Later years, I found out that most of the songs on that album were not available on CD, cassette or the net. Their appearance on this set elated and enticed me.They,re here, First Train Head'in South, Broken Hearted Gypsy, Big Wheels Rollin, Train With A Rhumba Beat, Child's Side Of Life, ect. All as good as I remember from 20 years ago. CD 1.Piano/swing music.A side of Horton I'd never heard before, but not bad. CD2 My favorites from my Dad's LP. CD3 Most of it demos.Alot of hiss & poor production. Not great to listen to, until you realize that alot of the words and coruses are different, the originals and an interesting oddity. CD4 Why so many repeats? Earlier songs that wer reworked in 1959 and then again in 1964. Both versions included.These songs are incredibly cleaned up, with strong vocals and an entirely different pace and instrumentation compared to the earlier examples. Two versions with different backup instruments in each and not a one I'd heard before. All sounding like the Johnny I grew up with. Fantastic. All in all, I have absolutely no regrets for making this purchase.

ALL IN ALL I THINK THAT THIS BOX SET WAS PUT TOGETHER VERY WELL. MY FAVORITE CUT WAS BALLAD OF JOHNNY HORTON BY: RUDY THACKER. TO ME THE MAN SEEMS TO BE A EXCELLENT SONG WRITTER, AND IF HE IS STILL AROUND, HE SHOULD CONSIDER WRITING MORE MATERIAL, WHAT A GIFTED MUSICIAN!!!

I really love Johnny Horton and this set has many songs I've never heard but every song on disc 4 is a repeat of songs from the first 3 disc. I've never heard of such a thing.