Customer Reviews

Full Western Dress

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was driving home last Sunday, listening to the "Prairie Home Companion" on the radio, broadcast from Austin. I'm not into most of what passes for country music these days, and I hadn't heard of the Derailers, but when I caught that unmistakable Bakersfield sound, being played so well, so tight, I made it a point to write down the name and pick up on it here at Amazon. It's disappointing to read David Cantwell's cheap shots on two different album reviews of this band's work. I guess he's upset that the Derailers aren't Buck Owens. Well, there's a difference betweeen being inspired by someone, and wanting to be an imitator. This is no imitation, and they're not trying to recreate old records. When I hear this album I only hear the torch being passed, and these boys are holding it high.

The Derailers' new CD, Full Western Dress, is such a beauty! Every song is a gem from the sublime "Play Me the Waltz of the Angels" to the raucous, rockin' blues of "Knee Deep in the Blues"--pure Derailers with ever-gorgeous harmonies, that shuffle beat and the indescribably wonderful Tele-twang. As always, the Derailers pay most accurate and respectful tributes to their musical forebearers. One can hear the Beatles, Elvis, Roy Orbison and Everly Brothers influences. And a wonderful surprise--a guest appearance by their music mentor and inspiration, the great Buck Owens himself. This album is must for the collection of any real lover of great American Country and Western music! Ela Simmons

I must say that besides being some of the nicest gents on the planet, these guys put on one helluva live show! If your toes aren't taping by the third note, then you must not have a pulse! Quick, someone call 911! Their previous releases have been a little more hardcore country, but with Full Western Dress, The Derailers show us that all of their influences aren't just from Music City, USA or Bakersfield, CA. We hear influences from the 1960's pop, (girl group) era in their cover of "Then She Kissed Me", a little Roy Orbison-esque sound on "Longing" and even a little bit of 1950's rockabilly influence on their version of "Knee Deep in the Blues". My personal favorite on this release would have to be the shuffle; "Hold On Fool Heart" penned by Tony Villanueva, Earl Wright and Robert Reynolds from The Mavericks.

I've been a fan of the Derailers since "Jackpot", and their albums just keep getting better! I love the numerous styles they incorporate in "Full Western Dress". Although I'm not a Beatles fan, they pick up the Fab Four style and give it some country polish on a couple tracks. This album has everything from burn-up-the-dance-floor boogie tunes to cry-in-your-beer ballads. The only thing better than listening to this album is seeing them live. I highly recommend this album to those people who think they don't like "country music". Folks, you've been misled by Nashville and Corporate Country. There's still Real Country Music out there and the Derailers do it like nobody else.

I caught a video of the Derailers and ran out and bought this CD. I had been out of the country for the last 2 1/2 years and I had never heard of them. I normally prefer rock/pop, but with the sorry state of that industry, I have begun listening to some country. The Derailers are the best thing I have heard in a long time, and I don't understand why they haven't hit it huge. This CD is chock full of great songs that you don't get tired of listening to. The rockabilly influence sure sounds strong to me, so if you like the early rock and roll sound of Sun Records, I'll bet you'll love the Derailers.

Excellent Album. Some of the songs appear to have a 60's sound and like 'Then She Kissed Me' are infact from that era. 'Whatever Made You Change Your Mind' has a 60's feel to it. I feel that 'Longing' has to be the song of the album, an excellent slow country song - should be a No.1 hit. I started to write something on a couple of the tracks but they are all so great that it would have become an epistle.

If you're a REAL COUNTRY MUSIC FAN then this is an album for you.

Keep Country country - call the rest SOMETHING ELSE!

Well, with Reverb Deluxe being one of my all time favorite CDs ever, I had high hopes for Full Western Dress. At first listen of the new one, I wasn't excited about it all that much. A few of the songs really stuck with me, mostly with Tony singing lead. But Brian's voice wasn't so prominent on the other CDs as on this one, so it struck me as sounding out of place. His voice is higher in tone and more yelpish than Tony's deep rich drawl. Besides the vocals, a few songs sounded a bit too popish to be Derailers. The music overall is top notch, regardless of style or lead vocal. Brian's guitar is the third singer in the band. The new guys do a fine job, which is expected, as Tony and Brian are really the personality of the band. After a week or so of constant listening (and I mean constant), it's grown on me a whole lot more. Reverb Deluxe is a more consistent CD in terms of songs and feel, while Full Western Dress branches out more. Anyway, it's a worthwhile CD to have, we'll see if it holds up over time.

While not as strong as their fine 1997 release, "Reverb Deluxe," the Derailers's latest release finds them paying tribute to their musical heros and mixing in several strong originals. Perhaps the biggest problem with "Full Western Dress" is that the band tries TOO hard to display their musical influences. "Longing" obviously has Roy Orbison in mind, while "Just To Spend the Night With You" recalls early 60s-era Beatles. Throw in the rockabilly of "I'm Gonna Love, Love, Love You" and the vanilla country pop of "Long on Love" and you have an album that doesn't always flow smoothly. To the band's credit, they write some of the best honky tonk songs of the decade and have some of the most gorgeous harmonies in country or rock. ""Hold on Fool Heart" is the best example of this, with it's soaring harmonies and bouncing, Buck Owens-style beat. And speaking of Owens, the band collaborates with the Bakersfield living legendon the beautiful, yet heartbreaking, "Waltz of the Angels"

This is a fine example of why the best country music is coming out of Austin. No big hats or phony Nashville vocals--just solid musicianship and strong song selection. The Dave Alvin production sounds like a Mavericks album with David Ball and the Beatles sitting in. Hard to summarize, particularly owing to the diverse vocals, but front-to-back as enjoyable a country collection as I've heard since the turn of the century.

Austin's kings of Bakersfield honky-tonk have turned out an adventurous third LP, mixing letter-perfect Buck Owensisms with sounds from The Beatles, The Byrds, and Roy Orbison. Singer-songwriter-guitarists Tony Villanueva and Brian Hofeldt are masters of the careening duet style Owens perfected with his partner, Don Rich. Whether singing harmonies on "The Right Place" or trading lines on "Someone Else's Problem," the duo's vocals are as punchy as their Telecasters. On the superb originals "Me, Myself and I," "The Lost and Found," and a haunting cover of "Play Me the Waltz of the Angels" (featuring Bucks Owens), Villanueva provides enough tears to overflow a whole bar.

The disc falters on pop hybrids like "Just to Spend the Night With You" and a galloping remake of the Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me." Fellow travelers like the Mavericks and Dwight Yoakam took several tries to find their balance, so it's not surprising that the Derailers' combination of strumming acoustics, twangy electrics and double-tracked vocals isn't yet fully fermented. While searching for a unique combination of their honky-tonk and radio-pop influences, they continue to play country music with a vitality matched by few of their contemporaries. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.