Customer Reviews

The Genuine Texas Groover

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If you have been searching for the outstanding DOUG SAHM and BAND recording, look no further. This CD package contains all the songs from DOUG SAHM and BAND & TEXAS TORNADO...plus never released recordings from the same sessions. This is definately Doug at his finest. The music is eclectic, electric, unpolished and real. Doug and his band take on tex-mex, blues, and outlaw country with Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Steve Bromberg and many others joining in for the fun. This is not top forty schlock...this is the real thang.

I would rate these two records the best of his career which, considering all the great records he's made, is saying something. The reasons being the involvement of Atlantic Records honcho Jerry Wexler and the variety (Country, Blues, Tex-Mex) and strength of the material on both DOUG SAHM and BAND and TEXAS TORNADO. The former includes an all-star line up including Dylan, Fathead Newman et al., the latter includes some of the leftovers from the all-star recording session and some killer work layed down in California. The horn arrangements on TEXAS TORNADO,put together by longtime associate Rocky Morales, are fantastic! As noted above ORIGINAL TEXAS GROOVER is spendy but if you're a fan, these are indispensible and if you're curious and not too familair with this underappreciated artist it's an excellant place to start.

The brilliant musicianship, combined with the clear
spontaneity and joyousness of these Atlantic recording sessions make this collection a must have. It is a timeless treasure that lovingly traverses a broad range of musical styles from country to toe-tappin' Texas blues. Doug Sahm was not only a fine, underrated guitarist but an exceptional singer. He also was a talented songwriter but on these cd's he shows he had a great , ala Rod Stewart (it's true), ability to recognize great songs from other pens and make them his own.

Rhino only made 5000 of these gems; for you audiophiles the sound quality is superb . Surprisingly, there still are some left. Do yourself a favor and buy it while you can. It's the ultimate testament to an underrated artist. You'll be playing, "Papa Ain't Salty," at all your parties for the rest of your life.

The price for this two-disc set is steep, but the music inside makes it worth every penny. Both the albums "Doug Sahm and Band" and "Texas Tornado" are here complete, along with numerous outtakes and alternate takes. The outtakes are worthwhile, too. They're not the usual cutting-room floor leftovers.

The music here is eclectic, as always. Doug jumps from straight blues on "Your Friends" and "Tennessee Blues" to country on "Faded Love" to rock on "Texas Tornado" to Tex-Mex on "Nitty Gritty." Not to mention the songs that are almost to classify as this or that.
It's great American music and as the reviewer wrote below, it is indeed the real thang.

a great release from one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time. the previously unreleased material from the studio outtakes is priceless.