Customer Reviews

Golden Hits

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4 star:		(1)
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Although they're both called "Golden Hits", this is not the Smash Records album with a different cover. These are totally different recordings. Even the track listing is different (this includes "Husbands And Wives" but not "Atta Boy Girl" or "One Dying and A Burying"). I'm not a Roger Miller expert, so don't know the background or history. They are quality recordings, and the backing & arrangements closely mirror the originals, but the Smash release is completely different than this. Caveat emptor!

This particular ROGER MILLER compilation is a significant aural piece of my childhood. Miller was a real favorite for my Dad, and thus my siblings and I were introduced to his goofy Country-Western hits at a very young age. My Pa always had a wacky sense of humor, which I seem to have inherited in spades. He enjoyed a well-turned phrase and comedy that bordered on (or even reveled in) the outrageous. (One of my great regrets in life is that I never sat him down and forced him to watch 'MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL.'; he would have loved it!)

Even my Pa acknowledged that Roger Miller did not have what one would describe as a "great" voice (kind of a cross between Willie Nelson and cold beer mixed with warm honey. Ya got that?), but it was perfectly suited for the tenor of his novelty songs. It is a distinctive voice that definitely grows on the listener to become quite enjoyable.

Pa felt that after Roger got off "the sauce" his songs suffered. I don't know if that's true (I even dig some of his later, primarily subdued stuff), but these 11 short songs (the "epic" of this collection times out at just 2:26) originate from his bottle-tipping times, and there's nary a dog in the pound.

Our excursion through Miller's Wacky World is initiated by his signature tune, 'KING OF THE ROAD' ("Third boxcar, midnight train / Destination...Bangor, Maine / Old worn out clothes and shoes / I don't pay no union dues.")

Then we move onto his classic of self-loathing, 'DANG ME' ("Dang me, dang me / They oughta take a rope and hang me / High from the highest tree / Woman would you weep for me?").

'ENGINE ENGINE #9' is enjoyable, yet rather straightforward (by Miller standards), and 'IN THE SUMMERTIME' features his trademark phrasing, irregular meter changes, and some of the funniest yodeling on record!

More than any other track here, 'YOU CAN'T ROLLER SKATE IN A BUFFALO HERD' reminds me of my youth because Pa (always an early-riser) was fond of blasting it loudly in order to awaken us kids for school. What a way to start your day! (Yes, just like Miller himself, my Pa was a "strange duck", making me a son-of-a-strange duck, and you know how birds of a feather flock together.)

The title, 'DO-WACKA-DO' pretty much tells it all ("I hear tell you're doin' well / Good things have come to you / I wish I had your happiness / And you had a do-wacka-do").

'ENGLAND SWINGS' and so does the song.

My Nephew - the latest Millerian convert to the family - likes 'CHUG-A-LUG' the best. It's about a boy's first experience with "the sauce" ("4-H and FFA on a field trip to the farm / Me 'n' a friend sneak off behind / This big old barn where we uncovered a covered-up moonshine still...").

'ONE DYING AND A BURYING' is deadly serious. It's sad. It's morose. I like it.

'KANSAS CITY STAR' is probably my favorite track as it appeals to the overly developed underachieving trait in my personality ("Got a letter just this mornin' it was postmarked Omaha / It was typed and neatly written offerin' me this better job / Better job at higher wages, expenses paid and a car / But I'm on TV here locally and I can't quit, I'm a star").

'ATTA BOY GIRL' is fun enuf, boys and girls, but it's the weakest link here.

If you think that life is too damned serious to take seriously; if you think there's nothing wrong with rhyming "purple" with "maple syrple"; if you think "you can be happy if you've a mind to"; and if you've found that "you can't change film with a kid on your back" then ROGER MILLER is just waiting for you. What're you waiting for?

In 'DANG ME', Miller sings, "Just sittin' around drinkin' with the rest of the guys / Six rounds bought, and I bought five / Spent the groceries and half the rent / Like fourteen dollars and twenty-seven cents." My Pa was admitted into the hospital in the first week of April, 1996 and he passed away on the 10th. He was joking right up until the time he slipped into unconsciousness and then slipped away entirely. When the nurse later turned over his belongings to me, I couldn't help noticing that he had entered the hospital with a total of $14. and small change (don't know the exact amount) in his pants pockets. Hmmm... His last little joke came after he was already gone. I used the money to buy beer for his wake; he'd have wanted it that way. Roger Miller's GOLDEN HITS keeps some of my Pa's life in my heart, but I think it'll put some heart in your life, too.

("Stay tuned - we're gonna have a Popeye cartoon in a minute.")

Roger Miller is a member of the small fraternity of musical humorists, but with a difference; his offerings are good music with a comic twist, not comedy set to music. There is a sincere, heartfelt quality to these songs, even if some of the lyrics border on nonsensicle.

Roger's signature song, and the headliner of the album, is King of the Road. For sheer silliness, you can't touch You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd. However, listen to the forlorn longing in Engine, Engine #9 or One Dying and a Burying, and you'll find a whole different perspective to Roger Miller's talents.

Yes, there's a lot of humor in these songs, but there's also a lot of good music. Give Roger Miller's Golden Hits a listen and enjoy!

I've had this since 1987 and it's the only complete one, and it's fantastic. You won't find 'One Dying and a Burying' on many titles, and you don't want to under-rate it.

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Brought back memories of childhood. Shared it with my Dad who has a scratched LP and we sang along and laughed! Just like the original, only better quality!

Great album. I saw Roger Miller as a kid in person and have always enjoyed his music. If you are a fan, this is the one to get.

Roger Miller was unique in a sense of his ability to construct story telling with a dark image of hilarity.Although not having a great voice,his capability of song writing was in fact a treat.I saw his wife in an interview days after he died and she said that he was very escentric and spent most of the time hidden in rooms.I found myself wondering if that ever put a stain on their marriage.Oh well one could only imagine what went on in that household RIGHT! He's a star that constantly will shine in HEAVEN.

Absolutely uplifting.Brings back some old, happy memories,and you remember the words to all the songs even if you haven't heard it in 30+ years.A must have!