Pee Wee King & Golden West Cowboys [Box set]

Pee Wee King | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 1, 1994)
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Bear Family
• ASIN: B000001B1I
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #679,575 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

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Editorial Reviews

(6-CD LP-Sized Box Set with 66-page book, 152 tracks) One of the strangest stories in country music is how a polka bandleader called Frank Kuczynski from Wisconsin became Pee Wee King and led a big band on the Opry, then wrote several of the biggest hits in country music history. The story is here, and the music is here, including the original versions of Tennessee Waltz, Slow Poke and Bonaparte's Retreat, as well as lesser-known classics like Tennessee Central #9, Ten Gallon Boogie, Jukebox Blues, Bull Fiddle Boogie, Birmingham Bounce, Plantation Boogie, and even the first cover version of Blue Suede Shoes. All told, there are 151 songs cut for RCA and Bullet between 1946 and 1958. Nothing swung harder than the Golden West Cowboys! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice tribute to a giant of early country music . . ., September 1, 2002

By 

aliled "aliled" (Austin, TX, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Pee Wee King & Golden West Cowboys (Audio CD)

Pee Wee King was a Polish-American kid in Wisconsin who picked up the accordion and more or less lucked into the field of country music. That said, he was worthy of the genre. This box set compiles all of Pee Wee's recorded work, aside from some radio transcriptions issued as a double CD by Bloodshot. Pee Wee's sound was a little Western swing, a bit of straight country and a smidge of cowboy, with many accordion-led songs that add a jaunty and interesting touch to the music. His big claim to fame was co-writing one of the most successful songs of all time, "The Tennessee Waltz", which is here along with all of his hits, like "Slow Poke" and "Bonaparte's Retreat". This is a great box set, remarkably consistent and with enough variety to make it listenable from start to finish - there's even a small square dance set and a "phonobiography". The booklet is loaded with photos and a history of the entire band, their career and entire discography. The sound is great. Should you have an interest in Pee Wee, this is the way to go! I'm a harsh critic, so this didn't get a fifth star simply because I don't quite put Pee Wee in the same league as Bill Monroe or Bob Wills or the Carter Family or Hank Williams . . . but he's close!