Saddle Songs

Don Edwards | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Shanachie
• ASIN: B000000DTJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #363,512 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a taste of cowpuncher's heaven, December 17, 1998

By 

Jerome Clark (Canby, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saddle Songs (Audio CD)

Put simply, Saddle Songs is one of the finest folk records to come along even in this new golden age of folk recording. It proves that there is still great music to be made solely with a guitar (or, in a few instances here, a guitar/banjo) and a voice. Don Edwards has an assured, friendly voice, more than a little reminiscent of the late Marty Robbins's, except that Edwards's repertoire is not littered with the schlock songs and saccharine arrangements that transformed the gifted Robbins in his later years into just another Nashville hack. In a sense Edwards is what Robbins could have been. Here, as he has in his other splendid recordings, he comes across with the real stuff -- only more so -- from the classics of traditional cowboy music to some undeservedly overlooked gems, notably "Little Joe the Wrangler's Sister Nell" and "The Long Road West." "Doney Gal" gets, for the first time in its long history, the decidedly untraditional slide-guitar treatment, to surprisingly moving effect. Edwards pays tribute to Robbins in a cover of the latter's Western gospel tune "The Master's Call." Saddle Songs is just one damn wonderful ballad and performance after another, a taste of cowpuncher's heaven. If you're looking for real American music, here it is.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great compilation!, February 8, 2005

By 

John K. Puskar "renaissance man" (Pittsburgh, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saddle Songs (Audio CD)

This is a great compilation of cowboy-themed songs. You can imagine some old cowpoke sitting around the campfire singing these (although I'm sure more were sung _about_ cowboys than by them).

The only downfall to this album is that every song is just Don & his guitar--no bass, no harmonica, no accordion, etc. If you want a little more instrumental and/or harmony, opt for the Sons of the Pioneers or Riders in the Sky instead. If most of the songs being in the same style doesn't bore you (it doesn't me), then this is a great collection.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guitar & Baritone Feast, May 30, 2001

By 

jamie anderson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saddle Songs (Audio CD)

I heartily agree with all the other reviews, especially Jerome Clark's excellent one.

Don's guitar work is perfectly styled to suit each individual tune and these CDs highlight what an excellent guitarist he really is. Also, the recording is so natural sounding which allows us to clearly hear the beautiful tonal qualities of Don's guitars.

Likewise Don's voice gets the most natural recording treatment of all his CDs - especially compared to his earlier Warner releases where the treble is emphasized like a teenage top 40 single - fortunately rectified in his excellent "West of Yesterday" CD on that label.

Don's vocal work is masterful on Saddle Songs where he also demonstrates an ability to vary vocal treatment to wonderful effect. For example he can half talk - half sing a song in a way equally as authoritative as Sinatra at his best while still beautifully maintaining the musicality and rhythm of the tune (which Sinatra seemed unable to do).

Whether or not you're familiar with Edwards, if you love pure artistry and classic folk music of any genre you can't go wrong with this release. It has a timeless quality which I predict you'll never tire of.