Customer Reviews

Sing Cowboy Sing: The Gene Autry Collection

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

GENE AUTRY FANS WILL LOVE THIS SET. IF YOU LONG TO HEAR SOME OF THE OLD RADIO PROGRAMS THAT WERE AIRED EVERY SUNDAY ON MELODY RANCH RADIO PROGRAM,THEN THIS IS IT. UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THE DRAMA SCENES WERE INCLUDED, BUT ALL SAID AND DONE THIS GIVES YOU A HINT OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO LISTEN TO GENE AUTRY'S MELODY RANCH YEARS AGO. ONE OF THE BEST SETS OF SONGS EVER COMPILED. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR AVID GENE AUTRY FANS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHY THEY CALLED HIM "AMERICA'S FAVORITE SINGING COWBOY" JUST LISTEN TO "SING, COWBOY, SING" AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY.

Hey a Gene Autry boxed set!!!! What a disapointment. Now this isn't bad music by any means. I rushed out and got this, got it home and discovered 80% of these recordings are not the original hit versions, they are versions off his TV show. Now why not mention that in great big letters on the cover. Only when you read the booklet inside do you discover this. You think you should be let in on this information.

I agree with Mr Schwent: a boxset like this should specify on the cover that it does not include the original versions of the collected songs. And I actually wonder why Rhino, who are usually so accurate when it comes to their releases, did not warn the buyer about it. The fact that the boxset features unreleased cuts from Gene Autry's "Melody Ranch" radio series is a real plus to purchase the set, especially for those of us who already have the studio versions of these songs, some of which were not recorded commercially by Autry.

Autry's relaxed style, so close to that of crooners like Bing Crosby (who also recorded several country and western songs), shines throughout the three CDs, in some cases even beating the studio versions to a punch. Guest stars such as Jo Stafford and Rosemary Clooney add to the charm of the radio broadcasts, which capture the magic of 1940s radio, complete with spoken introductions by Gene, who sings before a live audience. The booklet is illustrated with dozens of pictures and includes a fine essay by Ranger Doug (from Riders in the Sky), as well as song-by-song commentary.

All in all, the set is a must buy for all Gene Autry fans. Since it is out of print, I strongly advise everyone to get a second-hand copy while they are available. You won't regret it!

Gene Autry
"Sing Cowboy Sing: The Gene Autry Collection"
(Rhino Records, 1997)
----------------------------------------------------
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This is an awesome collection of vintage performances drawn from singing cowboy superstar Gene Autry's best years. These old radio show performances show Autry and his backing artists in a relaxed, but professional mode, singing gloriously corny Tin Pan Alley-crafted "western" tunes. I absolutely LOVE this collection - the jazzy, poppy side of Autry's work comes through, as does his consummate showmanship. Some fans may complain that these aren't the studio versions, but geez, look on the bright side: these live performances are rarer and in no way are these inferior performances. Autry was a great performer, and he was in his element when doing stuff live. This box set is a ton of fun, and the studio versions are easily available elsewhere. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Country Music Guide)

For me this is some of the best cowboy music ever.For many years Gene Autry was the king of the singing cowboys.
My first real remembered listening to him was in my Dad's car on a sunday afternoon drive on the Radio.
Western movies and music of this sort is like jazz, a very American product
that may not be very appreciated by New York intellectuals,
but is recognized the world over as being an American type of music.
I like this batch of songs.

If you're looking for the original "hits", don't buy this. If you're into rare radio from the "Melody Ranch", and want to hear rare, live, alternative tracks, this is for you. I'm a big Gene Autry fan, so I couldn't turn this off! "Don't Fence me In" is slowed down, missing the instrumental break, has a cool choir back-up, and was quite a shock to me. These are not the original Columbia recordings, most are radio broadcasts, but the sound quality is great, and all 3 CDs flow nicely. If you are from the era that spawned this wonderful music, I'm sure you will swoon! I was looking for the recorded versions that I was familiar with, so this collection was a bittersweet find. Still, well worth the money!