Customer Reviews

The Statler Bros. Random Memories

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If you are a Statler Brother fan, as I am, this book is a must have. "Random Memories" is not intended as a chronology or complete history of the Statlers. It is an enjoyable collection of stories.

Written by two of the brothers, Harold and Don Reid, "Random Memories" recounts some of the people and moments they shared during their career. The brothers state that their careers allowed them to shake hands with and talk with some of their heroes. Since the Statlers are heroes to me, I was hoping this book would be my chance to meet them and learn about them as individuals throughout the pages. They somewhat disappoint in this area.

The Statlers always publicly portrayed the group as an entity, not a collection of individuals. They carefully protected the privacy and personality of the individual members, letting the "group" be the entity the public saw. In "Random Memories", Don Reid largely continues projecting and protecting the image of the group. It is Harold who shares insights into the individual members. In my opinion, because of this, Harold is the better writer. It is Harold who writes from the heart about Lew DeWitt, Phil Balsley, and Jimmy Fortune. Harold gives the personal insights that true fans have wanted to know for decades. Phil gets a little attention, as does Lew DeWitt and Jimmy Fortune. I wish as a reader and fan that more attention was given to Phil, Lew, and Jimmy. However brief, it is that display of personal feeling that makes this a worthwhile read.

They have their heroes, and they share them with us. Their loyalty to Johnny Cash is continued here as well. The great irony is that the Reids enjoyed their career so much because it opened doors for them to share time with their heroes. We, as fans and readers, view the Statlers as our heroes for their song writing and singing quality. They were consummate professionals. Their book does not open those doors to our curiosity as much as their careers opened those same doors for them.

Unfortunately for us fans, the Statlers have hidden their activities since their retirement. "Random Memories" was actually written in 2005. The Statlers' website is grossly outdated. It requires a google search to find out what they have been doing since their retirement in October, 2003, and "Random Memories" sadly offers little here.

"Random Memories" also glosses over some facts as the Statlers neared retirement. Country music had again changed to a younger, country rock sound and away from traditional fare. In the top 40 realm, the Statlers were not getting the airplay. Their audience was graying. They played shows in smaller venues. The last show of theirs I saw was in Utica N.Y. It was not sold out, and the venue was smaller.

The book offers little insight into some of the career moves they made. Why did they change from the Cowboy Symphony Orchestra to the All American Band?

Lastly, a great book leaves us wanting more. As Harold used to say at the end of each show: "Come back next time, `cause we ain't even started yet". I hope they write another book with more stories. This one was great. For those of us who wish they would sing together even one more time as a guest appearance, "Random Memories" just left me wanting more. Buy it, and read it at least twice as I did. You will enjoy it.

I'm happy to finally be able to publicly say what I said in the title, and I'm sure every one of their fans shares that sentiment. The story of The Statler Brothers is known world-wide, and has been for many years, and I'm not writing this to try and tell all the reasons why I'm such a big fan. If you ARE a fan, then you already know, and if you aren't a fan, do yourself a favor and spend some time with this book, the music, the videos, and anything they've ever done. Your world will become a happier place, and you might just be reminded that it's still possible to be good, do the right thing, and have God bless you with a remarkable journey on this earth.
As far as the new book goes, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and read through it so quickly that I will probably be reading it again very soon. The stories were wonderful and although I'd like to know more (everything), I'm just happy that Harold and Don shared as much as they did. And the humor... Let's just say that after bursting out laughing while my husband was sleeping nearby, I learned to read with my hand over my mouth. I should have expected that to happen. :-)
I can't remember how many times I've seen The Statler Brothers in concert, but one time was in a really small venue in West Texas, back in the days when they could still hang out with their fans at the end of the concert. When I got to the front of the line of fans, I didn't even have a piece of paper to get their autographs on, so I took off my boot and they all graciously signed it for me. (The great Lew DeWitt's name was on that boot, and after carefully painting over the names with clear nail polish, I kept it for many years.) Then, I timidly asked Harold if I could shake his hand. We shook. :-) Those are just a couple of many great Statler memories for me. The last concert I attended was in Abilene, TX in 2001. I thought they would blow the roof right off that coliseum! Their performance was as strong and powerful as any I had ever seen, and I'm so glad I was able to be there.
Thanks guys, and my heartfelt congratulations for your SO deserved induction into the Country Music Hall Of Fame!

Oh MY Gosh! I actually thought I had ordered the book, Random Memories, but I got the CD. I am so glad now that I have listened to them. It was like having them in my living room telling me their stories. You can feel all their happiness and joy in their life and in thier music. You KNOW they are telling the truth about the world they live and sing in. You also feel their sorrow and pain about things in life that matter most. I love learning about the WHYS behind things....you learn them from Harold and Don. And to me, they are the best Statler Brothers! I loved Lew (who was ill and later died) and hated when he had to leave the Statlers so it was nice to learn many things about him.
This was just as the title states, Random Memories, not an autobiography. These two men have taken notes and kept personal journals over the years. These memories are magnificent!

The books is just fine, but I'm happy to be able to contact someone. I purchased the book through Amazon and I received the book. But much to my surprise Dealzandsalz Co. sent me 3 more books and charged them to my account. They told me to just return the books and they would refund my money. I did return the books, at a cost of $11.30 for postage and didn't hear anything from them. I wrote to them and they said my money had been refunded. It has not. I don't know how Dealzandsalz got involved in this transaction but I feel victimized by them. I realize this might not be the correct channel to go through, but I cannot find a way to contact Amazon on their website. Could you please refer me to proper channels. Thank you. Mary T. Dixon

It was a good book about the Statler Brothers lives behind the scenes.

They are good people and deserved every bit of their fame. I just wish that they didn't retire.

WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC THERE IS NO GROUP BETTER. THIS CD SET IS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME AND HOPEFULLY ALL YOU OTHER STATLER MANIACS. I LISTENED AND LAUGHED, AND CRIED FOR HOURS AS HAROLD AND DON TOLD LOTS OF STORIES ABOUT THEIR HISTORY AND SOME OF THE PERSONAL LIFE OF THE STATLERS. THIS IS ALMOST LIKE A NEW STATLER ALBUM WHICH BY THE WAY ID BEEN WAITING FOR SINCE AMEN. DO NOT HESITATE. GET THIS ALBUM OR CD SET WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. JUST GET IT!

The title of this book is very accurate. It's random, or selected memories of the Reid brothers during their Statler Brothers career. The best parts were the stories of getting started as a group and then getting the big break that allowed them to pursue a career in music. Also, and even better, are the stories of how various songs came about. I would have enjoyed much more of it, covering all of the hits.
If you're expecting a regular autobiography, you may be disappointed. There's very little personal info that is shared except what's relevant to the act or songs. I don't recall hearing any specifics about marriages, divorces, other siblings, children, etc. You'll hear quite a bit about the staff that worked with the SB; in fact, all the 'thank yous' to staff members seemed to consume a big part of the book, a part that probably should have been put into an appendix.

I have been a fan since Flowers on the wall, and I have a collection of greatest hit cd's that I sing with to and from work every day. And I never tire of my favorite songs. Of course I like some more than others, but I have a feeling they did too, all the more so after reading their book. Now I wish they would do a biography of the group and tell us more about themselves, how they interacted, did they ever have any internal "scraps", how did the traveling affect their families, etc., etc. They have protected their privacy, and have a right too, but they can still do that and tell us who have followed them through all their years more about themselves. I hope they will, but if this is the only book they ever do, it will do.

If I have my way, FLOWERS ON THE WALL will be one of the songs played at my wake! Ever since I heard that catchy, appealing ditty by the Statler Brothers back in 1965, I have been a fan. Maybe not a rabid fan but I enjoyed subsequent songs (CLASS OF '57, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO RANDOLPH SCOTT, DO YOU REMEMBER THESE, etc.) and had a general knowledge of what they were about. Throughout their career, they always struck me as four - well, actually five - talented entertainers who never let fame go to their heads. They stayed true to their home town roots. I looked forward to reading RANDOM MEMORIES as I wanted to know more about Harold, Don, Phil, Lew and Jimmy. RANDOM MEMORIES did not disappoint; far from it!

Though RANDOM MEMORIES can't claim to be a definitive, exhaustive history of the Statler Brothers, it is a marvelously entertaining and good-natured remembrance of the life and times of the act. Harold and Don provide the reader with an affectionate look back at 38 years of songmaking and lives well lead. Fans of warts-and-all exposes like the recent Buck Owens biography probably won't enjoy RANDOM MEMORIES. It covers Statler high-points and the lows yet is always tasteful and upbeat. What's especially touching is the stories they tell on themselves meeting famous people and their heroes (Roy, Gene, Randolph Scott, etc.), stories that revealed the still hero-worshipping boys behind the adult facade.

Reading RANDOM MEMORIES definitely leaves you with a warm spot in your heart for the Statler Brothers. In many ways, Harold and Don's book reminds me of Carol Burnett's THIS TIME TOGETHER. Both were written by talented entertainers who also happen to be class acts! Recommended.

This book was purchased as a gift to a friend. She found answers to how this well matched singing group was formed, and is recommending it to all her friends.