Stratosphere Boogie: The Flaming guitars Of Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant

Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West, Speedy West | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 23, 1995)
• Original Release Date: May 23, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Razor & Tie
• ASIN: B000002Z93
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,659 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #28 in Music > Country > Instrumental
  • #56 in Music > Country > Western Swing

Track Listings

1. Stratosphere Boogie

2. Blue Bonnet Rag

3. Cotton Pickin'

4. Old Joe Clark

5. Sleepwalker's Lullaby

6. Arkansas Traveler

7. The Night Rider

8. Low Man On A Totem Pole

9. Speedin' West

10. Comin' On

11. Bryant's Bounce

12. Midnight Ramble

13. Pickin' Peppers

14. Shuffleboard Rag

15. Bustin' Thru

16. Flippin' The Lid

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

These 16 sides were selected from the more than 50 that guitarist Bryant and pedal steel player West cut in Los Angeles between 1951 and 1956, when they were also most in demand as country--and occasionally pop--session men. Forty years later, these are still considered the hottest, most fully realized, most musical instrumentals in the history of country. West's slashing, muscular steel lines send out sparks, while Bryant's bop-influenced, breakneck guitar cuts clean as a scalpel. Using the guitar-steel pairings of Western swing as a jumping-off point, these guys created a jazzy body of work that many guitarists are still trying to decipher. --John Morthland

Product Description

Pedal steel-er West and guitarist Bryant were the most in-demand session musicians of the '50s. On their own, though, is when they really let loose; and this 16-track collection culling the best of their Capitol instrumentals contains country, jazz, bluegrass and space-age effects that musicians are still scratching their heads over 40 years later! With notes and rare photos!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just get it and hold onto your seat !!!!!!, March 24, 2003

By 

john bryant (Seal Beach, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stratosphere Boogie: The Flaming guitars Of Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant (Audio CD)

My father, Jimmy Bryant, played the heck out of his Telecasters - in fact, he was the first artist to play a Fender guitar for Leo Fender. If you play guitar and have never heard him play, this may scare you to grasp the thought of him doing this in the early to mid 50's - just think about being the first to play a solid body electric guitar without having someone else to copy chops from - and it sounding like this! Hope you like it - you can read more about my dad at ...
Kind regards,
John Bryant

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild sounds!, February 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Stratosphere Boogie: The Flaming guitars Of Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant (Audio CD)

One day a couple of years ago I was looking through the bins at a big music store. The floor I was on contained the country section, and they were playing an album that had sounds on it that I'd never heard before. Everyone in hearing range stopped what they were doing and listened. The music was so unusual (to me, at least) and interesting that I bought the album--this album--right away, and I haven't regretted it since. Will definitely be of interest to non-old-country fans who like good music and crack musicianship.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The epitome of pickin' and grinnin', November 28, 2003

By 

Twice-lived (Lyons, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stratosphere Boogie: The Flaming guitars Of Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant (Audio CD)

Originals and souped up country standards, played at warp speed, with sock rhythm and bop lines. My favorite is "Arkansas Traveler" as a I-vi-ii-V song instead of the traditional I-IV-I-V.