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

Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West, Speedy West

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: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,730 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #39 in	Music > Country > Instrumental
  #100 in	Music > Country > Western Swing

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 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

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

8 of 8 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

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

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.