Customer Reviews

Texas Unplugged, Vol. 2

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Playing Time - 38:44 -- "Texas Unplugged, Vol. 2" continues Palo Duro Records' presentation of original cuts by the label's artists. This sampler of acoustic music includes twelve different artists or bands. "Texas Unplugged" offers some thoughtful arrangements and a regional perspective on acoustic country. The featured talent incorporates blues, folk, country, western swing, honky-tonk and even rock influences, but each cut makes a unique statement of its own. The messages are those of fairly common country fare, but there are also a few surprises. Love songs include The Derailers' "I'm Still Missing You" and Walt Wilkins' "Path To Your Door." There are the obligatory songs about Big Tex such as Johnny Bush's "The Rio Grande Runs Red," Rusty Wier's "Texas Love and War," and Wild Horses' "You and Me and San Antone." The drinking theme is best captured in Dale Watson's "As Long as the Bottle's Full." A song about the big ol' Texas sun and drinking is "Dog Day Blues," in which Davin James states that "this quart of cold beer is all I've got done."

I especially enjoyed the cuts with guitar played by Dale Clark., Troy Wells or Bobby Flores, and then there is Milo Deering's mandolin and dobro on Morrison-Williams' "Duct Tape" that sounds almost like an advertisement or extended jingle. The Sidehill Gougers' "One Tiny Sin" has some nice mandolin and fiddle work. Max Stalling has one of the most pleasant vocal deliveries with "The Rodeo Song" in which he keeps "layin' it on the line, one ride at a time, hoping that the next ride will pay." The same could be said about these artists and their songs. The instrumental interplay of guitar and National tricone slide provides a splendid groove in "Turtle Bayou Turnaround" by Cindy Cashdollar and Carolyn Wonderland. Two Tons of Steel's honky-tonkin' "Car Seat" is a great song, but it sure would've been nice to crank up the slide guitar in the mix. All in all, this sampler is a great way to check out a dozen more up-and-coming Texas artists who are kicking up the dust in the Lone Star State. With a little luck and the right breaks, a few of them have the potential to create a stampede to their shows and record table. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)

I was a fan of Volume 1, but Vol 2 is even better! Great new tracks by Two Tons, The Derailers and Dale Watson and others.

The Gougers aere really great, but relatively new to the music scene. I like the the mix of new and old; great balance!