Customer Reviews

I've Got a Tiger By the Tail

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

 

 

I can't believe I've spent most of my life thinking Buck Owens was just some corny, old guy on Hee Haw. The man ROCKS! I've only been listening to Buck for about 3-4 months and in that time I've purchased almost all of the great Sundazed reissues-this one included. Not only do you get "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" and "Cryin' Time" but a bonus live version of "Act Naturally". To be honest just about everything on this is great except "Street of Laredo" which sounds too old fashioned and "Memphis" which sounds to rock n'roll. Buck and the Buckaroos didn't need to play rock 'n roll to rock. If you're a fan of country music or '60's music or just plain MUSIC you need to check this out. Forget "Hee Haw", leave your expectations at the door and listen.

By early '65 Buck Owens and the Buckaroos were hitting their stride as the best country band, and probably the best band period, in the USA. The twangy Bakersfield sound they'd pioneered was becoming increasingly effortless, and the fluency with which they applied it to their own songs, as well as covers, grew more and more assured and thrilling.

Like many of Owens' efforts of this period, this album is built around the title hit single that opens side one. Owens taunts the listener with a solo callout, "I've... got... a" before Don Rich kicks in with his signature harmony, announcing the song's title and catch-phrase. The ease with which the pair stays together throughout their harmony sections, one following the other's rush or lag, is breathtaking. The same session's take of "Cryin' Time," a hit for both Owens and Ray Charles, goes down tempo, but features the same brilliant lead/harmony balance.

The rest of the album includes a superb selection of Owens' originals, co-writes (with ex-wife Bonnie, Don Rich, Harlan Howard, and fellow Bakersfieldian Red Simpson), and several well-selected covers. Doyle Holly's vocal on the Western classic "Streets of Laredo" is quite a bit more moving than the corned-up version found on the Carnegie Hall disc. Tom Brumley's pedal steel and Don Rich's fiddle are especially effective on weepers like "Let the Sad Times Roll," "If You Fall Out of Love With Me" and "The Band Keeps Playin' On."

Owens' public proclamation that he'd only sing country songs apparently ran afoul of the Buckaroos' cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis." Though conceived by its author as rock 'n' roll, the song finds a very country style in Willie Cantu's shuffle drumming and Owens' & Rich's duet singing. Owens' own "We're Gonna Let the Good Times Roll" shares a very similar intro and rhythm, yet no one seems to have scorned it as "rock 'n' roll."

Two bonus tracks include a live performance of the Buckaroos backing Bob Morris (who later wrote "Buckaroo"), and Owens & Rich singing "Act Naturally." These 1963 recordings were made at Bakersfield's Civic Auditorium, and previously available only on a rare Capitol Records anthology.

This is a solid disc full of hits and excellent album tracks that show off the power and glory of the Bakersfield Sound.

4-1/2 stars, if Amazon allowed fractional ratings.

"Tiger By The Tail" is one of the best country albums of the '60s, and maybe of all time. Unlike a lot of country albums from that period, it's not just a collection of singles and their B-sides. "Tiger" works as an album consistently all the way through, exploring a variety of moods and sounds without straying too far from Buck's solid country roots.

There are almost too many good things about "Tiger" to list. The instrumental and vocal contributions from everyone are top notch. The Buckaroos never overplay and they never underplay, and all the nights on the road playing together had honed them into what was nearly the perfect country band of the era.

Don Rich, the unsung hero of the Buckaroos, really shines here. He takes lead vocals on a couple of songs and does a great job, and his lead guitar and fiddle work are classic. Buck used to tell Don Rich that he ought to go solo, but he consistently refused. Rich died in a car accident in 1972, and his quality musicianship here leaves us all to wonder what might have happened if he'd taken Buck's advice and tried it on his own. Nearly anyone who's a serious guitarist could pick up some cool moves from Rich's playing.

Buck himself is in great form here. His vocals are sincere and direct, and his harmonizing with Don Rich (and with himself, through the then-miracle of overdubbing) is pristine without being antiseptic. Buck has a quality of heartfulness in his singing that makes every song sound like he absolutely means it. That quality is all over this record.

If you like country music at all you'll want this CD. If you like guitar playing, you need to hear Don and Buck play lead. If you like good songs, there are lots of them here. You absolutely cannot go wrong with this CD.

"I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" was the only one of Buck Owens' 21 #1 Country hits to crossover and become a pop hit. Almost all of the accompanying album was recorded in December of 1964, with the exception of the fiddle instrumental "A Maiden's Prayer", which was recorded in January of that year. "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" was the only hit from the album, although "Cryin' Time" is a classic song that later became a hit for Ray Charles. The rest of the songs on the album are mostly quite good, especially "Trouble and Me", "We're Gonna Let the Good Times Roll" and Buck's cover version of Chuck Berry's "Memphis". The CD adds two bonus tracks, which are live recordings from the various artists album Country Music Hootenany. "Act Naturally" is, of course, Buck and the Buckaroos playing their classic hit. "This Ol' Heart", on the other hand, features Buck and the Buckaroos backing up the song's writer, Bob Morris. Fans of Buck Owens should really enjoy this CD.

This is THE Buck Owens album to own, as it is the apex of his career with the Buckaroos. Don Rich never sounded tighter (and even throws a guest vocal with "Wham Bam"), and Buck is at his very best. There has never been a more distinctive & instantly recognizable sound in country music than Bcuk Owens, and this CD is reflective of that. There are a handful of hits on this one, including the title track, "Cryin' Time", "Memphis", and a live version of "Act Naturally". Besides these chart-toppers, there a few more standout tracks that could have rivalled any of Buck's other releases, including: "Trouble and Me" and "Fallin For You". The inclusion of a Bob Wills cover song "A Maiden's Prayer" completes the album. You cant go wrong with this one, and if you had to have just one Buck Owen's album, well, this is it.

I bought this album to listen to on my drive to Bakersfield where I would see Buck perform live at the Crystal Palace (which he still does every Friday and Saturday night). I chose this particular album based on its high rating by All Music Guide. I wasn't disappointed.

Ive Got a Tiger By the Tail its plain to see,that this is one of Buck's top recordings,grinding winding steel from Tom Brumley,chicken pickin' licks from the one and only Don Rich,along with fine vocal performances from Buck and the band,the Buckeroos always tight and right on the money,Listen for Streets of Laredo,lead vocal by Buck's bass player Doyle Holly,one of the better versions,or the comical tell it like it is,Wham Bam,a lead vocal by Don Rich. Buck never hesitated to showcase one of his band members,the Buckeroos were all stars in their own right,just listen to Buck wail on,Let the Sad Times Roll On,and let the good times roll on with,Tiger By The Tail,and Buck Owens and his famous Buckeroos,an essential recording.

Buck Owen is much more than you think he is. "Tiger by the Tail" proves that this man has talent never before revealed to the general public. I thought country music was all about wearing cowboy hats and driving pick up trucks. Buck Owen has shown me that it's about drinking whiskey to ease the pain caused by headstrong, cheatin' jezebels. Buck knows my pain, and he makes his instrument speak that pain with the expert assistance of his Buckaroos. Any lover of music should own this album.