Customer Reviews

On the Trail Again

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Although I am not normally a proponent of Greatest Hits albums, if you are looking for an essential album of trail songs, buy this album. Essentially, "On The Trail Again" coalesces all of Mr. Lane's classic Western songs: "Strange Lady In Town" "Dueces Wild", "Dead Man's Hand", "High Noon", they are all here. If you are planning a road trip through the American West, these tunes are indispensable and combine great music with Hollywood's image of "The West of the Imagination". Again, highly recommended and (in my opinion) the best of Mr. Lane's compilation albums.

I remember the long-running TV series Champion the wonder horse from the late fifties and early sixties. As with another TV series from around the same time, Rawhide, Frankie Laine sang the theme song. While Rawhide has always been easy to find, Champion the wonder horse has only rarely been re-released. Both themes are included on this excellent set of western-themed songs.

High noon the movie featured Tex Ritter's version of the title song, but it was Frankie Laine who had the biggest hit with the song. Other famous songs here are Ghost riders in the sky, Cool water and the Hank Williams song Rambling man. There is much more to this collection than just the famous tracks, great though Frankie sings them. Just listen to some of the others, including The 3.10 to Yuma, The new frontier and Blowing wild.

My only complaint is the liner notes. Bear Family are usually impeccable, but the notes here, while interesting, look as if they were written for a different album, as most of the songs mentioned are not included on the CD, while little is said about the songs that are actually here, except the recording information. Still, it's the music that counts and the quality of the re-mastering is clearly up to Bear Family's customary standard.

Together with the companion volume On the trail, this demonstrates that Frankie was a great singer of western songs.

I love "Gunfight At O.K. Corral" and "High Noon" because these songs just seem like they were made for Frankie Laine. It makes you wonder that after what Frankie Laine did with "High Noon" that Dimitri Tiomkin must have wanted Laine to sing "Gunfight At O.K. Corral" for the John Sturges Western. It really enhanced that film and drove the legend home. I like "Dead Man's Hand" quite a bit along with "Wheel Of Fortune." Another good Frankie Laine CD.

I have to say this soundtrack was one of the best old-fashioned country music I have ever listened to. Frankie Laine sure was a hoot. If you like classic country, you'll love this CD; great to listen to.

If you want an album of western hits to play while you drive along Route 10, or better yet Route 66, this is it. (Or, try to find an album from Johnny Western). This one has it all.