Customer Reviews

On the Trail

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I believe that's what Irving Stone wrote of Frankie Laine in the liner notes to one of his great Columbia theme albums from the early 1960s (some of the songs from which are included in this collection).

There is a mythic quality to a lot of these songs that perfectly captures the spirit of the great outdoors and the American west -- and Frankie Laine's voice is the embodiment of that spirit. One of my early childhood memories of my mother quoting a line from "Cry of the Wild Goose" as we watched a flock of geese flying south above our field ("My heart knows what the wild goose knows/And I must go where the wild goose goes..."). I still can't look up at a flock of geese without hearing Frankie's stirring rendition of this great song.

"Riders in the Sky" was one of my father's favorite songs -- I'd learned all the lyrics from him long before I ever started school. It's always been one of my all-time favorites as well. Through the years, I've heard well over two dozen versions of it by different artists (there must have been recorded over 100 times), and have to say that Frankie's version is the best. Frankie's version was recorded over ten years after the Vaughn Monroe mega-hit (a great version in its own right), but Frankie's is the one most people I know seem to remember -- and prefer.

As to the title songs from the movies ... for anyone like myself who grew up watching 50s westerns, Frankie Laine *is* the voice of the wild west. How could he not be? Any time a western had an opening song, you could bet that Frankie was singing it (the one big exception being "High Noon" -- but then Frankie was the one who had the hit record of it).

"Tumbling Tumbleweeds," "Cool Water," "North to Alaska" are songs I've known for decades as well -- though, unfortunately, only by other singers. Now don't get me wrong, Bing Crosby sings "Tumbleweeds" beautifully, but once you hear Frankie Laine's version -- slower paced in keeping with the tumbleweeds' "drifting, moving" motions, quietly impassioned delivery culminating in a spiritually uplifting crescendo with the line "A new world's born at dawn" -- well, nothing else compares.

"Bowie Knife," "Wanted Man," "Gunslinger," etc., are songs I've only been able to hear for the first time a few years ago (once they became available again on cd) -- and it's now hard to imagine that for 30-odd years I hadn't known them. (For some inexplicable reason, my folks didn't have the "Hellbent for Leather" album.) How "Bowie Knife" never managed to be a number one hit, will forever remain one of life's great mysteries.

What more can I say? When it comes to the American west/the great outdoors this is *the* album.

I've loved Frankie Laine's voice ever since I was a kid listening to my mother's LP of "Hell-Bent for Leather". It's masculine, smooth, expressive, and powerful, and Laine had the ability to hold a note for more than half a second. He's the only one of the mid-century pop singers I enjoy unreservedly. The western songs show him at his best, and I don't care if many of them were written for TV and movies. My brother has the old LP, and it's pretty worn, so I was glad when I found a CD with all of the songs and then some on it. It did a lot to make a long car trip less tedious. Post 'Million Mom March', it's going to be hard to find songs with lines like "If my gun don't take your evil life, you can bet my Bowie knife will", or "Until I became a wanted man, I never even owned a gun". Those songs still send shivers down my spine.

This album and its companion, On the trail again, contain all Frankie's classic recordings of western songs, including several television themes. Frankie often re-recorded songs and some songs appear on both compilations but in such cases they are always different recordings.

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 Cool water, Mule train, Along the Navajo trail, Rawhide, North to Alaska, Tumbling tumbleweeds and Ghost riders in the sky. 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 Cry of the wild goose, Gunslinger and Prairie bell.

As with the companion volume that I reviewed a long time ago, 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.

Frankie Laine made "High Noon" a legendary Western song with his unique voice full of bravado. "Rawhide" is yet another example of the staying power I think due in part to his interpretation and drive he delivered. "Gunfight At O.K. Corral" is just as impressive. This is a great collection. "Cool Water," "Muletrain," "The Green Leaves Of Summer," "North To Alaska" and "Ghost Riders In The Sky" are just outstanding.

Good Old Fashioned County Trail Music

Had the essentials of this on a LP, back in the Dark Ages. Lost the LP in the shuffle along with my turntable. Have been searching for a CD equivalent for too many moons! The movie theme songs, ("High Noon," "Gunfight at the OK Corral," etc.), are stirring. The Western standards, ("Ghost Riders...," "Cool Water"), have haunting lyrics. Whatever kind of music you think you prefer, there will be at least a couple of songs in this collection that either touch your heart, or inspire you to "Hanging Tree" in there.

Unhappily this is not the original album. Some songs are remixed. High Noon was not as I remember it. Some songs are new.
I was a little disappointed, but I am enjoying most of the CD. It would have been a better value if it was the original album.

Although i probably heard my first ever Frankie Laine song on the radio as a very young child, i have only recently started seriously collecting his music. This has caused me to become engrossed in "Gunfighter/Western ballad music" Quite simply i can't get enough of it! Who "can listen to "Ghost riders in the Sky" and NOT feel like shouting and stomping ones feet! It is a song that has some of the finest story-telling lyrics that i know of. Other songs that take my breath away include....."The Green Leaves of Summer and the Hanging Tree." Both of which have heart rendering lyrics......to me it's as if the song is painting a picture in your mind. You don't need to have something visual flashing across a screen. Simply close your eyes and let your imagination come alive......and suddenly your in the Klondyke gold rush of 1898 or one of these bad cowboy souls doomed to forever ride behind his Ghost herd in the sky. Or perhaps you are lamenting your lost youth and as you watch the leaves change from green to gold you notice that your only just passing through like the seasons, never there to stay but only to observe whilst your own mortality passes away like the seasons themselves.
However.........as the saying goes.......nothing good lasts for ever and for some sad, lamentable reason......the music of Frankie Laine, (and others like him) has passed us by like the seasons of long ago. I don't care........i think his music is timeless and whether one is 8 or 80, there is simply no argument that he was TRULY a great BALLAD singer to whom many of todays singers could learn a thing or two from. It's good that music like this is now available in DVD format because it keeps this kind of music alive and whilst i still have breath in me.....i will continue to adore this music!
Thank you F.L and to all those who came before you and after you.

Ira Zettler
Adelaide South Australia

This brings back memories of the westerns I saw as a child. High Noon, Rawhide etc...Frankie Laine has such a memorable voice that these songs by others just don't sound right. I grew up listening to "Hell Bent for Leather" and other records like, Marty Robbins and Johnny Horton.
(I did purchase two so I could give one as a gift.)
I really like the songs on this CD.

I grew through my early years listing to Frankie Lane songs and as I remembered his voice was very haunting and clear. So when I ordered this selection I was not disappointed.