Under Western Skies

Sons Of The Pioneers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 10, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B0009AJK52
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,165 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Hadie Brown (My Little Lady)

2. My Pretty Quadroon

3. The Preacher and the Bear

4. Square Dance

5. Black Sheep Blues

6. The Yodeling Cowboy

7. Cowboy Jack

8. I Wish I'd Stayed in the Wagon Yard

9. Dear Old Western Skies

10. While I Rock Our Babies to Sleep

11. That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine

12. Cowboy's Night Herd Song

13. Swiss Yodel

14. T for Texas

15. A Sandman Lullaby

16. One More River to Cross

17. I Still Do

18. Whoopie-Ti-Yi-Yo

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine mid-30s radio transcriptions of Western classics, June 12, 2005

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Under Western Skies (Audio CD)

Varese's latest collection of Sons' tunes mines some of their earliest recordings, waxed as radio transcriptions for KFWB, Los Angeles. These discs were syndicated to other radio stations, providing additional national exposure for the group's 78s on Decca. Their record label apparently endorsed this strategy, as the transcriptions were leased for radio play only, and thus didn't bite directly into record sales. These eighteen selections represent a good introduction to the nearly 300 song transcription archive (for fanatical depth, see Bear Family's "Songs of the Prairie" and "Memories of the Range" box sets).

What's particularly intriguing about these tracks is that they represent the Pioneers before their fame exploded. "Roy Rogers" was still in vocalist Leonard Slye's future, and the group's song selections ranged from Jimmie Rodgers' yodels to traditional spirituals. There's a pair of excellent Bob Nolan compositions here ("A Sandman Lullaby" and "I Still Do"), but not the ones later to become the group's icons. What's most startling is how polished and mature the group sounds, no doubt due to their tireless regimens of practice and two-a-day radio broadcasts.

This collection presents both the original quartet of Slye, Nolan, Spencer and Hugh Farr, and the subsequent quintet that added Farr's brother Karl to the group. Sound quality is excellent, and Jon Guyot Smith's liner notes are detailed and informative; a fine single-disc introduction to the Pioneers early radio work!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Be careful -- maybe not what you expect., January 8, 2009

By 

A. B. Crockett "woodpeckerman" (Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Under Western Skies (Audio CD)

After much thought, I decided to give this CD only 3 stars. Not that it isn't good, but just that its title is misleading. Yes, this technically contains some early works the Sons of the Pioneers (SOP) and, yes, it is well done considering its age. However, as a HUGE fan of the SOP (I've owned most of their CDs at one time or another and have five in my collection at present), this music just isn't what I expected. Only about four of the tracks at the end of the disc sound anything like the SOP discs with which you're probably familiar -- particularly in terms of the tight harmony -- the rest being works for solo vocalist (mostly Roy Rogers) with the instruments strictly as accompaniment. Most of the pieces strike me more as "country" than "cowboy" songs (e.g., "T for Texas" and "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine").

If I were looking for an interesting collection of fine singing and yodeling by Roy Rogers, I would have given this disc 5 stars -- if nothing else because of the outstanding quality of the transcriptions from old recordings of radio broadcasts -- but it does bother me that the title of the disc is intended to attract SOP fans, when that's really not what it's about.

I'll undoubtedly listen to it now and again -- contrary to my initial decision to donate it to a thrift store -- but mainly for historical interest. When I want to hear classic SOP songs, I'll reach for the Essential Collection, Ultimate Collection, RCA Early Years, or Historical Edition.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Songs By A Great Group, August 8, 2006

By 

Frisco Nolan (Westminster, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Under Western Skies (Audio CD)

This CD has some great (original versions) by great performers. What more can we say about Roy Rogers and The Sons of the Pioneers? The song Sandman Lullaby stands out as one of the best on the CD. It has great harmony, yodeling and a Bob Nolan solo on it. I am glad that these songs are finally available on CD. Roy Rogers does some great singing and yodeling on this CD.