Country / Blues

Country, Blue Grass, Blues, etc.

  • Jim Gill - Spectacles Jim Gill – Spectacles

    There is something that is kind of appealing about this country/gospel LP. Jim Gill runs through a bunch of styles (often within the same song) and the band is pretty tight. There is definitely some cool, smart and humorous songwriting going down here and often that’s a tough thing to find on [...]

  • The Douglas Brothers - 2002 R.F.D. The Douglas Brothers – 2002 R.F.D.

    R.F.D. (Rural Free Delivery) was developed in the 1890s so rural dwellers wouldn’t need to trek to the nearest post office to pick up their mail.
    “2002 R.F.D.” is naturally a rural rendition of the ever-reliable “Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey,” aka “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss.  A disappointing recording of this tune is [...]

  • GREY EAGLE BAND Under Direction Of: Opal J. Johnson GREY EAGLE BAND Under Direction Of: Opal J. Johnson

    Every year my brother and I take a road trip to dig for records. The objective is to find rare and desirable records of all genres. Without fail the highlight is always finding that special LP that none of our collector friends have ever heard before. This year our trip took us through America’s Heartland…..Kansas, [...]

  • Nancy - Like You Do Nancy – Like You Do

    Not completely sure what this song has to do with POW’s, but I’m really feeling it. Yet another nice track in the vein of country funk. Enjoy!!!

  • Last Next - Shanty Blue Folk Last Next – Shanty Blue Folk

    Last Next is one of the odder birds in my collection. Self-released circa 1972 by a group of New York City musicians led by an army veteran songwriter (shown in uniform on the cover), the album is dominated by amateurish country s-sw with a world-weary undertone, like Hoyt Axton or Jim Croce.

  • Country Limit Band - Introducing - Starr Records Country Limit Band – Introducing – Starr Records

    Yet another interesting title on the Starr Record label. This group is from Ravenswood, WV. A five piece band that according to the liner notes, “…have their own style and they know what to do with it.” This is definitely one of the more interesting country titles on Starr. Enjoy the tunes as the band [...]

  • Sparky Rucker - Cold & Lonesome On A Train Sparky Rucker – Cold & Lonesome On A Train

    This is a really solid set of mid-late 70s folk/country/blues. Everything is well played & Rucker has a great singing voice. Variations in instrumentation keep things fresh throughout (harmonica, banjo, fiddle etc) & Rucker is adept & convincing over all the material. Of the thirteen tracks here four of them are [...]

  • Merrill Clark: Operating Engineer Merrill Clark: Operating Engineer

    A short bit of agonizing over whether or not to crack the seal followed my one dollar purchase of this local San Jose, CA bulldozer man lp. I guess it just seemed like another likely candidate for the better left to the imagination section. Glad my curiosity got the best of me though as it’s [...]

  • Larry Heagle - Time & Space Larry Heagle – Time & Space

    The liner notes drew me in.
    “At last, on record. MIDWEST-O-MAN.”
    My favorite track is extremely midwestern. Recorded in Eau Claire, WI, “Wisconsin Country Song” gives shout outs to Neillsville, Ashland, Genesee, Mondovi and Duran, WI. He disses Lone Star, and celebrates Leinenkugel’s.
    Larry is still in the entertainment business. For $500 (plus expenses), he will come [...]

  • Oliver Spinetto & Harry Francis - Zodiac 45 Oliver Spinetto & Harry Francis – Zodiac 45

    Here’s an interesting record from a bygone era. Not only were Auckland’s Zodiac Records one of the biggest local independent labels of the 50s & 60s, as an aspiring musician you could also use their facilities to cut your own record. This 45 was recorded on the 5th of October 1955 in [...]

  • Ronnie Anderson - The Generation Gap Ronnie Anderson – The Generation Gap

    This rules!! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t detect a shred of humor here. I think, this is dead serious. In any case, I know the readers here, myself included deal with alot of these problems on a regular basis, and will find this song (?) PSA (?) funeral march [...]

  • John & Ed Strickland - Rebel Beat John & Ed Strickland – Rebel Beat

    John & Ed Strickland seem to have been something of a none to one almost hit wonder group, it’s actually been pretty tough to find any information on these guys or this 45. The actual A side is a nice mid/slow version of Wilbert Harrison’s “Kansas City Blues” that draws equally from country & [...]

  • Edna Mae Henning Edna Mae Henning

    Welcome to the magical world of Edna Mae Henning. A very special country singer from rural Pennsylvania. She is in many ways what I had always dreamed of in an older woman singing good ol’ fashioned country music. She has a way of capturing the soul of what is truly wonderful about [...]

  • Vince Callaher - Moo Cow Boogie Blues Vince Callaher – Moo Cow Boogie Blues

    This 45 is a pretty good piece of late 1950s rockabilly from New Zealand. Back in those days it seems that New Zealand rock & rollers would do songs about anything “Pie Cart Rock & Roll” & “Blackberry Boogie” come to mind. This song written by on Dood Williams (cool name) comes to [...]

  • Just Us 2 Just Us 2

    JUST US 2 is a macrobiotic choice here in Texas. Consisting of Phyllis and Bryan Barnes, it blooms sporadically in local thrift stores. I think i’ve turned down what looked to be their second lp because of an unsympathetic backing band . This first one is just them two and it has a certain bass [...]

  • Dakota Sid: S/T Dakota Sid: S/T

    For what it’s worth, I really like this record. One of my favorite rural California lp’s which is saying a lot. Stellar lonesome fire-side cosmic cowboy moves. Never fails to make me wanna spark a doobie, attire myself with large, garish turquoise man-jewelry, & hit the road in my boogie-van while jamming a faux-leather [...]

  • Bruce D. McElheny - For The Record Bruce D. McElheny – For The Record

    This is a really solid private press (I think) LP that covers acoustic blues, country & folk territory. All the songs are originals by McElheny and the instrumentation is various combinations of voice, guitar, banjo, electric bass, drums and dobro. Recorded in October 1976 at Bickley Studios, Houston and released on the [...]

  • Tommy Wills - Funky Sax Tommy Wills – Funky Sax

    Airtown seems to be a label whose main focus was to release records by Tommy Wills (that he owned the label probably helped).  Sure there are other artists (organist Frank DeVito is one that comes to mind along with some other cool stuff they licensed), but it’s pretty much Tommy Wills 45s that turn up [...]

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