Monday, August 23, 2010

Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys: Reunited

Here, by request, is the entire Reunited album by Ray Price and The Cherokee Cowboys. I'm not in the habit of posting full albums here at Honky-Tonk Merry-Go-Round, but we had a request, and this album is currently otherwise unavailable. (And I must give credit to the original uploader. Sorry I don't remember where exactly I got it...)

I'd have to say that I'm not sure the quality of the entire album is up to the standard of the previously posted lead-off track, "Different Kind Of Flower," but it's still a very enjoyable album. And again, more like what I love from Ray Price than anything he had done for more than 10 years at the point the album was released. He remakes some of his old hits, which are mostly enjoyable, but never top the originals. And his cover of Bob Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is a nice bid to have some modern touches, but as much as I love Ray Price, this is one of my least favorite interpretations by him. In fact, it actually borders on being downright creepy. I don't know about you ladies out there, but I'm guessing that smirking, leering vocal isn't winning over anybody I'd want to spend the night with...

But with all those caveats, I still think this is an enjoyable album, and I hope you all enjoy it too...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Song Of The Day: Different Kind Of Flower

Hello Rounders! I'm doing a very brief little post today just to keep the train running on the tracks. I apologize for the lack of posts of late, but sometimes life takes over, and it's been a busy summer around these parts. But I didn't want anyone to think I'd gone away for good, so here's a song for your enjoyment.

To give you a little background on today's choice, this is a wonderful track recorded in 1977 by a reunited Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys. Price had spent several years by this point in his crooner phase and pretty far removed from the classic honky tonk sound he forged with the Cherokee Cowboys in the '50s and early '60s.

This is the leadoff track from their Reunited album recorded for ABC Records. The song was released as a single but only made a very modest showing on the Billboard Country charts. I really love this song. It has the familiar Ray Price honky tonk shuffle, but the song, written by Gary Sefton, is more modern and keeps it from being a self-concious nod back to the old days. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do...