In The Palm Of Your Hand
Omnivore, 2021
8/10
Listen to In The Palm Of Your Hand
The ‘70s were a very prolific time for Buck Owens, as he released a dozen studio albums, most of which charted quite high. In The Palm Of Your Hand, his 1973 LP, landed at #21 on the country album charts, and it even features a tune penned by Buck’s son, Buddy Alan.
The title track starts the listen with Jerry Brightman’s warm pedal steel and Jim Shaw’s precise keys alongside Owens’ inimitable delivery on a tune that reached #23 on the singles chart, and “There’s Goes My Love” follows with Doyle Curtsinger’s playful bass complementing the bouncy spirit.
At the halfway point, “Arms Full Of Empty”, which climbed the charts to #14, offers an upbeat and immediately memorable album highlight that you can’t help but sing-along to, while “You Ain’t Gonna Have Old Buck To Kick Around No More” is a lyrically firm tune with no shortage of melodies amid the punchy climate that benefits from Don Rich’s strong guitar work.
Deeper still, “Get Out Of Town Before Sundown” displays Jerry Wiggins’ agile drumming as Owens takes help on backing vocals, and “I Love You So Much It Hurts” exits the listen with fiddle acrobatics from Rich as the emotive and intimate tune finishes on a very high note.
Another important piece of the Buck Owens legacy that certainly deserves to be reissued, this one comes remastered from the original analog tapes by Michael Graves, and features new liner notes from Randy Poe, as well as photos, ephemera and, most importantly, songs that have aged very well.
Travels well with: Buck Owens And His Buckaroos- The Kansas City Song; Buck Owens And His Buckaroos- Your Mother’s Prayer