I Can Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy Glenn
Omnivore, 2022
8/10
Listen to I Can Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy Glenn
This is the first time we’ve seen a collection from Howdy Glenn made available, and it includes 8 of his singles, plus 6 newly-mixed, previously unissued tracks from the Warner Bros. vaults, plus an outtake from his Fire Records sessions.
“I Can Almost See Houston” opens the listen with dreamy guitar, warm drumming and Glenn’s beaming, soulful pipes, and “You’ll Remember Me” follows with some honky tonk fun that’s steeped in classic country and isn’t short on expressive singing.
Deeper into the first half, “Where Did The Years Go” brings a stirring intimacy that benefits from light backing vocals and eloquent strings, while “That Lucky Old Sun” emits a gospel spirit that comes with plenty of emotion.
Residing closer to the end, the atmospheric harmonica of “Cowboys Ain’t Supposed To Cry” is complemented by thick bass and crisp drums as Glenn’s firm enunciation helps make this one of the record’s best, and his version of Merle Haggard’s “White Line Fever” (take 2) certainly does justice to the original with Glenn’s inimitable presence a glow with timeless country sensibilities.
Even though Glenn spent six weeks on the Billboard Country Singles Chart, and was nominated for Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music, most people have no idea of who he is, despite him paving the way for other black performers to make a dent on the national charts.
After the success of his singles, a formal LP never materialized for Glenn, which seemed odd since he was signed to Warner Bros. Records. He went back to being a fire fighter, and his music made its way into obscurity. The 23 tracks here, along with the extensive liner notes and updated restoration and mastering, preserves his brief music career, and with country music being more popular than ever, I bet Glenn will finally get the attention he deserves.
Travels well with: The Shootouts- Bullseye; Matt Hillyer- Glorieta