The Songs Of The West
Country Rewind, 2020
8/10
Listen to The Songs Of The West
An esteemed country singer who also enjoyed successful careers in acting and radio, on this unique album we are treated to 14 songs that Tex Ritter recorded for broadcast on the radio and are versions that were never commercially released.
“Best Time Of All” starts the listen with Ritter’s unmistakable vocals guiding the classic country setting where pedal steel makes an impression, and “You Will Have To Pay” follows with expressive singing in the cautious, vintage atmosphere.
Further along, “The Wayward Wind” benefits from a softer, dreamy climate where Ritter’s soaring pipes shine bright, while “Bollweevil” flows with dynamic fiddle and banjo acrobatics. “Beaumont Ring”, one of the best tunes and quickest, then shuffles swiftly with precise strings in a bluegrass sort of way.
As we get near the end, “These Hands” moves slowly, with Ritter hitting some low notes, and “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)” exits the listen with moody strings complementing his inimitable execution that we will never tire of.
The master tapes of these versions were brought up to twenty-first century audio quality, although they certainly still sound very retro, which, of course, is part of the charm of these recovered gems that the Country Rewind label keeps impressing us with.
Travels well with: Merle Travis- Sixteen Tons, The Kentucky Legend; Rex Allen- America’s Last Singing Cowboy