28th December - Buck Owens' I've Got a Tiger By the Tail

Artist – Album: Buck Owens – I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail

Released: 28^th December 1964

Sounds Like: Honky Tonk Man

Do you know that bit in the Blues Brothers where Jake, Elwood and the band pose as the Good Ol' Boys to hijack their gig? The one where Elwood asks their landlady what kind of music usually plays there, and she replies: "Oh, we got both kinds. We got country and western"? I kind of feel like the audience were hankering for a bit of Buck Owens.

Owens was one of the pioneers of the Bakersfield sound: electrified country music that took some cues from the nascent rock scene but remained resolutely cowboy. Steel guitars and rooting tooting rhythm sections are the name of the game, and the music is designed to get off your seat, slapping your thighs and taking up a bit of line dancing. If it all strikes you as a little bit limited, it may be worth remembering that the Beatles were big fans (they regularly performed his excellent single 'Act Naturally') and the Rolling Stones and the Byrds were directly influenced by this album. 

Still a full album of it is just a little bit too much for me.

Albumaday... rating: 6/10

1.       I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail – 2:12

2.       Trouble and Me – 1:54

3.       Let the Sad Times Roll On – 2:14

4.       Wham Bam – 2:01

5.       If You Fall Out of Love With Me – 2:15

6.       Fallin’ for You – 2:01

7.       We’re Gonna Let the Good Times Roll – 2:15

8.       The Band Keeps Playin’ On – 3:02

9.       The Streets of Laredo – 2:55

10.   Cryin’ Time – 2:30

11.   A Maiden’s Prayer – 2:33

12.   Memphis Tennessee – 2:27 

Listen to ‘I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBeOddejiGw