DON WALSER & THE PURE TEXAS BAND
The Archive Series Vol. 1 & 2 (Watermelon)
He’s been called the “Anti-Garth” by the Chicago Tribune
while on tour recently; no doubt about it – he’s got more fancy moves in
one tonsil than Garth Brooks could ever shake out of his billion-dollar black
jeans. We have to watch the good press though; the last time we touted the
Pavarotti of the Plains in print, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s fan club showed up at his
Jovita’s regular Tuesday night show. It’s nice to know that if it ever gets too
crowded out there, Walser’s made some fine recordings – the Souvenir collection being the best. But this latest two-CD archive of 36 fence-mendin’
yodeling songs and outtakes from the out-of-print Souvenir album and
early tapes is the closest I’ll ever hear of C&W heaven – thanks in large
part to producer Pat Baughman, steel guitar greats Jimmy Day and Bert Rivera,
fiddler Howard Kalish, bassist “Skinny” Don Kealing, and many others (no fancy
ballplayers here). It’s heaven cuz it’s simple. Just take those notes and bend
’em to their perfect shape – as in “Cowpoke,” or “John Deere Tractor,” or
“Chime Bells.” Walser’s version of “Cattle Call” rivals my memory of Eddy
Arnold’s, and believe me, I can remember those brilliant summer nights in 1967
better than they were. Dancing with my feet on my father’s Red Wing boots, my
skinny arms wrapped around his waist struggling to hold on tight while he
waltzed me around the porch. I won’t be tampering with those memories, but I’ll
put on Walser’s album to evoke them. – Louisa C. Brinsmade
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This article appears in August 25 • 1995 and August 25 • 1995 (Cover).