Asleep at the Wheel Albums to Download Comin' Right at Ya
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asleep at the wheel albums to download Comin' Right at Ya. Asleep at the Wheel did not start the Western swing revival of the '70s -- Merle Haggard kicked it into gear with his tremendous 1970 album A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World -- but Asleep stuck to it so long that the band came to personify it. Though they occasionally stretched out, they never really strayed from the sound they unveiled on their 1973 debut, Comin' Right at Ya. The 12-song platter kicks off with a faithful but loose version of Bob Wills' "Take Me Back to Tulsa," setting the tone for not just the record, but the group's music. Asleep at the Wheel's members were disciples of Wills and the Texas Playboys, and they not only patterned their sound after them, but followed the Playboys' restless spirit in how they used Western swing as a foundation for exploring other sounds and styles. Where Wills' group often spun into jazz and blues, Asleep branched out into other kinds of country, delving into pure Texas honky tonk, country boogie, and heartache ballads, touching on Hank Williams, Hank Thompson, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn. There's also a dash of post-hippie humor, rearing its head clearly on "Hillbilly Nut," and just the slightest touch of knowingly reverent reserve, as if the group were trying out an uncle's clothes to see if they fit. This little hint of artifice -- this little echo of Commander Cody -- is the only area where the record stumbles, and it's a slight one, the kind of thing that should be expected on a debut, because the group is musically powerful and nimble, re-creating the sound of pure country at a time when it often wasn't heard. Asleep at the Wheel would better this record, but that the band had such a sure grasp on its musical versatility so early in its career is impressive, and the general good spirits Comin' Right at Ya stirs up are infectious. Years later, after many fine records, this still stands as one of their best. Wheelin' & Dealin' Combining old-fashioned swing, western swing, country ballads, Cajun and good ol' rock & roll, Asleep at the Wheel turns a wonderful performance on Wheelin' and Dealin'. Highlights include "Route 66," done in fine rockabilly style, "Cajun Stripper," full of fiddles and accordions, "The Trouble with Lovin' Today," a real country tearjerker, and the bawdy "They Raided the Joint." With Wheelin' and Dealin', Asleep at the Wheel covers all of the bases and wins the ballgame to boot! Texas Gold. Not long after its first album, Asleep at the Wheel relocated to Austin, TX, whose freewheeling, wide-ranging music scene fit the band's sensibility perfectly. One record for Epic followed before they signed with Capitol, releasing Texas Gold in 1975 and setting their career into high gear in the process. Texas Gold wound up in the country Top Ten, sending "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read" there as well, and its success was the result of both good timing and a better band. In 1975, Texas music started to seep into the mainstream, thanks to Willie Nelson's ascendency to superstardom, thereby opening doors for bands that trafficked in Western swing and neo-traditionalist country, like Asleep at the Wheel. Still, they never would have gotten anywhere if they didn't have the goods to back it up, and this proves that their interaction had become more natural and organic, sounding closer to their idols than they did on their debut. That's not to say that they were entirely traditionalist, because the members of Asleep at the Wheel also had traces of their peers in their sound. Certainly, the Commander Cody influence is still felt -- tamed down from the debut, but still apparent in the humor and freewheeling attitude -- but there are also echoes of Doug Sahm and Willie Nelson in these laid-back groups. If Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys remain the towering influence here -- "Fat Boy Rag" and "Trouble in Mind" are both covered -- Asleep manages to capture more of their spirit than before, particularly because the group's disparate influences are synthesized, not trotted through one at a time. On top of that, the song selection is first-rate, turning Texas Gold into the best record Asleep at the Wheel had made to date. Arguably, it's the best, most consistent album they ever did. Asleep at the Wheel. Forming in 1969, Asleep at the Wheel was one of the first bands (along with Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen) of the long-haired hippie generation to look back to American roots music traditions like Western swing and boogie-woogie, but the world wasn't quite ready when they released their 1973 debut on United Artists. The following year, they switched over to Epic for their self-titled sophomore release, and began to really make a name for themselves. Their twanged-up version of the old Louis Jordan R&B tune "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" became a minor country hit, giving the Wheel their first-ever chart placement, and making country fans start to stand up and take notice of these scruffy but sincere traditionalists. Over the years, the band has become best known for its Western swing revivalism, and that time-honored blend of country and jazz is undoubtedly prominent here, from a Nashville-ized take on Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside" to Cindy Walker's "Miss Molly" and Hank Penny's "Blood-Shot Eyes," but that's not the end of the story. The multitude of styles on the Wheel's second album is indicative of the path they would follow throughout their long career; besides Western swing there are straight-up ballads in the classic country style like "Our Names Aren't Even Mentioned (Together Anymore)" and "Last Letter," as well as honky tonk tunes like "Dead Man" and a countrified version of Fats Domino's "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday." After this album, Epic wound up dropping the band, doubting their commercial potential, but time has obviously shown how far off the mark the label was in that assessment. Asleep at the Wheel. Since the early '70s, Asleep at the Wheel have been the most important force in keeping the sound of Western swing alive. In reviving the freewheeling, eclectic sensibility of Western swing godfather Bob Wills, the Wheel have earned enthusiastic crit. Asleep at the Wheel does not have any albums. Search Myspace. Your search did not return any results. Please try again. You're now in slide show mode. Hitting < pauses the slideshow and goes back. Hitting > pauses the slideshow and goes forward. SPACEBAR resumes the slideshow. Press ESC to exit. Sign in to Myspace. Use Facebook, Twitter or your email to sign in. Don't have a Myspace account yet? No worries, joining is easy. Forgot your password? Password request sent. Join Myspace. Getting in is easy. Use one of your social networks or start fresh with an email address. Already have a Myspace account? Sign in. Join with your email address. You're almost ready. We loaded your account with your Facebook details. 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