Buck Owens

I first heard of Buck Owens thru the Beatles' Act Naturally version back in 1965 or so. As time went on I began to appreciate Buck's remarkable band and talent. His records sounded so clean and featured twangy Fender guitars. His band leader, Don Rich was a model of restrained professionalism. Clean and accurate picking, not fast or flashy. Buck was an outstanding singer and his two part harmonies were his trademark. All these songs were No. 1s on the country charts and date from Act Naturally in 1963 to 1988's Streets of Bakersfield with Dwight Yoakum featuring Flaco Jiminez on accordian. WOW! What a great CD this is. There isn't a bad cut on it! If you only want one Buck Owens CD, this is the one! It's too bad most younger people only remember him as a cornfield clown on Hee-Haw, because Buck Owens was truly one of the greatest country stars in its history.

My introduction to Country Music was from Buck Owens, Buck, long before Hee Haw. I grew up watching buck on his television program, "Buck Owens Ranch" and had a pre-dilection for "Tiger By The Tail" as a youngster. I have visited Youtube to watch old video clips of Buck performing in his pre-Hee Haw days. What I still consider THE Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, Doyle Holly, Willie Cantu, Don Rich and Tom Brumley.

And here they are in this CD. This was all I wanted, all the songs I remember from Buck's pre-Hee Haw days, sung with Buck's own distinctive style and emotion, backed up by the never-to-be-forgotten vocals of the Late Don Rich.

From Buck introducing me to Country, I have back-tracked to Hank Williams. Sr., George Jones and Carl Perkins, among others. Buck can tip his artistical hat to the late Hank Williams, for Hank had a "Driving Freight Train Sound" in his music with his Roving Cowboy band sound. Hank kept his music predominantly country sounding, where Buck added the Telecaster electric guitar to achieve a Rockabilly sound Hank would have had, had Hank allowed his lead guitar men, Sammy Pruett, Bob McNett and Alton Lister, to cut loose like Don Rich did for Buck.

The origins of Buck's ultimate sound coming from Hank Williams is unmistakable. Perhaps that is why it wasn't hard for me to find Hank after Buck introduced me to Country Music.

Like Hank, Buck Owens had a certain "cry" in his voice at the right time, though not a "break". Buck had unmistakable singing quality that, coupled with the distinctive sound driven from the Buckaroos, made an Owens' record stand out, time after time. Buck had a great Country singing voice; you'll hear it here.

All of Buck's classics, from "Tiger By The Tail", to "Love's Gonna Live Here", to "Open Up Your Heart", among the fine classics on this CD. Buck Owens has unmistakable, largely ignored talent that was overshadowed by his tenure on Hee Haw. Unfortunate, that, because Buck Owens was one of the greats of Country Music, amassing 21 number 1's in just 12 years.

And, in my own opinion, the end Of Buck Owens' lead as a top-selling Country Singer came by two unfortunate events: Hee Haw and the sad, untimely death of Don Rich, Buck's musical alter ego and friend. Buck himself was never the same after Don Rich's death, and his music showed it, among other issues.

This CD is definitely the Ultimate Collection, worth your time to be introduced to the man and his band that gave direct influence to Dwight Yokel, Brad Paisley, et. al., but a man who's star shines far brighter that those artists that followed Buck's musical lead. Buck was a showman in his own right, with talent to boot. Enjoy each and every track, as you'll never regret buying this CD. You'll find that Buck Owens was the link between the Country sound of Hank Williams to Dwight Yokel and others that enulate the "Bakersfield Sound".

For starters, this is a great sounding CD BUT the only addition to it not found on Rhino Records earlier releases of Buck Owens "Greatest" (Volume 1 and 2 is the "Streets Of Bakersfield/Dwight Yoakam"..if you want this cut in an elegant looking cover photo with less tracks than the earlier 2 volumes than this is for you.
The earlier releases of Vol. 1 and 2 both boast strong liner notes and the usual superb sound quality Rhino is known for.
You can't go wrong either way.

I feel that Buck Owens is the greatest country performer ever! He had decade after decade of fabulous hits. And how can we ever forget the awesome Saturday evenings we spent watching HEE HAW. This is a class act that will be hard for anyone to ever match let alone beat! Get your copy of this CD today! It is excellent quality for a fair price and super fast delivery!

I love this CD. When I was a child I used to listen to Buck Owens all the time. As I grew I just started listening to newer singers. I went on the Web and found the album and decided to order it. I love it. I like listening to the older singers again. Listening to the older singers bring back my childhood and my life when I used to live in Idaho.

We used to listen to this every year as I was growing up as we decorated the family Christmas tree. Finding this on cd has allowed me to continue that tradition with my children. It brings back wonderful memories of Christmas past and is creating new memories for my own family. I'm so glad this is available on cd now!

I grew up listening to Buck Owens. I have this album and others of his recordings on vinyl, and its great to see them being put onto CDs. I have been looking for this album on a CD for a long time. I love his sound in the form of Christmas Songs and you just dont hear them anymore. Plus my kids now can enjoy it. This is a great album and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Country Music!!

This item was purchased as a gift but I know the person is extremely happy with this selection. She is 84 years old and has been looking for this item for a few years. She had even met Buck Owens when she was younger.

My parents used to listen to this when I was a kid. It brings back memories of old Country Christmas music.

I love this CD! The twangy guitars and out front pedal steel work by Tom Brumley are spine chilling (for me anyway). Some people don't care for this sort of music though, so I've heard. "Santa Looked Alot Like Daddy" is a fun & clever song worth the whole CD (more recently recorded by Garth Brooks, but this original version is better in my opinion). If you like Buck Owens music, you'll love this one.

I have always loved this album. Amazon did a great job of getting it to me in a timely manner.

We used to listen to this every year as I was growing up as we decorated the family Christmas tree. Finding this on cd has allowed me to continue that tradition with my children. It brings back wonderful memories of Christmas past and is creating new memories for my own family. I'm so glad this is available on cd now!

For their primary Country artist Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens (inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1996) Capitol Records put out three Christmas albums.

The first - Christmas With Buck Owens And His Buckaroos - was released in time for the holiday season in 1965 on Capitol 2396 and made it to # 12 on the Billboard Christmas charts for albums (and re-entered in 1966 and 1967 at # 23 both times). That album also spawned the hit single, Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy, which reached # 2 on the Billboard Christmas charts for singles b/w All I Want For Christmas Dear Is You on Capitol 5537 (and it too re-entered in 1967 at # 18). Other tracks on the album were: Blue Christmas Lights; Christmas Ain't Christmas; Jingle Bells; Santa's Gonna Come In A Stagecoach; Christmas Time's A-Comin'; Blue Christmas Tree; Here Comes Santa Claus Again; Christmas Morning; It's Christmas Time For Everyone But Me; Because It's Christmas Time.

This compilation was released in 1968 on Capitol 2977 and promptly went to # 31 on the album charts and also spawned the rocking and funny hit single Christmas Shopping which, in summing up the feelings of most men about the annual trek to the stores, reached # 5 on Capitol 2328 b/w the equally-hilarious One Of Everything You Got. Both were written by Buck, the first in conjunction with Charles H. Anderson and the other with Bob Morris. Sentimental tunes are here too starting with Christmas Time Is Near which Buck composed with Don Rich, then All I Want For Christmas Is My Daddy (written with Jimmy Snyder) and Merry Christmas From Our House To Yours (written with Marjorie Cooper), and the message-driven It's Not What You Give (written with Bob Morris).

Mixed with these are some of the bounciest original Christmas songs ever put to disc. The Owens-Earl Bell tune Good Old Fashioned Country Christmas will get the toes to tapping, as will Home On Christmas Day and A Very Merry Christmas, both written by Buck, and the last song on the disc, Tomorrow Is Christmas Day which features co-writer Don Rich on harmonica and harmony vocals. Two happy instrumentals (The Jolly Christmas Polka and Christmas Schottische) are thrown in as well, both composed by Buck.

In 1970, A Merry "Hee Haw" Christmas came out on Capitol 486 [2], combining the two first albums minus these two tracks from each album: All I Want For Christmas Dear Is You; It's Christmas Time For Everyone But Me; All I Want For Christmas Is My Daddy; and A Very Merry Christmas.

The sound quality is excellent and in the insert is a complete sessionography of the contents and a single page of notes in the form of a "letter to Santa" written by Mac Curtis, Program Director, WPLO Radio in Atlanta, Georgia praising Buck to the Jolly Old Elf. Another nice b&w photo of Buck is on the inside, and on the back of the insert is a coloured photo showing Buck and the boys decked out in scarlet, while on the inside of the clear jewel case is a vintage photo of the band taken at the "Eighth Wonder Of The World" - the Houston Astrodome.

Just a great little package sure to be replayed every Christmas.

This was a great addition to our Christmas music collection. The classic sound of Buck Owens mixed with some unique and fun Christmas tunes. Any Buck Owens fan would surely love this.

My daughter-in-law lost her daddy several years ago and this particular CD was one of her special Christmas memories of him. I wanted to surprise her with it this Christmas and was so glad that i checked out Amazon. When i presented it to her she couldn't wait to play it...and she sang along with all the familiar songs. Its well worth the money for those looking for old fashioned down home good country music.

We used to listen to this every year as I was growing up as we decorated the family Christmas tree. Finding this on cd has allowed me to continue that tradition with my children. It brings back wonderful memories of Christmas past and is creating new memories for my own family. I'm so glad this is available on cd now!

I grew up listening to Buck Owens. I have this album and others of his recordings on vinyl, and its great to see them being put onto CDs. I have been looking for this album on a CD for a long time. I love his sound in the form of Christmas Songs and you just dont hear them anymore. Plus my kids now can enjoy it. This is a great album and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Country Music!!

This item was purchased as a gift but I know the person is extremely happy with this selection. She is 84 years old and has been looking for this item for a few years. She had even met Buck Owens when she was younger.

My parents used to listen to this when I was a kid. It brings back memories of old Country Christmas music.

I love this CD! The twangy guitars and out front pedal steel work by Tom Brumley are spine chilling (for me anyway). Some people don't care for this sort of music though, so I've heard. "Santa Looked Alot Like Daddy" is a fun & clever song worth the whole CD (more recently recorded by Garth Brooks, but this original version is better in my opinion). If you like Buck Owens music, you'll love this one.

I bought Vol 1 for the songs "Act Naturally", "Just As Long As You Love Me" and "Tiger by the Tail", but I've really enjoyed having my ears opened up to tunes like "Under Your Spell Again" and "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line". This CD plus Vol 2 are well worth the purchase.

I'm not a country fan per se, but back in the 60's my Dad kept the radio tuned to WEXT, the country & western station in Connecticut. I'm rediscovering the best C&W of that era including Buck, Merle Haggard and George Jones. Rhino makes it easy to collect the best of the best.

I firmly believe that Don Rich was a driving force behind the enormous success of Buck Owens. He was absolutely the best fiddler and picker on that wonderful sounding guitar. I loved his fiddling even though he didn't. I have one of him doing "Orange Blossom Special" and he doesn't string those notes together, he picks every single note that's on the sheet music. I know they're pickin' and grinnin' together again. And Buck has finally found peace, for after Don's death, you could see the will to go on had gone out of Buck.

NO ONE in this world could ever sing "Together Again" like Buck Owens. That was the main reason I bought this CD, but the other songs on this tract brought back many good memories......and some sad one's too, like the untimely death of Don Rich. Together, those two made magic that I think died with Don. I hope Buck and Don are "together again" making that Bakersfield Sound in heaven. Get this CD and I know you'll be pleased.......I was.

My late dad had many of these songs on various 45s and LPs
while I was growing up, and I listened to them a lot.

As I write this, it's been about a week since Buck Owens
passed away at the age of 76. Hearing these great country
songs on this collection and Vol. 2, excellently remastered,
I can't help but be a little sentimental...forgive me, but
I wonder what Buck and my dad are talking 'bout up there...

R.I.P., Buck.

Buck Owens was a titan in the music industry, not just in the 1960s, but throughout the decades after that as well. True, the songs on this CD were recorded between 1959 and 1971; but because of Buck's incredible success most true country music aficionados always remembered Buck as being the best of the best. Heck, I don't even go in for country music--but this CD I had to run out and buy after listening to the sound bytes here on Amazon!

My favorite tune on this CD is the first track, "Under Your Spell Again." Like they all say, Buck did infuse his brand of country music with a rock and roll flavor that helped him make his mark. The music here truly is exhilarating, thrilling, and very memorable. I also like the booklet that comes with the CD--there is an essay by Rich Kienzle; and some input from the artist himself! A fine booklet indeed! SMILE

Back up vocals are provided by The Jordanaires.

I would recommend this CD if you don't know about Buck's work but like the sound clips here, as I did, and then decide you want to introduce yourself to Buck's artistry. If you REALLY like this CD; then get the CD of Buck's Greatest Hits, volume two, which is also put out on the Rhino label. There is a volume three as well.

As I said before, I don't even like country music--but this material is so darn good you'll like it just as much as I did! It's a very easy listen with great musical arrangements and the sound quality is excellent. I'll probably love volume two of Buck's hits every bit as much as I love this CD. I highly recommend this CD for people who are just beginning to get acquainted with Buck's work. Fans of country music will enjoy this as well. You rule, Buck!

I bought Vol 2 for the songs "Big in Vegas" and "Made in Japan", but I've really enjoyed having my ears opened up to tunes like "Above and Beyond" and "Buckaroo". This CD plus Vol 1 are well worth the purchase.

I'm not a country fan per se, but back in the 60's my Dad kept the radio tuned to WEXT, the country & western station in Connecticut. I'm rediscovering the best C&W of that era including Buck, Merle Haggard and George Jones. Rhino makes it easy to collect the best of the best.

Most people, if they know Buck at all, probably vaguely remember him as co-host of longrunning country variety series HEE HAW. Music lovers know him as the renegade who helped spawn what became known as the "Bakersfield sound": hard edged electrified honky-tonk that was equal parts country weepin' and rock attitude. (Made explicit in a live version of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode")

As usual, Rhino provides great sound and interesting liner notes that tell you more about what you're listening to.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Hard to select just a few but I'd count "Foolin' Around" as Buck finds himself conflicted about his adulterous woman, hating her cheating but still wanting her("When you're finished foolin' round with 2 or 3/Come on home and fool around with me"). "Love's Gonna Live Here" is the flip side..after being "fooled around" on once too many Buck's left her and he's moving on. The tempo-shifting "Before You Go" is still original, barreling along until doing a dead-stop into the waltz of the chorus. A weeping steel guitar takes on an Oriental tinge for "Made in Japan" (which was backed with fine B-side "Black Texas Dirt" on the original 45..well worth hearing if you can find it.)

BOTTOM LINE:
If he's good enough for the Beatles ("Act Naturally") and Dwight Yoakam ("Streets of Bakersfield") to cover, he's good enough for you.

4 1/2 stars

I find myself feeling good when the Buckaroos start playing.

True, hard-core Western Country! Thanks Buck Owens for years of super music that stayed true to the sound. Live on. Live well. Be happy. Listen to Buck.

Partnered with Vol.1 it is a very comprehensive carrer spanning collection of Buck Owens best work. A casual listener would be satisfied enough to not feel inclined to seek out individual albums, many of which never made the transfer from vinyl records to compact discs. A great country and western collection would be incomplete without some of these timeless selections by Owens. This CD gets alot of attention from friends who visit, some play it for nostalgia, others out of curiosity. There is nothing not to like about this collection, whether you are a long time admirer of Buck or just discovering him.

In 1965, Buck Owens and his Buckaroos released the first, and only, instrumental that ever went to #1 on the Country chart, "Buckaroo". It's a great, uptempo number featuring Buckaroo Don Rich on lead guitar. The record company decided to capitalize on the success of this #1 hit, and put together an album of "the instrumental hits" of Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, even though "Buckaroo" was really their only instrumental hit. 8 of the 12 cuts on the album had already appeared on previously released albums. You might think an album of country instrumentals would get rather repetetive, but it does actually have a rather diverse sound, since different tunes feature different lead instruments. There are four polkas with lead guitar work by Buck himself. There are four fiddle tunes played by Don Rich. There are two tunes highlighting Tom Brumley on steel guitar. And "Country Rag" gives all of these guys a chance to solo. The CD adds two bonus tracks, which are instrumental versions of Buck's hits, played by the Buckaroos on the album The Buck Owens Songbook. This is a solid album, despite it's somewhat "thrown together" nature.

Awhile ago Bonnie Owens lamented to Eddie Stubbs, on his WSM Nashville radio show, that the problem with country music nowadays is that they have taken all the twang out of it. If you want twang get this album. I bought the 33 1/3 LP album when it came out in the 60's and was glad to recently get the CD. Still sounds good. You can't buy this sound on today's recording market.

Throughout their stellar career, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos were both a crack live outfit and a hit-making recording group. Their music resounded with the twin Telecaster guitars and harmony singing of Owens and his right-hand man, Don Rich, along with the ace instrumental talents of Tom Brumley (pedal steel), Doyle Holly (bass), Willie Cantu (drums) and others. Throughout the '60s, their studio albums usually contained an instrumental track or two, and this 1965 album anthologizes many of those tracks. It also introduces "Buckaroo," the hit instrumental single that would become Owens' theme song.

These tracks gave the band members a chance to stretch out, and gave listeners an extended opportunity to enjoy the players' instrumental abilities. Rich's fiddle playing on "Orange Blossom Special," "Faded Love," and "A Maiden's Prayer" show off the talent that attracted Owens to him in the first place, and his guitar lead on "Buckaroo" heads up one of the most memorable country instrumentals ever recorded. Tom Brumley's steel on "Bud's Bounce" and Leon McAuliffe's "Steel Guitar Rag" show off the West Coast style he developed, and the influence Ralph Mooney had on his playing. Owens himself, better known for his vocals (especially after relinquishing lead-guitar duties to Don Rich), flat picks a storm on his trio of polkas, "Raz-Ma-Taz Polka," "Country Polka" and "Buck's Polka."

Unlike bands that made their name as instrumental combos, The Buckaroos chops were equally key on their vocal tracks. Their instrumental recordings are certainly fine, but given what else the band was capable of, most of these tracks are better heard as album accompaniment. After a half-dozen, one begins to long for the harmonies of Owens and Rich to complement the instruments.

Sundazed's reissue augments the original dozen tracks with a pair taken from the 1966 release, "The Buck Owens Songbook," an album of hits re-recorded as instrumentals under the direction of Don Rich. Both tracks ("Act Naturally" and "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail") are fine, but greatly miss Owens vocals.

Ok, "Hee-Haw" was one of the oddest shows in television history, with the worst one-liners this side of Benny Hill. But the music--and keep in mind this is coming from a one-time Rock purist--the music on "Hee-Haw" was just about the best ever seen on American television.

The original hosts were Roy Clark--he of the syrupy slow songs and cheesey infomercial guitar course, but a consumate instrumentalist--and Buck Owens, who was a revolutionary country star before Dwight Yoakum or Wynona Judd were born.

This album, which finds its way to the top of my play pile more often than I admit to my old Rocker friends, is supurb from beginning to end.

It's a very good band, but the secret ingredient is the excellent guitarist, Don Rich, who combines melody and twang masterfully.

Buckaroo and other tunes will remain in your mind for the rest of your life; they are so infectious and full of good feeling!

I love live albums and this one is a dandy. Although I was never a huge Buck Owens fan, I found this CD to be thoroughly enjoyable. To me, the between song banter makes it that much more fun.

Every Buck Owens fan should own this live disc with the original line up. Some of the between song banter can be a little much, but the performance is EXCELLENT. Check out In London(1969)as well, different band, but equally as GOOD!

Certainly one of the best live country albums. But Owens and his band talk, play and joke around too much: a 50 min CD with only 25 min of music... But what music!

For someone like me, that was 4 when this lp was recorded, this recording is a kind of an historic monument. You can hear one of the best live country acts of the time as it was today. The sound is great, Buck and the band are in great shape, the audience is entusiastic and Buck knows how to entertain. Great live recording, maybe one of the best live recordings of country music.

In addition to the incredible songwriting, singing and playing, Owens and his band show just what hotshot entertainers they were. Their staging, replete with skits, song stops for quick punchlines, and Buck's interaction with the audience (something he continues to do to this very day) weave their brilliant work into a whole lot more than a simple recitation of their hit song catalog.

By this 1966 date, their catalog was too extensive to be played through in a single show, hence three medleys are used to cover a lot of ground. Even with those thirteen abbreviated titles, they had plenty of material left to play in full form. Owens' voice carries from the stage even more powerfully than it does in the studio, and the tightness of his harmonies with Don Rich are mesmerizing. The telepathy between Owens and Rich goes a long way to explaining the former's depression upon the 1974 death of the latter.

The confidence with which the band kicks into every number is simply astonishing. Owens segues his introductions seamlessly into the opening line of a song, and the band follows without the slightest hint of hesitation. They are at once tight and coherent as on record, but with the looseness and swing of musicians intimately familiar with each other's playing. Each track bursts with the elation of musicians playing in a band firing on all cylinders. The response from the audience echoes the energy coming from the stage.

If the Buckaroos weren't the very best band playing live in 1966 (and this recording suggests they might have been), they were certainly among the very top. This recording captures them in a signature show; a must-have for fans of the Bakersfield sound. Sundazed's reissue (apparently the first since the album's original release) adds bonus tracks to the original (all in superb stereo), along with backstage photos, the original and new liner notes and remembrances from original Buckaroos, Willie Cantu, Doyle Holly and Tom Brumley.

Although it took quite awhile to get here, this imported cd is a great and comprehensive cd for the Buck Owens fan. It has forty hits and is a varied sampling of Buck Owen's legacy as a country star. The great thing about this record is that is chronicles the past and present, having hits like "Streets of Bakersfield" on one of the discs. Another aspect of this cd is its great quality; the sound is exemplary.

The influence Owens had as a country artist is really illustrated in this cd, as there are many songs in here that you have probably heard in shows, movies, or remakes, namely "Act Naturally", "Johnny B. Goode", and "Under My Spell." One of my favorite songs is "Sam's Place." This is a fantastic CD to add to your collection, especially if you are a country music fan!