Saturday, January 7, 2017

Montana Slim

Wilf Carter - "Montana Slim" (1959) - RCA Camden

Hello Friends,

Calgary's Wilf Carter (or as he was known in the States, Montana Slim) is often considered to be the father of Canadian Country Music.

We bought this at a thrift store for a dollar even though we never heard any of Wilf Carter's/Montana Slim's music.  We figured, what do we have to lose for $1 and that great cover alone is worth the price of admission!  In other words, how could we not buy this record? 

When we got home and listened to it, we were pleasantly surprised!

Wilf Carter was a yodeling, guitar-picking singer of cowboy songs.  Not too far removed from the likes of Hank Williams or Hank Snow or, especially, Jimmie Rodgers.

Lots of straightforward, honest cowboy songs about trains, whiskey, rustling cattle, Kentucky Moons and lost loves.   Most of the arrangements are refreshingly sparse allowing most of the songs to feature Wilf's golden throat and his acoustic guitar.

The album's highlight?  Probably the drinking song, "Rye Whiskey"....

Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey I cryyyyyy-
If I don't get Rye Whiskey, I surely will die-
If the ocean was Whiskey and I was a duck,
I'd swim to the bottom and never come up...



Great, now we're thirsty!

RATING: 4 there's a lovely knot in my lariat out of 5

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