I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
1965
Album Summary
I've Got a Tiger by the Tail is an album by Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, released in 1965. It reached Number one on the Billboard Country charts and Number 43 on the Pop Albums charts.It was re-released on CD in 1995 by Sundazed Records with two bonus tracks, both live performances recorded in Bakersfield, CA at the Civic Auditorium in October 1963. The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
WikipediaThe importance of this album can't be overstated. Owens and Don Rich (along with Merle, but never mind that) pioneered the honky-tonk sound that influenced generations of country musicians, and nearly every song on this album has been covered many times over. One of the major issues with this album is that in almost every case, the covers are better than the originals. It speaks well of the songwriting that so many people wanted to sing these songs, but I can't help but think that an album with the best version of each song would be exponentially better. The other issue is that the audio production is downright awful. Much of the singing is distorted and occasionally gets drowned in the mix. The panning is all over the place, to the point of being distracting. I know they were still getting used to mixing boards in the 50s, but I don't think we should be grading this on a curve. Best track: Streets of Laredo
I have always wanted to get into country music and boy was that a treat
Buck Owens was a pioneer of the Bakersfield Sound and this album is a phenomenal example of it. Buck Owens is extremely expressive and melancholic which makes his music very effective. This album is essential for anyone who wants to understand the history of popular music.
Its fun! Yea i like this Bakersfield sound. Good one two punch on this album. Yea this was a great honky tonk album
Buck Owens had his share of country hits prior to the release of I've Got a Tiger by the Tail and the hit single that spawned it. But "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" was Owens' national breakthrough, featuring everything right about his Bakersfield honky tonk sound sweated down to a 2:12 single that proved to be an irresistible piece of crossover magic to non-country fans without diluting his basic sound one iota. This 14-track LP brings together the original Capitol tracks from that album (which also included the hit "Cryin' Time," later to be a crossover hit of its own when recorded by Ray Charles), along with two extra tracks. These are live versions recorded in Bakersfield at the Civic Auditorium in October 1963 of "This Ol' Heart" and "Act Naturally," taken from the Capitol anthology album Country Music Hootenanny. The sound of Don Rich is all over this album, with his signature biting Telecaster guitar style, plus his vocalizing on "Wham Bam" (which features Owens on lead guitar) and a feature with Buck on a duet of Chuck Berry's "Memphis." Bass player Doyle Holly handles the vocal chores on "Streets of Laredo," while Don Rich's fiddle work is highlighted on the instrumental "A Maiden's Prayer." But ultimately it's Owens' show, with tracks like "Trouble and Me," "We're Gonna Let the Good Times Roll," "If You Fall Out of Love with Me," "The Band Keeps Playin' On," and the ballad "Let the Sad Times Roll On" being classic examples of Owens' Bakersfield honky tonk sound at the height of its freight-train rumbling powers.
An excellent example of the early Bakersfield sound. Toe-tapping greatness.
some things haven't aged well (wham bam thank you ma'am) but this album is a classic, buck and the band show a lot of range
Hadn’t heard this since I was a little kid in Texas. Cute and historically noteworthy, but not my go to
Very simple, though the music is deceptively complex. Just a solid album that flies by at a clip 4/5
I got so hyped to see an old country album on here, more please! I'm not sure I've heard Buck Owens (or his Buckaroos) before, but the title track is a certified banger. Lots of other great tunes on here too. I love the vocal performance on "Streets of Laredo," it sounds like a completely different person. This is basically an emo album. I'm realizing that most classic country singers latch on to heartbreak and cry about it as loudly and melodramatically as possible. I dig it. Great job, Buck. Born in Sherman too, what a world! Favorite tracks: I've Got a Tiger by the Tail, Streets of Laredo, Let the Sad Times Roll On, Cryin' Time. Album art: Just your typical portrait cover from the '60s, nothing unique aside from the bedazzled white leather jacket. Also that stencil font makes me laugh. 4/5
"Put a quarter in the jukebox and let the sad times roll on!" While country music hasn't found it's way onto my playlists much for a few decades, I do believe I can tell good country music from bad. And Buck Owens is good (shame about Hee-Haw). As an added bonus for me, The Streets of Laredo is an eclectic outlier and I didn't realize until this listening, the connection with the Irish ballad popularized by Eric Bogle and The Pogues!
Niezbyt czesty gosc na liscie, bo hamerykanie country i to jakie, jeden z najsolidniejszych materialow jaki slyszalem, ale tez nie slyszalem za duzo, a to dlatego ze prawie zawsze sa problemy z jakoscia takiej muzyki, jesli chodzi o strone techniczna, nagrywane w latach 60, przez artystow ktorzy w karierze wypuszczali XX albumow + XX singli, wiec nagrywane bylo to zazwyczaj na szybkosci, co nie zawsze idzie z jakoscia, a tak tutaj dzwiek jest tak czysty, zadnych trzaskow jakby nagrywany juz w erze digitala, wiec bardzo pozytywne zaskoczenie juz od sameo poczatku, ale na tym nie koncza sie dobrocie ktore sa zawwarte na tym 32 minutowym materiale, 14 trakow, wiec bardzo typowe countrowe 2 minutowe traki, ale jakie to jest country, dokladnie takie i jakim mysle o dzikim zachodzie, koniokradach, pladrowaniu wiosek i kowbojskim stuffie, a co tworzy ten unikalny efekt, podczas odsluchu dowiedzialem sie, ze jest to wykorzystanie beatu, nie wymyslnego jak w churchowych spiewach opartego na chorkowaniu, ale prosty beat lamany na 2-4 najczesniej, na pedale gitarkowym czy nawet naczyms swanym pedal steel guitar, co na polacki daje odmiane gitary hawajskiej, wlasnie ten beat buduje atmosfere po ktorej plynie pan Owens ze swoimi urzekajacymi wokalami, na najwiekszych kowbojskich szlagierach i kilku wlasnych kompozycjach, dwa traki sa spiewane przez innych czlonkow bandy, tutaj performens Doyla Hollyego zrobil na mnie najwieksze wrazenie na traku streets of laredo, ktory takze jest trakiem must have na plejke, dodatkowo tytulowy tygrysiak za ogon wlatuje
Absolutely 100% the kind of country music that I LOVE. That steel guitar is awesome. Buck having fun with his lyrics. Just excellent stuff. I feel like I've been too hyperbolic lately, and I can't see myself listening to this every day, so I'm going with 4 stars. In my heart right now it's a 5, but cooler heads must prevail.
I could listen to this album over and over again. A couple songs I’d skip, but almost every one is fantastic. On the other hand, my wife absolutely hated it and made me turn it off in the car.
If you applied nudge theory to a music shop and I was the target audience, you'd put cornball country wearing a semi-respectable suit at eye-level right before the checkout. In other words, I liked it. Not one of the 1,001 best albums ever, but an important artist from the non-album era, so worth including. And for that reason, I'm rating it high.
Eugh I'm sorry but its all so samey. Affirming my confusing relationship with country. I just don't know how much I like it really, and that seems to be an unpopular opinion
Harmless toe-tappin' fun. If there was a prize for 'earliest mention of the album title within the album', this would win.
I felt like I had a tiger by the tail as I pressed play on the first song. While Buck Owens was able to sing out 32 minutes hanging onto that big cat, I wasn't so brave. Not a fan and shouldn't be on this list.
Oh no, oh no. Just no* *Selected tracks coming to a Quentin Tarantino film soon Let's not talk about this again, thankfully a mere 32 minutes of my life I won't get back.
A lot of this sounded like a parody of a country album. Not for me I'm afraid
This album physically transported me back to when I was 13 and wore crocs to the Country To Country music festival at the O2 with my aunt and grandparents. Country Bear Jamboree energy but instead I wanted to punch them all.
(5 stars) yasss country! and look at that album cover every song, im like, ok this one's my favorite aaaa it just keeps getting better and better!
I knew Buck Owens from Hee Haw and the Grand Ol' Opry, but have never sat and listened to one of his albums. I'm glad I have remedied that deficiency. This is great classic country performed by great musicians with great country themes. Lots of heartbreak, but nary a hint of gun violence or misogyny that seems to have become more common in later years. I have always loved the song "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail." It sounds as good as ever. "Trouble and Me" seemed familiar too - it's a great song! I liked the juxtaposition on side A of "Let the Sad Times Roll On" and side B "We're Gonna Let the Good Times Roll." Visiting all the emotional stops on this train! "Wham Bam" is a great song about staying single. Very clever chorus and a lot of fun! Other highlights I enjoyed included the deep bass vocal in "The Streets of Laredo." "A Maiden's Prayer" had great fiddling. And they did justice to "Memphis." The two extra live tracks were fine additions to the original album. "This Ol' Heart" and "Act Naturally" are great songs performed so well! I would have loved to have seen Buck perform live. Really fun listening to this - some good old fashioned country from a master who shows us how it's done!
This good, old-timey country music was a good old time! I loved his original songs (title track), the classics "Streets of Laredo" and his take on Chuck Berry. I love the classic steel guitar sound. This was well worth pulling off a dusty shelf!
The Bakersfield Sound at its finest. Buck brings so much energy and spirit to country-western music that you can't help but smile and want to dance with your best girl when he belts out his choruses.
Very well executed country music. Nice little stories in many of these songs and masterful guitar accompaniment. The playing was never too much or too little.
Owens is one of the most influential country musician & I have him to thank for inspiring some of my favorite artists (Dwight Yoakam, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones to name a few). This album has classic 60s country tunes along with the beginnings of rock n roll. Act Naturally has been a favorite for years & throughly enjoyed this album. I'm adding it to my country music rotation.
Great album. Listened to a lot of Roger Miller growing up, and Buck is definitely a contemporary of Roger.
Now that’s what I call Country, Vol 1. This is a really good album, I’m not much of a country guy, but this had some really good hits that get stuck in your head. Wham Bam, favorite
J.aimme le cou try et j’au de la misere a dinner une mauvaise bote. C’est aussi bon que les bon albums de country que j’ai 3coute. 4*
I have a soft spot for vintage country music, and Buck Owens plaintive harmonies and his guitar player's (Don Rich) twangy telecaster do it for me.
Das erste von angeblich sehr vielen country Alben, ist okay, ich hasse country nicht, ist ganz nett
I wanted to hate this as I don't like country music as a rule. However, this was pretty enjoyable to have in the background as I was working. Found myself nodding along even on the first listen. Corny lyrics from the 60's, strumming guitar, toe tapping g'damn country music. Sigh. 3.8/5.
well, i was predisposed to liking this purely because buck shows up in that creedence song. pretty sure i'd heard SOMEthing by him before, but i couldn't tell you what. it was largely what i would've expected...EXCEPT i had absolutely no idea that my favorite johnny rivers song was his (memphis), or that the beatles covered act naturally - i thought that was theirs from the start. so that was a super cool discovery.
Enjoy old country a lot and think the historic importance of this album helps elevate it to a 4 for me.
I love how economical all the songs are. I was surprised at how many of these I recognize.
A great little album. He's happy or he's sad and he's not afraid to sing about it.
Been into country music lately and I really enjoyed this. I like the more stripped down arrangements. Really well balanced. If this is a prime example of the Bakersfield sound, I'll take more where that came from.
Really satisfying sound, I am a sucker for country western when it's done well.
I liked listening to this. Even the songs that are sad made me happy. I doubt that I'll listen again but I enjoyed being here for a while.
I liked this. It was simple and nice. I don't really know Country, but I would like to call his Classic Country.
So good, so deserving of broader awareness and appreciation and so damn fun. Tight playing and witty lyrics. “Let the Sad Times” and “Wham Bam” are faves. Thanks to Dwight Yoakam for keeping the torch alive.
I'm pretty disappointed. Lots of heartache, but not one dawg! No trucks! I had to laugh at some of the lyrical content, but found it highly enjoyable.
Country music is the music genre that provides the most evidence towards Sturgeon's law. For those who don't know, the Sturgeon in question was the science-fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once wrote a novella called Killdozer!, where the antagonist is a sentient, killer bulldozer. The (possibly apocryphal) tale goes that Sturgeon was conducting a Q&A at a science-fiction convention, and one participant asked him if science-fiction was really a legitimate field of literature, stating truthfully that 90% of science fiction was, well, crap. Sturgeon immediately shot back, "Ninety percent of everything is crap!" This is now known as Sturgeon's law. I dn't think it's too much of a revelation to anyone that a jumbo proportion of music released under the country banner is crap. This has affected even the most beloved and esteemed of country artists: you don't measure Johnny Cash's discography by the number of records, you measure it by the yardage it spans, and nobody that prolific could make every song a pearler. Indeed, Rick Rubin rejuvenated Johnny Cash's career by encouraging him not to just bash out albums like trainers, but to focus on polishing his work until the album shone like a diamond. Anyway, Buck Owens was similarly generative, producing 20 studio albums, two holiday albums, three live albums and six compilations in the 60s alone. Who has the energy to go through all of those? Are some of those albums corkers? Certainly. Are some of those reeking? Probably. Anyway, some people just don't like country music. They dislike the instrumentation, they dislike the perceived cornball sentiments, they dislike cowboy boots, they dislike the unfortunate cultural baggage some country has been saddled with, they dislike the unabashed forays into novelty records, they dislike the need to sift through crap in order to find the worthwhile nuggets. Thankfully, I've Got a Tiger By the Tail is replete with nuggets. It's a straightforward, unpretentious good time. Of course, it's country, so much of the album deals with melancholy and heartache, which is great in itself, but the listener will be grateful that the album is leavened by rock 'n' roll additives and a healthy splash of wit. It won't persuade anyone disinclined towards country, but let them be content in their missing-out. It can't quite raise my spirit enough to warrant the full 5 stars, but don't worry about that: it delights enough.
A refreshing change of pace. I don’t listen to a lot of country, but this is the type of country I like (traditional/honky tonk). I thought this was a solid album from start to finish. I’m not sure if I’d listen to it again but I did really like it.
A great example of Owen’s Bakersfield sound and an essential part of music history. Country rock, as it became know in the late 60s and early 70s, likely doesn’t exist in the same way without this. It will not seem revolutionary to new listeners, and I play other examples of the Bakersfield sound much more often (Dwight Yoakam), but worthy of the list and and a listen or two.
For country music, dueling Telecasters over a strong backbeat is a pretty tough sound to beat. Not the biggest country fan, but I've always dug that Bakersfield sound. I don't know if Merle Haggard is going to turn up on this list (somehow I doubt it as that would crowd out yet another early 2000s UK also-ran electronica act), but I'm glad Bakersfield gets represented at least once.
A quintassential album for old-school country and the general boot-scooting, honkey tonk sound that defined the early mainstream acceptance of this music. Owens uses his personality to come off as personable, relatable, but also memorable as he sets the mood and scene around his "experience". Owens sold this image and marketed it to the masses, leading to the genre and identity that so many future generations followed.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Old style country doesn’t always appeal to me but the lyrics were good and it wasn’t too much a caricature of country either.
Thoroughly enjoyed this record, and we have to give credit to Buck Owens (and his wife Bonnie Owens???) for giving us the classic 'Wham Bam'. Not a lot of sincere emotions on this, but the tunes are catchy and fun.
Fantastic. Never heard Buck Owens before, but this is some fun country. Feels like retro-Dwight Yoakem.
Love how he links emotion with physical sensation on most of these some gems include: the double whammy on the first track where he catches a tiger by the tail, one verse he’s “losing weight and looking mighty pale, another he’s as useless as a lead in a gale” then there’s the song where his head starts rocking and knees start knocking when he sees his lady and also the one where the faraway look in his partner’s eyes is an omen for her leaving (I bet Bruce Springsteen heard this before he wrote ‘I’m Goin’ Down’). His honky tonk reminds me of Amy Allison, I bet she dug him and alt-ed up his drawl. Great record.
As I walked out in the streets of Laredo As I walked out in Laredo one day I spied a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen Wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay Honky. Tonk. Its a good album, and a good representation of the genre. 4/5
8/10 super fun album the first half is mostly silly, goofy songs and then the second half gets woeful as fuck Wham Bam is my new theme song
Pretty stock standard country/western. One or two songs are indistinguishable from a few others, and there's one track that really feels like a Sam Cooke track. Not bad, just a few tracks I really remember. Favorite tracks: "If You Fall Out of Love With Me", "Act Naturally"
This was a great classic country album! It was fun and poppy, but then also had some sad but tough cowboy songs.
A bit too simple to be amazing, but still a good listen. I like his sound, but his lyrics are a bit wanting. But CRYING TIME.... so good
I like the guitar and slide guitar. Feels like I’m eating at a BBQ restaurant.
A little cheesy, but I had fun. This is the kind of country that I ca respect, even if it’s not something I would listen to all the time Favorite tracks: “I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail,” “Falling For You,” and “Act Naturally”
3.4 - Twangy. Classic country meets pop songwriting. Amazing electric guitar solos, pretty slide guitar fills, sweet vocal harmonies. Buck Owens sings with that clear country twang. Not so rich with storytelling, more about conveying a feeling within a 2-3 minute pop song format.
if anything sounds exactly what you think it will by the cover.... 60's country. Some good / some shite. 3
A decent Country Western album, but not my favorite country sound at all. There were some pretty nice tunes on here though!