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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

1959

Buy At Rough Trade
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Album Summary

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs is the fifth studio album by Marty Robbins, released on the Columbia Records label in September 1959 and peaking at #6 on the U.S. pop albums chart. It was recorded in a single eight-hour session on April 7, 1959, and was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1965 and Platinum in 1986. It is perhaps best known for Robbins' most successful single, "El Paso", a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, as well as for its opening track "Big Iron," a song that gained a resurgence in popularity online as an Internet meme.Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs reached #1 in both the country and pop music charts at the start of 1960 and won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording the following year. A follow-up album of cowboy songs, More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, was released in 1960. In 2017, Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant."

Wikipedia

Rating

3.32

Votes

14737

Genres

  • Country

Reviews

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Sort by: Top Date
Jun 01 2021
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5

YE-(and I cannot stress this enough)-HAW

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Feb 04 2021
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5

gangsta songs to listen to when you wanna shoot someone

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Feb 15 2021
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5

Unexpectedly wonderful. Great storytelling, sing-along-ability: proper cowboy waltzes. Loved it!

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Jun 01 2021
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5

FUCK AMERICA, WE RIDE WITH WESTERN PRIDE BABY BOY

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Jun 28 2021
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5

Can't believe how much I love this for a country album. Amazing lyricism, great voice, solid understated guitar work. I'm going to need to pick this up on wax

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Apr 16 2021
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5

I've always had a soft spot for Marty Robbins. I'm not sure why, as I didn't listen to him much growing up, nor was I overly enamored with the Wild West or gunslingers otherwise. However, I find I can identify him as singer even if I don't know the song. I've never actually listened to this album until today, but am happy to give it 5 stars. I don't know if I'll ever reach for it again, but I certainly wouldn't turn it off if it were playing otherwise...

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Aug 08 2021
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5

This is a special album for me since it showed me that country music is actually kinda cool and is not always the mindless redneck pandering garbage that is polluting the genre.

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Sep 28 2021
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4

Marty Robbins is a gangster. Dude can sing and his lyrics are so badass. I wasnt expecting to enjoy this but it was fire. Just wish a few of the slower songs were faster. Big iron is best song followed by Billy the kid

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Jul 02 2021
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4

I think Marty has a beautiful voice and this album evokes the American imaginary of the time- heroic explorers using their bravery and ingenuity to tame the wild west. Music wise I can hear in the influence of Texas Swing, precursors to Johnny Cash and even glimmers of Charlie Feathers and rockabilly. Fun stuff!

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Jan 27 2023
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1

I’ve written enough words over the course of the last 200 records to fill a book and, at this point, I feel like there’s no need to explain myself: This record sucks.

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Mar 02 2022
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5

A true classic right here. My first exposure to Marty Robbins, as is probably the case for most people my age and younger, was hearing "Big Iron" on the radio in Fallout: New Vegas. I was obsessed with that song (and several others in the game), and eventually I had the urge to seek out the man responsible. Robbins was an immensely talented country musician, who not only sang but wrote many of his timeless tracks. He found a lot of success and popularity during his time, but I think he's a little underrated by today's standards, at least in retrospective discussion of country artists like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson or whoever else. I'm a Marty Man, and this album should show you why. All the tracks really do feel like they belong out on the range, on the trail. Great cowboy tales and imagery, and just infectious melodies to boot. The whole thing was recorded in one, eight-hour session! Sounds a bit like Black Sabbath's debut, another 5-star album from me. I don't know what it is, but some great artists seems to really shine when put in that pressure cooker. Anyway, go listen to El Paso at full blast and dream about that Mexican maiden. Favorite tracks: Big Iron, El Paso, The Hanging Tree, Strawberry Roan, The Master's Call, They're Hanging Me Tonight. Album art: Truly iconic, I love simple designs like this from the '50s, and it's also just an extremely bold color plus Marty in cowboy get-up. This one lives in my heart and mind forever. 5/5

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Jun 28 2021
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5

1959's Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs from Marty Robbins, a seminal C&W album with a one foot firmly in the Western half as it bridges the decades into the 1960's. These are like mini Western movie stories, with all the tropes, heroes, fair damsels in distress, love lost and gained, and guns a'blazin. If you're like me and spent a fair amount of time listening to the Grateful Dead, then you know the song El Paso, which the band performed nearly 400 times in their long touring career.

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Oct 10 2023
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3

SYNOPSIS: Pretty interesting. Not entirely my vibe but I liked a couple of songs overall. TOP TRACKS: 1. Big Iron 2. El Paso 3. The Master's Call FINAL RATING: 5/10

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Sep 23 2021
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1

That’s the Western album box checked then

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Mar 04 2021
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5

I love this! I've heard They're Hanging Me Tonight before and instantly loved the sad, trembling 50s voice and gently plodding guitar strumming in the background. I feel like an old-fashioned cowboy listening to this and I'm sure that's what Marty intended.

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May 12 2023
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5

Old cowboy running through the west

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Jan 14 2022
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5

This was a real breath of fresh hair. I hadn't heard of this artist before and I loved this album. Added multiple songs from it to my playlist.

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Dec 01 2021
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5

I really enjoyed this! Lyrically, it's like a cross between a particularly detailed health and safety report crossed with proto gangsta rap, combined with assertive yet comforting harmonies. The music reminds me of the sort of hipster western music that had a moment in the 90s, no doubt strongly inspired by Mr Robbins - just getting me ready to hear the real-ish deal for the first time 25 years later.

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Nov 09 2021
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5

I have had this on repeat all day. That voice, like gold soaked in honey but with a slight hint of menace on par with Johnny Cash. I can hear Marty Robbins' sound in the DNA of American, Outlaw Country, Gram Parsons and even Nick Cave in his murder ballad era. Amazing stuff and an original artform

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Jul 29 2021
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5

It starts off extremely strong, and even though it goes in a different direction for the rest of the album, it's filled with soothing and enjoyable songs. No song in this album is wasted, even if they seem to be all the same. Overall, this album is great for just zoning out or feeling relaxed. Favorite track: Big Iron

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Jun 04 2021
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5

Helemaal wat je verwacht op basis van de cover. Ik kan er wel van genieten.

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Mar 24 2021
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5

Leuke country. Zo lollig dat het zelfs nipt 5 sterren verdient!

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Aug 30 2024
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4

This is deceptively dark. The melodies are white bread and sound happy while the content is dark as any modern rap album. Old school country is so much better than the pandering red neck shit we have today.

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May 03 2024
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4

It's a certified cowboy bean eating banger.

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Apr 29 2024
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4

Cowboy cuddles be still my heart. This hits that sweet spot nostalgia of a 50s version of Western that existed in the American imagination. Confection.

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Oct 11 2023
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4

"This is Mr. New Vegas, and I feel something magic in the air tonight, and I'm not just talking about the gamma radiation.".

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Oct 05 2023
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4

This is, of course, the ultimate western album. It is genuine cowboy songs from a guy who did not live to see the development of the western frontier. Depending on how old you are, you know this album best from El Paso (you're old) or Big Iron (you're not old). El Paso was Robbins' best-charting song during his career and was inducted into the grammy hall of fame in 1998. Big Iron was included in the soundtrack for video game Fallout: New Vegas in 2010, and was subsequently memed in various different ways. For what it's worth, both songs are excellent western stories but Big Iron has my heart forever. What a treat! Smooth harmonies, warm guitars, and vivid imagery make this a classic. It's no wonder why Marty Robbins was immortalized for his dedication to the western song.

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Oct 02 2021
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4

"El Paso" alone deserves a spot on this list. That rare country-pop crossover that's as timeless as ever. And every other song on this album sounds like it's trying to be another El Paso. That's meant as a complement. None of have the magic of "El Paso" but are enjoyable nonetheless. It took Breaking Bad and a video game to introduce Marty Robbins to new generations. My second favorite Marty Robbins song is, "You Gave Me A Mountain", but I prefer the hundreds of live versions Elvis did in the '70's during his final fat years.

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Nov 18 2024
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3

How do I rate a collection of songs that I personally do not care for or about but recognize the importance of to the broader cultural landscape of this country?

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Nov 01 2024
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3

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Very different vibe than today’s country music. Enjoyed his voice and the more direct storytelling style, even if the stories were mostly about people he needs to shoot.

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Oct 28 2024
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3

The juxtaposition of dark lyrics against upbeat music on some of the songs such as El Paso is masterful.

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May 27 2024
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3

You don't hear enough "W" these days. El Paso I know, which drifts into The Wild Rover in my head if you let it. Highly enjoyable, with hints of earlier Elvis, although it can sound like a Mexican restaurant at times.

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May 03 2024
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3

Super cheesy. Gorgeous recordings. What a voice. This is one of those, "yeah, but it just makes me smile" albums.

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May 02 2024
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3

Elvis style voice with Johnny Cash style lyrics, this went hard. I recently got back to playing Fallout 3 and these tracks were grade A wasteland music (3.5/5)

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May 01 2024
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3

I feel like every song on this album would kill at a campfire.

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Oct 13 2023
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3

Sembra un pre Rock'n'Roll. La voce somiglia addirittura a Elvis Presley. Personalmente mi piace il tipo di ritmo ma l'album ascoltato tutto insieme è un po' ripetitivo perchè le canzoni si somigliano molto tra loro. Inoltre non sono riuscito a trovare una canzone che risaltasse in modo originale tra le altre.

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May 27 2024
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2

This cowboy novelty record has one good/maybe great song in “El Paso”, surrounded by infantile fantasy.

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Oct 08 2024
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1

This will be a sequel to my review of John Prine’s self titled album: Country music is like those Super Mario and Zelda games released for the Phillips CD-i. It’s that ‘Gollum’ game developed by Daedalic Entertainment the came out in 2023 (so bad it put them out of business). It’s the equivalent of being forced to play ‘Superman 64’ on the Nintendo 64. It’s the ‘WWE 2K20’ of the WWE 2K annual series. It’s like being forced to play ‘Rogue Warrior’. Or ‘Battlefield 2042’ at launch; oh yeah, that game. Have you ever tried to suddenly move with a broken shoulder? That’s what country music is like. When you stub your toe on the corner of your bed? That’s country music! You ever had a migraine so bad that it makes you vomit and confines you to your bed because any form of light just makes it worse? Yeah, that’d be country music. Back pain? Country music. It’s like getting severe leg cramps due to lack of potassium. Have you ever been shown an overly long YouTube video that your friend, who is right beside you, thinks is hilarious; but it’s 2 minutes too long and you have to sort of fake laugh so you don't offend them? Then you think “well that’s that”, but they unfortunately show you another one? That’s country music! Listening to this album was like pouring milk into your cereal, but the milk is well past its sell-by date and is just a gloopy and smelly mess; completely ruining your morning. It was like being stuck in highway traffic with your kid having a meltdown in the back seat. It’s like watching the first season of ‘The Office’. It’s like watching the last season of ‘Scrubs’. It’s like watching the entirety of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. It was like having my toddler scream in my left ear, and my cat screaming in my right ear. It was like watching ‘Kick-Ass 2’ right after the original. It’s like watching every mediocre spaghetti western on the planet (and they’re all mediocre). Hell, you’d do better to listen to a Wesley Willis album than this. It was like eating chicken that you thought was cooked properly, but you realize after a few bites that it could have used another 10 minutes in the oven and now you possibly have salmonella. It's like that time my toddler got hand, foot and mouth disease and passed it onto me. It's like my psoriasis when I have a bad flare up. It's like that time I fell and fractured my ankle. Fergie's rendition of the American national anthem at the NBA All-Star game a few years back is better than listening to this. Phew. I did listen to it, by the way. All the way through. And I hated it. It's just cowboy nonsense and country clichès. I have yet to come in contact with a country album that makes me even consider turning my opinion around on the genre. 1/5

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Sep 30 2024
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1

The music is slightly better than the album cover. Good voice but no thanks. Also he’d be cancelled for singing about a “hanging tree”. Meant to be played on vinyl- El Paso on there two times…

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Sep 24 2024
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1

This album is simply awful. Nonsence cowboy music. Favourite song: There really wasnt one Least favourite: All of them Album artwork: Very American

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Sep 16 2024
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1

That was a bit hard to listen to. Far too country and western for me.

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Aug 10 2024
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1

As a UK resident living in West Yorkshire this album is of very little relevance to me. Although parts of Bradford do nowerdays resemble The Wild West. But I do appreciate that these songs are of significant historical value to my American friends so do not want to dismiss this album out of hand. I’ll leave it at that with a rating which reflects my own personal enjoyment the album. As a historical document I’m glad the album exists for future generations. 1/5 (over 200 albums in and my stats indicate that the 1950’s are my favourite decade - which it isn’t. This rating has nothing to do with bringing the average down but can’t help hoping that it does so that the 60’s and 70’s rightfully go top!) 9/8/24

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Jul 23 2024
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1

I had no idea being a cowboy was so boring.

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Apr 20 2024
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1

well it's 1959 country. We are past that and it's for the best. 1 stars

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Mar 12 2024
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1

I mean if you like gunfighter ballads, then I guess this is the album for you. I don't think I would include it on a list of albums you have to listen to before you die.

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Mar 11 2024
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1

This is an all around no for me.

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Feb 20 2024
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1

Possibly the worst style of music I can think of. He wasn't bad but I didn't enjoy it at all.

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Feb 10 2024
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1

This album was just plain boring. Simple guitar strums with stories put to simple melodies. I wish I knew what made this an album that I needed to listen to.

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Apr 08 2023
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1

Qué se yo, el country me chupa la pija. Si lo reemplazo por Este Destino Cantor de Cafrune serían 5 estrellas, pero el disco que que estoy reiteando es esta cosa.

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Dec 18 2024
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5

An extraordinarily pleasant surprise! Beautiful voice, and delicious irony of such a smooth sound belying such sad tales. Interesting, compelling, fascinating.

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Dec 18 2024
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5

I absolutely loved this one! The story telling and lyrics were compelling and the accompanying music strummed along perfectly. Now i probably wouldn’t listen to this one regularly, this is one of those albums that surprised me in how easy it was to enjoy.

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Dec 16 2024
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5

"Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs" gave me a feeling that few country albums give me. It's a bit of a cheesy album, you could say, but I felt my guard down while listening to it, and for some unknown reason it made me smile. I may not own a gun, but this album made me feel like I did. And somehow, that made me relate to the story of the album.

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Dec 14 2024
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5

love this so much... so smooth... big iron! they're hanging me tonight dude.... dude.

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Dec 13 2024
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5

Y'know, I've liked a lot of the traditional country music my group has gotten, but I'd never been particularly "WOW"ed by any of it. There's a place for it in my heart, but when you put it next to country music from the 90's... Traditional country music just doesn't seem to have as much going on. Like, I'm a sucker for that kind of over-production and high pop-ish energy. So all this spare guitar strumming and close harmony vocals just doesn't hit **as** well for me — unless you're Johnny Cash, but that's the typical exception. So here along comes an album which... Honestly, for the longest time, I'd kind of avoided listening to? Specifically because its opening track, "Big Iron", was such a big meme. Which, that sort of thing isn't unique to this album, by the way; there's a lot of stuff I've been turned off to 'coz I encountered the memes of it first. Look at Scott The Woz, for instance. And it's not even like I'd heard any of the "Big Iron" edits, by the way. I just saw the thumbnails with the album cover all mangled up and I was like, "No thanks." Unsurprisingly, I had nothing to worry about. This isn't just good country; I'd go so far as to call it **classically** good country. The bedrock kind of country music so much afterwards is built on; the kind of country music you think of when you think "traditional country music." And it's all about the story-telling — and I don't know if the stories here are really any more or less interesting than the ones I've heard on other country albums, but whatever the reason, I got pulled into this one way more. And, like, I'm not sure if I can even go into any more detail than that. It's just really good playing and singing, relaying good stories that are easy to follow along with. (And if there's anything **I** need, it's stories that are easy to follow, goodness.) I can give it a 5, easy. Maybe I'll look back and think I'm too generous, but, hey, all the last few traditional country albums my group got could give me were "good beer on the porch songs." I'm happy to get anything with a little more depth to it than that. And, hey, if the "Big Iron" memes helped introduce people to this music, then I can hardly be too mad at it, now can I? (Especially since I never even heard any. Goodness, my occasional inclination to dislike popular things, I swear...)

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Dec 13 2024
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5

I’m at a 5. It’s just great storytelling, man. Every track here just nails it. I know I harp on “old country” a lot, but this goes a bit beyond that – this is a fabulous showcase of music as a device for pure storytelling. I think sometimes it’s very easy to get caught up in neat instrumentation, melodies or vocals, and I’m as guilty of that as anyone, but this is just pure storytelling. Yes, his vocals are great throughout this album, and his higher registers are stunningly emphatic, but what makes this album work is in the simplicity of it all. Most of these have really easy vocal patterns in the verses & choruses, really basic instrumentation in the guitar, and all the strength is laid out in the lyrics, which have more of a poetic scheme to them. It’s very easy to follow along to, and it is a reminder that music, as an art form, was originally made for stuff that sounds like this, at its very core, because it was made to be easily digestible, teachable, and shared to the masses. I really liked it – it just clicked wonderfully for me, and it does make me sort of yearn for music to be this “simple” again. OK, well, maybe not this simple, but I’d love to be able to just sing a song without having to feel like I need to hit a whistle note like Mariah Carey or anything. It is pure country music, plain and simple, and it should be up there within the standards of the genre itself. That’s just how you do it; easy 5.

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Dec 08 2024
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5

Could be the whole soundtrack o Fallout New Vegas

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Dec 05 2024
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5

Clean, well produced and sparse. There are just a few instruments and you make out each instrument and they never trample over the vocals. The songs tell stories and if you listen you can imagine what's going on as the vocalist weaves his tale. A C&W masterpiece.

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Dec 02 2024
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5

... but my felinas shoot me with 12 gauge rounds

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Nov 19 2024
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5

This album is ICONIC. It is basically the epitome of western country music. Marty Robbins was a master of story-telling, and his voice fits cowboy ballads perfectly. As someone who grew up in the "west" this album makes me nostalgic for an era that Marty didn't even experience. I don't know what magic was put into this album, but it deserves its spot in the annals of history. Best Songs: Big Iron, Billy The Kid, El Paso, Saddle Tramp Worst Songs: NA

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Nov 13 2024
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5

A cool record filled with descriptive, scenic, and catchy country songs. Prior to hearing this record, the only song I knew by Marty Robbins was Big Iron; But I’m learning that even outside of that track, Robbins has knack for storytelling through his music and seems to do it through relative ease. And I love the artistry displayed in the guitars. Those and the singing accompaniment compliment Robbins’ singing so well. Definitely a great find to have on this list and is very unique compared to what I’ve heard so far. Favorite track: They’re Hanging Me Tonight

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Nov 12 2024
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5

11/11/24 A brilliant album and each song tells its own story.

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Nov 12 2024
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5

Omg so fun! The lyrics tell like dreamy story of the west full of gunsligers and outlaws... Immediadly starting with Big Iron put the expectations high, a few songs were kinda repetitive but still good. I think only thing is like this music is for certain kind of feeling but you could argue that all music is Quality also great, Marty sings kinda well?? Am i crazy for saying that?

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Nov 12 2024
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5

One of my favorite country singers. This album is truly phenomenal. Hard to even pick a favorite, when most of the album was truly amazing.

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Nov 11 2024
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5

The man with the big iron on his hip featured on this album. I didn't know it was so legendary, but it was a great listen.

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Nov 09 2024
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5

Loved it. Knew Big Iron from Fallout: New Vegas. Just love this kind of music, and Marty Robbins is an amazing singer. The large group version of E Paso was the cherry on top. Standouts: Big Iron, They’re Hanging Me Tonight, Cool Water, The Strawberry Roan, The Master’s Call, The Hanging Tree, and El Paso.

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Oct 28 2024
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5

To me this is proper music. Stories well told set to great melodies. El Paso is a song so good the Dead played it over 400 times and Breaking Bad based their entire final episode on it. To top it all off Marty Robbins became a NASCAR driver. What a life. Hard to fault 4.75/5

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Oct 26 2024
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5

The 50s really loved their Westerns. This album is full of outlaw tales and it's honestly great. Marty Robbins is an awesome story teller. Big Iron is such a cool opener, with a tale of Texas Red vs the Ranger. A lot of the album is similar, but Marty's voice is compelling enough to drive the album for it's whole length. Other standout is obviously El Paso, but I also liked The Master's Call and The Hanging Tree. Would definitely listen again if driving through any dusty old towns.

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Oct 25 2024
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5

Marty Robbins, one of the coolest crooning cowboys in classic country. This album is just wonderful. Big Iron is a song so good that it may be more popular now than it was when the album came out 65 years ago, if that’s not evidence of its excellence, then I’m not sure what is. This record is such a great mixture of uptempo cowboy tunes, deeply depressing western ballads, Spanish guitar, and incredible vocal melodies and harmonies. Easy 5 stars.

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Oct 25 2024
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5

Does what it says on the box, and does it better than anyone. Just a delightful collection of tunes regaling you with stories of a bygone west. Marty Robbins has a beautiful voice. What’s not to love?

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Oct 22 2024
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5

Can country sound like this again, please?

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Oct 20 2024
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5

He’s got a formula for sure. And it seems a little anachronistic since most of the cowboy fandom had been out style for a couple years, but I have to admit, this guy knows how to lay this down. I’ll return to this often.

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Oct 18 2024
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5

I loved this. Adding it to my Spotify library right now. Great stories, perfect tempo, heartfelt singing. Flawless. This guy loves a valley!

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Oct 12 2024
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5

This may not be everyone’s jam in 2024, but I think it’s an amazing country album. Everyone hopefully knows El Paso, and it’s great, but all of these songs are expertly sand by Robbins and each contain an interesting, often thrilling story. It’s not something I’ll listen to every day, but I don’t think you can make a better western outlaw country album than this. El Paso and Big Iron are the highlights.

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Oct 08 2024
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5

A true classic. The listener is immediately transported to a bygone era of classic cowboy heroes who go out into the Wild West with nothing but a six-shooter and a hunger for adventure.

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Oct 04 2024
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5

Late October 3rd, 2024 HL: “Big Iron”, “El Paso”, “Cool Water”, “The Master’s Call”, “Utah Carol”, “In the Valley” If not the finest country album I’ve heard on this list, definitely in the top 5 Shoutout to “Billy the Kid” & its flipping between A major and A minor

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Oct 04 2024
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5

very good, I knew some of these songs

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Oct 03 2024
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5

Easily the greatest country album ever made. The storytelling is unreal, Robbins truly paints the picture in your head clear as day. I don't think many other albums come close to how strong this one is. It's unimaginable that a song like "Big Iron" is arguably the "weakest" on this album. As there's no way anybody could top that perfection. But Marty Robbins does. Each time I listen to this record a different song stands out to me and becomes my new favorite (for this listen it's "The Strawberry Roan"). There isn't enough good things to say about this album, it's iconic in every single way and has stood the test of time by still being quite popular today.

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