Reviews (page 10 of 13)
Not into Country but could appreciate the quality.
It serves as a testament on what people was living in a very specific setting of living. Not my cup of tea but very rich in culture and poertry.
For an album thats main theme is an old western movie—this album was surprisingly timeless. Partly because of how well done the production is, and party because I was surprised to find that Cool Water wasn’t originally sung by Buster Scruggs (I should have known Delmar wasn’t completely original). I enjoy concept albums even if they are from a genre I don’t frequent, so I do enjoy the pure storytelling from Marty in this one, but I’m not sure if it will be in the top of my favorites. Maybe more time will tell.
Cowboy gansta. You wouldn’t know it by his voice, which is pretty solid, but that is one bad dude. Pretty great storytelling and actually catchy.
Really liked some of these
Perfecto si tienes un caballo
Mart robbins man what a story teller. This is old school country at its best. Simple rhythms catchy tunes and great lyrics. Marty has a great voice for singing while informing the listener. Thanks to breaking bad, El Paso got many listens. All in all it’s very solid good country. 7.0/10
This was such a fun album. I would totally listen to this again.
this was more fun than i expected to have. could i write poetry to this? n
Some really great songs on here, though I feel like it sagged in the middle a little bit. Probably more like a 3.5.
I was afraid each song was going to sound exactly the same, but that's definitely not the case. Fun listen!
Fine
It was fine. El Paso played twice. I guess one is a radio edit. I love his voice, but had a hard time caring about it 44 minutes straight
Old timey tunes which was fun. The story-telling of the songs was fun too. Awesome to hear the original versions of El Paso which I’ve know for decades as covered by the Grateful Dead. But not something I’d go back and listen to again.
Easy country listening.
Easy listening country music.
Recorded in one eight hour session, this is an impressive range of storytelling songs, backed by some incredible vocal harmonies. It’s an idealistic view of the Ol’ West with tales of cattle, land ownership (!) travelling, lonesomeness and love backed by acoustic and Spanish infused guitars. It does recall an idealistic view of the time which does seem less than authentic when now know the USA to be a murderous entity ala Jack Palance in the movie ‘Shane’ (props to Bill Hicks)
fora jer prica pricu, ali nije moj stil muzike pa meh
ugodno za poslusat, ali nije bas moj đir, mozda eventualno za radit da me ne distraktira puno.
A mogla bi čak i 4 dat ali ajde nije skroz moj đir pa kao, inače mi se stvarno jako svidio vibe, može country bit i jako lijep!
Der Anfang hörte sich nett an, leider war die Digitalisierung sehr schlecht. Deshalb habe ich das Album nicht angehört
Listening in on my father.
Really liked the music
Gets me in a specific mood. Can see how they inspired modern country and western music. Fav song They're hanging me tonight
Country from 1959 - unsure about this… it’s not terrible but country isn’t really my thing. Low 3.
Made me feel like I was in a western. Great story telling 👏
Basically, everyone dies. Not a fan ha. Big iron was good though.
Tough listen. Got into it and wanted to shoot someone in el paso by the end
Liked this way more than I expected. The songs are simple and catchy, but not very unique.
Je préfère Marlène Jobert.
3.4 El Paso is a harder karaoke song than you would think
Ok, best wat leuke nummers, maar wel veel van hetzelfde en niet echt mijn ding.
fav song: the iron
Good country music
I much prefer this style of country music
Surprisingly difficult to rate. Very nearly have it 4. Have really enjoyed it. Very catchy and enjoyable to listen to
I figured this was going to be a chore and I had my 1-star review written in my head before I even found a copy of this album to play that was reasonably close to the original running order. But it was actually pretty good and I very much enjoyed the stories. Musically it wasn't anything special, but I enjoyed it enough for 3 stars.
12/15/23. Some classic country right here, almost as if Elvis was singing country songs. All the songs feel timeless and with the limited country I've listened to, it seems like many artists draw from this.
Highly listenable with a few standouts like Big Iron and The Hanging Tree.
Best cowboy music I've ever heard.
Good country songs! The songs tell good stories, that really take you back to that scenery of the Wild West. It reminds me a lot of Johnny Cash And the harmonisation in the songs is fantastic! 7,5 out of 10
Objectively the only song I would choose to put on is Big Iron but it's pretty fun overall.
not my vibe but cool
Not my style
Somewhat niche.
Favorite Songs: Big Iron Billy the kid El Paso The little green valley A solid country album like you would imagine a classic country tune. It's all about the cowboy life and your good old gun. And love of course.
A good album with two classics, but it's all cowboy songs. All of it. I'd rather just listen to El Paso on repeat
It did sound a bit stereotypical, probably as it became a template for other artists but it was good.
"They'll bury Flo tomorrow, but they're hanging me tonight" I remember having listened to "Big Iron" for the first time a while back, and I had that song on repeat for the rest of the day. Because of that, I was looking forward to hearing anything else this album had to offer. In terms of catchiness, "Big Iron" has the rest beat, and I love the storytelling behind it, as well as the repeated phrases "1 and 19 more," "Big Iron on his hip," etc. (playlist track). I wasn't particularly a huge fan of the rest of the songs mostly due to the style, but as a 1959's record goes, this is as good as it gets for me. After reading through the lyrics, especially on "Running gun," I realized a running theme between a couple of the songs off this record. I initially thought "running gun" was the reverse POV of "Big Iron," both the outlaws have 20 notches on their pistols, and get shot before their gun leaves the leather, with onlookers watching their death. However there are some differences with who shoots them (Bounty hunter vs. Arizona ranger, and Agua Fria vs. Amarillo). Both these songs tell a similar story to that in "Billy the Kid" where he has 21 notches on his pistol, and is shot by a sheriff, maybe has something to do with a divine similarity in the deaths of those who live the outlaw life, like it says in Running gun, "And I knew that where I lie today, he too must lie some day." Cool record with a good underlying theme of cowboys and outlaws in the old west. 3/5
Not something I'd normally listen to, but I actually enjoyed it once I got into it. I love me some Marlon Williams, and Marty Robbins vocals were similar so it might be something I revisit at some point. Mainly I enjoyed this album because I put it on while my 12 yo was trying to go to sleep next to me after getting very freaked out after sneakily watching a horror movie she wasn't supposed to at a sleepover - helped distract her enough to get off to sleep, so thanks for that Marty! Fave track: Saddle Tramp
Always loved El Paso!
Definitely not my kind of music; however, the storytelling is great.
For its genre, this is a classic. I have actually surprisingly heard this album once before and several of the songs I've heard numerously. There was a time when I was questing for this cool Western sound a la Nancy Sinatra 'Bang Bang'..
Started hot with Big Iron and unfortunately none of the subsequent tracks lived up to it. All the songs about guns, killing people, and women strangely made me think about gangsta rap. Like why does society glorify the “olden days of yonder year” and vilify 50 Cent. Marty pines about fighting over women, singing as if they are possessions to be won. He may say it more respectfully, but how is that much different than rapping about b*tches and h*es. And his characters are riding around shooting everyone…bravely it is portrayed. Sounds like a 2Pac track to me. I bring this up not to judge Marty because I wasn’t around in 1959, but rather it is an interesting parallel that kept making more sense the more I thought about it.
Fun album
Ja wel een heerlijk begin, daarna wat cheesy zoals we al zeiden
For the cowboys, my grandma would approve.
This is like stepping directly into a high-stakes, Technicolor Western. Marty Robbins’ voice is absolute gold, smooth as a crooner, but with a persistent, underlying grit that makes these stories of outlaws and frontier justice feel incredibly visceral. From the iconic, quick-draw tension of "Big Iron" to the sweeping, tragic romance of "El Paso", the album masters the art of cinematic storytelling.
Solid
Solid ballads about... Guns and shooting. 3/5
Very nostalgic album for an old guy like me. My older brother had this album when I was a kid. I really liked the clean, rich, full sound for such an old album. Marty has a great voice and told a story well.
6/10 Fave song: "Running Gun" listening to a 50s country/western album about the wild west in 2023 makes for a gordian knot of (self-)mythologizing and stereotyping so i'm not even going to try to unpack the lyrics or place in culture. robbins has an amazing voice and the backing music was varied enough to keep things from getting too stale
Sounds like a soundtrack for a western movie. Somehow I like these songs.
It amazes me sometimes that this was actually a thing back in the late 1950s. Or rather, still a thing. A country artist who dedicated an entire album to songs about gunfighter ballads and trail songs. What a strange world it was back in the post WWII era. This was fine, almost like listening to what Quentin Tarantino would have had on the record player at the age of 5.
Rating: 7/10 Great singing, great storytelling, and overall very good writing. Really enjoyed this album, also has very good production and mixing. The album is very one-note though, it does not need to be 15 tracks long. Everything sounds very good and is done well but does not needs to be this long, still a very good album. Favorite tracks: Big Iron, El Paso. Worst song: Master's Call, sounds too much like Big Iron.
Not a bit fan of this genre but this held together well.
It was interesting to finally listen to this album in full. Like most people who've heard of Marty Robbins, we know Big Iron from the video game Fallout New Vegas, and also from the memes the song spawned. The rest of the album is a great listen, though country isn't my favourite genre. Still glad I gave it a chance though.
Not a country fan but this was OK. Lots of old cowboy songs on here. Have to be in the right mood but wouldn't complain if someone threw this on at a dive bar.
Exactly what the label says. Twangy cowboy songs.
It's cool how each song is its own story, but it is a lot of words lol I enjoy listening to these songs but they do start to blend into each other as you get further into the record. It's a lot of fun though!
This is not my favorite genre of music but I still enjoyed this album, although it did get a little samey for me at times. I did not know that this is where El Paso from breaking bad was from so that was fun.
Every song is about some kind of conflict. Outlaws. Guns. Cattle. Saddles. Way out west. It’s all here. I’m just kind of digging it and HOLD UP THE MASTERS CALL! Jesus makes an appearance holy cattle stampede Marty. Calm the fuck down. However not a note out of place. Iconic vocal sound. Strumming acoustics. Lots of backgrounds and echo. Far west on the country western spectrum.
My grandpa probably liked this. Songs that tell stories. Would need to be in the right mood to listen
Classic
This may be a 3, but it’s a fun 3.
I liked this. It was interesting to listen to this type of music. I liked the story-telling nature. It reminded me of hawaiian music.
Not bad for an album so old. Not my usual bag but it was alright
I like this. It's very nice, well sung, nice tales, gentle guitars. What a silky voice! I like all the "oooOOoo" backup vocals too. 3.5 rounded down
One of the things that's always bothered me about this album is the album cover. Why does he look like a low-polygon PlayStation 1 model? He's got the jagged edges and everything. I genuinely wonder if people in 1959 took these songs seriously. Did they clutch their pearls and say "Oh my. Oh good heavens." as Marty Robbins sang about getting attacked by tumbleweed or some shit. It's really hard to separate these songs from the memes today, which brings a different, unintended angle of enjoyment to this album. One of the few times I stayed for the bonus tracks. 3/5
saddle tramp. 3/5. -S saddle tramp!!! 4/5 -A
Was ok
Good collection of western/country songs.
My grandparents loved Marty! Me not so much although El Paso will definitely stay in your head for a long time after listening.
These all are classic. I love the vocals and harmonies. They feel old and homely. A bit simple. I like more complex tunes but these are fun to listen to. I imagine listening to a barbershop quartet out on the range.
"Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs" - hmmmmmm, wonder if this is going to be a country influenced album
Classic Farm Emo™ band. Knew Big Iron from Fallout NV! And El Paso! Classic song about tacos. Otherwise, a lot of the same. Didn't love it, but didn't hate.
Didn’t hate it as much as I thought
Decent but like most 50s music it gets pretty samey listening to a whole album
I know this is popular due Big Iron being included in a video game and becoming a meme out there in hipster land. In term of the album itself there's a heavy reliance on storytelling so it's less about the music and more on the tales of the West and so on. It's more an oddity and of course there's El Paso.....
Marty a décidé de postuler pour le prix de l'artiste le plus ringardos du générateur et sa candidature va sans doute être sérieusement considérée.
Notre ami Marty Robbins nous a proposé l'une des pochettes les plus incroyables de ces 60 dernières années, grâce à ce superbe personnage de jeu vidéo représentant parfaitement le cliché country. Merci pour ça Robby.
3/5 I went into this half expecting to know the songs just because it's what I was raised on. It was decent and I do enjoy ballads but not my kind of thing. I think that was the oldest album we have had, maybe, and because of that it was kinda dated.
This wasn't as unpleasant as I was imagining. Nothing that overly stood out for me but overall a nice enough album. Nice to get one this old too!
Big Iron, A Hundred Sixty Acres, The Master’s Call, Running Gun, El Paso. Call ME Big Country. I enjoyed this. 7/10
🤠🤠🤠 3.5 out of 5 huge irons
favs - big iron - they're hanging me tonight (a bit slow tho) - the master's call - saddle tramp some songs are actually fine but abit boring cus theyre just the same rhythm all the way
Considering it's a country album from the 1950s, I did enjoy this more than I thought I might. Some fun storytelling
I can see how this album could be nostalgic for some but it's my first time listening to it and I just don't really see myself listening to it a lot. The singer has a nice voice though.
Country clásico con buena voz. Para los amantes del género
Good cowboy music
Classic country. Easy listening.
Did not expect to quite enjoy this, but I found it strangely refreshing (for a 60-odd year old record of the most tried and tested genre!). Tells a good story too. All feels very laid back despite the topics of the songs. Does get a bit samey but feeling like a cowboy for 44mins makes up for it
It's hard to rate this properly, it's so heavily themed it's like a Christmas album or Disney soundtrack. Can't deny it nailed the brief. I enjoyed it for what it is, think the first song was the best, had a bit more edge than the rest which varied from pleasant to hilarious. I would listen to again at a Texan themed restaurant or theme park attraction but probably not in general life.
A lot of the songs sound quite similar so the whole album kind of blended into one. I wouldn't listen to it again but I'm glad it was on the list, it's something I wouldn't have sought out. Highlights: Big Iron El Paso
Quite enjoyed this. Was getting a bit tired of it by the end as it's all very samey, but overall enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Also big iron is absolutely banging, gets stuck in my head every time I hear it and makes me want to play fallout again
On the one hand, it's a cool cover, I like his voice, the storytelling, the harmonies, and subtle arrangements. On the other hand, I can't help wondering if this is the sort of thing that has fed into and built up the US gun-culture over the years?
It’s classic but dated. 3.5
Great story telling in this one, although not quite my taste. Still enjoyed some easy listening though
very interesting musicm knew big iron and most of the songs are like that. i enjoy the guitar a lot but the lyrics and harmonic got a bit repetetive.
coooool waterrr.. ... mmmm.....
I’m not sure if Marty Robbins had lived the life of a cowboy or not but he sure knows how to sing a good tune about trials and tribulations of the Wild West. Where’s my horse at? 3 stars
Knew the great track Big Iron previously. Although I like the heart on your sleeve seriousness of the songs and the storytelling , it gets a bit weary after a while. Kind of miss some humour in between, the way Johnny Cash did great.
Classic folk style. Interesting listen, but not my thing.
It said it was going to be gunfighter ballads and then that's what it was. Some fun songs but they're all kinda gimmicky.
Better than expected.
Growing up, I would hear my dad play "El Paso". I like it. My dad loves old westerns, so I can sort of relate to the songs. And given when this album came out, old westerns were at least somewhat still in vogue. I don't love the album, and I don't plan on listening again, but a lot of that is simply that it's aged and music has moved on. (Whereas I still love Lead Belly, so it's not all about age, but this album has not aged as well.) 3 stars because, for it's time, it was pretty good.
совсем романтичное ковбойство, не для меня
Definitely catchy and his voice is steady, just not the biggest fan of country. although I prefer this to the bro country that's popular these days
Brilliant storytelling and super enjoyable from the get go.
Really solid. I tried to do justice for this album and give it the respect it deserves as someone who has never really listened to that old country music. The lyrical content is really cool - I love the narratives. Where the album stumbles a bit for me is in its repetitiveness - I do feel like there's not too much variety in chord structures or overall sound. Really really good at what it does though.
Märkligt val av platta men samtidigt bättre än mycket av det jag tidigare har lyssnat på. Det blir en trea.
Heh, it's ok. Giving of gamer and Elvis Presley vibes
Not my type of music at all but decent album for sure.
En massa komprimerade västernfilmer efter varandra. Väl utfört och underhållande.
Jaunty tales of tragedies.
there is nothing that makes a man jaunt so much as the knowledge he shall be hanged in the morning
Had already heard \"Big Iron\"
it wasnt really my thing but there were still a couple good songs that i would consider adding to my playlis. fell asleep listening. not bad, not the best either
I mean, it's fine. Has it's place. Wasn't in the mood for it today. But I've been watching a lot of Yellowstone and drinking whiskey lately so it all makes sense.
Western bangers.
Great voice, very appealing vibrato, samey track to track and only good in small bursts imo.
solid country sound. Better than I thought.
Traditional cowboy stuff, but the best of its type.
Old school country. Kinda fun, but a bit hokey
This was a really fun album, not at all what I expected. Fav tracks: …Big Iron, They’re Hanging Me Tonight, Utah Carol Least fav tracks: The Strawberry Roan, Saddle Tramp
It seems like this is the definitive example of a specific genre/type of music, so definitely agree on its inclusion on this list. It's pretty great, but such a specific vibe and mood.
My man is out here killing everyone. I knew Big Iron already, but this album was about what I expected. It was alright. If you know what one song off of this album sounds like, you can probably guess what everything else sounds like. Still, it's decent. My favourite song was Big Iron.
Mooie albumhoes! Verder blijft hij erg bij zijn leest qua thematiek: veel pistolen en outlaws.
Not my thing
Nice and entertaining
Big Iron: 4/5 Cool Water: 3/5 Billy the Kid: 2,5/5 A Hundred and Sixty Acres: 2,5/5 They're Hanging Me Tonight: 2,5/5 The Strawberry Roan: 2,5/5 El Paso: 3/5 In the Valley: 2,5/5 The Master's Call: 2,5/5 Running Gun: 2,5/5 The Little Green Valley: 2,5/5 Utah Carol: 2,5/5 Totaal: 2,7/5
liked songs: big iron they're hanging me tonight the master's call in the valley little green valley
Country. Un poco aburrido.
Not my cup of tea but I understand its cultural importance.
I don't love Marty Robbins' delivery - his voice is a little too polished or something for me. But damn, there are some amazing story songs here.
Love the Mexican influence! Vintage quality, the tunes are very similar but the stories r great
Very nice Standouts: El Paso, Big Iron Others: Cool Water 3.5
America anni 50-60
It's kind of like the original gangsta rap, isn't it? I especially like the song Big Iron, about the mysterious laundry boy who comes to town with a big iron on his hip and starts ironing people's clothing, and then the town laundry boy challenges the new guy to an iron-off. (I may have misinterpreted some of the lyrics, but I think that's basically it.) Overall, this is of course dated but I like a good story song. 3 stars.
I really love this album. Freaking Big Iron is a classic. Still just a 3 tho.
Ok, tipo Country western vediamo. un po' di Elvis. Beh che dire
Nothing that really stands out as amazing, but equally nothing to hate, I did really appreciate the storytelling though, that's not something you see in music a lot anymore. Bonus points for how nostalgic it made me because my grandpa absolutely loved old country western music. Best tracks: Big Iron, They're Hanging Me Tonight, Billy the Kid, El Paso
Eka olin et jiihaa, sit olin että vähän alkaa toistamaan itteään, mut lopuks taas sytyin. Taidemuoto sinällään, mutta näin pitkän levyn tekeminen on kyllä haastavaa…
Good storytelling and a well made country record. As promised there are a lot of songs about shooting people. I enjoyed but I didn’t hear anything specific to this record to make me want to come back to it.
What a story teller. Also his voice is cool. However, I didn’t fall in love with any song and I don’t need to hear it again.
Not bad at all
Pretty good listen
Love this sort of thing - the sort of stuff that your favourite rock artists reference as their inspiration
Typical for country of that time, nothing special. There’s a reason people like Jennings and Nelson took the country world by storm in the 70’s.
Ekki laust við sinn sjarma þótt manni þyki kúrekar etv. svolítið hallærislegir.
The real cowboy shit. They just don't make country music like this anymore, at all. i'm not much a fan of country music but this was definitely among the best of that genre. Every single song is a story. Which is somewhat exhausing, like bingeing a whole 15-episode season of an anthology TV series. Nearly every song is 3 minutes or less, but feels like several minutes because they're so lyrically dense.
It was good to listen to a classic country artist i didn't grow up with. Enjoyed some of the tunes
it’s cool and has some poetry but it’s too mannered to really move me
Yeehaw
Wouldn't have been my cup of tea but nice album. Great if you are riding a horse through US or something...I dunno. I liked El Paso.
3 No way, they made the Fallout song into a full album?? An enjoyable listen front-to-back that didn't outstay its welcome, though I do think all songs pale in comparison to Big Iron, which is by far the standout. They start running together shortly into the album, but distinct or not, each song does a great job of creating ambience, so I didn't mind too much. Also, if you're able to focus in on the lyrics, there's a lot of fun storytelling going on. There's nothing bad here, and as a whole I find the album niche enough to scratch an old-timey Country Western itch I didn't know I had. Makes me want to play Fallout or a cowboy game like Red Dead. Favorite songs: Big Iron, The Master's Call, The Hanging Tree Also, if you haven't heard it, Mike Ness of Social Distortion has a solid rockabilly cover of Big Iron - would recommend giving it a listen.
En ole suuri western diggari mutta genressään tämä toimi ihan hienosti. 3/5
I've heard, and like, a lot of these songs. But this style is a bit too much for a full album.
Country. Folk gringo. La 2da mitad >>>>> la primera mitad.
Kill bill
Couple of the songs on here were brutal! Was a long album of similar sounding songs but defo some stand outs, they’re hanging me tonight and the hanging tree I really enjoyed.
Wasn’t expecting an album like this to be on the list, but I liked it. For sure not one of the greatest but there have been far worse. It’s a fun album with the western style and his way of storytelling is just great. Nothing special but just fun to listen to.
I knew one of these songs from the Breaking Bad soundtrack. I enjoyed but as a novelty only.
Country folk homenatjant el Wild West, a mans d'un bon coneixedor del tema. Autenticitat, honestedat i cançons que arriben a l'ànima, directament des de la veu i lletres de Robbins
Not at all bad, some easy listening tracks
3/5 Best song: Big Iron
3/5 Naja okay
Nothing ground breaking but great mood music if you're in a depressed cowboy or a epic western mood. (3.5)
The black gunfighter figure against the red background is top notch. I was surprised to recognize a song, El Paso. Can't fault the voice. But still.
I wasn't able to listen to this album in its entirety, just a matter of a busy day, not a statement about the music. It's interesting, listening to older albums and hearing things that sound so cliché — in terms of songwriting and production — while recognizing that this was probably pretty novel at the time of the release. Hard to put myself in that place and hear it as new. That said, I was surprised to recognize at least one song ("Cool Water," from "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs") and found this to be a pleasant listen. Not expecting I'll be pulling this album out to spin just for enjoyment, but who knows? Robbins has a great range and tone as a vocalist, and there's something soothing about this music, even if it is about outlaws and gunslingers and the dusty trail.
Country. Ni fu ni fa.
Archetypal Western music, beautifully done
Perfect voor een rustig ochtendje. Big Iron is top.
Surprisingly enjoyable listen. Engaging storytelling, beautiful vocals. Marty Robbins goes for a very specific mood/vibe here, and he commits to it admirably. If you don't really love this kind of music, it can get a bit tedious in the middle. That said, "El Paso" is a really gorgeous song, a true classic of the genre. Fave Songs: El Paso, In the Valley, They're Hanging Me Tonight, Big Iron
Enjoyed this way more than I expected, solid 3.5, but can't justify giving it 4 stars over 3.
BIG IRON ON HIS HIP. Such a tune. Some fantastic storytelling throughout this album. Not every tracks a banger and it could do with some tracklist editing but great album overall.
Definitely not among the worst country I've heard. But also very far from the best I've heard. Quite OK and El Paso is a nice track.
Campy classic!
Decent early honky tonk Country music. Nice to hear once but doesn't leave a lasting impression
Big Iron fucks
I can see how this might make the cut for being culturally significant in the way that an album of sea shanties might be but I thought it was a strange choice. Having said that I appreciated the history of it and even recognised at least one track. It wasn’t awful by any means so a generous 3*
Though most of these songs sound the same, I enjoyed hearing the sappy stories. Every song sounds like it was played while mounted on the back of a loping horse. I love these old cowboy folk tunes.
Started strong and faded. Glad this is being preserved, but I was excited for old western ballads, and left a tad disappointed.
Big Iron was the standout track to me. It was interesting listening to this after Kid Rock. Definitely would like to revisit this.
I mean.. western songs I guess.
This is the kind of country I like. Marty has a lovely baritone voice - not twangy. Not much variety in arrangement. You can tell the emphasis is much more on storytelling. Standout tracks for me were "They're Hanging Me Tonight" and "El Paso". I'll be interested in listening to this more in depth later.
Very good story telling and wow everyone really dies in the end huh
Didn't mind this too much, but it was a bit boring at times.
It's a fun album. I wish I was the gunslinger on the album cover. What a man. It was more diverse than I predicted it to be. It's got some nice vocal harmonies and some fun chromatic guitar playing! There's something about American folk music that attracts me at a deep level; it's the depictions of the west, the stories about outlaws, the way that they sing about love in a vastly different era but it surprisingly isn't really that different from modern day love songs. I love it. Overall I liked the album, and I think a record like this deserves a place on this list.
Western music is often fun as it generally tells quite a straightforward story. A bit different. I admire a lot about this music, harmonies and story telling but it does tire doesn't it... Christ there were just about 5 too many songs on this album. But that's quite a small reason to slag it off
Yeeehaaaaar cowboy. Enjoyed this. Got a bit samey but it was good fun
BIG IRON ON HIS HIP
I think I remember reading a review for a Little Richard album, saying that it was unfair to judge the album since Little Richard existed before the concept of an "album artist" was established. I feel the same for this. The songs were looking to fill a niche and weren't designed to be listened to back-to-back like this. If I were judging it that way, I'd say the songs get a bit repetitive (he mentions "20 notches in a pistol" in three songs I can remember), but he has a wonderful voice and paints a vivid picture. Favorite tracks: "Big Iron", "Saddle Tramp"
Mighty damn white.
lite småmysigt men inget som får mig att gå så att säg
It’s an accurate album title - old school country campfire narratives about life in the badlands.
see you, space cowboy
Calm western music, delivered by a pleasant voice of Marty Robbins and a splendid guitar. Definitely felt the vibe of the western trail. Had some fun listening to it, but I don't feel the need to return to it for some time. Highlight: El Paso
I started off enjoying this album because the songs are so catchy and he has a great voice but after 5-6 songs it started to feel like the same song over and over again. Like you could have taken the lyrics from any song from this album and swapped them with any other song from this album and it would have sounded totally normal.
This is a little hokey, but I liked it anyway. Reminds me of songs during the credits of old B/W western movies. It's very well recorded for the time (or maybe it's been completely remastered). Another half-star problem for me. Would like to give it 3.5.
Mooie zwoele country
Mmmmmmmmmm. No sé. Me puso nerviosa por momentos.
I like outlaw country but this was a little toooo old school for me
Marty paired perfectly with Sunday brunch this morning. Thought I’d be disappointed but I liked the storytelling. It was a rootin’ tootin’ good time!
I wasn’t sure what to expect but I liked it, very pleasant. Made me want to read a Western. I liked the simplicity yet the vocals have more range than a Frank Sinatra and the lyrics tell great stories. Musically decent. I’ll likely listen again.
Expected to hate this, in fact I quite liked it. A fun mellow album.
Good voice but not something I'd listen to much.
Det helt gamle blues rock, 50’er, country vibes, simpelt og ganske godt
Cowboy shit.
Yeehaw 🤠
Love the stories. Usually hate country, but this was more western!
Fallout new vegas classic but only a few takeaways
Great western classics…. Big fan
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. However I’m not going to buy the album to add to my collection because of the topics, killing and death.
When I saw the cover I feared the worst, but I actually thought this was pretty good! Catchy songs, and though the music was very samey, the stories kept coming. Yeehaw
Enjoyed this one! Marty's voice is excellent and there are so many amazing harmonies throughout with the backing singers, and some excellent little guitar licks that add so much to the songs I felt the songs did start to get a bit samey after a while, and the ones that were just Marty on his own didn't click with me as much, but on the whole it was a great vibe.
Well, better than I thought. Like Nick Cave's Murder Ballads, but country style. Yee Ha!
Liked it! Great collection of country ballads
Never Heard beford, probably never Heard again.
Buen disco
Прослушивание 1 + размышления: 1 Это кантри? Эм.... не люблю такое. Но мало ли удивит. Но звучит это интересно, и даже не отвратно. 2 Кантри- музыка для добряков. Бывает вообще злое кантри?) Песня- добрый отрывок на 1.5 минуты. 3 Очень жалко, что я не носитель английского языка (да я и русским не очень владею). Столько великих песен, а я не понимаю о чем они. Вот песня пробивает на слезу, но о чем она? Эх :( 4 А вода прохладная, или хорошая?) 5 Как красиво поёт этот мужик. Любит он протягивать гласные, это завораживает. 6 Это песня про друга, которого любил исполнитель, и который был как брат?) No Homo. Возможно я не понял про что песня, но будет кринжово, если я не так понял. 7 Мне только сейчас мысль пришла, а альбом не концептуальный случаем? Ааааа ненавижу языковой барьер- это ужасно. Я могу оценивать только звучание, а так как это кантри, тут нет ничего интересного.... 8 Снова ничего не понимаю, но песня вдохновляет. 9 Вот это веселуха. Что за шесть пушек у него? Six gone, six gone, ничего не выкупаю. 10 Вообще дикий запад с одной стороны ассоциируется с 2 клише: салун, перестрелки, а также кантри. Как такие 2 вещи пересекаются? Непонятно. 11 Ох... сейчас бы в stardew valley поиграть. Совет дня, не идите в 10 класс, потому что в 11 надо сдавать ЕГЭ. Лучше бы я в шарагу ушёл, чем остался бы тут учиться. 12 Сейчас бы за город, выращивать в огороде патисоны. Пожарить потом шашлыки, а затем, вечером играть в домино. Такое настроение мне передаёт песня. 13 Какая песня весёлая. Танцевать хочется. 14 Седло трампа, нет блин трон байдена. Вхахаххахаха 15 Что, уже конец? Очень увлекательный был альбом. А этот трек был вроде. Банжо похоже на балалайку по звуку) Прослушивание 2: это музыка не предназначена для фона. Вот едешь в автобусе, хочется спать, а тут такое, не поспишь. Пришёл домой, поел, лежишь и кайфуешь Вывод: альбом мне не зашёл, такой жанр я не люблю, добавил один трек, но альбом дал мне заряд положительных эмоций, поэтому моя оценка- 3 из 5, супер!
Old fashioned but so enjoyable! It took me back to watching Calamity Jane as a kid!
The 12 tracks on this album certainly sound like authentic "cowboy songs" in terms of there arrangements (Solo singer with a small choir of male harmonies, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass and mandolin). Indeed, 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." It's very much a lyrical and storytelling album, usually with a fatalistic ending for the protagonist. Is very much music of it's time, so it's hard to imagine this album gaining an audience from today's generation. Lacking any real variety, the album does get a bit samey and the laid back nature works for and against it. It's a shame there is nothing with excitement like 'Rawhide'. Stand out tracks: the two singles 'El Paso' and 'Big Iron'.
Decent shit vel gert og allt það en nenni ekki að hlusta eitthvað oft eða mikið á þetta no offense
Wtf Um this is fun Marty Robbins is officially an icon in my book
Guns blazing out, country and western songs seem to have taken a large part of the American musical consciousness in 1959. This was the year a sleazy and cynical Italian-American crooner such as Dean Martin reinvented himself as a cowboy hero in Howard Hawks' *Rio Bravo*, even managing to have the producers press 'pause' on the proceedings onscreen to have enough time for him and Ricky Nelson to wistfully duet on the unforgettable "My Rifle, My Pony And Me" in front of an elated John Wayne. Only a few years before this endearing musical interlude on film, Marty Robbins' well-rounded persona and clear, juvenile voice had already surged in the US country scene thanks to hits such as "A White Sport Coat" and "The Story Of My Life". But it was also in 1959 that Robbin's real foray into western balladry actually started for good. And for those willing to invest their hard-earned bucks into a collection of records dedicated to such a quaint-yet-charming subgenre, *Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs* is deemed as nothing shorter than a landmark album. (For more information on this crooning, conservative and cosplay take on "country music" taken as a whole, see also: Jim Reeves. Or at least, that's what online specialists are trying to whisper into my ears right now--even though I'm not a horse). Wikipedia even informs us that years after *Gunfighter Ballads*'s release, members of the Western Writers of America chose six of its songs as being among the Top 100 Western Songs of all time. Three of them were written by Robbins: first his signature song "El Paso", along with "Big Iron", and "The Master's Call". And three were written and previously recorded by others: "Cool Water", "Billy The Kid", and "The Strawberry Roan". Without a doubt, the six songs listed here were the highlights of the album, whether then or now. It's worth noting, however, that in that bunch, "Big Iron" is probably the least compelling track, and its relative fame in 2022 seems to have more to do with the online craze of our day and age than in any relevant influence during the late fifties. In 2010, with the release of Obsidian Entertainment's Fallout New Vegas, *Gunfighter Ballads...* was indeed rediscovered by people who played the game and listened to the in-game radio. The radio feature included "Big Iron," which caused players to seek out the entire album, discovering the other songs online. Many Internet memes were created as a result, with the most common of them being parodies and edits of the album cover, along with edits or mashups of "Big Iron". And this hot trail was then picked up by the Breaking Bad producers, choosing the song for an appearance in the finale of their postmodern spaghetti western. Seems like Hollywood is never really far when something is labelled as 'Western'. It's those dreams shot for wide cinemascope screens, never really burdened by any sense of authenticity. How could those dreams *not* be part of the overall package here? Coincidentally or not, such a sudden and inexplicable online craze as the one that befell "Big Iron" also nicely ties in with the Tik Tok success of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" ten years later or so. And even beyond the common country and western influence displayed in those two admittedly very different tunes, there's *another* interesting parallel to point out here. In both cases, what we have is a competent song fooling around with clichés inherent to the genre involved, which often has its charm if it's done in the appropriate, tongue-in-cheek manner, as is the case for both tracks. But can such immediate, albeit somewhat hollow success be equated to art having a truly *meaningful* discourse about our current culture? The jury's out on this one. My best guess here is that all those playful Hollywood shenanigans are just ephemeral excitement, nothing that would change any listener's life in the long run. Not to say that Marty Robbins or Lil Nas X didn't *deserve* to have their fair share of success. But this sort of overwhelming popularity shouldn't *necessarily* have any bearing on any retrospective critical assessment, mind you. And I'll point my pistol to anyone who says I should change my mind and speak more cautiously about all this. Understood, gringo? All oh-so-serious grumblings about the commodification of music aside (niche or otherwise), the six Robbins songs quoted earlier in this piece still have very clear assets, like trump cards in a poker game explaining why this album shouldn't be totally forgotten either. "The Master's Call", in particular, could remind modern listeners of Nick Cave's killer-rampage rants about outlaws and other low-life thugs swarming in his narrative pandemonium of beautiful losers and desperate psychos (it seems like Cave's aptly named *Murder Ballads* might even have drawn a little influence from Robbins, at least on the conceptual level). And among the three covers quoted up above, the cautionary tale "Billy The Kid" also stands out for sure. Flavored with peppers and hot chili sauce all around its Tex-Mex arrangements (just like in the sweeter, grander and yet more by-the-books "El Paso"), there's even a gripping quality to the rendition of that traditional tune in here, with its smart, bittersweet alternance of major and minor key chords neatly thought out, recorded and performed. The images evoked by such a technicolor-shot motion picture are thus nothing short of stunning. And you can't complain about the script either, even though you know how the story ends (spoiler alert: badly). As for most of the other unquoted songs, there's nothing in them particularly worth raving about on first listens. If you happen to be obsessed with them tales of the Old Wild West--or if you're right in the middle of a Red Dead Redemption marathon--you will probably find the time and energy to immerse yourself into that hackneyed Grand Canyon vista so as to sort the wheat from the chaff before stacking the good stuff up in your carriage and move on. Other pioneers, however, might elect to go at once and find a creek with fresher water elsewhere to plant their tipees or tents. The American west is large enough for all sorts of pioneers anyway. Interestingly, *Gunfighter Ballads...* is now part of Sony's "American Milestones" reissue series for classic country and western albums, including, among others, *At Folsom Prison* by Johnny Cash and *Red Headed Stranger* by Willie Nelson. "American milestones", those figures are indeed, mostly because Cash and Nelson knew a thing or two about how they could raise a vast array of emotions in their listeners' souls (laughter, anger, cynicism, despair, romanticism and so on...). And doing this, the two also had a legitimate influence on other genres far outside of their initial reach. Cash's mordant lyrics, deep rumbling vocals and dry instrumentation, in particular, still stands the test of time today. Next to these giants, Marty Robbins kinda looks like a midget holding a water pistol instead of the glittering, proverbial colt. And the Old Wild West is certainly not kind for simpering tenderfoots with a suave voice, as every free-lance undertaker (and music critic) this side of Colorado knows... [[Number of albums I listened to from the list: 4 Albums left to listen to: 997 Number of albums I've found genuinely relevant: 0 Number of different albums you should *probably* listen to before you die: 1 Number of different albums you should *definitely* listen to before you die: 3 (counting this one out)]
WITH A BIG IRON ON HIS HIP I liked it it was good.
You know, Cowboy Elvis, I actually enjoyed our trip in the Western Country. I love the vivid stories and the delicious cowboy rock flavor of it from the '50s. I guess I enjoyed this little album as a whole. Most dads and grandpas today would love this set of '50s pop-rock tunes. Simple and even generic, just like "the good old days". It has a generic overall sound. It gets boring after a while, not so different from the old cowboy movies the local movie channel sometimes shows. But it's the vivid stories that bring this album to life. Much like the stories our grandparents tell us, there's fun in experiencing the adventures that they went through during those days.
Solid old country. Does sound kind of same-y after a while, but El Paso is hard not to like.
Dudes pretending to be cowboys will never not be funny. Still an enjoyable listen.
Bang bang. A smooth listen as I cooked some Mexican food.
A real classic western crooner. I recall several of these songs from my childhood.
Interesting.
That's right, this is old songs, nice singer.
Seltsam wie unironisch ergriffen ich solch kitschige Räuberpistolen von heißen Eisen, Mexikanerinnen und Kristall klarem Wasser unter schattigen Weiden hören kann. Durstige 2.9
True 50s country & western, classic album. He loved El Paso so much he put it on there twice. Favorite Track: El Paso Relisten: Yes
it's not as bad as i was expecting but not something i'd go out of my way to listen to
New to me, though I recognised El Paso from the Old 97s version. Enjoyed this more than I expected, though over time it felt a bit samey and not sure I’d listen too often.
Good
Very of its time, you can hear all the influences of rock ‘n’ roll within some of these songs
Nice and jolly
Super cute gunslinger ballads - enjoyed lots more than I expected! Perfect campfire music, and love all the close harmonies. Fav new track: El Paso
Loved Big Iron, though I'm pretty sure I recognise this from a computer game. I also liked Master's Call and Hanging Tree a lot. The rest of the album doesn't have any tracks quite as standout, though it is a fun listen. I do enjoy having a story to listen to 👍
This is a lot more fun to listen to than I expected. I don't listen very often to country and Western music (I don't know what the difference is between those two categories, but I always see them listed as two discrete names, so I'll do the same), but I was somewhat familiar with one or two of these songs because I've heard covers. I like the sound of these tracks. Reminds of music we'll hear playing in the background of a film in which bad things eventually happen; e.g., music like this plays quietly over speakers in a roadside diner as two characters meet late at night to talk about some nefarious thing or we can tell one of them is going to kill the other later, stuff like that, or maybe it's playing on the soundtrack as an aural juxtaposition to someone getting their teeth kicked in. I also enjoy how wonderfully anachronistic yet deeply familiar this all sounded to me. Almost kind of steampunk-ish, you know? There's really nothing out there like this these days, or at least not that I've heard or encountered. I can hear, too, the roots of all sorts of music that followed in a wide variety of styles; that, of course, means this music reflects other earlier influences, and that's cool. I honestly thought this album would either bore or annoy me to know end, but it didn't. Nice. Oh, and is it okay to admit I kind of get a little misty-eyed at the end of "El Paso"? Of course it is.
Fun one. Although I would listen unironically
Fun to listen to, but couldn't imagine listening to this sort of music (this is called country, right?) for pleasure
Рррр
Country just isnt my cup of tea. The first song is pretty good though.
These songs are fun, I used to like the song El Paso more, but as I have listened to it more closely, the story is really simple and kind of stupid. A good album for what it is, a collection of westerns.
I like the slower number "They're hanging me tonight" but the rest is just okay to me.
I knew of El Paso, which is just ok. I also knew of Big Iron, which is quite nice albeit a little long. Overall beyond a couple of the songs I'm not too into it, but I respect it.
1959: Big Iron, They're Hanging Me Tonight
Classic country. There is not much to add to that. You like it or you don't. (6/10) Favourite Track: Big Iron
Songs blend together but they all sound pretty good. 7/10
Standard cowboy country story tellin… good to start with, but got a tad boring!
I liked it better than I’d expected to. Fun stories and he has a great voice.
Had some good tunes.
Skimmed through the songs and will have to go back and give the whole albumin a listen!
6/10. I do enjoy this music, but I can't take it seriously, and as an album, 45 minutes of it is a lot because it all sounds roughly identical. Now, there is the plus side that each song usually tells a fun little story. The Master's Call's lyrics almost feel like a parody, but I am pretty sure this is meant to be sincere: "My wicked past unfolded, I thought of wasted years / When another bolt of lightning killed a hundred head of steers" Or better yet: "I will weep like the willow that weeps in the valley"
Great old cowboy songs. Big Iron a staple of Fallout New Vegas, and Bob Weir covered El Paso at GratefulnDwad shows for decades. So much better than the crap Nashville pumps out onto your local robot-programmed radio station 90.3 THE BULL WE PLAY ALL THE HIIITTTSSS Y'ALL
Big Iron is a good song, but country doesnt seem to be my style
3/5
Fine
Gangster Rap for country grandpas. Great voice and melodies. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Liked Utah Carol. Made me think of Kingston Trio doing a western
Yee. Haw. He has a really nice voice, and the songs are fun but a) they're all the same, and b) it almost sounds like it”s mixing in doo-wop influences? It's so very, very 50’s and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I don’t hate it. I can’t hear “El Paso” without thinking of advertisements for taco kits. Favourite track: “The Master's Call”
Upbeat old time country. Easy listen
Amusing western style music. Not sure I'd actively choose to listen to it again though.
I liked El Paso and a few other classics
Not as boring as I thought it would be when I first saw that this was country - actually a fun vibe that I enjoyed listening to quite a lot.
The name of the album says it all. It was a fine album to listen while I play Fallout New Vegas. The first song is a banger.
My earliest memories are of cowboy songs, so I found this both soothing and sad, a relic of a bygone age when a man's best friend was his horse. Do children still play cowboys and indians? No - and cowboys and native americans just isn't the same You can't even buy caps anymore. All the songs are familiar to me, even the ones that I hadn't heard before. Predictable themes, tunes, the solemn tone - you can almost sing along without knowing the song. Like hymns for the godless. I'll never listen to it again, but I don't need to, it's part of me.
false
It’s ok for what it is but wouldn’t listen again necessarily
Hanging tree pas mal. Globalement c’est pas mal mais vraiment je suis pas le public, c’est country western quoi.
Abrimos o álbum com fallout e continuamos bem. Até cair numa mesmice agradável de músicas de cowboys. Mas como diriam os Garbage, you are not my kind of album. Nota:6/10
Never heard of this, and I know almost nothing about country music. Is this where the country genre began, in this kind of mythical "wild west" aesthetic? The album title is completely accurate, as the album alternates between two different types of song: 1) narrative ballads, telling stories of gunfighters who shot various people; 2) introspective cowboy songs about life on the plains, and so forth. The whole thing is vaguely absurd, since it keeps a completely straight face while invoking a simplistic "wild west" neverland of a great American past. (No surprise to find out Marty Robbins was an outspoken ultra-conservative, since right-wing politics depend heavily on laughably glorified ideas of a great, lost national heroism.) On the other hand, the music is pretty enjoyable. I prefer the trail songs to the gunfighter ballads. It does get a bit samey, so I made the right call avoiding the reissues with bonus tracks! 3/5
Cowboy blues
Fun music I'd never heard before. Well, except for El Paso. :)
It's alright
I'm being generous
Matig gevoel bij dit album. goed voor achtergrondmuziek
American Murder Ballads: Country Love is a Zero Sum Game.
a poor man's jonny cash
A rollicking good time
Mukavaa menoa, vaikka musiikillisesti vähän samaa settiä tarinan vaihtuessa. 3,5, pyöristän tällä kertaa alas.
Novel
BIG IRONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
I've always liked songs where you have to listen right to the end to find out who gets shot. Robbins has a nice voice, the harmonies are silky and some of the songs are real classics. It's hard to believe I was already born by the time El Paso was released. It seems ancient.
All of it was a jammer, wasn't listening too closely to have a favourite track but liked his voice and the consistency of it. If I were to revist it I'm sure I'd like a couple.