Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

I can see there being an audience for this, but it damn sholl ain’t me

Easy listen, some interesting songs. Standout songs: Big Iron El Paso

Oli ihan letkeää kuunneltavaa. Tykkäsin levyn soundimaailmasta (akustisia soittimia), mutta levyhän on tehty vuonna 1959.

Un embole, album muy viejo, no me gusta el genero

Remains a classic for its consistency in rhyme schemes, tales, and guitar licks.

I’ve heard the Grateful Dead play El Paso on about sixty different recordings and I knew Big Iron, but every other song here was new to me. Just a delightful set of western songs about cowboys. He paints a great picture for all these stories. One of the best country albums I have ever listened to.

Very odd. How many times does he sing about 20ish notches on a gun? It’s got that folk sound mangled by over production. Even with the folk sound though the lyrics are pretty out there.

🤠

nice

Nice country cowboy music

It sounds like it would fit right in in a Fallout game.

Wow I love cowboy tunes. I really enjoyed my time with this album. It made me reminisce of the time in my life when I was obsessed with the Django Unchained soundtrack (it was one of the very first albums I ever saved on Spotify and let me tell you, it did NUMBERS in my house and also on the commute from Wollongong to USyd and back). I think I’m just so enamoured with the storytelling that makes up outlaw country. It’s unsurprising when you consider alongside the fact I’ve been a longtime Johnny Cash fan but alas! El Paso was my fave and I was so glad it’s on the album twice. Also fun fact from my Wikipedia search, Marty Robbins born in Glendale, Arizona married a woman named Marizona. MARIZONA. I’m obsessed.

Some charm to this but not really my thing. The Master's Call won me over the most

Hell yeah Marty Robbins fuckin rocks shame he was a dick in real life

Listened to this before on an aborted run through this list... Not for me - so won't be listening again...

"I wanted to be a COWBOY, baby!" Fav Tracks: "They're Hanging Me Tonight", "Cool Water" and "The Master's Call".

It's nice music, but almost all the songs sound the same to me. Also whining about women in almost every song annoying, but I think that's a problem with country music in general.

Nice, contains the classic "El Paso" (I dunno where I heard it but sounds awfully familiar). Very harmonious and unique.

Hard to rate an album like this today. Sounds like a million parodies or movie songs about itself

Solid.

Interesting how older country/western and hiphop/rap is more appealing to me than newer stuff in the genres. This one might be a four based on a couple of songs, but not quite feeling it today

Pretty fun western music, couple of tracks I really liked. But it's a bit too old-timey, I guess?

Beautiful Classic Country

This was an amazing album. His voice is so smooth. The storytelling is stellar: sometimes funny, dark, always heartfelt. Classic Western is more entertaining than it gets credit for.

Not terrible but not something I’d ever seek out on my own.

Well I thoroughly enjoyed that. Having grown up with the sounds of Willie Nelson, et al in the background, I've long had a soft spot for a bit of 'outlaw' country. While this record isn't quite that - it doesn't have that rougher edge to it - it was clearly a huge influence on Nelson, Cash, and co. Great storytelling, and a wonderful voice. I now want to take the afternoon off and watch westerns. Also, it was fun to hear Cool Water - Walls and Bridges is probably my favourite John Lennon album, and he clearly lifted from this track for his song, Old Dirt Road.

I suppose there is some historical importance for this whether it is to do with country and western, the development of ballads in pop or somesuch? Well I am a fan of of westerns of all eras so I am going to give this some leeway, and it does hold some interest as the narratives go but I am not convinced they bear repeated listening.

One of my all time favorites. Incredible story telling and a wonderful voice.

Ye haw. Enjoyed this more than I thought I would

Some tunes ok. Production sounds a bit dated

Actually a bit catching. 6/10

Meh

Big IRONNNNN BIG IRROONNNNN

Perfectly fine western novelty songs, and 'El Paso' is a classic, but I have never understood the devotional enthusiasm this record inspires. The vinyl folks hunt for it like crazy.

Classic and cohesive, to a fault! Objectively, his voice is a bit of an odd fit with the songs’ themes, but somehow it still works.

There’s really good stuff in here, definitely Red Dead Redemption listening party type of music. Some of the lyrics are dated but what do you expect when it’s from the 1950’s

Marty's voice is so pleasant. Enjoyed this. 3.5/5

Guns n tears

This was actually way more fun than I was expecting

People used to love western shit huh

Overall good songs for the era just not quite my thing most times

Okay, I swear I’m not gonna rate every one of these 5/5, but come on.

I listen to this all the time as is, so even before starting I know it’s gonna be bops top to bottom

I am not really a country music fan but I enjoyed listening to most of these classic old tunes / cowboy stories

I really enjoy this album. My dad listens to it often so I have fond memories of it. I love my a good singing cowboy. Listened to it 3 times. 8.5/10

I loved this way more than I thought I would. I haven't heard 'El Paso' in so many years.

Im a sucker for storytelling songs. And each one can be connected to another. Truly embodies the wild west attitude back then, for better or for worse. Truly a way for people to cosplay an old fashioned cowboy. Good example of storytelling music, may be good for my fist episode of let me tell you a story. I dont know much about Marty Robbins and honeslty im a little scared to look him up lmao.

War never changes

Absolutely a classic record. Not enough stars for this one. 1000000/5

No way.

Notable Textzeile: I'm as sad as the willow That weeps in the valley Since you've gone Since you've gone from my arms Ich finde das sogar recht abwechslungsreich dafür, dass es auf keinen Fall Country als Musikstil verlassen darf. Auch das Storytelling und die Stimme sind gefällig, schön, angenehm. Ist das gefährlich, aufregend oder innovativ? Nö. Gefällt mir trotzdem durchaus und hat meine Laune gehoben. Dafür eine solide 3.

Title describes the album accurately. Hier wird jedes Western Cliché bedient, wobei ich die Lyrics und das Storytelling ziemlich clever finde. Marty Robbins hat auch genau die Stimme für diese Songs. Leider ist Instrumentierung und Arrangement unglaublich soft und nimmt den Songs jede Wirkung. Keine Sorge, er ist nicht wirklich lonesome oder kurz vorm gehängt werden, hier ist immer noch ein liebliches Gitarrenpicking um den Vorabendplausch nicht zu irritieren. Western Pop für die Vorstadt, für die little Boxes und das schicke neue Radio im Wohnzimmer. 1950s safety blanket.

Ich mag sehr wie beschwingte Melodien sehr düstere und blutige Texte transportieren. Außerdem ist Breaking Bad undenkbar ohne "El Paso". Mir gefällt sehr viel daran. Auch wie wenig ernst sich das ganze selbst nimmt.

I could see riding a horse and shooting some bandits to this.

honestly, slaps. this dudes voice is off the chain.

Fantastic.

It is old...gives you western movie vibes, kind of nice but nothing you would listen too all day...

3,5 stars

With his silky smooth voice and shiny black boots, Marty Robbin’s takes on a journey through the old west with top-notch storytelling and classic country instrumentation. A surprisingly pretty record, it kinda lacks a little bit of grit, but the songs are great. This goes to prove that the white middleclass obsession with crime and outlaws started waaay before rap music. I could go on about this, but I choose to just state that it’s fun. 7/10

A good album, but probably won’t be coming back to it much. Loved Big Iron and Masters call. Always been a fan of El Paso.

Ja gut, das erstbeste Lied kenne ich von ihm. Die andere Lieder sagen mir irgendwie nichts und holen mich leider auch nicht ab. Es gibt eine Respekt 2

May be my first full listen through of this. I typically use this as an album to sleep to. I love everything about it. Great story songs. Classic country sound.

Fun to have something totally outside of my norm. This record is great and I will definitely listen to this again.

Hmmm 50’s country. Early country, twang, slight hula sounds too? Lame lyrics. No thanks.

dachte das wird eine katastrophe aber hat echt bock gemacht!

THIS THE ALBUM WITH THAT SONG BIG IRON I LOVE. So many fun TikTok vids to this song that I’ve seen were so silly and fun. Like think he ACTALLY had a big a clothing iron on his hip.

great voice and captivating atmosphere. can only think of New Vegas when i hear “Big Iron”

Liked the album, it reminds me somehow of Tyrolen music and sometimes Johnny Cash.

Quaint and mostly about the lyrics than the music. Not really interesting as a dedicated listen start to finish, but each song in isolation could work in the right context. For the songs in isolation this could be a three star. But I'm rating the album experience.

had mostly heard the singles. Was a little confused by extended El Paso. excellent

TL;DR: Cowboy cosplay which flucutates from sublime to tiresome. BEFORE: I've heard of the guy. That's about it. AFTER: Marty Robbins' rose-tinted cowboy songs are beautifully played and sung, but there are a few dull tracks here. There is also a lot of misplaced mythology around the Wild West™ that this music perpetuates while ignoring the uglier side of colonisation. That being said, some of these tracks are fantastic despite their origin. HIGHLIGHTS: El Paso is a superior country ballad. Big Iron kicks things off well with an upbeat rhythm, infectious melodies, close harmony vocals and fantastic lead guitar. The Master's Call and The Hanging Tree are similarly strong, dramatic compositions. Billy the Kid, Utah Carol, Running Gun and Saddle Tramp are also very good narrative songs. LOWLIGHTS: The slower songs are all very similar, which can be tedious - Cool Water, In The Valley, The Little Green Valley etc. Robbins also seems to have an unhealthy obsession with Mexican women for a staunch conservative. VERDICT: It's a strong 3. I'm not a country guy and some of this was not quite as engaging, but overall it was pretty good.

This was very fun and enjoyable. Will I ever listen to it again? Doubtful.

Coked out Cowboy tunes

I liked it more than I thought I would. It was like a spaghetti western but in music.

Pretty fun album. You still hear these in movie a TV soundtracks.

Everything you need to know is in the album title, and it sure delivers. Classic Western tales, lots of gunslinging, death, hangings, wrangling horses, and imagery evoking the old west landscapes. Was a fun listen, definitely a time capsule of music that we likely won't ever see again.

Gangsta rap for your great-granddad. I'm sure if I was born during the Great Depression, I would find this awesome... but it's really hard to appreciate today. There's a couple of really good songs ("Big Iron" is a banger and should certainly be on a movie soundtrack somewhere), but the remainder of the album is just very dated, and is rooted in a mythology and a musical culture I can't really relate to, no matter how hard I try. I didn't hate it though - this kind of old school country is much more palatable to me than the modern stuff, and the "dark lyrics on a jaunty tune" gimmick is definitely interesting. I won't listen again, but it was all right as a one-time experience. 4/10

Beautiful voice, sometimes reminiscent of the King on a few ballads. But cowboy stories and old-school country have too much Cohen brothers’ filling in this :) Nice as evening background music.

What I have to say about this is that I definitely would not have listened to this but for doing this list. Actually recognized El Paso. That’s a famous one. Who knew? At first I thought this was a joke. But as I listened, I found myself entertained. It’s a little like a country western version of Elvis but actually much better. I’ll put this in the “not exactly great, but fun anyway” category.

Seriously? How can this be included? Really dated and just not worth it.

I might of enjoyed this when I was a kid, when I used to like watching the old american cowboy films, nowadays it was a hard listen.

I feel dusty AF! great old-timey western songs really transports you to the trail days. Crazy he recorded this in one 8 hour session! Glad this was included will be looking for a vinyl copy for my collection.

Big Iron isn't even the best song on Gun Fighter Ballads and Trail Songs.

I can't give this album an honest listen. I got so burned out on hearing Big Iron when Fallout New Vegas came out. It's just so dated. And I'm not a fan of the old westerns from those days. They're too rose gold painted and this music just makes me think of that. No thanks, I'll pass.

Well, this is a pretty old country album. Certainly, it's older than any country album I've had on this list. It's probably the best produced of any 50s album I've had on the list, so it gets points for that. It doesn't necessarily confirm to what the modern listener thinks of as country, instead being a kind of folky, Western-themed crooner pop. Robbins has an excellent voice, and the album's sonic backgrounds are excellently produced, but it doesn't really inspire as much feeling as the likes of Johnny Cash. Still, it's an objectively good album with strong storytelling lyrics and excellent production, and it definitely should be on this list(well, for an American, it should be). This album is the lowest ranked of 5 1959 albums globally. Other 1959 albums rated by me: Kind of Blue(1/5)-5 Time Out(2/5)-3 The Genius of Ray Charles(3/5)-3

🔥🔥🔥

Very western story telling. Kachow

El Paso is a banger

Album #252 Marty Robbins: Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs Outside of jazz and Buddy Holly, I really haven’t found any albums from the 50s that had aged well enough for me to be interested in, and outside of Johnny Cash and Townes Van Zandt, I’ve never been particularly infatuated with a country artist; well, on both of those accounts Marty Robbins has just proven me ignorant. Some of the finest songwriting that I’ve ever heard; you would think that an album in which most songs are about the tragic deaths of outlaws, the material would start to get dry real quick; but Robbins somehow manages for each song to remain captivating and cinematic, while also having its own unique identity. The instrumental is minimal yet feels enormous, and Robbins' voice is the perfect sombre narrator to each of these stories. The crown jewel of the album in my opinion is ‘The Master’s Call’, an epic tale about young man who turned bad, only to be redeemed by a close encounter with god and death; this is one of the most impressive songs that I’ve ever heard, the way that Robbins is able to paint a picture and express emotion is something that I’ve found in few other artists, and it came out in 1959. When it comes to albums that have impressed me the most on this list, barring the ones that I’d already heard, they tend to come from genres that I don’t listen to much: The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady showed me that jazz can be just as engaging as other forms of music, Ágætis byrjun showed me that there is more to post-rock outside of Talk Talk, and now Marty Robbins has redeemed my faith in country more, now that I now there are more than two excellent artists in the genre. This album is the definition of timeless; I’m confident that in hundreds of years people will still be able to put this on and feel every word that Robbins sings. Best Songs: The Master’s Call, They’re Hanging Me Tonight, Big Iron Worst Songs: None Score out of 10: 10

Prekvapivé pre mňa. Mojej mladšej dcére aj vnučke sa to hneď zapáčilo. Tým, že mi pripomína Johnnyho Casha, je to z toho lepšieho typu country.

p44. 1958. 3 stars. Single paced late 1950s C&W. Points deducted for filler and sentimentality, but the highlights are still fabulous :)

I liked it. Reminds of old bars in my home city and in my grandparents farm community. Reminds of my dad playing old songs in his guitar. It's very lyrics heavy and has a interesting guitar. It can be repetitive, especially if you don't pay attention to the songs and find the nuances. It's not an album I would listen to all the time, but I like it.

Just sounded like big iron on repeat for 45 minutes. Not a bad song, but the album doesn’t hold up and gets repetitive

Elvis imitator inging cowboy hymns?

Cowboy music

Nostalgic and smooth as velvet, Marty Robbins' album romanticizes the cowboy culture of the old west. He sings tales of heroes and villains, love and loss, as only an old cowboy can. An excellent use of guitar and vinyl.

Big iron and a rare 5 star with only one liked song since it’s such a vibe but not a regular type of album

This really blew me away. I put it off for a while but the sound quality was excellent the songs were really pleasant. My gripe is that it's repetitive, but still a really solid, quant album.

Big Iron 3.2 Cool Water 3 Billy the Kid 3.3 A Hundred and Sixty Acres 3.2 Ythey're Hanging Me Tonight 3.2 The Strawberry Roan 3.2 El Paso 3 In the Valley 3 The Master's Call 3.3 Runnin Gun 3 The Little Green Valley 3.1 Utah Carol 3.2 Score: 3.141666667

This album was a surprising amount of fun. Big Iron is probably the highlight, but it's very old school country singing about outlaws and cowboys. What country should be really. It was a fun album and I enjoyed my time with it.

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs isn't the worst country album I've ever heard. Despite this, I still didn't enjoy it.

Big Iron on his hip

Hi, I'm Woody! Howdy howdy howdy!! His voice is just lovely, but can't foresee myself sticking this on again too often. Apart from Big Iron, obviously. I must say that I just find fascinating the whimsical 1950s desire to create media relating to the life and times of cowboys. I can't imagine any modern day artist randomly releasing a 15 song album detailing a fictional account of idk... a munitions worker or something?? Maybe more artists of today SHOULD do that? I rather like the storytelling style!

When I saw this was another country album I groaned to myself before hitting play. Song One came on and I realized I know this from Fallout and then I proceeded to actually appreciate how good the music is on this Western record.

So I randomly learned of this record about a month ago because a guy from Converge talked about it on Amoeba What's In My Bag. I think I mentioned this in a previous review, but (with some exceptions) narrative/storytelling songs are not my favorite thing. Westerns and the outlaw aesthetic have also never appealed to me. But this is a top notch representation of this genre.

Am I a country convert? Great story telling. The guitar carries you along.

I love this albums inclusion because it’s so uncool. Finally, some sort of representation for the music that normies were listening to. Pretty sure my parents didn’t know who Coltrane was, but they probably heard the hits from this record. It’s easy to look down your nose at this impossibly-square crooner cosplaying as a gun-toting outlaw, but there’s a real outline here to the American imagination that, real or not, found a way to express itself as brave frontier badasses, even when the 50’s rendered that persona completely inert. Myth-making at its most commercial and comical.

I don't know how to describe this album other than immersive - the auditory equivalent of a John Ford film. Lovely voice and great storytelling, but I did get bored by halfway through.

I’m sure it’s not a lot of peoples’ cup of tea, but I thought these were quaint. Definitely a lot of nostalgia in hearing Marty’s rich voice and imagining the “romance” of the west, where the bad guy gets shot and the good guy saves the girl. It’s all a little samey, though, which is maybe to be expected.

Not an artist or album (or indeed style of music) that I know well, so was interesting to discover it here. I enjoyed the story-telling and the overall production, particularly the clarity of the guitar-picking and some of the harmonies, which are really well sung. The guy has a great voice, tonally, and I like the understated style, especially when overlaid with the harmonies. It's the less ballad-like numbers which resonate more with me; I enjoyed The Masters Call, Running Gun, The Hanging Tree and Saddle Tramp. 160 Acres and Big Iron are probably the two songs which stand out for me. Others feel less memorable and, when groupes together suffer from a lack of dynamism / variety for me, personally. As an album, this is (as described) a collection of similar themed tunes, in a style that I like but don't necessarily love, and so I'd be more inclined to dip in and out of it than listen as a whole; for me I'd prefer 10-11 songs, vs the 15 on here. Lastly, I can't get my head around this having been first released in 1959 - 67 years ago.

Ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. Nice to have some musical variety as well.

ouin... ça pis Willie Nelson, c'est pas mon buzz...

Wow vraiment aimé! Je me sentais comme un « lonesome cowboy » perdu dans le wild west.

My hopes weren't high when I saw the cover and after listening they didn't get up. Country music is just not for me. I can't relate with american culture. In addition to that, the album was just repetitive. And when I say repetitive it's the rhythm, the lyrics and the vocals. To conclude, it's a very boring album.

Heavily carried by big iron

Ooooohhhh what a delight!!! So weird and niche and sometimes racist but overall amazing. Can anything be racist but otherwise amazing? I'll ponder that, but in the meantime, I'll be singing about the notches in my pistol and the gal whose heart is wasted on a cowboy like me.

I was really surprised when I got this album since it’s totally far away from what I usually listen to but that’s the beauty of this, to give new songs a try. I can’t hide I went into it scared because I don’t like country music, however I was pleasantly surprised that it was more diverse than I expected. The songs sound repetitive though. I can’t bring myself to delete it from my saved albums because I want to give it a try again. I feel like it’s a grower.

Lots of fun! I enjoy this every time I hear it, but I would never claim it to be one of my favorites. Big Iron slaps!

I absolutely adore this album! It has this amazing ability to transport you back in time to the days of cowboys and the old west from the moment you press play. At 15 tracks and just under 45 minutes it doesn't over stay its welcome. Phenomenal from front to back, an album I listen to at least once a year and one of my favorite country albums and probably one of my all time favorite albums. 5/5

I'm not a country person, but this was much better than I expected.

7/10

Well, it got so that every piss-ant prairie punk who thought he could shoot a gun would ride into town to try out the Waco Kid. I must have killed more men than Cecil B. DeMille. It got pretty gritty. I started to hear the word "draw" in my sleep. Then one day, I was just walking down the street when I heard a voice behind me say, "Reach for it, mister!" I spun around... and there I was, face to face with a six-year old kid. Well, I just threw my guns down and walked away. Little bastard shot me in the ass. So I limped to the nearest saloon, crawled inside a whiskey bottle... and I've been there ever since.

Boring and very repetitive.

Pretty samey although there was something about El Paso I kinda liked.

I mean.... it's basically Western gangsta rap. Shoot guys, riding Ho-rses.

Initially I loved this but my stamina for cowboy ballards waned quickly.

I would listen to El Paso or Big Iron as a novelty one-off, anything more is too much

There was some overlap between this album and my Gunfighters Top Trumps I had as a kid, which earned this an extra star.

Of it’s time I’m sure, but in 2026 Britain I have no shared identity with murderous Texan gunslingers. Nice voice. Very tedious album.

Some fun songs for sure. I likely wouldn't relisten but if I ever have a day with cowboy vibes.. I know what to play

One of my favourites, this.

Goated. Not much else to say.

Felt like I was in the old west

i was really excited to see this album on the list - some of these songs i genuinely really love (like i love a good western vibe). however as a full-album experience i felt like it dragged a little at points...all the songs are pretty similar (hence the title).

Generally not into country, but there’s something so pleasing about a perfect artifact like this. It evokes the Western obsession of the 1950’s, the (yes, problematic) misty-eyed romance of the frontier and Old Mexico. This was the era of my mom’s childhood, and some of it still had tendrils into my girlhood in the 1970s. It’s nostalgia I can appreciate on a historical, cultural level. Marty Robbins has a smooth voice as well, well-suited to these simple tales and guitar strums.

Bom demais. Sou fã de filmes westerns, e me trouxe uma sensação onde eu estivesse assistindo aos clássicos de John Ford, Howard Hawks e etc, nos momentos específicos onde se reúnem e cantam músicas, tomando seus copos de argila cheio de whiskey ou cerveja. Baita trilha de filmes, faltou só alguma do Enio Morricone da trilogia dos dólares, de resto, excelente.

Fallout 3 New Vegas OST!

This is a low 4

그냥그럼

also big fun

Anyone who doesn’t like this album is officially an opp

Dad had this album and I used to listen to it when he was at work. Excellent voice, storytelling and atmosphere. A big 5 iron on my hip.

I wasn’t my cup of tea but I honestly loved ot

While not my taste for the most part, I did enjoy that every song in this album actually told a story that was fun to follow. I've always enjoyed Sea Shanties for a similar reason. Many of the songs in here reminded me of the early Tremors movies, and of course Westerns in general. Enjoyable even though I probably won't be coming back.

Essential? Maybe not. Enjoyable? Definitely. I added “Big Iron” to my playlist.

What a fun album! From a musical perspective, this isn't brilliant, typical Western guitar and some basic bass. However, the songwriting is fantastic, I mentioned this last time, but it's necessary, it's an album all about Cowboy storytelling. The highlight of the album for me was 'Big Iron', but 'El Paso' was a close second! Lots of people struggle to enjoy this album because of its 'Cowboy' style and can't look past some of the dated factors, but I think it's necessary to take into account the culture of when the album was released to get a proper understanding of the album's meaning!

wild west nostalgia and gunfights, not for me

I'd give this album a 6/5 if I could. It's one of the best "country" albums every recorded. The stories told personalize figures from the wild west better than any John Wayne movie or Louis Lamour novel ever could. Robbins' voice is as smooth as butter and in my humble opinion he is one of the most underrated artists of the era. I celebrate Robbins' entire, very lengthy, catalog so I may bit a bit biased.

I can’t not think of Tim Robinson’s “The Night the Skeletons Came to Life” sketch from I Think You Should Leave while listening to this.

My dad used to listen to this and similar artist when I was a kid and I actively hated it. I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this. I guess I kind of like this kind of music now?

1.5 - I don't like this, but there are far worse country albums that could come up on the list.

A collection of romance for and about an American history that never quite was. Decent crooner, lousy material.

Heroes and villains, this album doesn’t choose a side for its perspectives, but it does tell compelling stories of the West.

i get it, its folky southern ballads about daring honorable western men

1. "Big Iron" 2. "Billy the Kid" 3. "The Master's Call"

cowboy music :D i've always wanted to be a cowboy.. big iron best song 🙂‍↕️

1) A Hundred And Sixty Acres 2) Little Green Valley 3) El Paso Least Favourite: Strawberry Roan

Pretty unmoved by this collection of tunes. Mythologising of the Wild West is generally a bit uninteresting, but maybe it's different if you're American.

Early outlaw country, with great storytelling and beautiful singing.

What a lovely album. Beautiful vocals and BGVs. Interesting orchestration. Great and fun stories and lyrics. Just a fun and delightful album.

4.3. Really enjoyed great songwriting and story telling. Dead head here and love when they do the country ballads.

Not quite Elvis….but maybe where he got ideas.

I love this album, full of great strumming guitar, Marty Robbins' fantastic voice delivering infectious vocal melodies and great, evocative lyrics. Each song is like a mini western film, relaying tales of cowboys or the hard life on the trail. I hadn't listened to some of my 5's in years but I come back to this one regularly (in fact it's my 16th most listened to album ever, according to Last.fm) Highlights: Cool Water, Big Iron, Running Gun, El Paso

컨트리 안사요

4/5

Unique, poetic, lovely voice

Basically an audiobook, which I thouroughly enjoyed. For the people who played Fallout: New Vegas 3.6/5.0

good songs i like it

As an album experience I find this a little lacking because the songs fall into like one of four archetypes but the good stuff is good.

beautiful voice but this is a book for the ears

4/5

Low-key un vibe haha

Marty Robbins, what a legend. Simply one of the greatest singers to ever come out of a popular music in America (maybe the world). Beyond El Paso, Robbins had a diverse and wonderful career starting in blues and rockabilly before becoming one of the premium outlaw/cowboy country/pop singers. It's wild just how smooth and powerful his voice is - other than natural talent, I believe Robbins background really led him to become someone that understood and felt for the characters in story: ordinary American people. He was in the navy, but also worked as an amateur boxer, in addition to odd jobs such as digging ditches, driving trucks, and being a mechanic's helper. These songs feature, among others, outlaws, vagabonds, bandits, troublemakers, and murder balladeers. This music is literature. Gets 5 stars only because it's the only Robbins album on the list. I recommend "The Best of" anthology for those looking to learn more. When I worked for college radio, his music changed my view on the country for good and opened me up to a world of music I had never heard before.

solid 4.0.

Very fun - reminded me a lot of Glenn (??) Campbell

Good album.

You know when an album on this starts and you just know you'll like it? This was one of them, despite being classic country. Because it's proper cowboy/I suppose literally outlaw country, but early. It does drop off a bit after the first track into more basic country where Big Iron is proper cowboy balladry. El Paso and The Master's Call other highlights. But lyrically the storytelling was great too. And it was also often funny - They're Hanging Me Tonight, for example, even if not intentional.

i wanted to give this everything from a 2 to a 4, so i’m going to settle on a confused 3.

I thought this was gonna be abysmal, but then I realised it was all stories in song form about, well mostly being lonely, miserable and people getting shot. So then I decided I was judging it hastily and I should give it a go... But then I heard it. It's all that bopping baseline nonsense in every song. I don't see how you think you can portray death and heartache if the guy next to you is going "bom bom, bum bum, bum bum be bum bum bum. It's too jolly, even when the chords are minor. The stories were ok. Often predictable, his voice is alright, every so often you felt he meant it. I feel like I want to hear these ballads in a more stark environment. A single guitar and a withered voice. Maybe add some backing vocals for effect at the right moments. I feel I might be describing those later Johnny cash albums that I reviewed as not that great in a previous review here. Ah well. I didn't hate it. I won't look it up again, but it didn't ruin my day.

Loved this! Really fun

You put Grady Martin on lead guitar and you can’t go wrong. However the songs on this are so great. One of the first real country albums in a sense. And Marty sings them great. And that’s a cool cover isn’t it. Cool water is the standout track of an album full of standouts.

Music Trail songs you say....? Quirky and fun in a campy sing-along campfire style Entertaining warm ballads. A surprising delight and strangely irresistible.

It put the western into country and western. All the tunes here are fantastic, it's great sound. Gets the Tex Mex flavour in there too which would have been quite a thing at the time. Love this record.

I've been watching old John Wayne movies recently. They're corny and a bit politically suspect, but pretty entertaining. This is the album equivalent of 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'-- there's cowboys and senoritas and murder and revenge and justice and shoot-outs. The story telling is top notch and the tunes are great. Lots of fun, hard to criticize. My son Alfie wandered into my office while I was playing this. "Oh yeah," he said "Big Iron! That's a great song!" He knows it from playing Fall Out. It is a source of constant surprise to me the variety of sources that young people use to learn about these days -- video games, music placement in TV and movies, tictoc videos, ads -- but, as a result, I think young people have much broader tastes these days and are familiar with music from a variety of eras and genres. And he's right, that is a great song.

Turns out I don’t hate all country music

I really like the first song (big iron) but the rest is not really the music I listen to too much so I found it a bit hard to finish the album

What all music should aspire to

A perfect album of storytelling, with unbeatable atmosphere and songwriting without flaw. I love me some Nick Cave (to name a comparable storyteller / songwriter) as much as anybody, but he dreams of attempting to write songs as pure, unaffected and elemental as these. These songs sound like they've been around a hundred years. Best track: "Big Iron"

Marty Robbins recorded the entire album in a single eight hour session on April 7th 1959. One day. Thirty five minutes of cowboy mythology, gunfighters, doomed love affairs, and trail songs that sound like the American West smells. Columbia Records producer Don Law had no idea there would be a market for it. The album peaked at number six on the pop charts and went Platinum. Don Law was wrong about a lot of things that day. Robbins got the idea for El Paso in 1955 while driving his family home to Phoenix for Christmas. He saw the city limits sign, thought it sounded romantic, and wanted to write a song about it. By the time he reached the other side of the city he had forgotten the idea completely. Four years later it became the first song to win a Grammy for Best Country and Western Performance and sat at number one on both the country and pop charts simultaneously on Christmas Day 1959. Some ideas are worth forgetting and then remembering. Big Iron and El Paso are genuinely great story songs. The same quality that makes Johnny Cash a 4 in my collection lives here too. A great narrative does the work that a drum kit does elsewhere. It builds tension, moves you forward, and pays off. Robbins understood this instinctively in a way that most songwriters spend entire careers chasing. The rest of the album is pleasant, competent, and exactly what it promises, which is cowboy music performed by a man who grew up in the Arizona desert and clearly meant every word of it. 3 out of 5. One star for El Paso, written on a Christmas drive and forgotten before he crossed the city limits. One for Big Iron, which is a perfect song by any measure. One for recording a Platinum album in a single afternoon, which is either genius or a very efficient use of a Tuesday.

A phenomenal album with amazing harmonies. El Paso is incel music though

I used to think it would be cool out on the vast planes as a cowboy....but not if they are playing this!

1959. I was 5. I remember my parents had Roy Rogers/Dale Evans records that we would play. Don't remember really caring much for the music but it was something to listen to. We also had Peter and the Wolf, a symphony for children, written by Russian composer Prokofiev, liked it more than this album.

Again, not something I would normally listen to. But I found the storytelling of this album pretty remarkable. Also, the overall sound is really nice.

(8.4) Big Iron is the perfect opening track to bring you in. Gave me the proper feeling of a different time.

This one is strange because you can see the inspiration for so many country artists and yet Marty Robbins' voice just acts like white noise. It feels like a crooner singing western ballads, not a real songwriter, which is (a) a shame cause Marty's incredibly talented and (b) not really his fault. I dunno this one is a head scratcher, and it just didn't land with me even though I intellectually get it.

Marty Robbins learnt it all from Len Houmous. 3.0 10/15 El Paso

5/5

Puedes escucharlo y sentir la necesidad de iniciar una vida rural vaquera aunque no sepas ni lo que eso significa. Creo que es el primer disco de Coountry que escucho en mi vida. Y debo decir que es impresionante lo mucho que recuerda la musica regional mexicana y los corridos. Interesante cuanto menos.

Yeah fallout new Vegas and whatever but unironically I enjoyed this a lot, good storytelling

More Western than Country, these are more stories than songs. Simple arrangement that just focuses on the tales as ballads of love, gunfights, sin, and redemption. A treat.

Kylee Fernholz here. Marty Robins came up and it was a blast from the past. I needed you all to hear my opinion on this angelic oldtimey voice. Let me set the scene.. 8 year old Kylee shows up to her grandparents bar and supper club in Forada MN. It’s a hot Thursday and it’s open dance/polka night. I’m gearing up to make at least $30 by selling popcorn (that’s free) for .50 a bag. Most people give me the full dollar. Rodger Thompson (one legged live musician from my town) gets ready to play for the crowd of old timers. He strums his guitar and gets the live instrumental ready on the scratchy boom box. Marty Robbin’s Big Iron (with a little static) rings out across the dance hall. The sweet, angelic simple songs that actually make me miss being from my small town. 10/10 for sentimental and nostalgic reasons. Also I hope Rodger Thompson is still alive. The grift gang would love him. And he really did have one leg.

Who can say a negative word against this album? Solid from front to back. It’s bookended by the iconic songs Big Iron and El Paso, which were the only two I knew on the album going into this, but each song is a banger. Hanging Me Tonight, Cool Water, The Master’s Call and Running gun stand out to me. 5/5 for this cowboy.

I really enjoy songs that tell a story and Robbins spins some good ones. There are a few on here that I wouldn't listen to on repeat, but none that I dislike.

This may in fact be the greatest country and western album. I’d probably put Purgatory by Tyler Childers in that same rare air, but with not much company. It is full of classics like Big Iron and El Paso, but I’ve also always loved Saddle Tramp and The Master’s Call. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

reminds me of what my grandad listens to,brought back good memories

Not no thank you

pretty okay but idk if its playlist worthy

Giro e com histórias, mas repetitivo

A 1a música está na banda sonora do Fallout New Vegas e transportou-me logo para outros tempos

I liked this album a lot. Amazing singing from Robbins and the Glaser Brothers.

Enjoyable

I thought it a bit wishy washy at first, but listening closer to the storytelling it's an enjoyable enough caper

Yes yes Big Iron from New Vegas is key, but El Paso is just as great or better especially when the Grateful Dead started to play it all the time. For as hated as Country music gets, Robbins was one of the first defining figures of the Grand Old Opry when country music was attracting the then-young boomers. Marty Robbins is very much that old fashioned establishment kind of country, and his booming voice filled of conviction has aged like [insert favorite wine simile]. The album itself beyond the two big songs he wrote on it isn't as exactly as equal as those songs reputation but nevertheless is pretty damn good. His singing is just that damn good. I wouldn't really seek out most of his other music, but this is his definitive album and inspired many different guitarists and songwriters as a cog in how music evolved. Sometimes you need to eat a good meaty beef stew from a 600 year old recipe to really get some perspective of what living in the past was like, and listening Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs was kind of like that.

Possibly the best country album I’ve ever listened to. Foundational, badass, cohesive.

To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip The stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip It was early in the morning when he rode into the town He came riding from the south side, slowly lookin' all around "He's an outlaw loose and runnin'", came a whisper from each lip "And he's here to do some business with a big iron on his hip" Big iron on his hip In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead He was vicious and a killer, though a youth of twenty four And the notches on his pistol numbered one and nineteen more One and nineteen more Now the stranger started talkin' made it plain to folks around Was an Arizona ranger, wouldn't be too long in town He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead And he said it didn't matter he was after Texas Red After Texas Red Wasn't long before this story was relayed to Texas Red But the outlaw didn't worry, men that tried before were dead Twenty men had tried to take him, twenty men had made a slip Twenty-one would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip Now the morning passed so quickly it was time for them to meet It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street Folks were watchin' from the windows Every body held their breath They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death About to meet his death There was forty feet between them When they stopped to make their play And the swiftness of the Ranger is still talked about today Texas Red had not cleared leather for a bullet fairly ripped And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered 'round There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground Oh, he might have went on livin' but he made one fatal slip When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip Big iron, big iron When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip

The first 50s album I've had that's somewhat tolerable, Big Iron is doing some heavy lifting though

i liked this one alot! very fun songs i think big iron was my favorite.

Never heard of it, but the conventions seem familiar - guess I learnt about (Country &) Western music, without needing to hear this album. It seems neatly made (recorded in one 8 hour session? they musta gigged a lot before hand), instrumental arrangements mostly v simple but at first seem okay, Robbins has a nice voice. I could question why the Western motif at all (and the cover photo!), there's a femicide song yuck. The simplicity, predictability and twee story lines start to get quite wearisome before end of side 1. I could see this album meriting a representative place in the 1001 (if there's no other C&W from the period), but I won't be replaying it. It's Pretty Poor, 3/10.

when mom said this music is boring and bad she was maybe perhaps 100% incorrect this music rules

My dad owned this record and one of the few I could listen to way back when. A fresh listen makes me appreciate it even more. A great album to listen to when riding thru the western landscapes

My great grandpa would've loved this

8/10 I really liked this one. Unlike the last two albums I have heard quite afew songs from this album already. My fav tracks are They’re Handing Me Tonight and Saddle Tramp

To the semi-condescending review that is stressing out about all of the "Wow New Vegas!" reviews: Just because someone found out about this album from a video game doesn't mean their enjoyment is invalid or "lesser than" As tempted as I am to make assumptions about you, I just want to say that this album would be so much more obscure if not for that game and it's a darn good thing it exists. Is there a set of people that just listen to Big Iron ironically for the meme? Sure. Does that mean that they can't also simultaneously get actual enjoyment out of it? Because not only can they-- but if it means that even one of those people goes on to listen to the full album, that's one more Marty Robbins fan in the world, and that's alright in my book.

О це вже цікаво) Була пісня яку співають Greteful Dead )

Not an album I would normally gravitate towards but it was lovely, his voice is beautiful. Obviously El Paso is the main hit but I really liked the album opener.

Very very country. So not really my thing - I enjoyed one or two tracks but a whole album of this felt like a LOT.

Fun and different. V. Sad at parts

70

Good tunes. I knew a few of these.

If breaking bad opening scenes had a soundtrack

This is a great album of western cowboy gunslinger spanish style ballads produced in the 1950s Nashville Sound. It was recorded in 8 hours! Marty Robbins has a beautiful voice and tells good gunslinger stories . The backing musicians and singers are top. Big Iron and El Paso are the popular songs. This is new for me and I really enjoy it.

Some songs so strong they’ve persevered through decades. Still a bit dated for me. Bangers bang though.

Ok

Old country/western. Pretty decent/better than expected.

#184/1001 🇺🇸🤠 Starts off quite promisingly but got quite tiresome by the time i got to the end. I prefer the storytelling element to to this musically. Best Tracks: Big Iron, They're Hanging Me Tonight, Utah Carol.

musica del oeste, tranquila y melódica, agradables de tener de fondo, mood tranquilo, me he guardado el disco, muy agradable

6/10… vintage western / country / *1959

Pretty campy, don't think it aged that well. Could be remade to fit modern tastes.

Wanted to like this one a lot more. Some heaters, but didn't love them all

- right off the bat i can see where other artists i listen to got influenced OH THIS SONG - some clever lyrics, but kind of samey?

"Ooh cool. The song from the taco commercial"

Would not buy

not my thing

Wow! Easy listening, and good storytelling!! Have like some songs cor awhile so good!

All of his hits in one album! Really cool, but a lot of his songs are essentially the same song with different lyrics. That just goes with the cowboy campfire song vibe though.

I liked this a lot more than i expected. It IS a bit much of the Same for a whole Album but the Songs have great storytelling and really Paint a picture.

It is crazy how for genres I don't listen to very much, it feels like every artist has no unique identity at all.

I love this album and this style of western music. Pairs great with Lonesome Dove

Great storytelling, all classics

What the actual fk was that

I continue to find the number of country albums on this list bewildering, especially now I know that the editors are UK-based. I also find the obsession with cosplaying the Old West in these cowboy ballads bizarre and laughable, and a bit distasteful because of how strongly it connects with America's exceptionalism and self-mythologisation.

Just an outdated album. Nothing pops out

I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I knew "Big Iron" from Fallout and always thought it sounded nice. The album was a little one note, but Robbins is a good singer and the songs have a surprisingly dark tone given their sound. Overall- good album

Big iron > остального, или я просто утенок фаллаута ньювегас?

Сара 4 Марко 4

Goddamn it now I just want to play Red Dead Redemption again.

made me wanna be a cowboy

The first crossover artist ever. The first artist to have a fuzz distortion on his record. The first person to ever win a Grammy for country music. This album proves how all of that could be done by one man. I watched "The Life And Times Of Marty Robbins" on YouTube, and it made me grow even more fascinated with him. From the NASCAR/ Grand Ole Opry double duty on weekedends, to the insomniac songwriting and late-night performances for the farm animals. This man is THE Cowboy. I love crossover country by women, but I didn't expect to enjoy a male country singer's album this much. His voice sounds timeless, and his songwriting feels evergreen. I like how his songwriting recounts the highs of the cowboy lifestyle, and naturally ends on its shortcomings in a fatalistic way. Great Album!

🤠: the album

1. Big Iron 2. They’re Hanging Me Tonight 3. El Paso

had a really hard time listening to this and being objective with the rating... I pretty much despise this kind of music but its what they had back in the day. Man can definitely sing, and the recording is so clean considering it was recorded in the late 50's and its IN STEREO! The guitar in "El Paso" is really good and sounds fun to play. I don't like this album and I wouldn't tell anyone I know that they have to listen to this before they die

Its alright, not much to review I feel. Very similar throughout. Feeling an OK 2

I don't hate it but this is definitely not going on any playlist any time soon Can't go much higher than: 2.2

5/10 No me gustó mucho, pero tampoco es malo. No me termina de cerrar aunque tiene partes buenas

Classic country record, enjoyable listen with great story telling songs.

I went with the original vinyl track list. But both versions start with the killer opener Big Iron. This track makes me want to play Fallout. Cool Water is more low key but still solid. The next track made me realize how accurate this album title is going to be. Not too exciting musically but excellent storytelling. A Hundred was catchy but went by way too quick. The Hanging track must’ve inspired or was inspired by Cash because it feels like one of his songs. Strawberry Roan is cute but I could’ve did without that Roman comment. El Paso is another standout with solid singing and Latin inspired instrumentation. In the Valley is a little too slow for me but it’s pretty while it’s on which isn’t for that long. This next track feels like a rehash of Big Iron. Running Gun picks up the mood and is a fun little ditty. Green Valley is nice sounding but the style feels like Marty is painting himself into a corner. But since it’s the second to last last track it’s not a huge loss. And the finisher just ends things anticlimactic.

Old country. I don't care for it

Yee-haw motherfuckers. In a world where rap music is too violent here is an album from 1959 that has various mentions of notches on a gun representing the number it had killed, a cowboy being trampled to death in a stampede, a jealous boyfriend shooting you in the chest and a song about being hung that evening for killing your ex girlfriend and her new man. I am currently reading The Dark Tower series which is based around a gunslinger in a different world and I think my gunsliner is tougher than Marty Robbins. If you have played Fallout New Vegas then you will know the song Big Iron.

If this gets a like I'll play Fallout 4 again (I'll try like farming now). 5/5

I cant on July 4, 2026 rate this album less than a 5. Robbins has an angelic voice and is a wonderful guitar player.

No my thing

This was really really fun

when taken seriously this album is a great collection of well performed classics and it's all very fun, big fan

I can't emphasize this enough but yee fucking haw. This is real cowboy music.

I enjoyed some of this, but most of it was kind of cheesy and monotonous.

This man's storytelling is absolutely incredible. He is absolutely a pioneer for the country western genre. Fabulous album!!

Je met une prédiction en avance : Ça va être tout le temps la même chanson et je vais mettre 3 ou 2 Et c'est gagné

C'est agréable, et probablement très bien pour jouer à Red Dead, mais qu'est-ce que ça fout dans cette liste ? Playlist pick : Big Iron

Hard to believe it was recorded in a single 8-hour session. Really speaks to the musical craftsmanship of the artist. For gunfighter ballads, it's a pretty soothing sound.

I started listening to this album on my morning walk as usual, only to call it a day early on account of feeling particularly drained from the Sun. All I knew of this album going in were the song Big Iron and various associated meme edits of the cover art (I only realized that I also knew El Paso once the song started playing), but I was fairly confident it would be up my alley. There's just something magical in these old western ballads: they are precisely wired to dig into my brain. The melodies and trotting tempos capture my attention, laying a foundation for Robbins' crystal-clear storytelling delivered in his weathered drawl. Despite hitting similar notes, each song finds some new hook or trick to keep them distinct from one another. Robbins finds ways to bend this into as many different interpretations and end products as possible without simply treading water, while still sounding cohesive incredibly similar. To stay this entertaining with this much laser-focused precision on nailing an exact tone and mood is incredibly impressive: Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs hits the bullseye. Highlights: Big Iron, A Hundred And Sixty Acres, They're Hanging Me Tonight, Cool Water, Utah Carol, The Strawberry Roan, The Master's Call, Running Gun, El Paso, In The Valley, The Little Green Valley, The Hanging Tree, Saddle Tramp

No empieza mal y entiendo que es cultura musical. Suena a música de película del Oeste, pero no sé hasta que punto eso es un género o no. Esto sería otro 2,5 estrellas, pero esta vez voy a tirar por lo bajo y se queda en 2.

knew it from way before. a good one. a very good one

Cowboys deserve songs about them to listen to, too.

Three stars for the album title alone. Four stars for the songs. Fills the needed "cowboy trail songs sung by Hollywood-cowboy stars" section of your record shelf.

I was surprised I actually know multiple songs on this album. It's pleasant to listen to, but a lot of the songs feel the same/repetitive.

Really fun. Great to have something pretty different on the list. Saved me from a rubbish run. Fav track: Masters Call RYM: N Saved a song: Y

3.5/5 Favorite Songs: Big Iron The Master's Call El Paso The Hanging Tree

What a man what a man what a man what a marty good man

This was a fathers day treat for me because I feel like this is an album for American dads to constantly sing small parts of. The kids know about it for 'Big Iron' being featured in Fallout NV. It kind of is exactly what it is advertised to be. As far as the track I'm going to hum random parts of while doing house chores, it's gotta be 'Cool Water'

It always blows my mind when an artist that I've never heard of has millions of listeners. there are still 3 million people who listen to Marty Robbins, and he died before I was born. This music isn't my cup of tea, but I would absolutely be listening to it if I was driving on route 66 in Arizona.

Loved this album.

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Big Iron Date listened: 21/06/26 Listen when: Horse ride (I can't ride a horse) I did not know country could be like this, I forgive the genre which I was convinced was solely surrounding Luke Combs and lyrics about whiskey.

He can sing but it's not really my thing.

O Brother kodet er den helt rigtige beskrivelse. Hvis man skal lave corny country kan man lige så godt gå all out

Jo ikke lige min stil normalt, men chokerende høj densitet af catchy numre på den her

Good thing I watched Yellowstone before listening to this. I could almost relate.

God no.

K!

Very likeable album. Fun harmonies. Liked the one about water and el paso