Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

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

Can country sound like this again, please?

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

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

Some sorta Western vibe to it.

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

wow, really liked this one !

The original true crime podcast

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

Solid!

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

very good, I knew some of these songs

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

I love it!

Reminds me of my dad and road trips as a kid

Great album, lovely sound

Ol Marty ain't have to go this hard

I’m one song in an obsessed 😍

what a delight. like everyone else, i knew Big Iron from FONV, and while that's still my favorite on the record, there are tons of other gems here. what a voice! what storytelling! just very immersive, very fun music. yay!

yee-FUCKING-haw!!!!!!!!!!!! i've been waiting for this album since i saw it was included like eight months ago. like many people my age who are aware of this album, my first introduction was to Big Iron on the Fallout: New Vegas soundtrack around 2010. That song is still my favorite on here, but there are plenty of other great tracks. this album is exactly what it says on the tin. the songs are fun, the stories well-told and engaging, and everything comes together nicely in this package. there's also a sequel album for anyone looking for more. also, Marty was a NASCAR driver. he drove so goddamn fast. never did win no checkered flags but he never did come in last. favorites: big iron, a hundred and sixty acres, they're hanging me tonight, billy the kid, the strawberry roan, the master's call, running gun, el paso, saddle tramp, el paso (full version)

Love this one, a classic for me.

Fun songs, many familiar but I didn’t know Marty Robbin’s at all

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs is the fifth studio album by Marty Robbins, originally released in 1959. This album is already so legendary, so there's not much I can really say to drive that point in. Something that really surprised me is that they recorded the entire record in one 8 hour session. It's a pretty damn polished work for that short of a recording session. The lyrics on here throw you into the wild west witnessing love, tragedy, and of course, shootouts. Lots of shootouts. Seriously, some of the lyrics on here are dark. Overall, this is just a perfect example of outlaw country. Now where's my horse and my damn pistol?!

Yes

9.5/10

This album is very special to me, so there's no chance in me being objective or unbiased, I happily admit that. This album, of which I discovered from New Vegas, but my love further reinforced from El Paso's feature on Breaking Bad. Every song holds on its' own, but put together, it's a masterpiece. Marty Robbins had such a beautiful voice, and his way of storytelling in songs was incredible. I could listen to this album on repeat forever - it's one of my favourite albums ever. It's beautiful, and if you actually give it a proper listen outside of "le big iron" album, you'll find some really interesting and beautiful music. Easy 10/10.

Bro this is actually so good!

Favourites: Big Iron, They're Hanging Me Tonight, Billy the Kid, The Master's Call, El Paso, Saddle Tramp Vocals and songwriting are fantastic, no doubt. Some songs have particularly superb instrumentals, when the bass and guitar work hits just right. Overall fantastic album.

Big Iron

Folk storytelling in a country album should be a combination for a very low score from yours truly. Turns out if the stories are being told by somebody with a 10/10 captivating voice and they're being backed by interesting instrumentals, I still enjoy it. Add some conditioning from Fallout, and here we have this album's score. Favorite track: Big Iron

This delivers exactly as promised. Impeccable arrangements, beautifully delivered songs of death and dust, cowboys and lawmen, men trying to live a good life, and men on the run and men facing death.

This rules in dozens of ways.

It certainly shocked me. It found a way to tell great cowboy stories over and over. It is something that everyone should appreciate old, old stories

Well yee-haw, this is some good country shit.

NO WAY I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!! I have listened to this in full before but looking forward to it again. “Big Iron” is so important to me. I think Marty just has a really good voice, too.

Loved this album! He has an incredibly rich voice and his storytelling is beyond compare.

There's a snake in my boot!

While I was listening to primarily 80s metal, pop, jazz, electronica, and industrial in my youth, it was my Dad who introduced me to this album. My rebellious youth mind wanted to reject this album but my heart betrayed me and opened up completely to this music. "Cool Water" and "El Paso" were regularly played in our house, which was a perfect backdrop between the John Ford films playing on the TV. Marty Robbins always seemed a bit more bad ass than the rest of Country music, except perhaps Johnny Cash. I'm sure the outlaw black cowboy outfit on this album cover didn't hurt, far, far long before Outlaw Country Music was a thing. When you play this album you convey that you are a badass that won't be tamed by anyone's opinion.

I remember first hearing these songs when my father played this record on his reel to reel tape player. Though my main musical tastes have ranged far from Western since then, I love these songs and the smooth vocals from Marty Robbins.

This felt strangely healing

No comment

this was a lot of fun--a dip into another era of popular music

..... so good.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one! I never heard of Marty or this album until I got into collecting vinyl; it’s a bit of a legendary “Holy Grail” acquisition for discerning collectors. I gotta admit I giggled like a schoolboy when I found an original 1959 Columbia Records “6-Eye” Mono pressing at Goodwill in good condition for 50 cents a month ago. Nice to have an historical physical artifact of this gem. Apparently it’s the prototype for visual media cowboy westerns pretty much to this day, and I can see why. I like Marty’s voice; it’s soothing and the harmonies with his background singers is fantastic. The guitar playing throughout is tasteful with just a touch of flair in the short riffs throughout whenever needed. And I’m sure there’s some nostalgia playing into this for me too. To this day, my Dad is THE biggest traditional western movie & TV show fan I’ve ever met in my life and as soon as the first song got going, I started flashing back to childhood Saturday afternoons watching John Ford westerns with Dad. I may have been rolling my eyes a bit back then as I wasn’t into westerns at eight…they’re pleasant memories for me now.

I audibly sighed when I got this album. Great, more boring country! But I was so pleasantly surprised by this. Brilliant Country Western storytelling.

Don Law's influence on American music cannot be overstated.

this came out of left field, the album from the 'el paso' song from breaking bad is awesome! maybe a bit repetitive but great! 4.5/5 rounding up

Love this album. Great singalongs.

Marty Fobbins is just a classic. Great album beginning to finish.

One of the best. A classic.

Fantastic storyteller. Absolutely love Big Iron, The Master's Call, and El Paso.

This was an amazing album. I’ve never been much of a country guy, but this album has everything I would want in a good Western country album. Every song has a strong narrative, telling a story that draws you in and makes you feel like you’re living it.

This is not Country; it's Western. Probably the most Western of all singers were Frankie Lane and Marty Robbins. This is the best of all the former's music, especially the epic El Paso. All of these songs are staples of the singing cowboys of the 1950s. Some are really cowboy folk songs, others just sound like something a cowboy would sing around the campfire. It doesn't matter - it's all evocative of open plains, cowboys, the Old West, and gunfights. Many ended up as the theme songs for real Western movies. So, put on a cowboy hat, strap on your (faux) six shooter, and listen to Marty Robbins take you back in time to a mythical American frontier.

Slight nostalgia rating from the first song being sung by my grandpa growing up but man this album slaps if you are into this kind of music. Fantastic storytelling with intertwining lyrics and background music that really highlight the singing. 10/10

Ultra classic cowboy country. An absolute must listen!

(goes to reviews expecting many Fallout references) Seriously, his voice is incredible and very well suited for this type of storytelling album. I really enjoyed listening to this, which is a very, very rare statement for me with country albums not by Johnny Cash

Peak country. Starting your album with 'Big Iron' and then ending it with 'El Paso' is like a cheat code for a good time. Also have to mention 'The Master's Call' which gives me chills, a masterclass in storytelling. Marty's voice is perfect for it all too. Banger.

I've never really understood why people go so crazy for this album over others of a similar sound that were made at the time (although while writing this I'm realising this probably came first lmao), but still this is definitely a fantastic album that just perfectly paints pictures of desolate, hard-done towns where so little is there that every heartbreak and pain feels like your whole world. Fuck fallout fans are annoying though.

A true storyteller. Made me pine for lazy summer days, reading Louis Lamour or watching the Lone Ranger. I’m hungry for some Tex-Mex.

This album specifically made me go back and boot up fallout new Vegas

Fun stuff

Love this album

absolutely fantastic. 160 acres is a new fav.

I don’t have the words to describe how this record makes feel other than familiar and comforting. I love it. Five stars!!

I couldn't ask for a single aspect of this album to be changed. Not to mention the album cover! This is prime pre-mustache Marty at his peak-- with 2 cuts of the great El Paso for good measure. That track has long been an obsession and the rest of this album does not disappoint. Not only are the arrangements and production smooth as a gallopin' mare, but each track is narratively cinematic in a way that just takes you there. Marty Robbins forever. Anyone shortin this good ol' gunslinger a star is as wild as the west Texas wind.

I love old western music like this. My family used to go out west on trips and my dad would always play music like this (only Big Iron from this album) so this one has some extra nostalgia built in for me to push it up to a low 5. Rating: 4.6

Big Iron, good story musical pace was nice.

"Man, I'm gonna hate this." I thought when this album was recommended to me. But when I listened to "Big Iron", a song I was familiar with, I knew I was about to listen to a bunch of fine hits. The songwriting on this album is fantastic. It's definitely one of the best 50s albums. Step aside, Sinatra! Marty Robbins gets my approval. 5 stars for this memorable classic.

This took me by surprise a now I’m completely in love with it. I think I’ve listened to the whole album 6 times today already. Even though I’ve never listened to it before it brings back so much nostalgia in me I want to cry. When I look back to my childhood, one of the happiest memories was definitely watching Westerns with my dad every Sunday at noon, right after coming back home from church. The way each song on the album tells a different western story takes me back to those times. I also enjoy the musical layer. Marty has a beautiful clear deep voice and he uses it perfectly to underline the drama in each song. The voice is obviously the most prominent instrument here, but it’s very well supported by the crooning male backing vocals. I’d have never picked it up if it wasn’t for this challenge!

Oh yeah babyyyyy. I knew I was gonna like this one. Look at that album cover! And a guy named Marty. That’s awesome

Classic!

Literally impossible to not love. Basically every song is a banger and is rivaled only by Johnny Horton for this style of western music. Not much else to say it’s just 40 minutes of pure joy.

I love this. We thank you for helping make cash, Nelson and the other highwaymen possible!

Favourite tracks: big iron; hanging me tonight; cool water; el paso; a hundred and sixty acres; running gun

Dats my shit

About as big of a surprise as I’ve had on the list yet. From the album artwork to every song, 5 stars and completely up my alley. Ennio Morricone for romantics.

Great!

I've loved this album for a while, partially thanks to Fallout NV. I don't know why it surprised me to see it on this list, but I was glad to get it and have a reason to listen to it again. Robbins has a beautiful voice, the lyrics and the storytelling are strong throughout the whole record, and the mixing is so clean for its year without sounding glossy or fussy. As a fellow reviewer said: "YE-(and I cannot stress this enough)-HAW" Highlights: Big Iron, A Hundred and Sixty Acres, Cool Water, The Master's Call, El Paso, The Little Green Valley, Saddle Tramp

Good to have in the background

This is awesome. I recognize there are no foul words on this album, but literally every song is about murdering and killing. I guess it's not as violent if you don't curse. I knew El Paso and somehow each song on here is catchy and tells a very interesting story. This is the kind of country music that I can get behind. "They're Hanging Me Tonight" is about a guy whose girl gets with another man and the narrator goes in and just kills them both. Did not see that one coming. Marty Robbins has a really good voice and this is really a pretty irresistible album. I'm not even sure this is country music but is more just western music.

A classic of the genre. I've never been a c&w fan but I do like these murder ballad. I can't tell how many times I've heard the Grateful Dead play El Paso.

5 stars for 'Big Iron' alone. This is a classic for a reason.

What a beautiful voice, and such plain, perfect singing. I find myself listening to all the lyrics, which I don't usually do - they're just simple rhymed stories. The harmonies are gorgeous. The guitar and small band are perfectly placed to support the songs. This album is perfection. 10/10!

я не знаю, в каких обстоятельствах я вдруг захочу это послушать но это абсолютно великолепно

Это ковбойские сказки! Сказки в музыке и они супер приятные! Прекрасно понимаю коммент Егора, что целенаправленно ты к нему фиг вернешься. Но пока готовился раза 3 альбом переслушал и понял что это просто супер. Я бы детям/подросткам его ставил чтобы он угорали от ковбоев Алкоальбом: чистый виски и новые патроны в револьвер

5 stars? Why not? I loved it. Such a classic feel. Breaking Bad-core.

Fascinating going from Fishscale to Gunfighter Ballads. We have been glorifying violence with guns since the 1950’s probably longer. With this album, it’s romanticizing the west for entertainment. And it really is good and fun. It seemed like the transition from old country western to a new country and western sound. I did love this album…just find it fascinating to hear Ghostface Killah that day before and then this. Quite a contrast dealing with similar subjects.

Howdy partner, how about handing over all your snuggles

It's just a great collection of violent ballads. The cover says it all. Incredible. I've seen The Ballad of Buster Scruggs since the first time I've heard these songs. Listening to them again I'm reminded that the Coens did a fairly accurate hit job on this particular kind of singing sociopath.

Before listening: What in tarnation After listening: This album unironically f*cks

Loved it

LP

Jams

This album is in my DNA. The man Johnny Cash called the greatest country singer. A hugely underrated lead guitarist. Great bass. Basically Patsy Cline's band on this one, and recorded in 8 hours.

This album makes me feel like I'm sitting in an open windowed bar with a cool breeze and the sun shining. Marty Robbins really takes you away to the old western feel with this one. So many good songs including El Pase, Big Iron, Saddle Tramp and many more. Overall just an easy album to listen to and more importantly an enjoyable album to listen to. Not the first time I've heard many of the songs and it won't be the last.

Kind of a perfect album in my opinion. Marty pulls me into every story he's telling and makes me yearn to be a cowboy out in the Romantic west. These songs are infinitely replay able thanks to catchy rhythm and leads guitars. On top of that he has a voice cut perfectly for this style of music.

Überraschend angenehmes Western Album aus den späten 50ern. Geschichten von bösen und rauen Westernhelden. Klar ausgedrückt mit schlüssigem Melodie Arrangement. Das Album versetzt den Hörer in eine andere Zeit ohne E-Mail, Social-Media und Reizüberflutung. Es ist perfekte Entschleunigung … vielleicht ein wenig zu schlulzig. Ich hoffe “Billy the Kid” knallt mich nun nicht ab 😉

THIS IS A CERTIFIED NEW VEGAS MOMENT

I really like this album!

Standouts: All Lyrics/Vocals- 5/5 Instrumentals- 5/5 Vibes- 5/5 Overall- 5/5 I fucking love this album. It's a classic and a must listen.

YES YES YES!!!! I OWN THIS ALBUM ON CD. ABSOLUTE BANGERS. Fallout New Vegas much?

I ADORE this album.

BIG IRON HIS HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP

Take me to a stoked whiskey barrel fire with burbling water in the background and at least a half full jug of Rossi. And a Swisher Sweet.

For the best experience I recommend pairing this album with a gunpowder whiskey.

I have forgotten about a lot of artists I liked in my youth. It's good to revisit them.

Such a perfect album to transport you to a different time and place. Made me smile and sway… can’t ask for more. Really discovering my love for old school country!

Fantastic. I thought it was corny at first, but then it really sucked me in. Love the vibe, and El Paso is a great song

amazing

This may be the actual most essential album that’s been suggested so far. Both emblematic of its time and timeless in its simple songs of love and loss, this is fantastic. I’ll miss this kind of humanity driven music when A.I takes over the industry.

iconic voice

If you’re into country, old western movies, or some older style of music. This is your album. I happen to be a fan of OG country and can handle some twang. Every story is like a old school western come to life through song.

10 year old me loved Big Iron, Cool Water, and El Paso. In the 90's El Paso was my go to on karaoke night. I still love the smooth vocals and the white hat cowboy lyrics.

Sun's come'n up. Round em up n ride.

This is the perfect western album!

Energetic and hearfelt renditions of old americana music. Its almost impossible to not appreciate it, even if its not your preferred genre. The instrumentation is soft and poetic, all whilst being captivating. Love this one. Bonus points for fallout music.

The cover looks like it came out of a PS1 cowboys game. 10/10

Epic title, epic cover art, epic music. It's amongst my favorite country/western albums ever. Each song feels like a movie, with a beautiful melancholic, bittersweet and mellow vibe.

I love this! My grandparents used to listen to this fella when I was younger, and I didn't know who it was. So many memories.

Fallout New Vegas

Truly a great album. I was transported to the old west. Marty's command and storytelling of his voice is unmatched. 5/5 album that I will come back to often when I am in the mood for a western.

I loved this album. I think it's a masterclass in story telling. The music is pretty simple, but the lyrics are unreal. I felt completely engrained in each story told. It's wild how many people are shot and killed in these songs. It has to be over 70 bodies, just unreal. Songs about being hung for crimes are haunting in the best kind of way. I don't typically like country music, but the album is a gem. El Paso is wild. It's on the album twice, the full version is 19 seconds longer. If it was important enough to be on the album twice....why not just have the "full version" to begin with.

Pogodite ko je ima najbolje usisavanje ikad?! Ovo je bilo top, nisan znala da volin muziku za vesterne haha… gangsterski ✨

One of, if not the most essential Western albums of all time. El Paso and Big Iron are still icons after 60 years, and hearing the full album made me certain of that. He's got the voice, he nails the emotion, and he recorded this album in EIGHT HOURS. Marty Robins and his backing band absolutely knew what they were going for, and captured a legend

A perfect record. Originally got into it by a recommendation on a Mick Jones playlist and fell in love with ol’ Marty ever since.

This album and particularly Big Iron, changed my life. One of the first vinyl records I set out to get my hands on and what a game changer. Plus it’s one of the best fallout new Vegas songs so yea

OH BITCH big iron- LETS GOOOOO. the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip (big iron on his hiiiiiip) 7 or 8 off the bat a hundred and sixty acres- i can already imagine traveling in red dead to this so 7 theyre hanging me tonight- me too. i think a 6 but i think ill grow on it. you not rocking with me? cool water- um i can imagine a trailer to it. but um a 6. billy the kid- 7 i like the almost spanish sounding riffs? utah carol- 7. um i dont have a lot to say about these songs its literally just what it says, gunfighter ballads. i love em though the strawberry roan- 7 or 8. horsey the masters call- 7 or 8. god said hiiii running gun- 6 or 7. just kinda whatever el paso- 7 or 8. im swaying and swinging. kinda racist though??? idk in the valley- 6. the little green valley-6 the hanging tree- 8. i like the horns, i like hanging trees, ummm i like muic saddle tramp- 7. el paso- yeah a 7 ARTHUR ONE MORE SCORE

rootin tootin good time!

Love it. It’s one that I listen to in a regular rotation!

The albums songs manage to string together a story that really makes you feel like you’re in the old west. These days cowboy has become a trope that’s implies “sexy redneck”. But Cowboys in these songs are cardboard cutouts, they’re real people shaped by the harsh landscape they find themselves in. They’re fights, heartache, and revelations are revealed through the velveteen voice of Marty Robbins, an Arizona native, who lets the transient world of big irons and untamed horses come alive.

Were good late listening vibe

Incredible for a drive on the 89A

5/5 Love this

5 stars, why not

Yeehaw

Really enjoyed this! Favourited 3 tracks.

amazing i love it!

Big Iron and El Paso are both absolute jams.

This is definitely a comfort album of mine

Banger of an album. A mix of storytelling and music that brings a very authentic Western vibe.

I enjoyed the music style, it was an old country sort of style. I liked that all the songs had a complete story in them.

This album blew me away. I had never heard of Marty Robbins until today. I'm a big fan of westerns but not the slick, naff John Wayne type ones and I was a.bit worried that I'd encounter some cheese here. I needn't have worried! The songs were classy, well recorded given the 1959 release date, simple instrumentation and filled with familiar western tropes but just great quality! Cowboys were very popular at the time in movies, TV and toys before the space.race took over, now we are approaching a time where these recordings will be closer to the time period they depict than the world we.live in now. I have already listened to the album three times in its entirety and have been singing along even from the first listen with the familiar melodies, repeated phrases and resolutions. I will.be coming back to this album again and again I'm sure.

I probably only like this album as much as I do because it gets me nostalgic about Fallout: New Vegas, but if by golly if ever want to feel like rootin’ tootin’ cowboy, this is your album.

Fucking banger of an album. Of course, big iron and El paso, I already knew. But there's a few in here that are going to be kept in rotation. This album does so well at making me long for a place and time that doesn't exist now or even when it was recorded. The imagery and feelings in the music is amazing. Hard to believe that the entire album was recorded in 8 hours.

Loved it

Already love this album.

Different and fresh

👍

LOVE big iron, never got the chance to listen to this album but probably should have. Love the style from start to finish.

Absolutely unexpected just how good this album is. Great story telling, very catchy, very simple, very fun. Huge fan.

Big iron alone makes this a 5

EZiest 45 minutes of my life. it was a pleasure. Big Iron, Master's call

Classic

The best country album I’ve ever heard to date. Sounds surprisingly crisp for 1959 too, apparently recorded in one 8-hour session. In terms of pure songwriting, I’d have to venture to say El Paso is one of the 5 greatest songs ever written, and Big Iron definitely makes a top 25-50 spot. Such elegant storytelling in a way that I still hang on every word on the hundredth repeat listen. Every song in between is really good too.

MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO tämä on askel liian pitkälle menneisyyteen nähden. countrymusiikki liittyy kulttuurisesti Yhdysvaltoihin, eikä se edusta maailmanlaajuista musiikin ystäville. Euroopassa countrymusiikki ei ole vain merkityksetöntä, vaan sillä ei myöskään ollut vaikutusta musiikin ja musiikillisen maun kehitykseen. tämä levy ei kuulu 1001 albumin listaan. Hillbillyn hölynpölyä. mutta tosiaan aivan vitun hyvä albumi 50-luku lyhyttä kappaleenrypäkkää i dont give a m*therfucker bro i dont care.. vitosta kassiin ja juosten karkuun big iron

This was a lot of fun. I've heard a few of these songs before but I was not expecting the whole album to be so much fun. It's not hard to imagine being around a campfire while this plays. Will definitely revisit.

YEE-fucking-HAW I have a long bus today and so it’s the perfect time to feel like a cowboy for ~45mins. 🤠 I’m so surprised about how I feel about this album. I feel like I’m floating on air listening to it. When the first song came on I thought “this sounds like it was on Breaking Bad”, quick google showed El Paso was featured in the series finale! A voice of silk, the most playful guitars, and cunning lyrics that tell a moving story. This one’s an easy 5 for me.

What a revelation! Love the sound, the guy's voice, all that stuff. Really felt like a gunslinger in the Wild West listening to that. Big Iron, Cool Water, The Master's Call, El Paso, and Saddle Tramp were my favourites. My favourite album in a long while.

This was easily the most surprising album I have ever been suggested. I came into this knowing a bit of old country music cause that is what my grandparents listened to when I grew up. I might have heard a Marty Robbins song here and there as a kid but I definitely didn't remember him if I did. Either was the level of storytelling on this album was absolutely astounding and is easily among the best of any country album I have heard. From the most well known song nowadays "Big Iron" to "The Master's Call" to "They're Hanging Me Tonight" the storytelling was genuinely shocking. As someone who is a big rap fan hearing storytelling to this level in a non-rap genre was very surprising. Not a bad song on the album and is an easy 9.5-10/10 for me.

Dope I love it

Dad's songs

Reminds me of...

This is a cracking album with some of the best the genre ever had to offer. I think this also might be the oldest album I've come across so far (#813 for me). It's a shame this guy was a bigoted asshole. It makes me not want to give the album 5 stars, but also he's dead and in hell so who cares

From the moment Big Iron plays and you see Marty Robbins in gunfighter stance on the front cover, you know you're in for serious business. In these ballads and trail songs, you get nothing less and nothing more; exactly what is advertised. It can get through like a breeze and have you feeling as though you've lived a hundred lifetimes and more. Speaking of more, where can I get more of these gunfighter ballads and trail songs? Because I'm in serious need.

ZERO SKIPS RIP UTAH CAROL

Yee, and I cannot stress this enough, HAW. 5 stars.

Rootin tootin set of tunes

In the early 70’s every now and again I was babysat by an aunt or one of her daughters. Their living room was decked out in western style and classic country & western was always on the stereo. The Hanging Tree and Cool Water were particularly memorable selections. Hearing them again today has me feeling like I’m 6 again in the dim, fascinating room. Aside from the memories, Marty Robbins’ voice is so pure and these songs so iconic I’m very glad to see them recognized here. Definitely an album to hear before you die. Probably in a gunfight.

countryzao de 59 muito nask

Yehaw! How is this composed entirely of bangers from start to finish? Not just good country music, but GREAT country music. Marty Robbins, damn it, you did it. You not only made a country album I enjoyed, but you made quite possibly my favorite country album. Cash at the various prisons are fantastic, but man, this one is great. Smooth voice, great lyrics with catchy rhymes, and nice, soft instrumentals. Also, side note, I thought 'Cool Water' was made up for 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' movie, but nope! I know it wasn't written by Robbins either, but still.

hahaha ok just going by the cover and title alone, I like this. Better live up to its name!! Ok yep, it fucking rules. It's like a mini story in each song, very cool "vibe", almost like a western in music. What's not to love? Full bloody marks. 5/5. Update: listened to this twice. What a corker!!!

Dit is genieten.

That's a 10

Genuinely, this rules. Great narrative structure that flows through the whole album.

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 This album is so fucking good. One one level, its something that everyone should hear as a representative of the era and genre. On another level, its got amazing pace and theme, and these tracks are absolutely amazing. 5/5

Stellar Country-Western ballads by one of the most talented artists in country music history. Not only is he an incredible music writer, he's an impeccable singer. It's no wonder he's considered one of the greats.

Cowboy songs about Mexican gals and outlaws. Super fun!

Прекраснейший кантри-альбом, который ярчайше выделяется на фоне остальных засчёт своей конструкции, чувственности текстов и непревзойдённого мастерства Марти Роббинса в своём ремесле. Он знает, как написать очень трогательную песню, он превосходно играет на гитаре и он просто божественно поёт. Все эти навыки складываются в один замечательный релиз, который слушается очень легко и быстро, и даже некая однообразность песен не успевает надоедать, ибо каждая песня здесь - отдельная история, поэтому моё внимание удерживалось до самого конца. (9)

I yearn for the great outdoors.

YEE HAW

Straight to my soul, this one! I'm not a cowboy by any means, but something about this styles makes me feel so much peace. Yeehaw all day. Perfect western music

Old groovy classic

He does one thing but he does it spectacularly well and I'm here for every minute.

ABSOLUTE BANGER

good album.

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this. Listened while on a walk. Kept me going so fast. The fast paced beat, the gory stories, the soothing vocals. Love, love, love.

Precisely

I listened twice. I adored this album. Found out my dad had been singing a real song all those years! “Coooool, cleeaaar waterrr.” He would sing it on hikes and hot days and the like. Us kids though he was just being a dork. Im so glad I listened, for the memories, and for Marty’s smooth voice.

Ima give it a 5 cause why not. I liked the songs they banged

One of the greatest pleasures of this project is discovering albums you would never normally listen to and being struck by how incredible they sound. Beautifully constructed, beautiful arrangements and melodies. I had never heard of Marty Robbins but what a voice - what an image. And as if being a Gunfighter was not enough, the man was a NASCAR driver too! This is simply stunning outlaw country. Utterly bad ass, 100% American. It goes straight to the heart of the American character, captured on wax. Big Iron must surely rank amongst the greatest songs of the 20th Century.

Masterclass in couplet storytelling. Whether you like country or not, songs like ‘big iron’ are hard not to get sucked into. The soft disposition of the acoustics and bass is complimented justly with Marty’s lovely vibrato. An album for the ages.

absolute classic. excellent songs, love the harmonies. faves: big iron, they're hanging me tonight, cool water, el paso

High quality bangers all

loved it!

Classic from start to finish.

I love this album. Like so many others, my "introduction" to Marty Robbins was hearing "Big Iron" in 'Fallout: New Vegas', and that remains one of my favourite songs of his, but there's so much here to enjoy. The primary star here is Robbins' voice; it perfectly encapsulates the soul of classic country music, belting out these charming, captivating lyrics in a manner that is so easy and enjoyable to listen to. There's a beautiful nostalgia to this music, capturing a time and context that has long since passed us by but continues to live on in these songs. An absolute must listen to.

There was some good story telling in these songs right here. El Paso has always been a bop.

Loved this - country but not winey- something my grandparents would have listened to and love that nostalgia vibe - sounds familiar although I’d never heard it before

Yes please. I am a country boy at heart and this music lets me imagine I work on a ranch in colorado with my horses (except I dont really like horses). I think I want to have horses on my ranch, I like the idea of lots of prancing stallions in my fields. And I would have an apple orchard. Its nice to hear a country album that isn't incessant racism and sexism, this is classic country (i guess probably western more accurately) about hard working, blue collar struggles post WW2 Highlights from this album, "Big Iron" what a cracking start to the album. "El Paso" - Gratefull Dead also covered this album lots in their earlier tours to great affect. Loved this, giving it a 5 as it had a huge influence in a lot of the later country and rock music I listen to.

Much better than I expected. Easy to just fade into background, but then you would pick up on a wild scenario from one of the ballads and get pulled back in. Also this dude raced in NASCAR for fun?

Incredible album. Every song tells a vivid story and Robbins' voice is hauntingly beautiful. Enjoyed from beginning to end.

Great

Fun to hear a storyteller working in direct images and a strong voice

Banger isn’t a strong enough word to describe this album

I loved this album as a kid in the 70s. It's a classic.

I barnstorm by Country music most of the time, but this album was a cracker. Very good story teller. Paints a good picture of what life may or may not have been like in the era

Yee haw

loved it, the og country music.

Classic stuff. You can hear the influence this has on the Grateful Dead, Chris Isaak, and the CatDog theme song. All bangers.

Goes a long way to explaining why the genre was called Country & Western. The influence of this release was enormous at the time and it is apparent what that was the case.

Really great. Each track was like it’s own western film and I found it really impressive how a world was created within each song, filled with vivid characters and settings. I know the Grateful Dead covered El Paso from this, but they must have been inspired by this world building too. Cool Water, El Paso, and Billy the Kid did this exceptionally well. I’d probably give this a 4.5 if I could since I can’t say it’s something I’d truly want to listen to frequently and sounds dated but it’s country music at its best for sure.

Pretty tempted to give this five stars as it seems like the epitome of wild west ballads. I'm sure there'll be a time and place where it's necessary to put this on as a soundtrack, not exactly sure when but when the time comes I'll know.

Amazing trail songs.

Un album trop hot. Fallout new vegasj’adore

way better than I ever could have expected, incredible songwriter

A fantastic album. Along with rap, country has been my eye opening genre that I will likely explore as a result of this exercise. Each song is a small cinematic snippet replete with shady characters, beautiful vistas and plot twists. All the songs are great but the standouts for me ; Big Iron (gorgeous rhythm guitar), El Paso and The Masters call. I loved this album 5 🌟 (bonus; the songs chose by Tidal after the album was finished more great storytelling songs that enhanced my listening experience)

Loved it. If all country sounded like that I'd be hooked

As much as I have difficulty with millennial pop I find it really easy to connect with music that was produced decades before I was even born. Who knows! So I was excited of getting a 1959 of what seemed to be a country album, and really eager to get to listen to it. I am not deceived: the double bass, the subdued, barely audible acoustic guitar/banjo, and those vocal harmonies, just wow! One of my favourite albums of 2021 was Sturgill Simpson's The Ballad Of Doode & Juanita, and I can see clearly the influence that Marty Robbins' album might have cast over the kind of Sturgill's albums narrative.

This was amazing. Every song was better than the last. What great stories and tunes.

YEEHAW, i have a new album for the favourites list! Gotta get back into Fallout... Cool Water is an amazing song!

Brilliant album, fantastic country western music

I liked the songs. A few reminded me of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson Storytellers.

Det har skett.

What a fun, unique album. 2 recognized songs

great storyteller through music

This is BRILLIANT.

This is great stuff. So evocative and such a clean sound. I’d never heard of this dude before

An adorable collection of brilliant western and western inspired tracks that made me smile from ear to ear. Cheesy as hell but immensely enjoyable.

Really great storytelling lyrics. And the production, mix and master are very good indeed: love the stereo panning, the BV stacks and the reverbs on the lead. Incredible for an album recorded in 1959.

Neat stuff from the late 50’s!

Hands down the best country album of all time. Marty Robbins' Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs is an all time classic and anyone who says differently in unequivocally wrong. Highlights: all, they're all perfect.

9/10. Big Iron aside, this was just enjoyable to listen to. I think the style got a little repetitive

25. Um quarto com sorte. Um terço pela certa. Metade para azares. MotA: The Master's Call "To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day"

Realy good

Cross of slow Elvis and Georgie Fame

When cowboys were shiny

This actually felt like listening to a bunch of country themed stories sang by a campfire. Very nice mood

So relaxing. +1

Toe tappin' fight havin' classics

Awesome story telling in song

Legendary album. The father of heavy metal. The man, the myth, the legend.

These are all actually really great and catchy!

really liked it

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.

Сара 4 Марко 4

🤠: the album

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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'

Loved this album.

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

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

Knapp an fünf Sternen vorbei. Texasmusik, sehr chillig

Big iron jajaja

This is different than anything I've ever listened to. Enjoyed it so much more than I would have thought! Maybe because it's unique, but it was easy to listen and follow along and enjoy the stories. I wouldn't have thought I would enjoy country western stories, but this album made it very enjoyable.

The story telling really grabbed me. Could not do anything but just listen. Great change of pace! Had to crank El Paso!

Great storytelling. Unique. Plus I have a lot of nostalgic memories of this. 4 thumbs up.

Oddly enough I have this album in my collection as it belonged to my dad. He's still around but I ended up with this record somehow and since he has no way to play it anyway, I guess it's mine now. Dad loves old westerns and cowboy shows like Gunsmoke and The Big Valley. So he played this album a good bit when I was a kid. As an 80s kid who loved thrash metal and hardcore, Marty Robbins was pretty corny to me. But you know what? Now in my 50s I find that I really enjoy this record. And it reminds me I need to hang out with my dad.

🔫☢️ Big iron on his hiiiiiiiiiiiiip ☢️🔫

Fallout New Vegas

8/10 I'm a big fan of this specific type of music, it makes me feel like an outlaw. Objectively I think I enjoyed this at a 6ish out of 10 but they put Big Iron in Fallout: New Vegas so 8/10

It's not everyone's cup of tea but it's vintage. Perhaps the first concept album ever. Johnny Cash and Elvis vibes here. If you hate proto country music then you will hate this. Quality of music though, is high. Writing is higher.

I liked this album, good stuff

Despite the cover, which looks incredibly hilarious for our time, featuring singer and actor Marty Robbins, resembling a young Nicolas Cage, in a Pedobear pose, this turned out to be a very good album! Classic ballads of old American cowboydom, sung in a pleasant voice over an acoustic guitar. Among the plots are "I was looking for a better fate, but a bandit shot me," "They started a showdown over a woman," and "I forgive everything, but need to finish you" Rappers were telling similar stories for modern Americans fifteen years ago. And while listening to this record, since the music here isn't the most diverse, it turned out to be really important to listen to the lyrics and read them. More than once during those half-hours, I caught myself thinking that I have some other things to do, but I was so curious about how each story would end.

Ясное дело, все знают отсюда Big Iron, во многом благодаря F:NV конечно. Ну, в общем, говоря кратко: здесь пятнадцать биг айронов. Ну а что вы хотели, ну что поделать? Ну не было тогда альбомного мышления, до первых концептуальных альбомов ещё 7 лет примерно. Тогда ты заходил в record store будучи уставшим сороклетним мужчиной, увидел знакомое имя и понял что тебе будет что зарядить на твой старый проигрыватель, пока ты будешь тихо сидеть и пить пиво на веранде. Ну и прекрасно. хахах. Рука не поднимается поставить низкую оценку. Интересные песенки, какие-то истории, все приправлено должным американским колоритом. Неудивительно что спето всё столь достоверно, мужик жил той эпохой и общался с людьми оттуда.

HELL YES!

Actually liked this more than expected. Sounds nostalgic, and the album is coherent, but not repetitive. Good four stars!

Saturday, 6 June, 2026 Great vibes. Great backing band.

People say entertainment is so violent these days, as if people haven’t always lusted for violence in their media. There’s so much to love about this record. Robbins’s gorgeous crooning, the 1950s backing vocals, the effective performances from the band. It strikes me how much I enjoy old school country compared to modern country. So glad I listened!

This takes me back to my high school days... coming home and playing Fallout NV haha. Big iron aside(because it's a 6/5 obviously), the rest of the album is pretty chill and cozy for me. It really puts me in a nice mood

Well, time for a good old fashioned showdown with what to be the birth of outlaw country. And in this duel, I think this album won me over. I didn’t know what to expect coming into this album, I kind of thought it was gonna be really weird, but the whole western thing grew on me. Songs like Big Iron and The Master’s Song didn’t feel like a cheesy pastiche of westerns, but an honest attempt to recreate that vibe in song, which I think worked pretty well. I thought that the guitar playing in the album also matched that vibe and worked in its favor. There were also more chill songs in the album, such as Cool Water and The Little Green Valley, but that’s to be expected, that way the more energetic songs stand out. It wasn’t like a life changing listen, but I had fun with this quirky piece of music history, I’d definitely say it is a high three, low four, definitely an album worth your time. Now, onto the next one, High-Ho, Silver!

Reading the description of the album, I really thought I would not like this album. Luckily for me, I was swept away by it's charming storytelling and authenticity. Favorite tracks: Big Iron Cool Water Little Green Valley The Hanging Tree

Surprisingly good, but then I did play NV and have always loved big iron.

Opinion: I am personally not the biggest country fan but I really enjoyed the story-telling in this album :)) Favorite songs: (1) The hanging tree (2) The little green valley (3) El Paso Overall Album Rating (Pitchfork rating system): 7.2/10

me faltó escucharlo a caballo

This is wonderful - makes me wanna play Fallout… and Red Dead Redemption

Unexpectedly, this is pretty fire. Stand-outs - Big Iron - Billy The Kid

I hear this album's influence from Johnny Cash to Mumford and Sons and King Dude. Excellent production for 1959, this is a nostalgic and romanticized male-centric slice of Americana. The album was so successful that Robbins made 2 more gunfighter albums afterwards...

Own it. Love it.

#366/1001. (Omg a leap year already!). You know the best part of this project is not discovering new music but discovering new memes!

He’s got a fab voice and I like the story telling in the songs, but it is a little same-y

Very much does what it says on the tin, American folk tales of the Wild West, delivered in the classic singing cowboy style, a little twee, but nevertheless very enjoyable.

Another pleasant surprise! Cool cowboy-country with short stories and a clear nice voice. Favourites: Big Iron, El Paso

Best Track - "Big Iron"

This was a fun listen.

great tunes. great singer, powerful. big issue is that this album can be a little samey (he uses nearly the same vocal melody on like 75% of this) but it helps that most songs on here are great

I have a soft spot for these narrative songs, and these are classics.

this was fucking awesome

Came across this album a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Sometimes you just need simple, old-west stories to capture your imagination.

Cool, kinda a spaghetti western ambient

Better than expected guh

Adoro musicas que literalmente contam histórias, então esse álbum foi um prato, sobre as musicas em si, achei que parece musicas de viagem de carro mesmo uma vibe de passar o tempo, mas ritmo de todas as musicas são quase idênticos então pode ficar cansativo ouvir o álbum inteiro de uma vez. Dito isso IIIHAAAAAW