Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins' voice was smooth and aided his storytelling habits. Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs does a good job making a difference between country and western, though Robbins dabbled in both genres. I did think the album went on for too long, but then I belatedly realized I listened to the lengthened 1999 version, not the original from 1959, so I won't hold that against Mr. Robbins.

Marty Robbins has such an intriguing voice. It's definitely not what I think of when I think of "country" music, but it's nice to listen to. Despite not being my typical idea of a "country voice", he definitely understood the assignment when it came to writing country lyrics and telling a story. When people use the term "country western music", this is why. As someone who is not typically a fan of classic country, I was surprised to find Robbins quite palatable.

I like these old western cowboy songs, but an entire album of them is a bit much. There's also a lot of similarity between some of the songs. But pretty much any of these songs I wouldn't mind playing onesy-twosy, just not the entire collection again. 3/5

Not my style, but fun. Would never listen to on my own.

That was a trip… to the heart of the old western movies.

I listened to this while making a cake for my Mom's birthday. It is very 1950s country and I heard little bits of early Elvis too. I didn't know any of the songs before listening, but the opening track "Big Iron" I have heard before, but I don't know where. Might have been on the oldies radio station back in the day? I don't know that I will revisit this one again but I enjoyed it. I certainly would consult it for a future spaghetti western I would make in another lifetime.

Not listened before Fav tracks: Big Iron, Cool Water

The vibe is strong on this one.

I like the storytelling but the style of music isn't my favourite

Yeehaw. His voice is gorgeous, reminded me of Roy Orbison, songs got a bit repetitive so better in small doses

I'm in a film, on my horse, wearing a cowboy hat, watching the sunset. All v romantic. The lyrics are great, each one is a little story in itself. I lost interest after a while though, a whole album of this is a bit much...

It does what it says on the tin of chewing tobacco. Tells a story, voice is nice, good rhythm. Not for me in large doses, but it was a fun change.

Kept expecting the Jebediah Springfield song to turn up on this.

3.5. country!!! tells story through the lyrics.

Proper old fashioned country, some good tracks.

Very nice storytelling.

you know what this wasn’t actually so bad. i probably wouldn’t ever listen to it on my own (certainly not as a complete album) but i do ultimately love a good story-song, which almost all of these are, and i also really like that style of super precise background harmonies (à la the everly brothers i guess?). yeehaw!

That was actually pretty cute. But here’s something about this kind of voice that makes all the songs sound the same to me, like almost too smooth and neutral, and it feels like the whole thing has been painted over with the same wash if that makes sense….like going over a painting with a single shade….i am so tired right now and don’t know if my paint analogy is making sense…

It was pretty cool and fun to listen to but not playlist song

Interesting, liked it more than I thought I would.

Fun and enjoyable. But country music is not my type.

The title of the album couldn’t be more accurate. It’s a bunch of stories about gunslingers and cowboys sung as if narrating an old western. A lot of the melodies are repetitive, but the stories are pretty interesting so that makes up for it.

Nice country record. But not mindblowing.

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would, though the stories got a bit repetitive after a while. Cowboy shoots someone, doesn’t the girl, dies and so on and so forth. Seems like a good album to listen to while playing Red Dead Redemption or maybe Fallout

I tried to listen to this whole album but it just kept playing Big Iron. 10/10 would recommend.

The title of the album pretty much says it all here--you get exactly what you came for. Classic cowboy movie soundtrack plunder on this track list.

Favorites: - The hanging tree Tot nu toe Nadines favoriet xP Altijd leuk om je een cowboy te voelen.

Leuk, grappige muziek en even wat anders

A short dose is OK. But this is too much. Different though

Fun, gunslinger music. Great atmosphere if your feeling all wild west like.

This is real country music! Not by ant menas great music, but sturdy, solid well played. What you see is what you get. A few more spins, and I’ll find myself humming along to quite a few tracks here

Cowboy style songs. Fit for a very narrow niche of listeners.

I like this style of music for the usually interesting story telling. Nice vocal and overall, a good album.

yeehaw

This shit makes me wanna play Red Dead 2 with this on in the background. I love the vocals on this thing. Reminds me of O Brother Where art Thou - full and crisp 👍 You won’t find me talking about lyrics too much - they’re just another instrument to me on first listen. But since orchestration is so simple, if I wanted to review anything I had no choice but to read along while listening to Marty’s cowboy cries. Not sure what 1959 Marty knew about the wild west, but something tells me he had some John Wayne posters in his bedroom. Taking with me: El Paso (latinas), Billy the Kid, The Hanging Tree

Good

I'm pleased that "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" helped me recognize some music on this album that I would have had no touchstone for. Big Iron was a certified banger.

This has to be the best sort of Country to listen to. Very listenable with some great storytelling allowing the listener to place themselves in the songs they’re listening to. Didn’t think I’d enjoy it but I did.

I feel like a bit of an idiot now. There was I thinking the glamourising of gun violence was the fault of the late 80s gangsta rap crowd, but dear old Marty here had kicked it off 30 years earlier. It’s also got a similar but old fashioned sort of mysogeny insofar as shooting any man perceived to be trying to woo your ex, wife or somebody you’d just like to be your girl. Not so much bragging about how rich you are though, the vibe seems to be more about being lonesome and free (while crying a bit sometimes, which seems oddly mindful and open for those times). All in all though, I enjoyed that. Some good old straight up story tellin’ from another world (albeit bleakly romanticised somewhat). Some nice subtle guitar work too.

I really love "El Paso". The other songs were ok, some quite nice, others not so interesting. But overall a decent album.

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs ist ein klassisches Album von Marty Robbins, einem US-amerikanischen Country-Sänger und Songwriter, das 1959 veröffentlicht wurde. Es ist ein bemerkenswertes Werk, das sich mit den Themen des Wilden Westens und der amerikanischen Pioniergeschichte auseinandersetzt. Das Album wurde in verschiedenen Studios in den USA aufgenommen, unter anderem in den legendären RCA Studios in Nashville, die für ihre hohe Produktionsqualität bekannt sind. Das Album bietet eine Mischung aus traditionellen Country-Balladen und Western-Songs, die oft dramatische Geschichten erzählen. Besonders hervorzuheben sind die Songs „El Paso“ und „Big Iron“. „El Paso“ ist ein epischer Song über Liebe, Verlust und Rache und gilt als einer der bekanntesten Titel von Robbins. „Big Iron“ folgt einem ähnlichen Erzählstil, in dem es um einen revolvertragenden Helden geht, der einem Gesetzlosen gegenübersteht. Beide Lieder sind für ihre starke narrative Struktur und die charakteristischen Melodien des Country-Western-Genres bekannt. Das Genre des Albums lässt sich klar dem Country zuordnen, wobei es auch starke Elemente des Western-Folk und der Balladenmusik aufgreift. Robbins, der aus Arizona stammte, brachte seine Heimat und die dortige Kultur in seine Musik ein, was zu dem authentischen Flair beiträgt, das das Album auszeichnet. Insgesamt ist Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs ein wichtiger Meilenstein in der Country-Musik und ein frühes Beispiel für die Verschmelzung von Country mit Western-Narrativen. Marty Robbins gelingt es, die Geschichte des Wilden Westens auf eine Weise zu erzählen, die sowohl zugänglich als auch tiefgründig ist. Das Album bleibt auch Jahrzehnte nach seiner Veröffentlichung eine prägende Sammlung von Songs, die das Bild des Cowboy-Mythos in der amerikanischen Musiklandschaft mitgeprägt haben. Fazit: Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs ist ein solides Album, das einen prägnanten Eindruck von Marty Robbins' Fähigkeit gibt, Geschichte und Musik zu vereinen. Es bietet eine interessante Mischung aus Erzählkunst und musikalischer Handwerkskunst im klassischen Country-Stil.

I quite enjoyed listening to this throughout the day. Good ol' western music. It's not something I'd put on regularly but it does what it does very very well

Great voice and story telling. Kind of feels like it should be an album for kids in the 50's.

Wel lachen, maar voor mijn gevoel was het ook veel hetzelfde. Het is ook wel de jaren '50/60, dus ik kan ook niet heel veel verwachten haha

Pleasant cowboy music with a few notable songs about getting shot.

6/10. The songwriting on this album is quite nice. However, this album just isn't for me. Sorry!!!

Great cowboy music, transportive and with a great voice. But it's still cowboy music from the 50s - some of it sounds like it belongs in an old movie about killin' lawmen, some of it sounds like it belongs in an old movie about being in Hawaii, somehow. Nice artifact.

Interesting

Дед прослушает, батя оценит, а сын пройдет мимо. Я не знаком с творчеством Марти Роббинса, и этот альбом (как я понял, сборник хитов) стал для меня первым в его дискографии. Мне было действительно интересно погрузиться в атмосферу дикого запада и послушать его звучание, а оно здесь достаточно примечательное. Первостепенно в песнях с этого альбома воспринимается вокал в стиле Фрэнка Синатры. За ним слышен инструментал, и он звучит так, будто The Beatles после дебютных альбомов решили замедлить темп своих песен и уйти в минимализм, оставив лишь акустическую гитару и пару тройку духовых инструментов для припевов. К тому же в песнях присутствует замечательный бэк вокал, он играет достаточно важную роль в их восприятии. В этом альбоме слушатель не найдет ничего экспериментального, каждой песне с альбома присутствует уникальный мотив, который многократно повторяется на протяжении трека, что делает почти все песни однообразными и незапоминающимися. К слову, однообразность песен определенно положительно сказывается на прослушивании альбома в качестве фоновой музыки (если вдруг обычные lo-fi стримы с ютуба надоели). Я прослушал версию альбома с 27 песнями, хотя в оригинале их количество составляет 12, и хотелось бы мне конечно же сказать, что альбом затянутый, но нет, 27 баллад подряд звучат как одна большая история в стике кантри и воспринимаются как настоящий концептуальный альбом. К сожалению, отсутствие настоящих хитов и конкретно устаревшее звучание (в отличие от битлов, которые всего через несколько лет покажут классику рока) не дают мне поставить высокую оценку данному альбому. Послушать его хотя бы раз безусловно стоит, но на постоянной основе я это сделать не смогу. Ковбойские 3,5/5 (3/5).

Oldschoolowe country. Jak z Radia Pogoda. Ma to swój urok, ale w pewnym momencie staje się bardzo monotonne. Każdy kawałek jest przyjemny, bo każdy jest taki sam. Na jedno kopyto ten koń jest kuty. Mimo tego nadal całkiem nieźle się bawiłam przy tej płycie. 6/10

Of its time, music romanticising the old Wild West. Quite popular with the generations that preceeded mine. Can't doubt he's got a good voice and the lyrics are well crafted as vignettes. The sort of music my late mother and her generation seemed to love

El Paso is a classic

Smooth country swing

Very linear, over-explanatory storytelling. Also has a strange fixation with geography. Idk, this was a weird one. Like if Lawrence Welk was doing Johnny Cash.

I'm not sure how to rate this! I liked it and thought it was good at what it was going for. So, 3 stars?

Won't lie, I thought I was going to hate this from the cover. But it was actually good fun! The songs felt a little same-y is my only complaint.

3/5

It was okay, nostigia-type feeling while listening to it. But nothing that would make me wanna think or vibe to.

Was almost a western storybook album, made me laugh in places and surprisingly I didn’t hate it.

Surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Not a fan of country, but I do like the classics like this one, and the more popular stuff from the 70s and 80s

Surprisingly pleasant, actually.

Decent

Hits

YEE-HAW

A big iron on his hip

Giving this a 3 because I can’t really imagine ever seeking this out to listen to it again but I actually enjoyed it. Great story telling, simple but complementary music, nice voice.

This was nice. Cool. Interesting. I enjoyed it and will definitely come back to it.

Not my cup of tea

This was quite a pleasant listen

Pretty decent album, but Marty Robbins was MAGA before MAGA was a thing, so fuck him.

Wish I had a big iron on my hip.

A little too much country 4 me

Great driving album, a gem of American west

I enjoyed it. Not the type of music I'd go back to but it was a good listen.

I can see why something like this would be on this list. It's very pleasing on the ears. Light, fun, simple, great melodies. Just not my daily listening preference, but glad I am now familiar with it.

This yee do be hawing, ain't it right, fellas?

++: Big Iron, Cool Water, Billy the Kid, A Hundred and Sixty Acres, They're Hanging Me Tonight, The Master's Call, Running Gun, Utah Carol +: The Strawberry Roan, In the Valley, The Little Green Valley +-: El Paso 7,9/10

I enjoyed the bad boy vibe and some of the country sounds, but it's a product of its time and just sounded a bit too close to eat listening for me

achieved exactly what it set out to do. very repetitive but not a bad listen. nice to hear the original (?) recording of El Paso but weird that it’s on the album twice

Lay still, Lenore, I'm coming? Big iron, indeed! 3.5

Fun, but a bit too country for me

Fun and nostalgic

It wasnt as bad as I was expecting, although it was exactly what I expected. They're of a time and they do really make you feel like you're watching an old cowboy film.

Very catchy songs, happy to finally discover country music ( i think it's country ? ). I find the music a bit childish but it's nonthenless great.

1st song is the best in the album.

Enjoyed - smooth vocals. Only problem for me is that cannot really relate to Cowboy songs about horses so kinda washed over me with no emotional hook.

65. Pleasant but it all sounds the same. Good for a night drive or to listen indoors looking at a foggy day outside.

Old

They're hanging me tonight felt more 50s sock hop them cowboy. Overall not bad just not my thing. There is some beauty in the storytelling in the songs. It's straight forward but it's also a good reminder of folklore and story telling traditions through song. Makes me think of some of the songs origin and the cowboy lifestyle long ago. Not wanting to go back but just good examples of a time gone by.

Really good western music. I have heard some of these songs before but listening to the whole album was pretty cool. I'm not sure I would listen to it again but it's classic western type music that I enjoyed. I don't think that I would seek it out to listen again though.

I was familiar with "El Paso" but nothing else. Interesting to read that "Big Iron" had a viral moment because it was included in a video game in 2010. I find this kind of music ages a little better than other genres.

Quaint and not unpleasant to listen to, but not anything I'd go out of my way to go back to.

Fun country ballads! Not something I would seek out though

It was alright for a western type album. But only 3 stars.

Not for everyone, but for people who like this era of music and feeling like their in fallout it's good fun

the formula of singing 8 songs about murder and then 1 or 2 about jesus never fails to crack me up. this music sounded great and he has a really good voice.

There's like 3 song templates on this album and then there's like 3 or 4 versions of each template, but thankfully they are pretty good

yeehaw

nice sound, i love when an artist tells a story with lyrics like this. feels like a lost art, you dont hear this sound or type of lyricism that much nowadays, but its a fun one!

Now country in general is not one of my go to genres. I have a bit of exposure to much early country music as well, having grown up with it to a large degree. It just never entered my soul, as such. But I would not say that Marty Robbins, or this album is quite the same thing. Most of the country I am used to is short, tragic tales of down on ones luck, hard drinking, gambling, I don't know... But this is more like stories being told. Hard luck? Not so much, more about choices and the fate that brings. I found I had to pay attention to the songs as stories and did not pay attention to the music as much. I actually really enjoyed some of these ballads, regardless of how different from my own life they are. PS: being a gunslinger might not be the best choice of career.

7/10

I like the content, although the songs are pretty monotonous

Hard to track some of these stories but damn if I don't like some of these melodies. I wonder if D'Angelo listened to this while writing SDM.

It's fun, and Big Iron is great, but it's really hard to take this album seriously.

Big Iron. It's a chill time, I guess if anything harms my enjoyment is that I'm not a country guy but somehow this album feels familiar with the tejano influences.

frekar skemmtilegt bara. hlusta aftur. 3,5.

Rätt lyssningsbart faktiskt. Några oväntat bra låtar.

It was good, but... same ish?

Flo sounds based ngl

Really fun listen but got a little repetitive towards the end. Big iron is a jam.

Big Iron is a certified hood classic (shoutout fallout new Vegas). The rest of this album is rootin…and certainly tootin

good western country, not mine

Very fun, reminds me of playing Fallout. 3.3 stars

Kinda fun in the same way that watching movies from that era is kinda fun, but not anything I would play on repeat.

Coming into this one with a bit of knowledge about the album beforehand. This is the peak of western music and contains some of the greatest country songs ever made. Get me a pint of golden water and a cowboy hat - yeeeeeeehawww

Some swell guitar picking and singing.

Jaah respekti kolmosta

Classic. Know most of these by heart. I love the storytelling of all of these songs. Just the type of country that I enjoy. One of my faves is "El Paso" and "Utah Carol"

I love storytelling in songs and this album is bookended by two really nice ones in Big Iron and El Paso. But most of the rest of the album is really dull prewar type melodies which I cannot stand :(

I thought this album was cute. Fun to listen to an album from the 50s. I enjoyed my time 3/5

Nice enough. Sometimes it got a little repetitive, but overall there were no tracks I actively disliked.

Great voice

Kitschiä mutta kieltämättä viihdyttävää. Osuva sovitus ja tuotanto korvaa yllättävissä määrin biisinkirjoituksen yksipuolisuutta. Big Iron on ainutlaatuinen - myös siitä huolimatta, että pari biisiä tälläkin LP:llä kuulostaa ihan samalta.

Interessant angefangen, aber dann nicht unbedingt interessanter geworden. Das Albumcover ist einfach lustig schlecht Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Big Iron

Całkiem spoko jak na country

I actually really enjoyed listening to this album

Enjoyed a few of these, like Big Iron and The Master’s Call

I find Western music generally easy to listen to, this album being no different in that respect. Nice tales with harmonies splashed here and there.

Good stuff. Some nice tracks on there with some great stories in them, some of which I'd heard before. El Paso was not good enough to appear twice on the album though!

Clearly Marty Robbins is a legend for a lot of people in the US who grew up listening to him, I can tell he's admired and loved; the western songs are cool and the man himself is talented and well deserving of the people's respect. I wouldn't listen to this album again, but it was pleasant to listen to the heroic tales sang with great vocals and nice harmonies.

I was ready to take this piss out of this album, but I ended up quite enjoying it. It's very samey, so the enjoyment wore thin towards the end of the album, even though I don't think the later songs were any worse than the earlier ones.

A lot of samey songs, but when you like them, it’s fine. It’s formulaic, but Marty Robins’ voice makes that fine.

Aww, reminds me of my grandma, she loved this guy. I think he's okay. Also, the replay I did when I heard this part of The Strawberry Roan: He's about the worst bucker I've seen on the range That was not what I thought he said. Be a lot cooler if he did, tho. 3/5

Got a bit samey after a few songs, but I kind of enjoyed the old-times Wild West feels for what they were.

Solid G-rated murder ballads

'50s country is so much more palatable than a lot of what will come later. Not something I will ever love, but this is pleasant and well-preformed. Reminds me more of hornless mariachi than what I think of as "country", but I also know the relationship between the two is pretty tight, so it makes sense.

It was xhil

Kinda liked this one, actually. 3.2

Love and guns. He has a great voice and the albums is for easy listening. Sounds very pure.

Cowboys and Mexicans, the album

wow, okay one of the better country sound that pioneered the Western sound of the 50s.

Good

Loved the outlaw tales, especially the first few songs. The novelty wore off a bit in the second half but still a good listen.

Great start to an album. Death and guns everywhere. Then some songs get a bit samey and I lose interest in the story telling. Important album as I believe it started to paved the way for outlaw country. Big iron on his hip

Some real nice songs in there. My notable favourites were “they’re hanging me tonight” and “el paso”. This music gives me memories of 1950s cowboy movies shown on a Sunday afternoon growing up.

Actually really enjoyed this little time capsule. It is a good sounding record that sounds really nice and full. Marty has an amazing voice. It sounds like it has just come fallen out of the wild wild west. Absolutely wild.

Cowboy shlock lol

Fallout New Vegas! First track is obviously a classic for that reason, but the rest of this was nice too, and I don't generally do country. Only negative I can think of is that a few of the songs do sound like similar, eg: Big Iron, and The Master's Call, that I swear also have the exact same vocal melody. Still, nice stuff.

Big Iron brings this up to a three.

El año de Kind of Blue y Time out, el bueno (y polifacético) de Marty publicó este disco pionero del Outlaw Country. Hubo discos mejores ese año, los citados y otros como los de Berry, Wolf, Ray Charles o Ella Fitgerald, pero tal vez no tan influyentes. Jugada maestra y 6º disco más vendido de la década con un género que estaba ya entonces pasado de moda. En este disco además de estupendos temas como Big Iron, está El Paso uno de sus clásicos (y ganadora del Grammy ese mismo año). Hoy en día suena como sonaría entonces un disco de Gangsta-Rap pero eso no le resta valor. Berry Is on Top – Chuck Berry, Chega De Saudade – João Gilberto, Cliff Sings Cliff Richard, Come Dance with Me! – Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook – Ella Fitzgerald, The Genius of Ray Charles – Ray Charles, Go Bo Diddley -Bo Diddley , At large y Here We Go Again! – The Kingston Trio (que arrasaron por esos años), Hymns by Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash, Kind of Blue – Miles Davis, Moanin' in the Moonlight – Howlin' Wolf , Ritchie Valens – Ritchie Valens, The Shape of Jazz to Come – Ornette Coleman, Time Out – Dave Brubeck Quartet, Heavenly-Johnny Mathis, Peter Gunn- Henry Mancini, The Lord´s Prayer- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Exótica - Martin Denny, Sonrisas y lágrimas, los Sing Alone de Mitch Miller, Conniff y Mantovani...

more of that true, classic outlaw country music that we americans have seemed to abandon, especially after 9/11. the opening track, big iron is a historic staple of country music from this time. besides that track though, not too many tracks held my interest for that long. is this good western music? absolutely. is it for me? not really. but i can at least appreciate its significance in music history.

Kind of fun time capsule listen but I don’t think I would listen every day.

Country music is so violent! But for real, I loved this album.

Big Iron // El Paso //

Soft, very 50’s feel

ковбой марльборо епт , игого

big iron on his hip For the rare moments where I wanna listen to outlaw country, this is a good album for it Although I prefer sturgill simposn

My dad would love it more

Escuche la mitad, muy local

A fun listen. Liked it more than I thought. Will listen again

this was okay, big iron is great and some other tracks were good, not something i’d be gravitated towards but it was nice

Not Bad. Just a little too "cowboy" for me.

This was fun. Better than "murder ballads," but at some points it reminded me of that one.

This was delightful and i wish the lust showed me more unknown corners of music. Good voice, good guitar, good, good stories, good cowboy nonsense

Interesting storytelling and I like Marty Robbins’ timeless voice. Not my scene, but my grandpa used to love this stuff. Songs I liked: Big Iron, El Paso, The Master's Call, Hanging Tree 3⭐️

After big iron, they drag you through a pile of utter shit just because everyone want to hear El Paso.

I enjoyed it.

Big iron on his hippppo

About half these songs have the same rhythm as each other, but it's nice to have something like this on the list.

Given the genre, I definitely enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. I could imagine myself with my Big Iron out in the Wild Wild West. Favorite Track: "Big Iron"

Albumi #23, 19.08.2024 Kunnollista western-countrya 50-luvun lopulta. Pieninä annoksina kelpaa kyllä.

This is good for what it is but really not my thing.

Bit like an extended 50s western matinee

not really my thing but I didn't hate it, it was still fun to listen to, I liked the storytelling aspect of it a lot!

This is some cowboy music

this is a GOOD ALBUM. but i cant listen to it. to my severely damaged, pockmarked brain, marty robbins sounds like dogshit facebook memes about fnv or any video game with a big pistol in it. i cant get it out of my head i have an illness. its so over for me. theyre hanging me tonight is the standout for me and when i close my eyes i see the sierra madre. the tops. gomorrah. its so fucking over bros. this is effectively a 2.5/5 but i literally cant give it a 50%

This album is interesting to me for 3 reasons: 1. I only know it because of NV Radio that basically only plays Big Iron. I really enjoy that song because of that game (and all the memes related). Initially hearing it, I didn't enjoy it at all (I'd never listened to 50/60s music that is remotely in this style, even when playing fallout 3), but it became one of the soundscapes of my Mojave adventures. 2. I never expected it to be here. I would have paid money thinking that this was a very unknown album by an unknown artist that noone had ever heard of unless you played NV. But no, apparently one of the 1001 must listens. 3. As previously mentioned, I have not ever listened to music of this era or genre other than in film and other media. In that context it's different. It's tied directly into the story or theme the film is conveying to you so it for the most part fits and isn't really questioned by me or even really analysed in any real way. But I've never sat and listened to a man singing ballads and trail songs. It surprised me that I enjoyed it more than I thought. I'm not going to pretend that I absolutely love this style of music, or that I would have given it as much time or thought if I didn't know how beloved it is by certain autistic friends of mine, but I'm glad I did. Big iron is a fantastic song, no questions asked. I also enjoyed Cool Water, the masters call and found saddle tramp interesting. I do think largely I enjoyed the stories told in these ballads and Marty Robbins voice more than anything. In that way, even the duds were enjoyable. Will I actively listen to this regularly? Probably not. Did I enjoy my time with it and grow an appreciation and understanding for the songs and the genre? I like to think so.

I love his voice and his music and lyrics are great. However, a lot of the songs sound similar, so I got kind of tired of it by the end.

It's solid but not that great!

Howdy. Now I know where to go when I meet a gunfighter and think to myself: “if only there was a ballad playing..”

I'm a sucker for outlaw country, but some of this has no bite. Still cool.

My dad owns this lp, and I grew up listening to it. It's good enough

can't relate nor can i say nothing

Nothing bad about it it’s just not really my thing.

Classic - Mart Robbins tells some fun stories but could do with mixing his style up here and there

So repetitive

yee haw?

I'm not sure I've ever knowingly heard Marty Robbins' music before, so a fun new band/artist for me. "Big Iron" is a great opening track, and I really enjoyed some of the other songs on the album, mainly "The master's call" and "El Paso". The rest sound exactly how I imagine classic "cowboy" country music would sound like (complete with the harmonies in the choruses, and whispers of Gene Autry everywhere), which I enjoy in possibly smaller quantities than this album. But still a solid album for what it is; I just wish there were more original songs by him, as those seemed the strongest of the lot.

5/14, 36%

Not my thing but brings back fond memories

I mean it’s of a time and a place. Neither to which I belong. But it’s testament to its artistry that it’s able to reach out across the decades and over the Atlantic, and cast a mesmerising spell of cowboy boots on the foot, big iron on the hip, desert cacti and cool cool water

While I have heard the song "El Paso" before, I was unfamiliar with this album. I enjoyed this record thoroughly. Simple songs that draw you in and lyrics that tell a story. It was an enjoyable listen.

Liked it to start but then songs just started sounding the same.

COWBOYS

The album title says it all, and it sticks to that theme, it could have had 3 songs and I would have gotten the idea. Not bad, but not something I like listening to for more than 10 minutes.

It's hard to argue with 50s cowboy country. I'm a little nostalgic for it by way of my old man, I guess. I'm into it.

Oddly enjoyable only western music, reminds me of Clint Eastwood films.

Pleasant to listen to, and the storytelling is good. There are no songs I particularly want to come back to, however.

Makes you feel like a real cowboy

Need to catch that bounty fr

That was quite a lot of gunslinger ballads. I started very interested and loved the stories but after awhile I felt like there was no way that many characters had 20 notches on their guns. The storytelling was still the most interesting part. The music itself wasn't bad per se but after a few songs it sounded a bit repetitive. The western music genre has had a resurgence of popularity due to its use in popular media, and that's a fine place for it, but I don't think I would sit and listen to this album again.

"Big Iron", "They're Hanging Me Tonight", and "Cool Water" are solid tracks. Marty Robbins has an accomplished singing voice, and a dated but still cool western film soundtrack balladeer style. 3.3 stars rounded down.

The most Ronseal album title of all time. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Big Iron Date listened: 16/06/24

As someone who dislikes 90% of the country music he hears, I was not excited to get this album. It was much better than expected, most of the lyrics were fun and told old western stories. It's exactly the title of the album. Early Johnny Cash vibes.

Now Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs is how you do country music in the 50s. As you can guess from that statement, this album does what it wants to do as well as it can. The main thing that stuck out to me was the lyrics which just show that Marty Robbins is quite the storyteller with his songs telling stories in some pretty interesting ways. The music is alright albeit nothing special. It can sound good sometimes but other times, it can get pretty forgettable. But even then its not exactly what i would think of as the main selling point of this album. Its the stories that it tells that are and this album does those well. Best Song: Big Iron Worst Song: Cool Water

Listening to this album is like expecting a serial killer to perform their craft... Enjoyable listen, more for way way background music.

A Lot of the same but I kinda enjoyed it

Enjoyable, i love old music and i was happy bc i felt like i was listening to elvis a lot of the time but if you took a shot for every time he mentioned killing someone you’d be wasted. I suppose it fits the name of the album though

decent 3. it was a fun album but many of the songs were very similar to each other. i really liked the storytelling in some of these songs tho and just the whole vibe made me really feel like i had the big iron on me hip 1. El Paso 2. In The Valley 3. A Hundred And Sixty Acres

Would never have found or listened to it on its own. Production is great for the time period. El Paso is timeless.

A bit of a fun album to listen to. Not something I'd want in high rotation but good to reminisce about my gunslinger days. It's hard to pick a favourite they all have their little charms.

Not bad but definitely need to be in the mood

6/10 I was a young man when i voted on this albummmm...it was a predictable novelty but not without its charmmmm...now I ride the planes aloooooone 5-31-2024

Nice one

Wasn’t in the mood for this and never understood the obsession with cowboys. That said, it wasn’t grating or hard to just let it be background noise.

This is the guy Pete Townshend wrote about when he wrote “God Speaks, of Marty Robbin’s”? Huh ok. Gotta look into that more…kinda looks like him, too… I can appreciate this as a piece of history, a time capsule when the USA was obsessed with western this and cowboy that. TV shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Wagon Train,” and “Bonanza” were massive, practically dominating American television. This album, I assume, did incredibly well, as it fit into that trend of American popular culture. So if this is on this list purely for its impact, and to give Marty Robbins a place in history, I am more than ok with that. This album is pure Americana, as we see it today. Romanticized stories of the old west, tales of adventure, love and loss, and gunfights. This is what you’d expect from an album with this cover and name. The music? Well that’s also what you’d expect, except that it’s actually…good. For what it is, anyway. I’m not claiming this to be the best ever, but as a country western album, it’s a sterling example. Well produced, with interesting stories and a good backing band. But what shines the most is Robbins’s voice. He plays the part of lonesome cowboy so, so well. He fits into the archetype perfectly and with little effort. It feels like he’s always been this guy and will keep on being this guy, even if he didn’t live in the old west. It’s easy to admire the tone and style established here. Everything about the production backs up that tone and style. It’s a marvel to listen to. As a whole, I liked this a surprising amount, especially given what I’d see other people rate this album when browsing other people’s pages. I assumed I’d be giving it two stars but I honestly have to give it three for its place in history, its production, Robbins’s performance (both musically and as a character), and because it’s an excellent example of its genre. And stuff like this probably inspired “Rocky Raccoon,” so that’s cool. Standout tracks: Big Iron, El Paso, The Master’s Call, Running Gun

Mmm, there are definitely some gems, but overall all the songs sound kinda similar and at some point it felt like I was listening to the same song over and over again…

3.5

It is a hopelessly dated sound but I found it a very nice listen from start to finish.

got a big iron on my hips

Big Iron Billy The Kid El Paso

Big Iron and El Paso are great but tbh, I got a little bored about halfway through. Not bad though!!

Pretty cool

Loved this. Reminds me of something my mom would have listened to and can see myself coming back to this.

3/5. It's like Country music yet definitely has 50's ballads throughout. It's a solid collection of songs, not sure all of them work for me though. Don't get me wrong, Marty has a wonderful and beautiful voice but the same rhythm and style of singing is exactly the same through at least 5 different songs. The songs are heroic and sad but I've heard better country outlaw albums and songs. I respect the vibe of the album but definitely not perfect. Best Song: Big Iron, They're Hanging Me Tonight, El Paso

Shouldn’t like it as much as I do

I don’t like country music, but this one took me by surprised, good story telling

I liked a few songs individually, but listening to the entire album in one go is a bit much. A lot of the songs sound the same with different words.

Ensformigt

Its the year of yeehaw so this hit well

El Paso is a good track

Surprisingly great for its age. Marty Robbins is an unbelievable vocalist and the guitar shows flourish from track to track. The album as a whole suffers from the necessary simplicity of song structure and theme from the time, yet it is still clear to see why this record would be considered a classic.

This album is like those Men’s Adventure magazines (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_adventure), but with someone singing you the stupid cliched stories with generic Western music playing in the background instead of you reading them. Despite that, sometimes the dumbest things in the world can catch lightning in a bottle. This album should have been one of a million other bits of late 50’s early 60’s pop culture detritus that was forgotten almost as soon as it got home from the record store. But something about this album really works. Maybe the generic Western music is played perfectly, maybe it’s the singing. Who knows. Life is funny sometimes cowboy. 🤠

Dit is echt, vanaf nummer 1, het meest country album ooit. En dan bedoel ik niet dat het over trucks, whisky en honkeytonks gaat. Dit is een western country album, hoe fijn is dat? Maar het is niet pure country? 160 acres klinkt juist heel zomers, bijna als een soort eiland lied? De nummers zijn allemaal echt super sfeervol en Marty is ontzettend duidelijk in waar de nummers over gaan. Het is echt stokoud, en ik zal dit waarschijnlijk nooit meer luisteren, maar mocht je ooit zin hebben in een soort Country/Western audioboek dan is dit album eigenlijk best wel een aanrader. FAVO: Big Iron, They're hanging me tonight

Back in the day Cowboy!

Robbins is one of the most interesting figures in music I’ve ever read about. Mostly a country & western musician (as on this album), he helped develop the outlaw country sub-genre, forayed into blues, pop, and folk, had a small film career (mostly playing himself and/or a singer), and then even had a career as a NASCAR driver. And he was apparently a decent racer, with a handful of top-10 finishes. I know songs like “El Paso” and particularly “Big Iron” have become meme songs, but it does take a catchy tune to get to meme status. And “Big Iron” is definitely that. You can definitely see the origins of outlaw country on this album, not necessarily in the pacing or style of instrumentation, but definitely in the lyrics.

Quite a good listen and wasn't expecting it to be. Only rating it a 3 because it's just not my type of music...

Great voice, but "Big Iron" was the only interesting song; the rest are a bit too simple.

Old and timely

I've heard countless covers of El Paso by the Grateful Dead. Always loved it in their live show, and come to find they really didn't stray far from the source material. Had this on in the background for the most part. While it isn't exactly what I go in for, I really did enjoy this detour into country western territory. For what it is, this was very enjoyable. His voice is great and storytelling was very solid. High 3 for me.

Lol, I actually know the song Big Iron. Bad ass old western sounding song. The rest of the album is a rootin tootin country old western vibe as well. Not a tough listen but felt very repetitive. 3 stars for me

Sure. Definitely feels like a 50's album. As I was finishing I was like "I have totally heard El Paso somewhere". It turns out I heard it about 20 minutes earlier. Idk there's nothing really wrong with this to make it less than a 3, but I can't really warrant giving it a 2.

Yeehaw! What a way to start a morning that was so peaceful. This was surprisingly close to a 4.

Some pretty run of the mill country music to me. Infinitely better than todays country but still not 100% my jam. My ears did perk up at El Paso as I know that as a Grateful Dead song. Weird that the "full length" version is like 20 seconds longer but whatever pop off Marty.

Albums before the mid-60s tended not to capture the concept of what really makes a great album. This is a collection of good songs - but when listened to in one sitting, the style isn't quite good enough to boost it to 4 stars or higher. It's at the upper end of 3 stars. It's performed well, with a very strong vocal and simplistic backing arrangement. Big Iron, El Paso, They're Hanging Me Tonight, and Billy The Kid are highlights that could really shine as concept album material if placed in the right order. The chords definitely lack inspiration, being primarily the 3 blues chords plus the occasional minor 6 for moodier pieces. The instrumental backing the vocals also really doesn't add much to the table, being mostly bass, acoustic guitar, and light drums, all of which could be further forward in the mix and played with more energy. Overall, good music, but not pioneering - which isn't a bad thing, but I feel it doesn't fully belong in this list. 3/5

Fun little album with some memorable songs, although I still prefer Cash's version of "Big Iron"

The album title gives you a pretty clear picture of what you’re in for. I like it. It was delightfully old-timey even in its time and still delights. 3.0

Not my thing but if you like old country music this is the thing for you.

yeehaw

Nice 3/5

Ég hélt ég fílaði ekki kántrí en vona kántrí er nú bara nokkuð gott. Ætli það sé ekki gamaldagskántrí sem ég fíla frekar en þetta nýmóðins söngl. Þessi plata er alveg líklegt til að vera spiluð aftur ef ég man þá eftir henni. Fínasta stöff alveg hreint.

A great album , not amazing

Reminds me of driving up the mountain to Estes Park. Favorite track: Cool Water

Thoughts before listening: Early country music with some songs that have become staples over the years like "El Paso". Should be an interesting listen full of story songs with an antiquated sounding musical style. Review: Yeah, this is fun. Marty Robbins has a great, soothing voice and these songs are like little western movies with the stories they are telling. The music is pretty typical for the 1950s era of country music, and there are some interesting little guitar licks happening low in the mix. Not something that I would typically come back to very often, but I'm glad to have heard this today. 3-stars

This album has it all... Country AND Western!

Ik heb nog nooit van Marty Robbins gehoord, maar ik ben meteen enthousiast na het eerste nummer Big Iron. Zijn boterzachte stem, de achtergrondvocalen, de vertellende wijze van zingen… een recept voor feel good country muziek. Ja, een lekkere inkomer zeg. Je waant je in het Wilde Westen. Best wat nummers gaan zo’n 65 jaar na dato nog makkelijk mee. Maar helaas (maar verwacht natuurlijk) gaat echt niet alles zo goed mee, er zit ook wat oubollige muziek tussen. Conclusie: Marty Robbins was een uitstekende zanger, storyteller en heeft een paar nummers gemaakt die nogsteeds lekker meegaan. Voor een album dat zo lang geleden uitgebracht is, vind ik dat uniek, en meer enjoyable dan een Fats Domino of Little Richards uit ongeveer deze tijd. Rating: 7,5/10 Highlights: Big Iron, The Master’s Call, El Paso,

De tijdmachine heeft ons deze week afgezet in 50s 'Murica, en ging daarna kapot. Maar dit is - in tegenstelling tot Fats en Ray Charles - een plaat die vooral leeft in een nog verder verleden, en een specifieke subcultuur aangaat. Het is cliché om te zeggen dat die Wild Western cultuur uit de 19e eeuw, ver verwijderd van het hedendaagse Nederland, bij mij weinig emotionele aantrekkingskracht oproept. Maar dat doet deze plaat al niet echt bij een New Yorker rond die tijd, lijkt me. Toch, ondanks dat het geen match made in heaven is, weet Marty wel aardig een beeld te schetsen die past bij oude Westerns, die ook de gemiddelde Hollander wel bekend zijn. De ambiance is die van een oude saloon, en van de Lone Ranger en zijn harde bestaan op de prairies en in de woestijnen van de US. Die sfeer beviel wel, ondanks dat sommige nummers echt tenenkrommend stereotype cowboy zijn. Sterke momenten zijn de nummers die niet alleen klinken maar ook lezen als een oude Western movie. 'Big Iron' opent het bal, en etaleert direct dat Marty Robbins een behoorlijk fantasierijke pen game heeft. Je kan niet anders dan het verhaaltje volgen. De donkere ondertonen waren al merkbaar, maar de 'southern goth' komt nog duidelijker naar voren in 'The Master's Call', wat m'n favo van het album is. Die spookachtige achtergrondzang en grimmige topics laten een indruk achter zoals geen ander nummer op het album. Ik kan me voorstellen dat andere sleutelfiguren, die later de 'Southern Gothic' beweging zouden vormgeven, dit nummer wel hebben gehoord. Neem een Townes Van Zandt, een Johnny Cash, of The Handsome Family. Het wat lichtvoetigere 'Running Gun' sluit goed aan. Maar toch heeft het album te weinig van deze momenten, waarin hij de clichématige cowboyhoed en poncho even van zich afgooit, om mij helemaal voor zich te winnen. Maar het viel me ontzettend mee, en de verhaaltjes waren vermakelijk. Absoluut de beste van de drie oldies deze week. 7/10 Highlights: Big Iron The Master's Call

Shout out Kansas city

I quite enjoy Marty Robbin’s’ voice. The entire album is pleasant although never veering into greatness. I love the song “El Paso” but only two other songs come close to it. It’s fine. Wouldn’t mind listening again but I’m not going to rush to so. 3/5

Country. Ni fu ni fa.

bic iron on to the hip

Out of my wheelhouse but good stuff

Knetterfoute hoes, waarbij ome Marty eruit ziet alsof hem in de baarmoeder een extra chromosoompje is toegeschoven. Ik luister normaal bij de eerste luisterbeurt niet echt naar de teksten, maar deze man zingt zo verhalend dat je wel moet. En dan valt op dat hij meer gun referenties heeft dan 50 Cent op Get Rich or Die Trying. Mede dankzij die eerste track, bekend van Fallout: New Vegas. 'El Paso', die God mag weten waarom twee keer op het album staat, ken ik uit Breaking Bad. Ongekend. Door het verhalende lijken sommige tracks 8 minuten langer dan ze daadwerkelijk zijn, bijvoorbeeld 'The Master's Call'. De muziek staat volledig in dienst van het verhaal, waardoor er qua instrumentatie nogal veel herhaling in zit. Barbershop-kwartet-achtige country. Voor een keer wel geinig. Niet teveel irritatie. Ik word ook niet echt weggeblazen. Met hele goeie wil kun je hier een 4 van maken, maarja maandag hè.

Nice vibe from the old days

Reminded me of my Grandad. Pretty fun!

A haiku: To be a cowboy Steer rasslin', villain duelin', Cathouse loiterin'

Good

This album reminds me of my Pap, who I only recently realized groomed me throughout my childhood well into my teenage years, so... there's that. He used to hum songs like these incessantly. I can't possibly rate higher than a 3/5 for personal reasons. Gives me the ick.

Fantastic cover art. No notes. Like listening to a Coen Brothers movie. Definitely a portal into a different time. This is entirely a reflection on me, but I would much rather listen to a band like the Cactus Blossoms, who are clearly influenced by Marty Robbins, than I would to this album. Good to know who this is, but it’s hard to take this music as seriously as it takes itself. **Note: this album grew on me as I listened. By “El Paso” I was enjoying what I was listening to.

Der Album-Titel ist Programm.... Richtig Country- und Westernmusik wie im wilden Westen. Ganz witzig in der heutigen Zeit, aber eben nicht mehr aktuell.

For an utter turd (ain't I right?) he sure can play a tune or two.

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background The beauty of this exercise is listening to music I would never otherwise have heard. Big Iron and El Paso were highlights for me. The rest went down easy enough. Not necessarily my cup of tea but happy to have listened.

Not what I'd ever choose to listen to, but I kind of get it.

Big iron är en bra låt, men har aldrig hört något mer från varken albumet eller artisten. Det var väl rätt så bra. Kul med konceptalbum 3 / 5

• Väldigt igenkännbart omslag, tycker mannen ser lite konstig ut, nästan som det är en vaxdocka • Känner att min New Vegas nostalgi kommer påverka hur mycket jag tycker om låtarna • Big Iron = 5/5 banger • Vet inte hur man ska klassifiera musikstilen, nån tidig country med western motiv • El Paso x2? Betyg: Utan New Vegas och Big Iron hade det nog ej varit lika uppskattat => 3/5

Big iron är en banger Annars ganska bra album. Blir sugen på att skjuta folk med en chinese assault rifle

Fun album

Country/western isn't a genre I dive into all too frequently, but I do find the album to have a smoothness to it. There's some really inventive storytelling and there's a dignity to its simplicity. But, every song is basically a ballad, and Marty isn't particularly dynamic as a singer, so for my tastes all the songs kinda blend together. It's great background music and I mean that as a compliment. "Big Iron" is about as good of an opener as you can get.

Áhugavert að vissu leyti. Stemming.

Solid old country. Very country voice and catchy.

- HOLY SHIT ITS BIG IRON FIVE STARS - Big Iron is unfortunately the peak but everything else is nice chill desert vibes - 2.5 but I’ll round up

- Highwaymen type sound - good vibes for sitting around a summer campfire

Very sleepy. Like it but the kind of music my dad listens to. It was ok but I don't need it again.

Kinda felt like a trip to another time. On one hand nice melodies and nice story telling. On the other hand, it gets quite repetitive after half the album. No ups and downs, no really good or bad songs, and also the mood nearly stays the same. Worth a listen, but only once.

Crazy how Marty was able to make the perfect RDR2 soundtrack 60 years before it came out

Not really into country music. But this is better than modern pop country of course.

I have not heard of this album or artist before but I was able to guess that it would be country. Though it surprised me since I didn’t find it too bad to listen to. I even recognized Big Iron from somewhere. I think I’d listen again even though it wouldn’t be my first choice. Just classic sing a long songs to have a good time.

Great songs like El Paso & the rousing They’re Gonna Hang Me Tomorrow!

5 stars if i was a wyte cowboy

3.4 - it was nice, but quite samey

Confusing that there are two tracks called El Paso. Quite enjoyed this, mostly just as background music. Fave Tracks: Big Iron, The Hanging Tree 3.3/5

That's not my taste in musik. But ok

https://youtu.be/hajfdGmtZI4?si=V6HohcK_C0y1N5Xt

No es mucho mi rollo, pero me ha gustado. Si algún dia me da por ponerme a pegar tiros por el desierto y salvar doncellas en apuros, me pondré este album de fondo.

Old school but kinda fun

Myskönntry! 3:a

I had no idea what to expect with this and liked it more than I thought I would. Some very catchy tunes!

I think I’m resonating with the gunfighter ballads. Not so much the trail songs. But this is better than I expected. Highlights: Big Iron, They’re Hanging Me Tonight

💖 big iron 🗣️ 7️⃣

Fun to listen to, very nostalgic.