Decades ago Porter Wagoner was the one who pointed at his new discovery, young Dolly Parton.
Many had discovered Parton thanks to him, but in the meantime her star so overshadowed his that today thousands of her fans discover Wagoner via Parton, me included.
No matter how you stumble upon him, I recommend this album because he is truly a great discovery.
Wagoner's first album from 1956. titled "Satisfied Mind" is highly enjoyable, hard-core country collection with strong melodies and very good performances - I am not sure is this compilation of successful singles or original album release, however material is first-rate and almost every song a winner here. Wagoner had a warm baritone and was effective in both ballads ("Satisfied Mind") or happy, uptempo novelties ("I Like Girls", "Company's Comin') - there is also a excellent version of "Born to Lose" (later covered by Ray Charles) and wonderful, bluesy "Midnight" that would appeal to Mark Knopfler and his buddies today. There is nothing flashy or showy about Wagoner's singing, he sounds honest and basic, often backed by vocal chorus. I understand his later work was often borderline sentimental but here he was simply excellent.
No comments:
Post a Comment