Buck Owens - Together Again My Heart Skips a Beat (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

Real music for real people.

foghorn | 12/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If CD's wore like records, my copy of this one would have lots of crackles, pops and skips by now. To this day, Buck Owens' contribution to country music has been under-rated, notwithstanding the credit he justly receives for the "Bakersfield" sound. In fact, it could be argued that Buck ruled the roost of country music in the 60's.For certain, you won't hear anything resembling these cuts on today's so-called "country" radio stations. While any of the Buckaroos material is great listening, this one is my favorite and every cut is strong. Twangy Telecasters and sweet pedal steel make for that classic Buckaroo sound.If you like old-style country and don't have this CD, get it, particularly if you're not familiar with Buck or can only envision him as a side-kick on "Hee-Haw".In my book, Buck is right up there with Hag and George Jones, and there is no better Buck CD than this one. Highly Recommended!"

Where today's country came from

Pa Hillbilly | Covington, WA USA | 02/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you want to see where today's country came from, this is required listening. But listening to this CD is not simply an academic exercise. It is also enjoyable to listen to, even today. It is amazing how much influence on music Buck has had. "Act Naturally" and "Save the Last Dance For Me" were covered by other groups and who can forget his harmonies. Many of these tunes hit the charts when they were new.If you only know Buck from his goofy skits on Hee-Haw you owe it to yourself to listen to these tunes."

A fun CD

Sam Duncan | Hillsville, VA | 04/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I first bought this one I didn't take it out of the player for two weeks. Even if you don't like what passes for country music nowadays you should give Owens a chance. I challenge anyone not to sing along with Truck Drivin' Man, Act Naturally, or Storm of Love. There really isn't a weak song on it though I think these are the standouts."

Double A-Side anchors Bakersfield Sound classic

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 02/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Life must be pretty good when the both sides of your single duke it out for the #1 spot on the chart. This is exactly what happened when Owens released the title single of this album -- each side spent a week-and-a-half in the #1 slot, with the flip taking a turn at #2. And why not? Owens and the Buckaroos were at the peak of their musical and performing powers; over the few years they'd been recording for Capitol they'd sharpened and strengthened every aspect of their music.Buck Owens wrote what seemed like an endless streak of songs whose lyrics and melodies lodged in listener's memories. The Buckaroos, already a group whose interpersonal musical chemistry was unparalleled in the field, refined and expanded their Bakersfield sound, and the hot mixes on their records literally leaped out of AM radios. The remastering for Sudazed's CD reissues shows off just how well these records were produced and engineered in the first place.At the core of the Buckaroos sound are Owens' voice and the telepathic harmony singing of Don Rich. It's no wonder that Owens felt his musical career was mortally wounded with Rich's death in 1974. Their singing is a textbook of how a duet singer simultaneously leads and reinforces his or her partner. Each singer is singly impressive, but the intertwining of their voices, the surge of energy when Rich kicks in with a harmony, is spine-tingling. Song after song, whether originals, honky-tonk classics, or pop covers, Owens and Rich take ownership of the lyrics and melodies.Beyond the double A-side, the album is filled with stellar honky-tonk songs, including Red Simpson's two-stepper "Close up the Honky Tonk," and weepers from Hank Cochran ("A11," a hit for Johnny Paycheck) and Owens himself ("I Don't Hear You"). The romantic euphoria of Terry Fell's classic "Truck Drivin' Man" must have directed more than a few young fans to a life on the road, and the shuffle-beat remake of The Drifters "Save the Last Dance For Me" completely obscures the original rock 'n' roll hit.One of the album's inventions, bringing drums to the fore on "My Heart Skips a Beat," was Owens' idea, but carried out by Ventures drummer Mel Taylor. With the Buckaroos between stick men, Owens had recruited Taylor for the track, and arranged the song with pauses for polite tom-tom rolls. It's hard to imagine now (especially given Nashville's current embrace of highly produced drum sounds) that such a gentle percussion accent could cause an uproar, but apparently many of Owens' fans didn't much cotton to it at the time.The bonus tracks include two of Owens' biggest (and best) singles, "Love's Gonna Live Here," and "Act Naturally." The optimism of the former spreads throughout the lyrics, melody and accompanyment, sweeping the listener into its happy bubble. The latter (Owens' first #1) is more likely than any other song to have expanded Owens' fame beyond country music: the Beatles recorded a hit cover just a year after this LP was released.This album is as fine an example of Owens' and the Buckaroos' musicality and hit-making abilities as you'll find on a single disc. With so many musical highpoints, there's simply no room for filler."

This was my first Buck Owens CD...

Elliot Brindley | Birmingham, AL | 03/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought it 3 years ago and since that time I have purchased every Buck Owens CD I could get my hands on. I now have a total of 27 Buck Owens CDs, but this is still one of my favorites. This is one of those albums that you can listen to from begining to end without having to skip over any duds. This is definately one of the best albums that Buck ever made."

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