Search - Douglas Sahm & Sir Douglas Quintet :: Doug Sahm and the Sir Douglas Quintet (The Complete Mercury Recordings)

In my heart, five stars

Joe Cicero | 05/31/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to think of awarding five stars to a box set of albums that are only rated at three or three and a half stars individually, but I'm tempted. Maybe I just miss Doug too much.



As billed, the Complete Mercury Sessions contains SDQ's six albums for Mercury and its subsidiaries Phillips and Smash. In addition, there are a smattering of outtakes or alternate versions, including Spanish-lyric remakes of some favorites, covers by Texas legends Roy Head and Junior Parker, and a disc of mono singles that serves as something a "greatest hits" album. (OK, Junior Parker was from Mississippi, but he made his name on Don Robey's Duke Records out of Houston.) The period covered by these six albums is generally considered Sahm's most creative, and these recordings contain some of his best remembered tunes, such as "Mendocino," "And It Didn't Even Bring Me Down," "At the Crossroads," and more. The albums are presented in order of release with a minimum of additional material interspersed or bracketing them, so the songs they play through as originally sequenced, a plus not every collection offers in this "cram in all you can get" box set age.



One of the best aspects of this collection is that the remastering is clean and crisp throughout, almost disconcerting so considering that Doug could sometimes emphasize emotional effect over technical accuracy. OK, he could be downright sloppy, and there's plenty of low-grade product out there to prove it. But all the slop out there just makes this collection a more notable value. One detraction in this set is that the monaural mix on the singles disc is a little flat sounding. Interesting, but not effective. Unless you turn it up real loud.



The hardback book style packaging is innovative, and the layout and design are colorful and accessible. Good photos and liner notes, and an informative musical history of Doug and his "recording trip." I've had other sets with cardboard disc sleeves that haven't held up too well, so that could be drawback in time, although it works fine now.



Those who know the music of Doug Sahm and the Sir Douglas Quintet are in for a treat with this package of his earlier work. If you're not from Texas, he's probably an acquired taste. Doug has been called innovative and unique, but that's more true of his personality than his music. Doug couldn't sit still, and he couldn't stop talking. He was an approachable guy whether his popularity was riding high or in an off-phase. On break at Soap Creek Saloon or between games (not during them) at an Austin softball complex, you could walk up and say "hi" and get a conversation from him. No pretense, no attitude, no apologies necessary. If you told him you were from San Antonio, he'd ask where you went to high school.



Musically, Doug was not so unique. He was only the most visible of a long tradition of highly eclectic, skilled players who make a living at music by being able to cover everything that makes a sound. There are still a few of them out there playing every weekend in VFW, SPJST, and Sons of Herman halls all over Central Texas. Polkas and schottisches for the old-timers; waltzes; two-step and Cotton-eyed Joe; western swing; straight country; blues; r&b; rock'n'roll; norteno; pretty much name it and claim it. (Catch the Vrazels some Saturday night.)



Doug matured musically in this eclectic environment. He approached the European music forms (polka, waltz) through its presence in Mexican-American culture and expanded his personal repertoire more toward rock, blues, and country, but there is still a loopy, hiccoughing polka beat under Augie Meyer's Farfisa and in some of Doug's rhythm guitar. Perhaps he was not a master of any of the forms he attempted, but he could make you dance and he could make you smile. His shows were sweaty, gritty, sometimes a little sloppy, musically all over the place, but always sincere and respectful of the music and those like himself who loved it.



So, in my heart, Doug Sahm will always rate five stars. This goes out to you, man, wherever you are."

Proof positive Doug Sahm and his band were one of the best A

Mark Blevins | Lindside, WV United States | 06/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love Doug Sahm's music, and I've written glowing reviews on Amazon for every Doug Sahm disc I own. He is one of my favorite artists of all time, and certainly the one guy whose music I try to introduce friends to. This set isn't cheap, but you get all of the SDQ Mercury recordings, including the rarities collection "Rough Edges." The music here is a mix of Tex-Mex, garage rock, country, and proto country-rock - in other words great American roots music. Sahm and his co-horts were unlike any other band; the world is a sadder place because he's gone, but thankfully this great music is back in print for many to discover and enjoy.



There's too many highlights to mention, but here a few: "Mendocino," "Dynamite Woman," "It Didin't Even Bring Me Down," "Me and My Destiny," and a lot more. If you aren't locked into one style of music, then the SDQ could become one of your favorites. They could certainly play everything and play it well.



I started to give this five stars, but didn't because Mercury put "Dynamite Woman" and its flip "Too Many Dociled Minds" on the set not once, not twice, but three times! It appears once on the first disc because the single came out around the time of Mendocino, second time on the "Rough Edges" disc where it actually came out on LP, and finally on the Mono mix disc (which is really a waste; the mixes are, as the other reviewer said, rather flat).



The packaging is well done, but the discs have that standard FBI warning labeled too prominently on them for my taste. I paid a lot for these discs; I think Mercury could put the warning somewhere in the booklet or in smaller type. It detracts from the otherwise nice package.



The music rates five stars easily because the gems outweigh the filler, but the redundancy factor is something I can't overlook. If you've never heard Doug Sahm, buy the 68-75 Best Of. If you like it, then buy this! It's truly great American music."

The All-Good Box set. No cheese food!

Stella | Seguin, TX | 05/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mercury was an apt name for that record company. If you didn't know the Quintet was releasing an new album, and you weren't crouching in the record store waiting for it to come in so you could spring like a panther, your chance was gone. I've been trying to get Together After Five since I was twelve. By the time the internet happened, I didn't have a turntable anymore. This collection is The Grail, period. Everything you had and some you were maybe never able to find. If you're just coming onboard, and you're here reading this. I'm guessing you'll probably love this as much as I do.



It's the antithesis of all the slickness you hear now. Similar what you heard when you pulled up at those old dance halls and the night was just starting and anything could happen (and usually did, lol), except the dance bands I heard never came close to mastering all this, never had this originality or creative spark of their own. Nothing Doug did was EVER molded or processed into the musical equivalent of cheese food, he just didn't let it happen. Nobody wants to man-up like that anymore, most of what prevails these days is cheese food. Doug maintained quality control, the character's there, the backbone, the soul. I don't have descriptives and superlatives enough, getting these is like being handed the proverbial icewater in hell.



Everyone has pretty much said it all, and I mostly agree, except I like having the mono singles on one disc and besides, they're good backup in case anything gets scratched. And I have no problem cranking them way up, lol. "Dynamite Woman" and "Too Many Dociled Minds" do appear three times, but the Rough Edges versions are different, so it's actually two versions and the singles. And it's got Moments ALL OVER it, SDQ were the masters of that, there's nothing not to love. The packaging has a wonderful look and feel, clothbound and opens up like a literal old record album, the ones that had 78's in them. The only issue is that the CD's are slid in and out, and if some little piece of grit manages to get in there, you've got problems. I put mine in plastic jewel cases and stored them beside the package. Normally people who do things like that irritate me, but this is different. :)

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