He's not "The Singing Brakeman"
allemande | Columbia, MO USA | 06/11/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There is an abundance of confusion surrounding this album and its performer. There was a pioneering Country/Western performer named Jimmie Rodgers in the earlier days of recorded music (the 1920s or so), and recordings by this "Singing Brakeman" are still prized. Then, in the late 1950s, there was a singer of contemporary popular music, also named Jimmie Rodgers (now sometimes known as Jimmie F. Rodgers, to allay confusion). This CD re-releases his first LP from 1957.
I grew up hearing some of this music courtesy of some friends who owned an 'extended-play' 45-RPM record containing 4 of his songs. One of those, titled "The Preacher", recurred in my mind and memory since childhood days, but I was unable to find it anywhere. Now, Wounded Bird Records, a wonderful re-issue label, has filled a gap in my collection with this CD.
When I first played this disc, I expected to sit through a number of tracks I cared little about in order to hear a few that I liked. Surprise! This album is listenable from start to finish; there are few moments in it that are less than terrific. Twelve tracks are included, as was common throughout the era of vinyl LPs (not 14 tracks, as Amazon lists--a further point of confusion involving this release), and the total playing time is not much over 30 minutes. But for the listener that means that this album never wears out its welcome. I played it a couple of times the first day I acquired it, and could have done so again.
As I have found with many CD releases of recordings this age, there is some mid-range harshness in some of the vocals, particularly in loud or emphasized passages. But Jimmie's wonderful falsettos sound perfectly clear; the limitations of decades-old analog source recordings, or the transfer to the digital medium, or whatever, do not diminish enjoyment of this album. Jimmie Rodgers was an exciting talent, and his producers (Hugo and Luigi, who were well-known in the 1950s and '60s) seemed to know just how to present him to the listening public.
I have noticed that, although there always seem to be Jimmie Rodgers collections available, several of the tracks on this release are never included. If you like this performer, you really should own this CD. There may be some surprises on it for you, as there were for me, and I think you will find them pleasant ones.
"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1