This first volume in
Bear Family
's excellent
David Allan Coe
reissue series pairs 1974's raucous breakthrough album with its follow-up, which garnered him his first Top Ten single (
"Jody Like a Melody"
). Despite the error in the title of the second album (which is actually
Once Upon a Rhyme
), this nearly flawless collection of original and well-covered songs gives the listener an idea of just how fully
Coe
had developed by the time he signed to
Columbia
. On the former recording, some of
's early classics, such as
"A Sad Country Song"
and
"I Still Sing the Old Songs,"
are featured, with truly brilliant interpretations of
Mickey Newbury
's
"33rd of August"
Guy Clark
"Desperadoes Waiting for a Train."
On the latter,
's brilliant songwriting is fully on display with
"Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone),"
a number one for
Tanya Tucker
a year earlier;
"Jody..."
;
"Loneliness in Ruby's Eyes"
; and
"Sweet Vibrations (Some Folks Call It Love)."
These originals are accompanied by inspiring and even definitive reads of
Steve Goodman
"You Never Even Called Me by My Name"
Richard Dobson
"Piece of Wood and Steel."
This two-fer features excellent remastering and a deluxe package with a full liner-note essay and the lyrics to all tracks, as well as photos. ~ Thom Jurek