Bob Wills was one of the two country music personalities, along with Spade Cooley, who pioneered the style of Western Swing music during the 1930s and 40s, combining the standard approach of hillbilly country with jazz, blues and pop styles, and using expanded instrumental line-ups, to create a highly distinctive, sophisticated, infectious and entertaining strand of country music. Between 1935 and 1950, with a variety of different incarnations of his band The Texas Playboys, he recorded for Vocalion, Okeh, Columbia and MGM while establishing himself as a top radio star and successful live attraction. This great-value 53-track 2-CD collection cherry-picks the highlights from the 300 or so recordings he made during the period, including, of course, the twenty or more Top 10 country hits he had after the establishing of the airplay chart for Folk records during the 40s, with biggies like New San Antonio Rose, Smoke On The Water, Stars And Stripes On Iwo Jima, Sugar Moon and New Spanish Two Step. While he remained a popular figure over the next two decades, his career was blighted by ill-health, and this collection provides a marvellously entertaining look at the real golden era of western swing. Includes comprehensive booklet notes, with complete recording session and personnel details.

REVIEWS

"The Western in Country & Western. A hugely complex fusion of styles, blending jazz, blues and hillbilly with a dance beat." & "Bob was a true innovator, yet remained faithful to the traditional Western swing style" - Bryan Chalker (Country Music)

"Any respecting blues fan should have at least one representative album of Wills in their collection, this is as good an example of such as I know" - Byron Foulger (Blues & Rhythm)

CD1
1    Good Old Oklahoma    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
2    Osage Stomp (Rukus Juice Shuffle)    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
3    Sittin' On Top Of The World    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
4    Wang Wang Blues    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
5    Spanish Two Step    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
6    Trouble In Mind    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
7    Steel Guitar Rag    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
8    Right Or Wrong    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
9    Back Home Again In Indiana    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
10    I'm A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
11    Playboy Stomp    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
12    Maiden's Prayer    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
13    San Antonio Rose    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
14    Liza, Pull Down The Shades    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
15    Beaumont Rag    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
16    Ida Red    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
17    Medley Of Spanish Waltzes: La Golondrina, Lady Of Spain, Cielito Lindo    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
18    New San Antonio Rose     Bob Wills & His Texas Cowboys
19    Bob Wills' Special    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
20    Time Changes Everything    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
21    Big Beaver    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
22    Take Me Back To Tulsa    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
23    Twin Guitar Special    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
24    Corrine Corrina    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
25    Cherokee Maiden    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
26    Dusty Skies    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

CD2
1    Let's Ride With Bob    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
2    Home In San Antone    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
3    You're From Texas    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
4    We Might As Well Forget It    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
5    Hang Your Head In Shame    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
6    Smoke On The Water    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
7    Stars And Stripes On Iwo Jima    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
8    You Don't Care What Happens To Me    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
9    Silver Dew On The Blue Grass Tonight     Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
10    Texas Playboy Rag    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
11    White Cross On Okinawa     Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
12    New Spanish Two Step    Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
13    Roly Poly    Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
14    I Can't Go On This Way    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
15    Stay A Little Longer    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
16    I'm Gonna Be Boss From Now On    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
17    Brain Cloudy Blues    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
18    Sugar Moon    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
19    Bob Wills' Boogie    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
20    This Is Southland    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
21    Bubbles In My Beer    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
22    Texarkana Baby    Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
23    Keeper Of My Heart     Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
24    Thorn In My Heart    Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
25    Don't Be Ashamed Of Your Age    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
26    Ida Red Likes The Boogie    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
27    Faded Love    Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys