category: novelty / comedy / pop / country / bluegrass

Album review:
• Superb fidelity from the original 1951-1968 RCA Victor session masters with many tracks in stereo, including Homer and Jethro's pop hit 'The Battle Of Kookamonga' and their celebrated Beatles spoofs 'She Loves You' and 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'.
• Dazzling finger work from mandolin master Jethro Burns with stellar support from lead guitarists Chet Atkins, George Barnes, Hank Garland and Grady Martin.
• Extensive, newly researched liner notes, plus Jethro Burns's wry comments on the songs.

Before there ever was an Allan Sherman, a Weird Al Yankovic or a Pinkard & Bowden, Homer Haynes and Jethro Burns were the undisputed masters of the popular song parody. Still unchallenged as the greatest comedy team in country music history, they lampooned hundreds of pop and country hits for RCA Victor through the '50s and '60s. Targeting those years when the Top 40 was married to AM radio, HOMER & JETHRO ASSAULT THE ROCK 'n' ROLL ERA savagely deconstructs your treasured 45s by Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Danny and the Juniors, Marty Robbins, Charlie Rich, Don Gibson, Johnny Cash, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny Horton and the Fab Four (The Beatles), among others. Some of their vintage country parodies round out the collection, including 'I'm Movin' On No. 2', 'Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyeballs' and four Hank Williams hits. Lifelong Homer and Jethro aficionado Dave Samuelson completely revised the notes he penned for Bear Family's original 1988 LP reissue, drawing upon diverse sources including his own interviews with Burns. As he did on so many RCA Victor and Camden albums, Burns adds his two cents on most of the songs.

CD Track Listing

  1. HOUN' DAWG (take 2) (based on "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley) (Leiber / Stoller) (1:56)
  2. HART-BRAKE MOTEL (based on "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley) (Axton / Durden / Presley / Haynes / Burns) (2:15)
  3. TWO TONE SHOES (based on "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins) (Carl Perkins) (2:09)
  4. ROCK BOOGIE (Prince / Raye) (2:00)
  5. HERNANDO'S HIDEAWAY (based on "Hernando's Hideaway" by Archie Bleyer) (Addler / Ross) (2:30)
  6. MIDDLE-AGED TEENAGER (Wiginton / Sherrill) (2:15)
  7. AT THE FLOP (based on "At The Hop" by Danny & the Juniors) (Singer / Medora / White) (2:24)
  8. SCREEN DOOR * (Davie / Moore) (2:26)
  9. ITSY BITSY WEENIE YELLADOT POLKADOT BIKINI (Vance / Pockriss) (1:53)
10. THE BATTLE OF KOOKAMONGA (based on "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton) (Driftwood / Reynolds) (2:37)
11. MY SPECIAL ANGEL Chet Atkins: vocal (Jimmy Duncan) (2:21)
12. HOUN' DAWG (take 1) (based on "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley) (Leiber / Stoller) (1:59)
13. I'M MOVIN' ON NO.2 (based on "I'm Movin' On" by Hank Snow) (Haynes / Burns / Snow) (2:43)
14. DON'T LET THE STARS GET IN YOUR EYEBALLS (based on "Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes" by Slim Willet / Skeets McDonald / Perry Como) * (Willet / Burns / Haynes) (2:20)
15. YALLER ROSE OF TEXAS, YOU ALL (based on "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" by Mitch Miller) (Haynes / Burns) (2:03)
16. KEEP THEM COLD ICY FINGERS OFF OF ME * (John Lair) (2:26)
17. THE WEST VIRGINNY HILLS * (Laisy / Moore) (2:17)
18. PORE OL' KOO-LIGER (based on " Kaw-Liga" by Hank Williams) (Williams / Rose) (2:35)
19. HEY, GOOD LOOKIN' NO.2 (Hank Williams) (2:38)
20. JAM-BOWL-LIAR (based on "Jambalaya" by Hank Williams / Joe Stafford) * (Williams / Haynes / Burns) (2:39)
21. SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE NO.2 (based on " Settin' The Woods On Fire" by Hank Williams) * (Rose / Nelson) (2:20)
22. OH LONESOME ME (Don Gibson) (2:24)
23. I GUESS THINGS HAPPEN THAT WAY (Jack Clements) (2:00)
24. SIXTEEN TONS (based on "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford) (Merle Travis) (2:12)
25. LITTLE ARROWS (Hazlewood / Hammond) (2:17)
26. SHE LOVES YOU (based on "She Loves You" by The Beatles) * (Lennon / McCartney) (2:21)
27. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND (based on " I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles) * (Lennon / McCartney) (2:31)
28. NO HAIR SAM (Dallas Frazier) (2:09)
29. WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL (Tephens / Haynes / Burns) (2:29)
30. EL PASO - NUMERO DOS * (Marty Robbins) (2:54)
31. THE BALLAD OF DAVY CREW-CUT * (Blackburn / Bruns) (2:10)

* Chet Atkins: electric lead guitar

Total timing: 72:55

Label/No: Bear Family Records 16857

Release date: 2007 reissue