category: country / blues / folk

Album review:
"Great live performances from a variety of '40s shows, including the Hollywood Barn Dance and the Grand Ole Opry. It's a gas to get a sense of Merle's rapport with the audience, and to hear one of the last vestiges of the vaudeville tradition as it played out, with all its corny, raunchy humor and bouncy good nature. Fuzzy sound, but fun music. " -- Joe Sixpack, USA 2002

CD Track Listing

  1. Nine Pound Hammer (M.Travis) (2:26)
  2. Cannonball Rag * (M.Travis) (1:38)
  3. Pigmeat Strut * (M.Travis) (1:46)
  4. I'm Gonna Ride That Gospel Train (Jimmy Wakely) (1:38)
  5. Our Little Home in the Country (& Tex Ann: vocal duet) (traditional) (2:03)
  6. Osage Stomp (& Tex Atchison: fiddle) * (Bob Wills) (0:56)
  7. Kansas City Blues * (Mose Rager) (1:39)
  8. I'm S-A-V-E-D (& Tex Ann: vocal duet) (traditional) (1:43)
  9. When You & I Were Young, Maggie (& Cliffie Stone: comedy) * (traditional) (2:18)
10. Ida Sweet as Apple Cider * (Eddie Leonard) / Sheik of Araby * (Ted Snyder) (3:17)
11. Porky's Boogie (& Joe Strand: piano) * ((M.Travis) (2:51)
12. Divorce Me C.O.D. (M.Travis / C.Stone) (2:17)
13. Ain't That a Cryin' Shame (Josh White) (2:52)
14. Churchy Time (& Slim Duncan, Eddie Cletro, Darryl Rice: vocal quartet) (traditional) (2:46)
15. Fuller * (M.Travis) (1:20)
16. Freight Train Blues (traditional) (1:44)
17. Darktown Strutters' Ball * (Shelton Brooks) (0:59)
18. Go 'Long Mule (traditional) (1:30)
19. Sugar Gourd Full of Whiskey * (M.Travis) (1:31)
20. Dapper Dan (DeSylva / Brown / Henderson) (2:20)
21. No Vacancy (M.Travis) (1:51)
22. How Long Has That Train Been Gone (& Red Murrill, Eddie Kirk, unknown: vocal quartet) (traditional) (2:31)
23. Boogie Woogie Cowboy (& Wesley Tuttle: vocal duet) (Dean / Blair / Statham / Snow) (2:21)
24. Snitzelbob Song (& Tennessee Ernie Ford: vocal duet) (traditional) (2:43)
25. Milk 'Em in the Morning Blues (& Tennessee Ernie Ford: vocal) (T.E.Ford) (2:09)
26. When My Baby Double Talks to Me (M.Travis) (2:06)
27. Little David, Play on Your Harp (traditional) (1:51)
28. Hominy Grits (Gene Autry) / Bugle Call Rag * (Blake / Morgan) (2:26)

* full guitar instrumentals by Merle

Total timing: 57:43

Label/No: Country Routes 12 (UK import)

Release date: (c)1944-48, 1994 reissue