Charlie Feathers

The career of this top-notch rockabilly artist certainly had its downs and downs, as one can ascertain from the fact that it is a rare Charlie Feathers session that was released anytime near the date it was recorded. These sides languished for nearly a decade, although the playing is great and Feathers is in fine vocal form. He assembled a minimalist group -- no drums, although it is a rare listener that even notices this because the rhythm sound is so happening thanks to popping bass playing from both Charlie and Bubba Feathers. The program is mostly cover versions, which was an area where this artist really shone. Very few recording artists could take something such as "Roll Over Beethoven" and make something personal out of it, but this is just what Feathers does in his jaunty, medium-tempo version complete with goofy background singers. Some of these tunes are ones Feather recorded over and over, such as "I'm Movin' On" by Hank Snow, perversely done at a tempo slow enough to suggest a broken down truck rather than a smoothly running eight-wheeler. Other song transformations are done with such simplicity of technique that it is remarkable, such as the laid-back but still threatening cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide