category: instrumental novelty / comedy / country / bluegrass

Album review:
"Well - lets say it's the 1930s or 40s and you own a record company named King Records, and you sign Homer & Jethro to their first recording contract, produced countless 78rpm 10" discs, and sold a fair amount of them when all of a sudden, modern technology develops the 33rpm 12" disc, and no one wants to buy 78s anymore, Homer and Jethro move on to RCA records, and manage to get quiet a lot of attention so you repackage their back catalog via several 12" album collections.

Now it's many many years later. H&J have all but been forgotten. Except now - someone releases a couple of CDs of their RCA sides - and you get an offer from someone to license some of the old 78s recordings - and, well, to call it as such, maybe you won't sell as many, as if you billed it, instead, as some kind of "best-of" - and that's exactly what has occurred here. Well, for shame for shame. (Tho for all I know, maybe these WERE the most played 78s - could be.)

The material on this disc is a must-have peek into those early days, when they werent as much into the country hillbilly humor then, and played alot of generally straightforward folk type stuff, albeit the humor IS still there - in fact - some of these early tracks are what got me hooked in the first place.

A good dip into the well of 78s, otherwise collecting dust. "Groundhog" is still a classic - their 'ad-libbing' is great - you can tell they were young, but really enjoying themselves!

Just a warning, though - back in the 70s, some idiot decided to take a batch of these 78s and record a new layer of wurlitzer organ or some such thing over the top - (as if it needed anything!)- especially not the sound of one of those cheesy keyboards with the silly synthesized drums and bassline!

So - I can't tell you if this is the one with or without that overdub or not. I was so excited to see I could write this review I didnt stop to see if there were any sound samples to hear! Here's to you, and Homer and Jethro! Enjoy!" -- Thomas Ferranti (Southern California, USA)

CD Track Listing

  All compositions are traditional arrangements by Homer & Jethro

  1. I Feel That Old Age Creeping On (3:00)
  2. Goodbye Old Booze (2:48)
  3. Cielito Lindo (1:58)
  4. It Bruised Her Somewhat (2:35)
  5. Bill Bailey (2:48)
  6. Poor Little Liza, Poor Girl (2:49)
  7. Boll Weevil (1:57)
  8. When It's Long Handle Time In Tennessee (2:48)
  9. Ground Hog (2:48)
10. Blue Tail Fly (1:57)

Total timing: 25:34

Label/No: Federal 0501

Release date: 2002 reissue