can't review them all-old dad's records

I grew up in a music collecting family. My mom had plenty of 45s to keep me occupied and there was always some spare change to go to Woolworth's to pick up 3 for a dollar 45s. Dad was more into country and western and oddball music. Such of this month's edition of CRTA.

Freddy Fender
The Tex Mex version of Elvis, he had a regional hit with Wasted Days And Wasted Nights back in the late 60s but his arrest of drug procession did him in for 15 years. Struck it big with Before The Next Teardrop Falls for Dot Records which begain his classic period. My dad wore this song out likewise the remake of Wasted Days & Wasted Nights. Further investigation reveals that his early stuff for Chess and minor labels do process a lot of rock n roll with them and the GRT LP Since I Met You Baby despite updated music overdubbing showed Fender was more rock than country. The Best Of Freddy Fender (later on CD) is best overview of the ABC-Dot years which that Freddy and Huey P Meaux knew what to pick and cover for songs. His Sugar Coated Love crossed into the rock chart briefly in 1977. Fender moved over to Starflite/CBS in 1978, and does a fine cover of Squeeze Box. I don't think my dad played much of the followup Together We Drifted Apart and soon after that Freddy disappeared till Doug Sham tapped him to be a part of the Texas Tornados which did three good albums for Reprise, and Fender re recorded his hits for The Freddy Fender Collection. Like Doug Sham, Fender passed away and sometimes classic country will revisit Before The Next Teardrop Falls or Wasted Days & Wasted Nights although I was surprised to hear Secret Love at the Classic Closet thrift store the other day. There are some compliations out there worth nothing, a couple of spanish only albums which Fender did nicely but for myself The Best Of Freddy Fender pretty much captures childhood memories of Dad singing along to those old scratchy 45s. Memories indeed.

Mitch Miller
The guy hated rock and roll, what more can one say about not reviewing any of his albums but I will give Mitch credit for shaping that Columbia sound of lots of echo in the background and The Bridge On The River Kiwi is regularly played at Greyhound parks everywhere. But back in the 50s, Mitch and his gang would do those singalongs that my old Grandpa would sing too. Mitch Miller's Greatest Hits is a curio I guess of that past, but like Mantovani, there's a reason why you see his albums gathering mold in the basement or at the Salvation Army, their biggest fans are now dead. Even our folks had a copy of Your Request in the record collection. Mitch is still alive and in his 90s but I'm guessing he still plays some of his music.

Slim Whitman
For use only in Mars invasion, Slim was the original rage in the 50s, scoring big hits over in England and a few over here via Imperial Records. Even scored a hit with Birmingham Jail for RCA as well but his yodeling...hmmm you're either a fan or foe of it. The guy enjoyed two comebacks, one in 1980 for that TV commerical for All My Best, then signed with Cleveland Entertainment for a few years. Second comeback was in the flop movie Mars Attacks! to which the world is saved when Grandma put out her Slim Whitman tape and watching Marsians' head explode since they couldn't handle that yodel. Like Freddy Fender, my dad would sing along to the record. In the CD age, Slim hasn't fared as well. I haven't seen any of the Epic/Cleveland International stuff out on CD but Capitol Records quietly put out the budget line Vintage Collection to which contains most of the Imperial Records that put Slim on the map.

Johnny Mathis
Now Dad didn't like JM at all, in fact he used Johnny's Greatest Hits to use as target practice. Somebody in the family did, we had 4 Johnny albums. He worked better as a singles artist (Wonderful Wonderful, It's Not For Me To Say, Gina) as he worked with Mitch Miller in order to save everybody from the evils of rock and roll. Some was good (Open Fire Two Guitars), most was make out music and I never did heard any of his Mercury albums. He later returned back to Columbia to make his typical MOR make out music but I do have a soft spot for 1973's I'm Coming Home, which was produced by Thom Bell and done with the MFSB band and had a hit with Life's A Song Worth Singing. After that, I can live without.