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Marty Robbins - Under Western Skies

Track listing:
Volume 1
  1. El Paso (Long Version-Mono) (1959) 4:44
  2. Cool Water (1959) 3:13
  3. In The Valley (1959) 1:53
  4. Running Gun (1959) 2:15
  5. Big Iron (1959) 3:58
  6. The Master's Call (1959) 3:11
  7. The Little Green Valley (1959) 2:31
  8. A Hundred And Sixty Acres (1959) 1:45
  9. Billy The Kid (1959) 2:24
  10. The Strawberry Roan (1959) 3:28
  11. They're Hanging Me Tonight (1959) 3:09
  12. Utah Carlo (1959) 3:17
  13. Saddle Tramp (1960) 2:07
  14. She Was Young And She Was Pretty (1960) 3:01
  15. Streets Of Laredo (1960) 2:49
  16. Little Joe, The Wrangler (1960) 4:11
  17. I've Got No Use For The Woman (1960) 3:24
  18. Billy Venero (1984) 3:52
  19. This Peaceful Sod (1960) 1:58
  20. Five Brothers (1960) 2:15
  21. San Angelo (1960) 5:44
  22. Ballad Of The Alamo (Thirteen Days Of Glory) (1960) 3:43
  23. The Hanging Tree (1958) 2:55
Volume 2
  1. Jimmy Martinez 3:30
  2. Ghost Train 3:11
  3. Song Of The Bandit 2:34
  4. Wind 2:59
  5. Prairie Fire 2:20
  6. My Love 1:47
  7. Ride Cowboy Ride 3:18
  8. Red River Valley 2:27
  9. The Bend In The River 2:35
  10. When The Work's All Done This Fall 2:32
  11. Abilene Rose 3:01
  12. Dusty Winds 1:56
  13. Old Red 3:02
  14. Doggone Cowboy 2:14
  15. When The Work's All Done This Fall 2:44
  16. Small Man 4:27
  17. The Red Hills Of Utah 2:09
  18. Tall Handsome Stranger 2:10
  19. The Fastest Gun Around 1:47
  20. San Angelo 5:37
  21. Old Red 3:14
  22. Man Walks Among Us 3:09
  23. Johnny Fedavo 3:08
  24. The Master's Call 2:59
  25. El Paso (Short Version-Stereo) 4:29
Volume 3
  1. The Cowboy In The Continental Suit 2:55
  2. I'm Gonna Be A Cowboy 1:54
  3. Cry Stampede 2:21
  4. Oh, Virginia 3:41
  5. Meet Me Tonight In Laredo 3:29
  6. Take Me Back To The Prairie 2:21
  7. The Wind Goes 1:44
  8. An Old Pal, A Real Pal 2:52
  9. Feleena (From El Paso) 8:21
  10. Never Tie Me Down 1:32
  11. Lonely Old Bunkhouse 2:02
  12. Night Time On The Desert 2:22
  13. Cottonwood Tree 4:00
  14. Mister Shorty 5:03
  15. When It's Lamplighting Time In The Valley 2:39
  16. Is There Antything Lift I Can Say 2:01
  17. Tonight Carmen 2:48
  18. Waiting In Reno 2:28
  19. The Mission In Guadalajara 2:36
  20. Love's Gone Away 2:17
  21. Bound For Old Mexico 3:00
  22. Chapel Bell Chime 2:53
  23. Don't Go Away Senor 2:42
  24. In The Valley Of The Rio Grande 2:26
  25. (The Girl With) Gardenias In Her Hair 2:38
  26. Spanish Lullaby 3:29
Volume 4
  1. That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine 3:28
  2. Chant Of The Wanderer 2:10
  3. (Ghost) Riders In The Sky 3:34
  4. South Of The Border 2:15
  5. Sundown (Ballad Of Bill Thaxton) 5:00
  6. Queen Of The Big Rodeo 2:59
  7. Ava Maria Morales 4:26
  8. The Outlaws 2:52
  9. El Paso City 4:15
  10. I'm Kin To The Wind 2:10
  11. Trail Dreamin' 1:45
  12. She's Just A Drifter 2:50
  13. Way Out There 2:20
  14. The Ballad Of The Small Man 4:04
  15. Tumbling Tumbleweeds 2:54
  16. San Angelo 4:33
  17. Pride And The Badge 5:53
  18. All Around Cowboy 3:07
  19. Restless Cattle 2:38
  20. The Dreamer 4:01
  21. Lonely Old Bunkhouse 2:19
  22. Ava Maria Morales (Undubbed) 4:33
  23. Shotgun Rider 2:52

Notes

Oct 11, 1958-Apr 3, 1979

Four CDs covering Marty Robbins' complete Western recordings, 99 songs in all from 1958 until 1979. As a concept, Under Western Skies is cohesive and enjoyable, largely because Robbins' music, regardless of the particular year in which it was recorded, is unified thematically. It's also a superb showcase for Robbins' voice, one of the most versatile in country & western -- he was equally adept at rock & roll, traditional country, or Western ballads dating back 100 years or more, but he had a way of extending the latter genre's melodic beauty and lyricism without ever seeming repetitive. Thus, it wasn't just that Robbins was covering this repertory, but that he was doing it in ways that, as a solo artist of his era, were just about definitive. Disc One contains songs from Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs and parts of the follow-up record, More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. Disc Two is devoted to songs from Return of the Gunfighter and the rest of More Gunfighter Ballads, filled out with songs that only appeared previously in 1984 on a Bear Family vinyl release. By the mid-'60s, Robbins' voice was even better, richer and more confident on this material, and Disc Three reflects this. Disc Four extends up through 1979, and it's something of a tribute to Robbins' success with this repertory that precious little was left in the vaults for Bear Family or anyone else to unearth and issue for the first time. The accompanying booklet is 60 pages long, and while it does seem as though the essay is not as well organized as it might have been, it's interesting overall, highlighted with excellent photographs and accompanied by lyrics to each of the songs and a full sessionography.