Bobby Bare

OBAL A DESKA VYBORNY STAV

Chet Atkins-produced 2nd album. Bobby Bare takes on the role of the world-weary traveler as indicated by the title track, a more than decent follow-up to "Detroit City", which actually would have fit well on here. It also looks like the label wants to push him into the Folk boom of the time (underlined by covers of current folk hits like "Abilene" and "Gotta Travel On"), but Bobby is much more interesting than those boring urban Folk fakes - he's the real deal and the things he sings about here aren't too far from the things he really experienced in his stormy early life (well except for the song "Noah's Ark" I believe). His adoption of the Folk classic "Worried Man Blues" is among my Top 10 Bobby songs (like "Homestead on the Farm" it's from the The Carter Family-songbook). Hank Cochran's "What Kind of Bird Is That" is almost a tearjerker, but Bobby's sincere reading (including a recitation part) save it and make it another highlight. I always liked Chet's Nashville production with the choruses and strings. Jerry Reed plays guitar on some songs here; not on "Lynchin' Party" and "Sailor Man" - they also weren't produced by Chet (who produced just about every other Bobby Bare album of the 60s), but in Hollywood a few years earlier - they kind of disturb the easy flow of this album a bit, but otherwise the album a very round and impressive affair with hardly any filler!