Ride With Bob

First the cover caught my eye, then the list of all star guests from Shawn Colvin to Lyle Lovett to Reba McEntire. As an easterner who grew up on pop music, I didn't know a thing about Asleep at the Wheel or Bob Wills, I am embarrassed to say. But after listening to this CD many times, I want to know more. Every song is a gem. Some will break your heart; try "Faded Love" with Shawn Colvin and Lyle Lovett. Others will make you laugh; try "Roly Poly" with the Dixie Chicks. The whole thing is evocative of another time, from "San Antonio Rose" with Dwight Yoakum to and "St. Louis Blues" with Merle Haggard. If you've tired of pop music like I have and turned to other forms like jazz and swing for listening entertainment, you'll love this album. Plus the liner notes are so creative and fun to read (really)! Thanks to Roy Benson and Asleep at the Wheel for a real treat.

Ray Benson and the other members of Asleep at the Wheel had never made any secret of the fact that Bob Wills was their biggest influence, but they emphasized the point by recording two tribute albums in the nineties devoted entirely to his music, of which this is the second. Both albums featured a star-studded line-up of guests.

Bob's best and most famous song is Faded love, though the song is generally associated with Patsy Cline who made it her own. Here Shawn Colvin and Lyle Lovett sing it as a duet and it works very well this way.

Among my other favorite tracks here are Roly Poly (with the Dixie Chicks), Heart to heart talk (with Lee Ann Womack), You're from Texas (with Tracy Byrd), Right or wrong (with Reba McEntire) and Going away party (with Willie Nelson and the Manhattan Transfer).

Another interesting track is Maiden's prayer featuring the Squirrel nut zippers - surely the least well-known guests here - I'd never heard of them till I heard them here. The version here is...Read more

Just received "Ride with Bob" for the Christmas season. As a long time fan and as a Country Disc Jockey, I've heard many Bob Wills tribute albums and a substantial share of orgional Will's recordings. Likewise, Ray Benson and AATW have shared time on my home stereo as well as on my old radio programs. Both have made significant contributions toward the genre or Western music in general and for Western Swing in particular. "Ride With Bob" is simply the best of the bunch. From song selections, performances, production, and the CD liner package, it's a quality piece of work. The only improvment would be to add "Big Balls in Cowtown" and "Milk Cow Blues". Thanks, Ray, for pulling it all together. You should earn several awards for this supreme effort.