Asleep At The Wheel
Album: Celebrating The Music Of Bob Willis And His Texas Playboys
Label: Proper
Tracks: 21
Website: http://asleepatthewheel.com/

This is a 21 track extravaganza that has been put together at the behest of Asleep At The Wheel, featuring an all star cast paying tribute to the talents of star of the western swing sound, "Celebrating The Music Of Bob Willis And His Texas Playboys". It is in fact the third tribute album Asleep At The Wheel have put together, following on from 1993's "A Tribute To The Music Of Bob Willis" and 1998's "Ride With Bob", which between them garnered the band four grammy awards and over half a million sales.

It's fair to say Bob Willis tribute albums have been very kind to Asleep At The Wheel and there is no reason to believe that tribute album number three will do anything to break that trend, particularly when you consider that the supporting cast consists of the like of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Straits, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lyle Lovett, and Kat Edmondson, amongst others. It also includes contributions from a couple of the orginal Texas P{ayboys, 92 year old Billy Briggs and the comparatively young 86 year oldm Leon Rausch.

To give this whole project a time perspective , Bob Willis and The Texas Playboys were inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame back in 1968 and the Rock 'N'Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999. I have to confess, I've viewed Texas swing as a traditional music fom that has been preserved for its historical significance in paving the way for both traditional country and Americana and there is nothing about, "Celebrating The Music Of Bob Willis And His Texas Playboys" that is going to change that opinon no matter how well performed and well performed it is too.

This is a fitting tribute album that reinvents a number of Bob Willis Classics, with the authenticity of including a couple of survivors from the original Texas Playboys and is a fun album to wrap the ears around without really adding anything to the genre except a series of covers that really don't stray too far from the originals.

A charitable interpretation is that Asleep At The Wheel and friends have put the music of Bob Willis And The Texaa Playboys back in the spotlight, the less charitable might suggest they are milking the cow for personal gain, but either way, they've delivered an album that's strong on style and songs even if it's not the most origininal album you are ever going to hear.

Neil King