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      Smokey Wilson
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                    

 

 
 

Sully says…

Hi y’all!  This is my first review for MissLana.com.  In fact, this is the first bit of writing I’ve ever been asked to do that didn’t involve grades.  I usually keep my writing short and sweet.  Hopefully this formula will work for music reviews.

Smokey Wilson (Untitled)

The CD I am reviewing is by a Cuero, Texas artist named Smokey Wilson.  The untitled CD is an acoustic set of seven songs not recorded in a studio.  I guess you could call it "Smokey Wilson Unplugged".  These seven songs are pure honky tonk blues.  Smokey’s earthy voice and the rustic recording add to the spirit of his songs.

The song list is as follows:

  1. "Moon over Terlingua" is a catchy little number about a fella out for a drive and is being drawn to Terlingua.  The "moon, desert air, and mighty canyons" prove to be irresistible to this Texas road runner.  The chorus is very catchy, and I found my self humming it for hours after I first heard it.
  2. "Texas Saturday Night" is very bluesy and has some good harmonica.  It’s about a fella going out honky tonkin’.  He’s hoping he doesn’t get into a fight so that he may get "lucky".  Sometimes luck just ain’t on your side.
  3. "My Whole World Is You"- You can guess from the title that this is a love song.  I think the ladies will really like this one.
  4. "I’m Cheap"- Back before I was married, this could’ve been my theme song.  This is a sassy, upbeat song about a fella looking for a gal who has a 1-800 number "cuz he’s cheap".
  5. "Hat’s Hanging On The Bed" is another humorous song .  It’s about a fella waking up from a one night stand from wondering why his "skin is kind of red".  Sounds kind of kinky to me, but haven’t we all been there?
  6. "Frank and Jessie James" - What would Texas music be without some outlaws? This song tells the story of the James Bros. in a devil may care and upbeat manner.
  7. "Best Thing I’ve Ever Known" is another love song.  It’s very sweet and to the point.

All of these songs are good, but tracks 2-4-6 & 7 really grabbed me.  Since it wasn’t recorded in a studio, these songs were rough and gritty, but they weren’t encumbered by over production either.  I did enjoy the under produced quality of the CD.  It goes well with Smokey’s soulful voice, and it allows the emotion and true soul of the songs to shine.  If I had to rate this, I would give Smokey a 7.5-8.

                                                                                                 Sully

Written by Jeff Sullivan, January 2002

 

Addendum:  I have just received a copy of a song off of Smokey Wilson’s new CD, Texas Saturday Night.  The song is called "Cowboy in the Whitehouse", which is getting A LOT of attention.   It’s a patriotic, anthem-like response to the terrorists responsible for the 9-11 tragedies.  I enjoyed the guitar work and the message to this song.  Check out Miss Lana’s Bits & Pieces page for more on Smokey Wilson.

Word has it that a famous Texas musician will hand deliver to President Bush, his very own copy.  Congratulations Smoke!

Addendum 2: This just in from Smokey Wilson:

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to the Dallas Ft. Worth, Texas area where we taped an interview with NBC TV in Ft. Worth, Texas on Sunday and did a live show with Fox News in Dallas, Texas on Monday; then back to Ft. Worth Monday afternoon to do another live interview on NBC News.  The shows listed our contact information and the record Company TEXMUSE RECORDS office has been taking orders for the single CD.  Before that I had done an interview with ABC News out of Victoria Texas.

We hit the studio on Wednesday 1-9-02 and started on the big CD "Texas Saturday Night", which will also include the single "Cowboy In The Whitehouse". We are really getting some great rhythm tracks laid down for it.  Wednesday we recorded six tracks, all the way from Cajun Music to some pretty good country, Texas style, and a couple of country blues numbers.  We will try to finish the rhythm tracks on Friday and then finish with the lead tracks and vocals on Saturday.  I think this will be my best work ever. These guys have really captured what I want the music to sound like and it seems to be working real well.  I am very excited.

Thanks again,

Smokey Wilson

Editor's Note:  Stay tuned for more about Smokey Wilson...he's smokin'!

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