Charley Pride strikes again! Koch Entertainment's re-issuing of the country legend's seventh spectacular album is very much appreciated. Charley's hit single off this recording is "Let the Chips Fall," but this is just one of 12 musical gems you will hear on this compact disc. It starts off with a bang (Doug Kershaw's excellent Cajun-inspired "Louisiana Man") and doesn't let up. Sonny James took "It's the Little Things" to number one in 1967, but it's hard to beat Charley's interpretation of the Arlie Duff song. Jim Reeves had a hit with "Billy Bayou"; Charley's rendition gives Gentleman Jim's a run for its money. This is---please pardon the obvious pun---a "sensational" album. Believe me, after an overload of Shania and the Dixie Chicks, you'll be glad to hear REAL country music---"The Sensational Charley Pride" offers just that. Just listen to it---I doubt you'll regret it.
One of Charley's strongest original albums, it is also one of the few to have gained a CD release. It was originally released in 1969, a hot period in Charley's career.
The set opens in great style with Charley's cover of the Cajun classic Louisiana man, a brilliant up-tempo song that isn't what you'd normally expect from Charley, although he shows himself well capable of singing such material. Another surprise of a different kind is Come on home and sing the blues to Daddy, which has a bluesy edge. The rest of the album is more typical of Charley's music, most of these tracks being original songs. I'm familiar with the final two tracks by other singers, as Jim Reeves had previously recorded Billy Bayou, while Dolly Parton recorded We had all the good things going for her 1969 album, My blue ridge mountain boy, though I don't know whether Dolly or Charley recorded it first. The remaining excellent songs are She's got a hold on you, Let the chips fall, Never more than I, Let me live again, Take care of the little things, Even after everything she's done, It's just a matter of making up my mind and It's the little things.
Even by Charley's very high standards, this is a very strong album. I'm not sure if it's absolutely the strongest of his original albums, but it's certainly a contender.
