Disco de George Strait: “Strait Out of the Box [Box]”

Descripción (en inglés) :

Personnel includes: George Strait (vocals, guitar); Frank Sinatra, Hank Thompson (vocals); Steve Gibson, Gregg Galbraith, Steve Chapman, Jimmy Capps, Jerry Shook, Fred Newell, Pete Bordonali (guitar); Mike Daily, John Hughey, Weldon Myrick (steel guitar); Cindy Cashdollar (Hawaiian steel guitar); Johnny Gimble (mandolin, fiddle); Mark O'Connor, Gene Elders, Stuart Duncan, Glen Duncan (fiddle); Jim Horn (alto flute, saxophone); Steve Marsh (saxophone); Floyd Domino, Randy McCormick, Ronnie Huckaby, Bill Miller (piano); Mitch Humphries, Hargus "Pig" Robbins (keyboards); Terry Hale, David Hungate, Leland Sklar, Joe Chemay, Emory Gordy, Jr. (bass); Owen Hale, Larrie Londin (drums). Asleep At The Wheel includes: Ray Benson, Ricky Turpin, Michael Francis, Tim Alexander, Dave Sanger. The Nashville String Machine: George Binkley, John David Boyle, Marvin Chantry, Roy Christensen, Virginia Christensen, Carl Gorodetzky, Lennie Haight, Dennis Molchan, Walter Schwede, Donald Teal, Gary Vanosdale, Pamela Vanosdale, Stephanie Woolf. Producers include: Don Daily, Blake Mevis, Jimmy Bowen, Tony Brown, George Strait. Compilation producer: George Strait. Recorded between June 1976 and April 10, 1995. Includes liner notes by Paul Kingsbury, Dee Henry Jenkins and Kay West. "Check Yes Or No" won the 1996 Country Music Association Award for Single Of The Year, and George Strait won the C.M.A. award for Male Vocalist Of The Year. During the early '80s, when crossover fever ruled the Nashville roost, George Strait did his darndest to keep a sense of tradition within country music's capital. With a sound built on Bob Wills' big-band swing and George Jones' Texas tall tales, and refined through years of playing Lone Star honky-tonks, Strait took Music City by storm, proving that hits and critical praise were not mutually exclusive. Strait embodied mainstream country's glance into its own history during the '80s, and by the end of the decade was among its biggest stars. STRAIT OUT OF THE BOX documents this climb of a neo- traditionalist, spotlighting some unexpected twists and previously unreleased turns. The portrait of Strait that emerges is of a stately singer and bandleader, with a skill for finding hits and getting the most out of his sidemen. On the rarely-heard, early singles, his Ace In The Hole band shines, the various string instruments at once echoing the singer's words and cooking up a sweet honky-tonk shuffle. It is a sound he wouldn't readily abandon. By the time of "Unwound," his first country top-ten, Strait had already added a commercial gleam to his Texas swing. The fiddle bounces and cries with a melody reminiscent of Hank, Sr., as Strait tells a mid-tempo tale of a dissolving love. After that, seemingly every song he touched turned into a chart-topper--from the uptown country-pop of "Marina Del Ray," which is like a late-period Beach Boys tune wrapped in a southern twang, to the waltz of "Let's Fall To Pieces Together," which features the plaintive fiddle of Johnny Gimble, to the spare "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind," cushioned by Hank DeVito's steel guitar. The rest, as they say, is history. The newest tracks on STRAIT OUT OF THE BOX spotlight Strait's ability to build new sounds out of familiar pieces. "Check Yes Or No" resonates with the big country sound of Garth Brooks and memories of childhood romance, and "Fly Me To The Moon," an unreleased duet with Frank Sinatra, is a light-hearted stroll through the crossroads of their respective styles. Sharing the microphone with the Chairman Of The Board--what better way is there to measure an artist's success?

George Strait's influence on modern country music is immense: all you have to do is turn on your local country station and you'll hear some of his countless clones twanging out a tune. Thankfully, Strait didn't follow the pack when he emerged as a hitmaker back in 1981 with the honkytonker "Unwound." Country radio at that time was dominated by the slick pop sounds of Kenny Rogers and Babs Mandrell and the Urban Country crowd. Instead, Strait (along with Ricky Skaggs) returned country to its roots and built upon them on his own terms (as STRAIT OUT OF THE BOX amply attests).

All of Strait's MCA singles through 1994 are included on this four-disc box set except for the "Unwound" imitation "Down And Out" and the dreary "Overnight Success" (smart omissions by the compiler Strait). Yet they make up only forty-two of the seventy-two tracks found on this set. It's those remaining thirty tracks of various origins which make this collection worthwhile for Strait fans who already own the hits.

The set opens with three rare singles that Strait recorded between 1976 and 1979 for the Texas-based D Records. The first two sound like they were cut in too high a key and the only noteworthy thing about any of them is that they were written by Strait (except for a holiday tune, he has contributed no songs to his many MCA albums). Also found on disc one are three previously unreleased recordings that Strait made for MCA between 1982 and 1983. All are good, particularly the lovely and simple "Any Old Love Will Do."

The big finds on the remaining three discs are Strait's collaborations with other artists. The rousing numbers with Hank Thompson ("Six Pack To Go") and Asleep At The Wheel ("Big Balls In Cowtown") make their first appearance on a Strait album while his pairing with Frank Sinatra on "Fly Me To The Moon" shows up on a disc for the first time anywhere (Strait is in fine voice, Sinatra is not).

By the middle of the fourth and final disc, Strait's heretofore distinctive solo performances have become somewhat bland. These tracks are from 1993's EASY COME EASY GO and 1994's LEAD ON CDs. The two new tunes which close out the box set register a hit ("Check Yes Or No") and a miss ("I Know She Still Loves Me"). Since this box set's release, Strait has rebounded with more great efforts.

My only complaint about this box set is that they could have easily fit another two-dozen tracks onto these four discs (Lord knows I have many favorites which didn't make the cut here). Otherwise, the packaging is superb. In the deluxe booklet which accompanies the set, Strait offers anecdotes on each of the 72 tracks. There's also a year by year summation of Strait's recording career since joining MCA, a thorough track discography and many rare photos. Everything is first-rate. Just like Strait's music.

What can I say about this box set. If you're an avid George Strait fan you'll come to realize that this Box Set has almost every single George Strait song available. The only exception is "You can't make a heart love somebody" which left me disappointed because it was not added on this CD. New songs of George's have been added as well as songs that came around before George became big..kind of like songs he recorded before he was anyone. Lefty's Gone....leaves you chilled to the bone while an early song "her goodbye hit me in the heart" breaks your heart. "My baby's gotten good at goodbye" is probably where George gets his strongest. There isn't a song on this album that is not catchy or worth listening to. George knows how to pick em which has made him the master of country music with Alan Jackson a close second. Go get this CD. It's the greatest of the greatest.

Well, this box set has it all. Virtually every single George ever released until 1995 is included. I think the only exclusions are Down And Out, Overnight Success and You Can't Make A Heart Love Somebody, which are not must-haves. You can really hear how George's voice has matured through the years, and the improvement in phrasing and nuances in his singing. It in fascinating to see an evolution take place right before your ears. George has achieved greatly at both the up tempo rocker and the soft ballad. He packs his lyrics with emotion and yearning.

George also hand-picked the twenty-something album cuts that were not singles that are included in the set. This is a major Strait strength. I've always said that any yahoo can string together a few hits. It's the fleshing out an album with strong tune after strong tune that is the hard part. Whenever a new Strait album comes out, I find myself challenged to choose the imminent singles, since there are always 6 or 7 potentials to choose from. One of his most popular non-singles, Blame It On Mexico, and my personal favorite, 80-Proof Bottle, are included. He's great at the fluff songs, like Hollywood Squares, as well as the "meat and potatoes" ones, like Lefty's Gone.

The unreleased tracks feature one of the best songs to hear on the radio in some time, Check Yes Or No. Can't miss duets include Big Balls and Six Pack. Fly Me To The Moon is not my cup of tea, but I appreciate him challenging himself. The earlier songs are admittedly rough around the edges, but still very listenable.

If you don't have the money to throw around on collecting all of his CDs like I've done, Strait Out Of The Box is a great purchase and bargain.

Over the years so many country music singers have released box sets sometimes they are good but there is always some songs you don't like. But then when the King of country music releases a box set you are guaranteed a good time with George Strait. This collection is incredible with the great hits that he released to his personal favorites. If you own all of George Straits albums it is very intresting to see which non singles he liked. And then I guess those other songs are unreleased music from the mid 70's of his early career and there are also some new songs that came out on this set. This is a timeless collection from one of the greatest singers in music. Every cd seems to just get better and better but anyone would recommend not to listen to all 4 cd's in row you probably would go crazy but this is great to listen to in different pieces and cd's 3 and 4 have got to be the best. I believe only 2 singles did not make it and those are Down and out a song that George Strait claims he hated. Also missing is Overnight Success for whatever reason. Also a great book full of 72 pages and pictures. Nice box and everything. The nicest box set I have ever seen.