COUNTRY GAZETTE
''''HELLO, OPERATOR... THIS IS COUNTRY GAZETTE''''
COMPILATION
1991
59:41
1/Saro Jane
Traditional/2:36
2/The Virginia Boys
Alan Munde/3:10
3/Love, Lost and Found
Bill Caswell/2:57
4/Don't Let Nobody Tie You Down
Ronnie Light/2:23
5/Sweet Allis Chalmers
Bill Caswell/3:27
6/You Can't Get the Hell Out of Texas
John Hadley / Jim Stafford/2:33
7/Charlotte Breakdown
Don Reno/2:01
8/The Great Joe Bob (A Regional Tragedy)
Terry Allen/3:51
9/Still Feeling Blue
Gram Parsons/2:10
10/Uncle Clooney Played the Banjo (But Mostly Out of Time)
Alan Munde/2:48
11/Molly and Tenbrooks
Bill Monroe/2:42
12/Kentucky Waltz
Bill Monroe/2:46
13/Blue Light
John Hadley/3:05
14/Tallahassee
Bill Monroe/3:54
15/Highland Dream
M. Anderson/3:07
16/Last Thing on My Mind
Tom Paxton/4:05
17/Hello Operator
G. Clark/2:03
18/The Great American Banjo Tune
Alan Munde/2:21
19/Nothing Is Left But the Blues
Bill Caswell/2:23
20/Cabin on a Mountain/2:43
21/Done Gone
Traditional/2:36
Michael Anderson/Bass, Vocals
Roger Bush/Bass, Vocals
Sam Bush/Fiddle
Joe Carr/Arranger, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
Kathy Chiavola/Bass (Electric)
Dave Ferguson/Fiddle
Bill Joe Foster/Bass (Electric), Fiddle, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Vocals
David Grier/Guitar
Alan Munde/Arranger, Banjo, Guitar
Dahrell Noris/Drums
Al Perkins/Guitar (Steel)
Bill Smith/Bass, Vocals
Kenny Wertz/Guitar, Vocals
Lawrence White/Percussion
Roland White/Arranger, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
Gene Wooten/Dobro, Guitar, Vocals
REVIEW
by Thom Owens
Hello Operator...This Is Country Gazette covers the group's five Flying Fish records, which were made between 1976 and 1987. During that time, a number of excellent musicians made their way through the band, but Country Gazette retained a distinctive progressive bluegrass style, as this compilation demonstrates. Certainly, anyone wanting an idea of what the group achieved during the height of their career should pick up Hello Operator, since it sums up their music succinctly and effectively.
BIOGRAPHY
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
One of the most influential bluegrass acts of the '70s -- as well as one of that decade's most popular country artists in Europe -- Country Gazette blended bluegrass with country-rock and, in the process, sowed the seeds for the newgrass movement of the '80s. The Los Angeles-based band was originally formed in 1971 by fiddler Byron Berline, bassist Roger Bush, and banjoist Billy Ray Latham, who had all played with Dillard & Clark. The trio added guitarist Herb Pedersen, who was quickly replaced by Alan Munde. Shortly after the band's formation, Berline and Bush played on the Flying Burrito Brothers' Last of the Red Hot Burritos album, which turned out to be the last album the group would release before breaking up; they would reunite later in the decade. Berline and Bush convinced guitarist Kenny Wertz to join Country Gazette during the Burrito sessions and, following the Burritos' dissolution, the trio returned to Country Gazette and finished recording the band's debut, A Traitor in Our Midst.
A Traitor in Our Midst was released on United Artists in 1972. During the summer of that year, Country Gazette played gigs at Disneyland and soon landed opening spots for Steve Miller, Crosby & Nash, and Don McLean, which indicated that the group was aiming for a more rock-oriented audience. Later that year, they recorded and released the Live in Amsterdam album. Their second studio album, Don't Give Up Your Day Job, appeared in 1973. Following its release, the band switched labels, signing with the European-based Ariola, which released Bluegrass Special later in 1973. As the location of their record label indicated, the band was more popular in Europe than America.
In 1975, Byron Berline left the band and formed Sundance; Roger Bush left that same year. The following year, Country Gazette added guitarist/mandolinist/vocalist Roland White to its lineup and released Live. After its release, the band added fiddler Dave Ferguson and released Out to Lunch on the American independent label Flying Fish; in Europe, the album was called Sunny Side of the Mountain. Following the recording of Out to Lunch, Wertz left the band. Two albums -- 1977's What a Way to Earn a Living, which was recorded with Berline, not Ferguson, and 1979's All This, and Money, Too! -- followed on Ridge Runner.
American and Clean and America's Bluegrass Band appeared on Flying Fish in 1981 and 1982, respectively. The group disbanded after the release of America's Bluegrass Band, but re-formed in 1983. The reunited lineup featured Roland White, banjoist Alan Munde, bassist Mike Anderson, and dobroist Gene Wooten. For the next five years, the band toured America and Europe. Country Gazette broke up for a second and final time in 1988. Roland White joined the Nashville Bluegrass Band after the group's split.
DoWnLoAd
''''HELLO, OPERATOR... THIS IS COUNTRY GAZETTE''''
COMPILATION
1991
59:41
1/Saro Jane
Traditional/2:36
2/The Virginia Boys
Alan Munde/3:10
3/Love, Lost and Found
Bill Caswell/2:57
4/Don't Let Nobody Tie You Down
Ronnie Light/2:23
5/Sweet Allis Chalmers
Bill Caswell/3:27
6/You Can't Get the Hell Out of Texas
John Hadley / Jim Stafford/2:33
7/Charlotte Breakdown
Don Reno/2:01
8/The Great Joe Bob (A Regional Tragedy)
Terry Allen/3:51
9/Still Feeling Blue
Gram Parsons/2:10
10/Uncle Clooney Played the Banjo (But Mostly Out of Time)
Alan Munde/2:48
11/Molly and Tenbrooks
Bill Monroe/2:42
12/Kentucky Waltz
Bill Monroe/2:46
13/Blue Light
John Hadley/3:05
14/Tallahassee
Bill Monroe/3:54
15/Highland Dream
M. Anderson/3:07
16/Last Thing on My Mind
Tom Paxton/4:05
17/Hello Operator
G. Clark/2:03
18/The Great American Banjo Tune
Alan Munde/2:21
19/Nothing Is Left But the Blues
Bill Caswell/2:23
20/Cabin on a Mountain/2:43
21/Done Gone
Traditional/2:36
Michael Anderson/Bass, Vocals
Roger Bush/Bass, Vocals
Sam Bush/Fiddle
Joe Carr/Arranger, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
Kathy Chiavola/Bass (Electric)
Dave Ferguson/Fiddle
Bill Joe Foster/Bass (Electric), Fiddle, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Vocals
David Grier/Guitar
Alan Munde/Arranger, Banjo, Guitar
Dahrell Noris/Drums
Al Perkins/Guitar (Steel)
Bill Smith/Bass, Vocals
Kenny Wertz/Guitar, Vocals
Lawrence White/Percussion
Roland White/Arranger, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
Gene Wooten/Dobro, Guitar, Vocals
REVIEW
by Thom Owens
Hello Operator...This Is Country Gazette covers the group's five Flying Fish records, which were made between 1976 and 1987. During that time, a number of excellent musicians made their way through the band, but Country Gazette retained a distinctive progressive bluegrass style, as this compilation demonstrates. Certainly, anyone wanting an idea of what the group achieved during the height of their career should pick up Hello Operator, since it sums up their music succinctly and effectively.
BIOGRAPHY
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
One of the most influential bluegrass acts of the '70s -- as well as one of that decade's most popular country artists in Europe -- Country Gazette blended bluegrass with country-rock and, in the process, sowed the seeds for the newgrass movement of the '80s. The Los Angeles-based band was originally formed in 1971 by fiddler Byron Berline, bassist Roger Bush, and banjoist Billy Ray Latham, who had all played with Dillard & Clark. The trio added guitarist Herb Pedersen, who was quickly replaced by Alan Munde. Shortly after the band's formation, Berline and Bush played on the Flying Burrito Brothers' Last of the Red Hot Burritos album, which turned out to be the last album the group would release before breaking up; they would reunite later in the decade. Berline and Bush convinced guitarist Kenny Wertz to join Country Gazette during the Burrito sessions and, following the Burritos' dissolution, the trio returned to Country Gazette and finished recording the band's debut, A Traitor in Our Midst.
A Traitor in Our Midst was released on United Artists in 1972. During the summer of that year, Country Gazette played gigs at Disneyland and soon landed opening spots for Steve Miller, Crosby & Nash, and Don McLean, which indicated that the group was aiming for a more rock-oriented audience. Later that year, they recorded and released the Live in Amsterdam album. Their second studio album, Don't Give Up Your Day Job, appeared in 1973. Following its release, the band switched labels, signing with the European-based Ariola, which released Bluegrass Special later in 1973. As the location of their record label indicated, the band was more popular in Europe than America.
In 1975, Byron Berline left the band and formed Sundance; Roger Bush left that same year. The following year, Country Gazette added guitarist/mandolinist/vocalist Roland White to its lineup and released Live. After its release, the band added fiddler Dave Ferguson and released Out to Lunch on the American independent label Flying Fish; in Europe, the album was called Sunny Side of the Mountain. Following the recording of Out to Lunch, Wertz left the band. Two albums -- 1977's What a Way to Earn a Living, which was recorded with Berline, not Ferguson, and 1979's All This, and Money, Too! -- followed on Ridge Runner.
American and Clean and America's Bluegrass Band appeared on Flying Fish in 1981 and 1982, respectively. The group disbanded after the release of America's Bluegrass Band, but re-formed in 1983. The reunited lineup featured Roland White, banjoist Alan Munde, bassist Mike Anderson, and dobroist Gene Wooten. For the next five years, the band toured America and Europe. Country Gazette broke up for a second and final time in 1988. Roland White joined the Nashville Bluegrass Band after the group's split.
DoWnLoAd
