''Comin' Right at Ya'' is the debut album by American
western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the Western United States, West and Southern United States, South among the region's Western music (North America), Western string bands. It is dan ...
band
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western swing group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted more t ...
. Produced by
Tommy Allsup
Thomas Douglas Allsup (November 24, 1931 – January 11, 2017) was an American rockabilly and swing musician.
Personal life
Allsup was born near Owasso, Oklahoma in 1931, and was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Allsup had a son, ...
at
Mercury Custom Studios in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
, it was released in March 1973 as the group's only album on
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B.
History Genres
In 1959, ...
. The album features a variety of traditional and original compositions, including recordings of songs originally by
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although S ...
,
Hank Williams
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
and
Geoff Mack
Albert Geoffrey McElhinney OAM (20 December 1922 – 21 July 2017), better known by his stage name Geoff Mack, was an Australian country singer, songwriter and aircraft mechanic. As a songwriter, he wrote the song "I've Been Everywhere" which w ...
. Most of the original tracks on the album were written by drummer and vocalist LeRoy Preston.
Asleep at the Wheel's debut was the only album to feature the first recording lineup of the group, which included Preston alongside vocalist and lead guitarist
Ray Benson
Ray Benson (born Ray Benson Seifert, March 16, 1951 - October 31st 2022) i Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the Western United States, West and Southern United St ...
, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Chris O'Connell, vocalist and bassist Gene Dobkin, steel guitarist
Lucky Oceans
Lucky Oceans (born Reuben Gosfield, 21 April 1951) is an American pedal steel guitarist and a former member of country and Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. From 1995 to 2017 he was a broadcaster in Perth, Western Australia with the Austr ...
and pianist
Floyd Domino
Floyd Domino is an American musician known for his work in the genre of Western swing.
Biography
Born a native of California, Domino was introduced to Western swing by way of the musicians who had migrated from Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930 ...
. At the time of its recording, the band did not have a full-time fiddler in the band, so ''Comin' Right at Ya'' features guest contributions from
Johnny Gimble
John Paul Gimble (May 30, 1926 – May 9, 2015) was an American country musician associated with Western swing. Gimble was considered one of the most important fiddlers in the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 i ...
,
Andy Stein
Andy Stein is an American saxophone and violin player. He is a member of The Guys All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and the movie. He was a founding member of the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Plan ...
and
Buddy Spicher
Buddy Spicher (born July 28, 1938 in DuBois, Pennsylvania; pronounced “Spiker”) is an American country music fiddle player. He is a member of The Nashville A-Team of session musicians, and is Grammy-nominated. He was nominated as Instrumental ...
on the instrument.
''Comin' Right at Ya'' failed to register on the US or any international music charts. However, it was received positively by critics, with reviewers praising its versatility and authenticity considering the young age of the band. The album has since been recognised by a number of commentators as one of the best releases in Asleep at the Wheel's career. Two songs on the record were released as
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
s: Wills' "
Take Me Back to Tulsa
"Take Me Back to Tulsa" is a Western swing standard song. Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan added words and music to the melody of the traditional fiddle tune "Walkin' Georgia Rose" in 1940. The song is one of eight country music performances selected fo ...
" in July 1973 and Jerry Irby's "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin" in October 1973.
Background
After performing for almost three years without a record deal, Asleep at the Wheel signed with
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B.
History Genres
In 1959, ...
in the fall of 1972. The impetus for the deal was credited in part to
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
, who mentioned the group favorably in an interview with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', which led to interest from multiple labels.
Despite being based in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
at the time, the band insisted that they be allowed to record their debut album in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
, inspired by
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
's recordings.
Recording for the album took place at Nashville's
Mercury Custom Recording Studios in January 1973.
The sessions were produced by
Tommy Allsup
Thomas Douglas Allsup (November 24, 1931 – January 11, 2017) was an American rockabilly and swing musician.
Personal life
Allsup was born near Owasso, Oklahoma in 1931, and was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Allsup had a son, ...
, who was brought in on the recommendation of fiddler
Buddy Spicher
Buddy Spicher (born July 28, 1938 in DuBois, Pennsylvania; pronounced “Spiker”) is an American country music fiddle player. He is a member of The Nashville A-Team of session musicians, and is Grammy-nominated. He was nominated as Instrumental ...
, a guest performer on the album's first recording, "
Take Me Back to Tulsa
"Take Me Back to Tulsa" is a Western swing standard song. Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan added words and music to the melody of the traditional fiddle tune "Walkin' Georgia Rose" in 1940. The song is one of eight country music performances selected fo ...
".
As the band did not yet have a full-time fiddler, ''Comin' Right at Ya'' also featured contributions from
Johnny Gimble
John Paul Gimble (May 30, 1926 – May 9, 2015) was an American country musician associated with Western swing. Gimble was considered one of the most important fiddlers in the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 i ...
and
Andy Stein
Andy Stein is an American saxophone and violin player. He is a member of The Guys All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and the movie. He was a founding member of the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Plan ...
, the latter of whom had been touring part-time with the group since 1971.
''Comin' Right at Ya'' was released in March 1973.
Two singles were issued from the album: a recording of
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although S ...
' "
Take Me Back to Tulsa
"Take Me Back to Tulsa" is a Western swing standard song. Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan added words and music to the melody of the traditional fiddle tune "Walkin' Georgia Rose" in 1940. The song is one of eight country music performances selected fo ...
" featuring Spicher, and a recording of Jerry Irby's "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin" featuring Gimble. Despite receiving several positive reviews from music critics after the release of the album, neither ''Comin' Right at Ya'' nor either of its singles managed to register on the national record charts, which led to United Artists dropping the band.
Reception
Critical response to ''Comin' Right at Ya'' was largely positive, with many commentators hailing it as a strong debut release. Writing in ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...
'', Tony Byworth described the album as "an auspicious and highly entertaining recording debut in which this six piece outfit really come to grips with the honest to goodness country sounds of the fifties and early sixties."
Similarly, a short uncredited review in ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine stated: "San Francisco's hottest new neo-hayseed rockers join the
Commander Cody/
Dan Hicks sweepstake with delightfully wacked-out flair." ''
The Dispatch
''The Dispatch'' is an American conservative subscription-based and advertisement-free online magazine founded by Jonah Goldberg, Stephen F. Hayes, and Toby Stock. Several of ''The Dispatchs staff (including Hayes) are alumni of the defunc ...
'', a newspaper based in
Moline, Illinois
Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline, Illinois, East M ...
, wrote about the record that "it's unbelievable that a group so young can be so talented, they sound like they've been around for years," calling it "a nearly flawless piece of vinyl".
Several reviews welcomed Asleep at the Wheel's debut as an exciting development in
country and western
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
music. Byworth suggested that the band was "injecting the music with some good old basic enthusiasm and excitement".
''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' was also positive of the potential impact of the album, suggesting that "Asleep At The Wheel looks to become an important force in the revitalization of western music". Music critic
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
spoke further about the album within the genre of
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the Western United States, West and Southern United States, South among the region's Western music (North America), Western string bands. It is dan ...
specifically, writing that "flatness is of the essence in Western swing, and the sly singing and positively underhanded songwriting here exploit it brilliantly."
In another retrospective review, for the website
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
claimed that ''Comin' Right at Ya'' saw the group "re-creating the sound of pure country at a time when it often wasn't heard", calling it "one of their best" releases.
Of the few criticisms levelled at ''Comin' Right at Ya'', among the most common was its attempt at humorous material. ''
The Arizona Republic
''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
'' published a review which stated that "Unlike Commander Cody, who seems to parody much of country and western music, Asleep at the Wheel seem dead serious in pushing these old songs, and while they do swing, most hard rock enthusiasts may find them a bit too corny." ''
The Times Herald
''The Times Herald'' is a daily newspaper in Port Huron, Michigan. The newspaper, owned by Gannett, is the only daily paper serving St. Clair County, Michigan as well as parts of Sanilac and Lapeer counties.
''The Times Herald'' history can b ...
'' drew the same comparison, claiming that "They are not as funny or as eclectic as Commander Cody, but are musically every bit as good."
Erlewine's review for AllMusic noted that "There's also a dash of post-hippie humor ... and just the slightest touch of knowingly reverent reserve ...
hich
Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
is the only area where the record stumbles, and it's a slight one".
Track listing
Personnel
Asleep at the Wheel
*
Ray Benson
Ray Benson (born Ray Benson Seifert, March 16, 1951 - October 31st 2022) i Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the Western United States, West and Southern United St ...
– vocals, lead guitar
*Chris O'Connell – vocals, rhythm guitar
*LeRoy Preston – vocals, drums
*Gene Dobkin – vocals, upright and electric basses
*
Lucky Oceans
Lucky Oceans (born Reuben Gosfield, 21 April 1951) is an American pedal steel guitarist and a former member of country and Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. From 1995 to 2017 he was a broadcaster in Perth, Western Australia with the Austr ...
– pedal and lap steel guitars
*
Floyd Domino
Floyd Domino is an American musician known for his work in the genre of Western swing.
Biography
Born a native of California, Domino was introduced to Western swing by way of the musicians who had migrated from Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930 ...
– piano, organ
Additional personnel
*
Johnny Gimble
John Paul Gimble (May 30, 1926 – May 9, 2015) was an American country musician associated with Western swing. Gimble was considered one of the most important fiddlers in the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 i ...
– fiddle, electric mandolin, rhythm guitar
*
Andy Stein
Andy Stein is an American saxophone and violin player. He is a member of The Guys All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and the movie. He was a founding member of the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Plan ...
– fiddle
*
Buddy Spicher
Buddy Spicher (born July 28, 1938 in DuBois, Pennsylvania; pronounced “Spiker”) is an American country music fiddle player. He is a member of The Nashville A-Team of session musicians, and is Grammy-nominated. He was nominated as Instrumental ...
– fiddle
*
Tommy Allsup
Thomas Douglas Allsup (November 24, 1931 – January 11, 2017) was an American rockabilly and swing musician.
Personal life
Allsup was born near Owasso, Oklahoma in 1931, and was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Allsup had a son, ...
– production
*Tom Sparkman – engineering
*Mike Salisbury – art direction
*Lloyd Ziff – design
*
Jim Marshall – photography
References
*
Footnotes
External links
*
{{Authority control
Asleep at the Wheel albums
1973 debut albums
United Artists Records albums