CD Review

Merle Travis
The Best Of Merle Travis: Sweet Temptation (1946-1953)

This isn't really "the best" of Merle Travis. It's missing "Roll On Buddy," "Dark As A Dungeon," and "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette," for a start. Sweet Temptation is a document of commercial sides released during a seven year period. Kentucky's Merle Travis was a great country swing fingerpicker, a crafty singer (who could yodel!) and a songwriter with a crackling facility for the rhythm and rhyme of words. The disc is accompanied by excellent biographical liner notes by Rich Kienzle. A careful listen to the disc reveals that, indeed, Travis' best work has outlived him, yet much of his output deserves to be left behind. The best track here is also Travis' best known song, "16 Tons," with an explanatory spoken section by Merle - whose father had left the farm to work in a coal mine. Other populist/protest songs include "No Vacancy" and "Re-Enlistment Blues," about the struggles of returning WWII veterans. Travis' signature instrumental "Cannonball Rag" is here, with the equally impressive songs "Guitar Rag" and "Steel Guitar Rag," thoroughly stylish and dexterous country swing music.

Most of the songs are dated by trumpet/accordion honky-tonk production; few of these session musicians are in Travis' league. Then there are several songs about women, who are presented as vixens ("she put the sin in Cincinnati...", jokes ("So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed"), or stereotypical down-home gals, and the sum effect is disturbing. From "Fat Gal": "if times get rough, if times get hard, I'll render my gal and sell the lard." If you can stomach lines like that, you'll love this CD. I don't. -Andrew Calhoun