Country music has a problem. As I opined a while ago writing about a career retrospective of songwriter and singer Rodney Crowell, Nashville tends to eat its dead. At the first sign of weakness, great artists with storied careers eventually find themselves unable to get radio play, press attention, or a cup of coffee on the strength of their good name. Within Nashville society, this means that elders are given lip service but shunned in public. In the larger picture, this means that country oldies radio is at best a niche genre, relegated to a late-night set or the far reaches of the AM dial. Instead, most country radio dedicates itself to whatever’s hot on the Country Top 40 chart, wasting good time on fatuous dreck by Toby Keith (he’s a Ford Truck man!) or the animatronic wonder called Shania Twain.
From time to time, country does return to its roots. After the great Countrypolitan revolution of the 1980s came a revival of classic sounds, boosting the careers of Randy Travis and Clint Black among others. Currently artists like Faith Hill and LeAnn Rimes (talented ladies both) have released albums reasserting their down-home credibility, correctly sensing that actual people in Kentucky, Wyoming and even Maine mostly drive pickups and wear blue jeans, not BMWs and Manolo Blahniks.
But this unfortunately does not mean an actual rediscovery of the past. There are literally dozens of incredible artists who once had massive careers who now languish in semi-obscurity. The living at least have a chance at redemption through a comeback record. The departed are not so lucky, and it falls to dedicated cadres of fans at record labels, radio stations, and in the record-buying public to keep their flame alive.
In a fortunate confluence of purpose and commerce, Sony has been compiling excellent best-ofs from their catalog under the “Legacy Essential” series for several years now. Already country greats like Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Earl Scruggs have gotten their due, and now Legacy have added the great, half-forgotten Marty Robbins to this list.
Casual music fans might be forgiven for thinking Marty Robbins was a one hit wonder. Everybody knows “El Paso,” one of the biggest hits in the history of country music and one of the catchiest tunes ever written. The opening line “Down in the old Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl” is probably better known to most people than “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union....”
Article comments
1 - rory
that has to be the most inaccurate assesment of marty robbins i've ever heard. robbins sang circles around the mentioned singers..yes including elvis. and the last song he recorded...he finally learned how to sing a ballad. utterly laughable.
2 - Cachito
First of all, the opening line happens to be, "Out in the west Texas town of El Paso."
Aside from that blunder ...
the half-forgotten Marty Robbins???
You don't have a clue.
3 - John Owen
Thanks for your honesty, both of you. The opening line was, I admit, a blunder. I've been mis-remembering that line for years for some reason and failed to factcheck it before I published.
Regarding Robbins' balladry, I totally agree, and in fact that's what I said. His last recordings were wonderful (aside from some overproduction) and his voice was richer than it had ever been. I personally don't think his earlier singing measures up to George Jones' at all, but that's nothing against Robbins. Jones has probably the best voice in all of country. As for Elvis, he had similarly limited vocal gifts but also had no shame, which let him cut loose more than Robbins tended to. Cash, that's a closer call, but his deep baritone is so distinctive that it's become iconic in and of itself.
And I would definitely contend that Marty Robbins is half forgotten. I can't think of another singer who had so many top-ten hits for so long - even into the 1980s - whose name has fallen into such obscurity, now really perpetuated for just "El Paso." It's as if the Rolling Stones were only known today for "Satisfaction" alone. That's not a judgement of Robbins. That's a judgement of the market.
4 - rory
maybe for strictly country jones had the best voice. but voice for voice come on robbins sang in so many styles and the overall technical sophistication of robbins voice was light years ahead of jones. do you thin jones could come close to hiting the f#s in el paso. or the wonderful slide into a high A falshetto in don't worry bout me. i mean really. not to mention the hawaian songs.
5 - John Owen
Rory, thanks for your comment.
Since I wrote this, I've come around on Marty Robbin's technical ability. You're right. Elvis and George Jones have loads of personality that help overcome their shortcomings. Marty Robbins has personality and chops.
6 - rory
good for you for finally giving marty his just due. i really like your part on why he is and yes although I hate to admit it, all but forgotten. nice chatting with you so to speak. Rory