BOBBY ATKINS
The Heart & Soul of Country Music
Singing
The Blues – Some Day We’ll Look Back – All For The Love Of A Girl – When
You Feel Like Your In Love Don’t Just Stand There – I Can’t Stop Lovin’
You – The Tennessee Waltz – Help Me Make It Through The Night –
Blueberry Hill – Today I Started Loving You Again – Mr. Moon – Are You
Teasing Me – Mama Tried –
Bobby
Atkins, from North Carolina, is one of my favorite banjo playing
bluegrass singers. He was with us at our National Old Time Country
& Bluegrass Festival in Missouri Valley, Iowa, in 2007. He was
inducted into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame at that
time. This particular album is without a doubt one of his best
offerings, ever. It goes right back to that incredible traditional
classic country/bluegrass sound. I love his voice, he’s a ‘real’
genuine ‘country’ singer. How can I make it any plainer. This is it,
this is the ‘real deal,’ it don’t git any better. Steel guitar opener
on “Some Day We’ll Look Back” is exactly what made ‘country’ music so
incredibly popular those many years ago. This is it, if the ‘decision
makers’ in Nashville continue to push what THEY call ‘country’ we can
expect this genre of music to disappear forever. That shouldn’t be
happening. Country music, at least for me, is a really ‘honest’ musical
genre of music. When you hear that very ‘country’ sound of an old
upright piano opening up “I Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” it’s Bobby’s voice
that welds the song together with what it once was, a huge hit. Bobby
keeps that delightful sound right there, still alive, still beating,
still ‘talking’ about real things in life. The “Tennessee Waltz” has
that same invigorating ‘sound’ with additional instruments coming along
throughout the song. It don’t get much better than this, especially if
you like classic country music. The ‘arrangement’ on this song is
especially listenable. We hear some more really good piano on
“Blueberry Hill.” Not exactly Fats Domino, but close enough to make it a
real pleasure to hear. Bobby brings the steel guitar back on “Mr.
Moon.” ‘How Sweet It Is,’ Jackie Gleason used to say when things were
going just right and life was a pleasure. That’s what I feel when I
hear Bobby Atkins as he gives us this ‘taste’ of what ‘real’ country
music is all about. And adding a nice little Honky-Tonk dance tune like
“Are You Teasing Me” sure can’t be a wrong thing to do with this
incredibly well recorded memory of the past. He closes with a tribute
to Merle Haggard one of the most staunch and certainly proud to be a
country singer entertainers we’ve ever had. Bobby Atkins is also a
staunch and certainly proud to be a country singer entertainer too.
He’s also got a brand new biography out this year (2019) entitled “Bobby
Atkins Bluegrass Boy.” It’s a large 164 page, photos and all,
presentation that is long overdue. Written by Rob Leggett it’s a
stunning presentation looking into the personal life of one of bluegrass
& country music’s most noted performers. Bobby’s time with Bill
Monroe is well reported, and certainly interesting to hear how it was to
work with both Bill Monroe and his brother Charlie Monroe, after they
had split. Bobby says they split over a woman. They sure did, it
happened in Iowa, the girl was from Clarinda, and she’s the girl Bill
married. Charlie, the hurt one, abandoned Bill at that time. Wow, this
recording sure brings a lot of memories back to me, I’m sending it along
to the boys and girls at the Rural Roots Music Commission who give out
their CD of the Year awards at this year’s 44th National Old Time
Country/Bluegrass Festival, October 3-4-5-6, at the Christensen Field
House in Fremont, Nebraska. I’m wondering if Bobby would show up for
such an award?
Review
by Bob Everhart, President, National Traditional Country Music Assn.,
www.music-savers.com bobeverhart@yahoo.com for COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS
INTERNATIONAL