CD Review: BOBBY DARREN – Real Country

BOBBY DARREN

Real Country
Goodbye Littler Darlin’ – Here Today Gone
Tomorrow – I Never Go Around Mirrors – Not For Me To Understand –
Jackson – Jeanne Norman – No One’s Gonna Love You Better – Second Handed
Flowers – Traveling Dobro – Waiting For A Train
 
One thing about Bobby Darren for anyone who has ever heard
him perform, knows that he is ‘real’ country.  This CD is a reflection
of that wonderful genre of music that for years and years was ‘real.’ 
If you listen to commercial country radio these days, you will find an
amazing difference in the music you hear there called country, and the
music you hear here, by Bobby Darren, as very very different.  How can
that be?  Money and greed is the answer.  Since I hardly ever listen to
country music of today, ever since Blake Shelton called me an old fart
and a jackass because I listen to the country music of an artist like
Bobby Darren, I will gladly be called that if I can still hear ‘real’
country music like Bobby Darren does.  He not only sings it well in
concert, but records just as well on CD.  He’s got one heck of a Dobro
player on this session, which matches Darren’s voice to a tee. The first
song out of the chute is one that Darren sounds a bit like Johnny Cash
on.  Just as real as real.  His voice moves to a more natural Bobby
Darren sound all the rest of the way through.  This guy can really sing
‘real’ country music, and that makes him all the more ‘real’ as a
performing and recording artist.  And, he’s been doing it for a very
long time.  He’s going to be given a “Lifetime Achievement” award in
2017 by the National Traditional Country Music Association, and this CD
is going to the Rural Roots Music Commission to see if they might like
to recognize his work as well.  This whole CD is a trip back in time to
when country music was country music, no doubt about that.   There’s
also a super good mandolin on some of these songs.  By the time we get
to “Jackson” on this CD, I was ready for Darren’s voice to go back to
the Johnny Cash sound, and indeed it does.  Don’t know who the female
voice is, but it’s a good rendition sound of June Carter. Super good
listening, especially since it sounds so ‘real.’  She also sings “No
One’s Gonna Love You Better” also super good.  I also liked “Traveling
Dobro” which is a fast-paced instrumental with the Dobro being the
lead-off instrument with some well interspersed fiddle and
mandolin.  All of them incredibly well done.  I’m not sure how many of
these instruments Bobby Darren plays, but they are incredibly well
played.  He closes this CD with a very traditional song by the Father of
Country Music, Jimmie Rodgers.  Once again Bobby Darren reverts back to
a kind-of Johnny Cash sound, not quite, but sure enough so well done it
doesn’t even need the Cash influence or input.  Super good CD ….. 5
stars for sure.
RECORD REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART, President, National Traditional Country Music Association for Country Music News International

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