Greetings from Asheville, where good music is always found on the turntable, or in the CD player. Today’s Classic Album Review is a 1966 release from fellow Hoosier Bobby Helms. In 1957, Bobby burst onto the scene with two big hits, “Fraulein” and “My Special Angel”. Both would spend 4 weeks on top of the Country charts, while also appearing in the Pop Top 40, where “My Special Angel” would climb into the top ten. 1957 was also the year of his classic “Jingle Bell Rock”. Bobby would have two more top ten hits in 1958, but after 1960, would never return into the Country 40, despite regularly recording into the 1980′s. By 1966, he had left Decca Records (the home of his success), for Kapp Records. At Kapp, he would release one album and a handful of singles, but resulting in no real hits. That one Kapp LP is the focus of today’s Classic Album Review.
Released in January, I’m The Man featured only one single release, which like the album, failed to chart.
The album opens with the title cut, the album’s only single, released towards the end of 1965. Unfortunately, a record that never charted, because it’s a pretty decent track, actually. Good, pure country music that should have at least made the Country 40, in my opinion.
Next, Bobby tackles the Lolita pop hit, “Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea)”, in English, of course. Not a bad track, he handles it pretty well, of course with a much stronger pop sound than the opening cut.
“Stop The World And Let Me Off” was a big 1958 hit for Johnny And Jack, and returned to the charts in 1965, courtesy of a young Waylon Jennings. Here, Bobby gives it a completely different take, turning it into a slower ballad. While I still like the quicker versions, I have to say this came off pretty well.
Perhaps the album’s best track is “Ten Thousand Tears”. Someone at Kapp missed a potential single, here. Good beat, contemporary (for 1966) sound, good strong song. I really like this one. Easily the album’s Hidden Gem.
“Marie, Marie” is an okay ballad. A fairly typical love song from a soldier to his love back home. Not bad, but not anything special. Like pretty much all of the cuts, though, Bobby Helms’ work is fine.
Side one ends with a more Pop sounding “Lollipops And Roses”, which sounds more like a 1950′s Top 40 ballad. Again, a track that is okay, but not anything special; it actually sounds a little dated, even for 1966. Not the strongest composition on the album, either.
Side two opens with an interesting take on the Buck Owens hit “Act Naturally”. Overall, it comes off pretty well, though it sounds like they are reaching the upper limits of Bobby Helms’ range.
Another track that I like, here, is “Keep ‘Em Laughin’”, a track that is country at it’s best. Surprising that no one ever turned this song into a hit single. In fact, Bobby’s version would have been a good single, in my opinion.
Next, Bobby takes on former label-mate Brenda Lee’s hit, “Fool No. 1″, and does so pretty well. Utilizing a quicker pace than Brenda’s hit, and featuring some prominent fiddle work, again, one has to feel, when hearing this, that Kapp may have missed a potential single, here.
“Twin Of An Angel” keeps the solid Country music flowing, here, a track that’s not the album’s strongest, but it’s still a quality piece, and something enjoyable to listen to. Again, some very good singing work by Bobby Helms.
“Have This Love On Me” has a little bit more Pop feel, but I like this one, as it has a great rhythm and melody. Pretty decent work, here.
I think the album’s closing track is yet another piece that deserves recognition for good music. ”I Close My Eyes (And See It All)” is yet another track that I’d argue could have been a decent single. Good beat, mixed with some solid fiddle work, this is a really good closing track, ending the album on a rather high note.
Long out of print, this album can be found with a little effort, the ones I saw were generally around $10.
“I’m The Man” the only single, gets the Standout Track, while as I’ve already stated, “Ten Thousand Tears” is the Hidden Gem. ”Marie, Marie” is the track that didn’t do much for me, thus the Weakest Track.
Overall, this is a really good effort that never got much acclaim. Sadly, by the mid-1960′s, Bobby had long faded from chart success, and despite regularly recording, was never able to recreate that period of “Fraulein”, “My Special Angel”, and “Jingle Bell Rock”. Yet, this album shows that Bobby Helms could still deliver the goods, and one has to wonder why it wasn’t more successful. For that matter, why wasn’t the single more successful. Not knowing much about Kapp Records at that time, I can’t say if it was something, there, or just the country audience’s changing taste. Either way, it’s some good music that’s been missed by too many for too many years. I rate it a 4 out of 5.
Your thoughts?
Saving vinyl, one record at a time.
