Bear Family
1960
The Dynanite Trail - The Decca Years, 1954-58
About This Album
Anyone seeking out the music of Wilf Carter, aka Montana Slim, should start with this single disc before moving on to Bear Family's more ambitious box set. Carter recorded for Decca from 1954 through 1958, and all 30 of those sides (originally issued on the LPs I'm Ragged But I'm Right and The Dynamite Trail) are contained on this single CD. These were among the most solidly commercial sides ever cut by Carter, recorded at Owen Bradley's studio in Nashville with Bradley playing piano and leading a band that included Tommy Jackson on fiddle and Jerry Byrd on steel guitar. The sound is smooth and elegant and gives Carter's voice a superb showcase -- highlights include "Maple Lead Waltz," "Mountain High Yodel," and "I Bought a Rock for My Rocky Mountain Gal," as well as the title tracks of the two LPs and covers of such standards as "Strawberry Roan." Even the weaker numbers, such as "The Sunshine Bird," are worth hearing and thoroughly enjoyable for the performances they receive. The real surprise here, apart from the overall quality of the music, is the beauty of Carter's yodeling, among the best and most haunting you're ever likely to hear -- "Shoo Shoo Sh' La La" is almost worth the price of the disc by itself. The sound throughout is astonishingly good, and the programming is generous, topping out at over 70 minutes of superb music. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 and 22)

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