47. Buck Owens and his Buckaroos – I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail

The first time I listened to this, driving down to Southampton on a drizzly afternoon, it felt like an album that was timeless in its literal sense, as believably released in 1995 as 1965.

Approaching it again, that observation seems more bullshit than insight, but this is an album that packs in the familiar country music staples, from the trebley Telecaster sound to the cunning melancholy of the lyrics. As a country album, this is a delight, carrying the same honky-tonk wink that The Statler Brothers would one day have fun with, and with some great songwriting (“If you fall out of love with me” is superb).

As a side note by the way, the 1995 re-release has a live version of Owens’ first big hit “Act Naturally”. I’ve always had a soft spot for Ringo’s fantastic cover on “Help!” (it feels like the song was written for him), but this is the version I really want to share…