Live at Billy Bob's Texas (Asleep at the Wheel album)

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Live at Billy Bob's Texas
AATW-BillyBobs.jpg
Live album by
ReleasedOctober 14, 2003 (2003-10-14)
RecordedApril 18, 2003 (2003-04-18)
Venue Billy Bob's Texas (Fort Worth, Texas)
Genre
Length53:38
Label Smith
Producer Ray Benson
Asleep at the Wheel chronology
Wide Awake! Live in Oklahoma
(2003)
Live at Billy Bob's Texas
(2003)
Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo
(2003)

Live at Billy Bob's Texas is the fifth live album and first video album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded on April 18, 2003, at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on October 14, 2003, by Smith Music Group, as part of the Live at Billy Bob's Texas series. The album is the band's first release to feature fiddler and guitarist Haydn Vitera, and features former steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar as a guest.

Contents

Although it did not register on record charts, Live at Billy Bob's Texas received positive reviews from the majority of critics. Multiple commentators praised the band's choice of songs to perform at the show, as well as the performances of several band members including the lead vocal deliveries of fiddlers Jason Roberts and Haydn Vitera on one song each. Reviewers also praised the sound and video quality of the DVD release, which also features interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Background

Live at Billy Bob's Texas is Asleep at the Wheel's first live album and video release. [1] Speaking about the show recorded for the collection, frontman Ray Benson commented that "if there's one place that typifies where you should see Asleep at the Wheel, it's Billy Bob's. It's as purely Texas as you can get." [1] The performance features former steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar as the sole guest musician, alongside regular steel guitarist and saxophonist Jim "Miracle" Murphy. [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Media response to Live at Billy Bob's Texas was generally positive. AllMusic's Thom Jurek wrote in a four-star review that, despite the band's prolific release schedule at the time, "This live show at Billy Bob's is scorching hot; full of tight, Western swing, R&B, blues, and honky tonk," describing it as "one of the finer Asleep at the Wheel live outings available". [2] Jurek claimed that the album "sounds better than most folks' studio recordings", as well as praising the choice of songs to perform as "a great grab bag". [2] Similarly, Robert Wooldridge of the website Country Standard Time praised the collection of songs performed during the show, describing it as "representative of [the band's] best work" and concluding that "With this outstanding effort, Asleep At The Wheel do their part to keep western swing vital." [3]

Vintage Guitar columnist Steven Stone particularly praised the video release of the album, claiming that "Unlike many live-performance DVDs, this disc has excellent production values, including fine editing, good camera angles, excellent sharpness, sumptuous color saturation, and lively cinematic pacing." [4] Describing it as "easily the best concert DVD I've seen", Stone praised recording engineers Paul Whitehead and Bob Wright and concluded that "If you are an Asleep at the Wheel fan, Live at Billy Bob's Texas is simply a must have. Even if you have only a moderate interest in western swing, this disc can turn you into a hardcore fan." [4]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Miles and Miles of Texas"
  • Tommy Camfield
  • Diane Johnston
3:38
2."Get Your Kicks on Route 66" Bobby Troup 3:27
3."One Six Pack to Go"
3:06
4."Hang Up My Spurs and Saddle" Ray Benson 2:47
5."Don't Fence Me In"3:06
6."Before the Next Teardrop Falls"
3:39
7."Dance with Who Brung Ya"Benson3:56
8."Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens"3:25
9."Amarillo by Morning"
3:11
10."Take Me Back to Tulsa"3:51
11."You're from Texas" Cindy Walker 2:56
12."If I Needed You" Townes Van Zandt 3:56
13."Boogie Back to Texas"Benson3:53
14."Cotton Eyed Joe"Traditional4:27
15."Big Balls in Cowtown"Hoyle Nix4:20
Total length:53:38

Personnel

Related Research Articles

Cindy Cashdollar is an American musician specializing in steel guitar and Dobro. She grew up in Woodstock, New York, where she perfected her skills by playing with bluegrass musician John Herald, blues musician Paul Butterfield, and Levon Helm and Rick Danko of The Band. After residing in Austin, Texas, for 23 years, she has now returned to her native Woodstock, New York.

Asleep at the Wheel American band

Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western swing group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted more than 21 singles on the Billboard country charts. Their highest-charting single, "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read", peaked at No. 10 in 1975.

<i>Comin Right at Ya</i> 1973 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Comin' Right at Ya is the debut album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Tommy Allsup at Mercury Custom Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, it was released in March 1973 as the group's only album on United Artists Records. The album features a variety of traditional and original compositions, including recordings of songs originally by Bob Wills, Hank Williams and Geoff Mack. Most of the original tracks on the album were written by drummer and vocalist LeRoy Preston.

<i>Asleep at the Wheel</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Asleep at the Wheel is the second album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Norro Wilson at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, it was released in September 1974 as the group's first album on Epic Records. As with its predecessor Comin' Right at Ya, Asleep at the Wheel's self-titled album featured a mix of traditional and original compositions, including songs written by popular country musicians Rex Griffin, Cindy Walker and Hank Penny.

<i>Framed</i> (Asleep at the Wheel album) 1980 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Framed is the seventh studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at several studios in Austin and Dallas, Texas, it was produced solely by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on August 5, 1980, as the group's only album on MCA Records. Following the departure of the group's primary songwriter LeRoy Preston in 1978, the original material on Framed was written primarily by Benson, with Chris O'Connell the only other credited member.

<i>Pasture Prime</i> 1985 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Pasture Prime is the eighth studio album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Ray Benson at Austin Recording and Bee Creek Studios in Austin, Texas, and by Benson and Willie Nelson at Pedernales Recording Studio in Briarcliff, Texas, it was released in April 1985 by Demon Music Group in the UK and Stony Plain Records in Canada. The album was later repackaged in the US with three fewer tracks and released under the title Asleep at the Wheel.

<i>10</i> (Asleep at the Wheel album) 1987 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

10 is the ninth studio album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bee Creek Studios in Spicewood, Texas and the Austin Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced solely by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released in March 1987 as the group's first album back on Epic Records. 10 was the group's first album on a major label since 1980's Framed, and its first to register on the US Billboard charts since 1978's Wheelin' and Dealin'.

<i>Greatest Hits: Live & Kickin</i> 1992 live album by Asleep at the Wheel

Greatest Hits: Live & Kickin' is the second live album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded on August 9, 1991 at the 30th annual Austin Aqua Festival, which was held at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on March 24, 1992 as the group's second and final album on Arista Records. The album was supported by the release of "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" as its one single.

<i>Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys</i> 1993 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys is the 12th studio album and first tribute album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at studios in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on October 25, 1993 by Liberty Records. The collection features recordings of songs made popular by Western swing group Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, a major influence on Asleep at the Wheel.

<i>The Wheel Keeps on Rollin</i> 1995 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' is the 13th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at studios in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by Andy Byrd with the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on November 21, 1995 by Capitol Nashville. The album was produced to mark the 25th anniversary of the group's 1970 inception, and was its first collection of new original studio material since the release of Keepin' Me Up Nights in 1990.

<i>Back to the Future Now: Live at Arizona Charlies, Las Vegas</i> 1997 live album by Asleep at the Wheel

Back to the Future Now: Live at Arizona Charlie's, Las Vegas is the third live album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded on December 6 and 7, 1996 at Arizona Charlie's Decatur in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson with Blake Chancey and released on May 20, 1997 by Sony Music imprint Lucky Dog. The album did not chart, spawned no single releases, and received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Merry Texas Christmas, Yall</i> 1997 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all is the 14th studio album and first Christmas album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on September 30, 1997 by High Street Records. The album includes a mix of traditional and original songs, which feature guests including Willie Nelson, fiddler Johnny Gimble and former Asleep at the Wheel pianist Floyd Domino.

<i>Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys</i> 1999 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys is the 15th studio album and second tribute album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded between June 1998 and March 1999 at studios in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on August 10, 1999 as the band's only album on DreamWorks Records. The album is another tribute to the music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.

<i>The Very Best of Asleep at the Wheel</i> 2001 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

The Very Best of Asleep at the Wheel is the 16th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas and Bradley's Barn in Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on June 5, 2001, by Relentless Nashville, an imprint of Madacy Entertainment Group. The album was issued in the United Kingdom in 2003 by Evangeline Records under the title Take Me Back to Tulsa.

<i>Hang Up My Spurs</i> 2002 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

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<i>Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo</i> 2003 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo is the 18th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on November 4, 2003 by Shout! Factory. The record is a loose concept album based on the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas in 1836, including several songs written by Paul Francis Webster and Dimitri Tiomkin for the 1960 film The Alamo.

<i>New Routes</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

New Routes is the 25th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studios and Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson with manager and engineer Sam Seifert, and released on September 14, 2018 by Benson's own Bismeaux Productions with Thirty Tigers. It is the group's first album to feature original material since 2007's Reinventing the Wheel.

<i>Reinventing the Wheel</i> (album) 2006 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Reinventing the Wheel is the 20th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band with manager/engineer Sam Seifert and released on November 14, 2006 by Ray Benson's record label Bismeaux Productions. The release is the band's first studio album to feature steel guitarist Eddie Rivers and vocalist Elizabeth McQueen, as well as the last to feature pianist John Michael Whitby as an official member.

<i>Half a Hundred Years</i> 2021 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Half a Hundred Years is the 26th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and manager Sam Seifert, it was released on October 1, 2021 by Home Records, a sub-label of Bismeaux Productions, with Thirty Tigers. The album was produced to mark the 50th anniversary of the band's 1970 formation and features a wide range of guest performers, including several former band members and frequent collaborator Willie Nelson.

References

  1. 1 2 Skanse, Richard (November 1, 2003). "Q&A: Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel". Lone Star. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jurek, Thom. "Live at Billy Bob's Texas - Asleep at the Wheel: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  3. Wooldridge, Robert. "Asleep at the Wheel - Live At Billy Bob's Texas". Country Standard Time . Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Stone, Steven (March 2004). "Asleep At The Wheel – Live at Billy Bob's Texas". Vintage Guitar . Retrieved July 12, 2020.