Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills
A powerhouse lineup featuring Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Neko Case, Alejandro Escovedo, Robbie Fulks, Jon Langford, Edith Frost and more pay tribute to the King of Western Swing, pioneer, traditionalist, avant-gardist, and magician Bob Wills
2XLP and CD out of print
Join The Pine Valley Cosmonauts as they erect a more-than-worthy monument to one of the most versatile and beloved figures in American music—the late, great Bob Wills. These 19 tunes show the breadth of his musical magic, from western swing to jazz, country & western, honky-tonk, blues, and beyond.
On their 1994 debut effort Misery Loves Company: Pine Valley Cosmonauts Explore the Dark and Lonely World of Johnny Cash, the PVCs witness for The Man in Black. This time around, this spirited (100 proof!) bunch—led by Captain Jon Langford (of Mekons/Waco Brothers infamy), and featuring Tom Ray (The Bottle Rockets, Neko Case) on stand-up bass, Mark Durante (Waco Brothers) on pedal steel, Steve Goulding (Mekons) on drums, the Poi Dog Pondering horn section, and John Rice (Chicago all-star) on guitar/fiddle/everything else—are banded together to spread "the gospel according to Bob Wills." Look out, Leon! Amen.
Here's the kicker: joining the PVCs (in their effort to canonize unsing country & western heroes by releasing tribute albums with cumbersome titles) is a star-studded cast of guest vocalists—a powerhouse lineup featuring Jimme Dale Gilmore, Kelly Hogan, Neko Case, Alejandro Escovedo, Robbie Fulks, Jon Langford, Jane Baxter Miller, Sally Timms, Edith Frost, Brett Sparks (Handsome Family) and other greats and near-greats. You won't believe your ears!
The "Bob Wills Record" also serves as a visual salute to this Texas legend: in addition to his musical services, Jon Langford also provided his signature artwork for the CD and the limited edition 2LP vinyl release of this projects (which includes a poster insert—and if your last poster insert experience involved Gene, Paul, Ace, and Peter, you're due. This is a testament reverential in attitude and chutzpah. It's a heartfelt tip of the Stetson to an insurgent icon who wasn't afraid to turn country music on its ear—and turn it into something truly great. And it's FUN, folks—pure fun—western-style! Ahhh-Haaaaa!
