Various Artists
Caught In The Webb

© 2001 Little Chickadee

	I'm Tired
	Love Love Love
	Back Street Affair

One of the most flamboyant singers of his day, Webb Pierce, the King of the Honky-Tonk Singers, wore rhinestone-studded Suits and owned custom made cars featuring cattle horns, silver dollars and ornamental pistols and rifles, and the guitar shaped swimming pool at his Nashville home was a tourist attraction for many years. After surviving heart surgery in 1990, Webb died of complications from cancer on February 24,1991. Charting almost 100 singles over four decades of recording, he was nominated for the Country Music Hall of Fame in August 1990, but it was to be 11 years later on October 4, 2001 that he was finally inducted.

Gail Davies, who produced this tribute to the great man said: "Most girls grow up wanting to be Patsy Cline, I grew up wanting to be Webb Pierce. This project grew out of a radio tribute to Webb on WSM radio last spring, it all came together so quickly, and it also includes five members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The basic tracks were recorded in just two days and all the vocal parts over a period of just a few months."

Artists contributing to the album include, Dwight Yoakam on "If You Were Me (And I Were You), Emmylou Harris with a wonderful take on Webb's first #1, "Wondering", and Pam Tillis with a song that was written by her father, Mel, "No Love Have I." Mel Tillis also co-penned Webb's final #1, "Honky Tonk Song," which is given a good outing here by Guy Clark with The Jordanaires on backing vocals.

George Jones gives a faultless performance of "Yes I Know Why," while Charley Pride makes "I'm Tired" one of my favourite tracks on the album. Other tracks that stand out for me include, Allison Moorer with a teriffic version of another #1, "Back Street Affair," a song that also spawned a successful answer from Kitty Wells with "Paying For That Back Street Affair" in 1953.

Robbie Fulks & Joy Lynn White turn in a fine performance on the catchy toe tapper, "Tupelo County Jail," Mandy Barnett performs a stunning version of "Slowly," a #1 for 17 weeks in 1954 and Matt King really swings with an excellent version of "Even Tho."

I also liked Lionel Cartwright's fine rendition of "That Heart Belongs To Me" and Dale Watson & The Jordanaires also turn in a good performance on what is probably Webb's best known song, "In The Jailhouse Now," which spent an incredible 21 weeks at #1 in 1955.

To be honest, there isn't a single bad track on the album as Willie Nelson, Dale Watson, BR549, Rosie Flores, Trent Summar, Billy Walker, Kevin Welch, Deborah Pierce and The Del McCoury Band also add their various talents to the tribute, as does Gail Davies herself, as she puts that wonderful voice of hers to good use on "Love Love Love."

All the musicians and singers donated their time and talents to the project with the proceeds to benefit the Minnie Pearl Cancer Fund and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Musicians include Kenny Vaughn, Pat Bergeson, Gail's son Chris Scruggs, Weldon Myrick, Bob Moore, Steve Fishell, Stu Basore, Roger Morris, Rob Price (Gail's husband), Hoot Hester, Mark (Sergio) Webb,……… U.K. fans may remember Mark from his tours over here as a member of the now, sadly, defunct, 'Pinto Bennett and His Famous Motel Cowboys'. ……Harold Bradley and the Jordanaires.

At the end of the liner notes, Gail says; "On June 11th, 2001, we came together in the studio to honour the man and his music and to introduce Webb Pierce to the next generation. I hope we have, in some small way succeeded." The answer to that is undoubtedly an emphatic YES!!! "Caught In The Webb" is the best album I have heard up to date this year and is an album that should certainly find it's way into any self respecting country music fans record collection.