Marty Robbins - 'Legendary Performances'

Legendary Performances Bottom Line:

Marty Robbins is one of the voices I simply cannot remember ever NOT hearing. I grew up hearing those honey melodious tones, one of my father's favorite western/cowboy singers, and I am old enough to remember when "El Paso City" was on the charts and on the radio forty times a day. So without any shadow of a doubt, this DVD release is a real treat.

Remembering Marty Robbins

It's odd to consider how few people actually remember ol' Marty these days, when one considers how monumentally important he was to music through the 50's and 60's and into the 70's. There are few who would deny that his "El Paso" is perhaps the quintessential Western song of all time; one of those old album cuts that had to be trimmed down to fit on a 45 (that's a 45 RPM single, for you young folks who never saw vinyl records).

Some of his songs have followed me through my life and remain loaded on my iPod today, all these years later. Yet many of the filmed performances on this DVD are totally new to me. There's also a very rare interview from 1982, with Marty talking about his start (here in Arizona, one of Arizona's greatest contributions to country music), how he chose to start a singing career (amusingly enough, he claims it's because he was too lazy to get a "real job"), and frank discussions on his bad health and approach to his life.

It was March of 1982, and the 57-year-old Robbins had a heart attack and been in at least one serious car accident; later that same year, in October, Robbins was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame - in December 1982, he suffered a massive heart attack and died, depriving country music of one of its most legendary voices.

But it is through his performances, presented here in chronological order (1957 through 1979), that Robbins is, and should be, best remembered. Beginning with a performance of "Knee Deep in the Blues" on Country Style USA in 1957, the 15 songs presented here are also a fascinating look at the history of music on television, from those 50's music showcases all the way up to the late 70's Pop! Goes The Country, a show that will forever commemorate the first time country went pop. Of course, Marty Robbins was crossing over the charts before such a term was even coined, with "Singing The Blues," "The Story of My Life," and the very popular "A White Sport Coat (and A Pink Carnation)" crossing over with great success, which catapulted Robbins into the national spotlight as more than just a cowboy singer.

Although "El Paso" will forever mark Marty's position as a Western singer, his golden voice and cunning songwriting made sure he was much, much more, shown in his stunning performance of Gordon Lightfoot's "Ribbon Of Darkness" and his own "Among My Souvenirs." Some of the clips come from his own show, the Marty Robbins Spotlight, showcasing some of his older hits as well as the popular chart-topper of the time, "El Paso City."

Marty Robbins was truly one of the finest artists music has ever known. I hope this collection reminds people of that.

Release Date: August 19, 2008 - Shout Factory

Marty Robbins - Legendary Performances Track List:

1. Knee Deep in the Blues
2. The Same Two Lips
3. Nothing But Sweet Lies
4. Singing the Blues
5. The Story of my Life
6. El Paso
7. Devil Woman
8. Begging to You
9. My Woman, My Woman, My Wife
10. Ribbon of Darkness
11. Among My Souvenirs
12. A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)
13. Don't Worry
14. El Paso City
15. All Around Cowboy