The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy/Once Upon A Time

This first volume in Bear Family's excellent David Allan Coe reissue series pairs 1974's raucous breakthrough album with its follow-up, which garnered him his first Top Ten single ("Jody Like a Melody"). Despite the error in the title of the second album (which is actually Once Upon a Rhyme), this nearly flawless collection of original and well-covered songs gives the listener an idea of just how fully Coe had developed by the time he signed to Columbia. On the former recording, some of Coe's early classics, such as "A Sad Country Song" and "I Still Sing the Old Songs," are featured, with truly brilliant interpretations of Mickey Newbury's "33rd of August" and Guy Clark's "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train." On the latter, Coe's brilliant songwriting is fully on display with "Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)," a number one for Tanya Tucker a year earlier; "Jody..."; "Loneliness in Ruby's Eyes"; and "Sweet Vibrations (Some Folks Call It Love)." These originals are accompanied by inspiring and even definitive reads of Steve Goodman's "You Never Even Called Me by My Name" and Richard Dobson's "Piece of Wood and Steel." This two-fer features excellent remastering and a deluxe package with a full liner-note essay and the lyrics to all tracks, as well as photos. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide