Review – Dale Watson & His Lonestars “El Rancho Azul”
If there’s one guy you can count on in country music, it is Dale Watson. No, he’s not going to lick his proverbial finger and stick it in the air to find out what to say or what to play. He’s going to be himself no matter how much money it makes him, or how many enemies he garners. Suave, slick, super-cool and confident. Maybe even a little bit arrogant. But he can afford to be, because the ghosts of country music have his back.
Take when Blake Shelton decided to make some disparaging comments about the “old farts and jackasses” that populate Dale’s side of the country music world. Dale and his Lone Stars were mere ticks away from having to embark on a 20-day European tour, and Dale figures out how to squeeze out an anti-Blake song and post a video for it before his boarding time at ATX. No Mr. TSA officer, that ain’t a six shooter setting off the metal detector, those are Dale’s big steel cajones hanging down in his Texas tweeds.
You know what you’re going to get with a Dale Watson album–good old-fashioned honest-to-goodness honky tonk country music. He never veers off the path too far. There was his last album, the Cash-esque Sun Sessions, and the long-rumored Dale/Elvis concept album Dalevis that apparently is finally going to see the light in February. But a Dale Watson album usually holds few surprises. You aren’t going to see him in hipster glasses chasing the uke and Theremin craze to expose a lot of “vulnerability” in his music. Dale Watson is all about keeping the honky tonk traditions alive, and that is what he channels in El Ranco Azul.
Bred for dancing, El Rancho Azul is taken straight out of the honky tonks Dale Watson plays 8 nights a week while home in Austin. Drinking and heartache are the prevailing themes, and maybe not just because this is a country album, but because Dale just recently went through a breakup and a divorce himself. “I Lie When I Drink” and “I Drink to Remember” reinforce the idea that these eternal country themes will never wear thin, while Dale’s supple country drawl delivered with breadth, emotion and control breathe new life into old, familiar narratives.
Maybe Dale is being sarcastic, but one of the fun songs on the album is “We’re Gonna Get Married,” chased by one of the album’s standouts, the tearful and touching “Daughter’s Wedding Song.” Then it’s on to two songs whose purpose for dancing is thinly veiled, “Quick Quick Slow Slow,” and “Slow Quick Quick” meant for two-stepping and waltzing respectively. Then it’s on to more drinking songs, then a few more drinking songs, and another drinking song to close the album out. But the direction never feels stale because of Dale’s country gold voice, and the little bits of character Dale adds to each one of his compositions.
Another El Rancho Azul offering worth note is “Where Do You Want It?” A story song about the time Billy Joe Shaver shot a man at the Papa Joe’s Bar in Waco, TX, it originally was given to Whitey Morgan & The 78’s. Since it has become one of Whitey’s signatures, the Dale version may come across a little strange to an ear used to the other, but nonetheless it is a cool edition to this song’s legacy from its original writer.
My concern about Dale has always been that he writes so many songs and releases so many albums, not one song or one album stands out as a signature. At the same time, it’s hard to find a bad Dale Watson album or song. You certainly won’t find one here with El Rancho Azul, only the genuine, real deal country music that Music Row has forgotten, and all of Blake Shelton’s “old farts and jackasses” crave.
1 3/4 of 2 guns up.
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TX Music Jim
January 29, 2013 @ 4:34 pm
Dale is the man. Period end of story. Love this record. It is a crime Dale isn’t a superstar and making big bucks. He desrves it. He has carved out a very solid niche for himself in the music business and we are all better of for it.
strait country 81
January 30, 2013 @ 12:23 am
iv’e got nothing else to add.
kev
January 31, 2013 @ 1:44 am
Yes, yes, yes!! We were having this conversation the other day – why is an artist who produces such high quality recordings and can cut it so convincingly live (not to mention being able to perform so off-the-cuff, virtually playing anything the audience ask him to!) not a huge megastar?
But then I like the fact that he’s country music’s best kept secret!!
goldencountry
January 29, 2013 @ 4:42 pm
Pure country music I’ll have to get a copy
Karen
January 29, 2013 @ 8:10 pm
When I hear Dale, I hear country. Period.
Muller
January 29, 2013 @ 10:05 pm
Love me some Dale Watson!
Mike
January 30, 2013 @ 8:00 am
I’d say its the best album that he has released in years. Most of his albums lately have come from a specific inspiration in a particular vein of country music. (Sun/ Johnny Cash, Sun/ Elvis, Carryin’ On/ Old Nashville, Truckin’ Sessions, and even the very Cash inspired From the Cradle to the Grave). I think that those albums don’t really show the diversity of music that he draws from. While the overall “theme” in El Rancho Azul may be drinking, there is more styles of country music that are touched upon, which makes it a better album. Also, have already heard about half of these songs by watching mostly subpar YouTube recordings, its great to heard them well recorded. Its easy to turn it up louder and get lost in it. I haven’t gotten lost in album like this in years. From anyone.
WitchfinderGeneral
January 30, 2013 @ 4:09 pm
Holy crap, completely forgot this was coming out. :O Must. Have. Now. Two Dale albums released so close to each other?! Hells yes.
goldencountry
February 1, 2013 @ 12:55 pm
My copy came just now! It made walking to the mailbox in the cold worth the trip.
Benjamin
February 3, 2013 @ 10:07 pm
I’ve been blasting this album for three days straight. I don’t care for track 7 or 8 just not diggin the quick/slow songs. But man the rest of that album is fantastic. 3.5 gators out of 5.
LEO
May 3, 2013 @ 4:01 pm
This man has a better voice than anyone in country music today and in my opinion, is the best country music singer ever. His music and band are top notch. His live performances are exceptional. I would like to see him do a honky tonk cover cd of great songs by everyone from Waylon, Buck, Webb, Faron, George, Charlie Pride etc. because he can do covers so well live. I look forward to each of his releases and El Rancho Azul is a masterpiece.
LEO
May 3, 2013 @ 4:12 pm
I tried to delete the can out of my previous statement but could not. Someone help me. lol.
Trigger
May 3, 2013 @ 4:31 pm
Gotcha!