STONEY EDWARDS "Poor Folks Stick Together" The Best Of Stoney Edwards

Here is an underrated country performer, if there ever was one. Stoney had a voice that was just a natural progression from his biggest influence, Lefty Frizzel. Best of all, Stoney was a true, no BS, redneck who let the chips fall where they may. The honesty and experience in his voice is seldom found in music; especially in today's country music. There are 20 fine numbers here, including his biggest hit, "Two Dollar Toy". Also included are: "Jimmie Rodgers Blues", a song that makes Merle Haggard look like a two-bit street performer; "The Fishin Song", a comedic bit in the vein of Roger Miller; "Dont Be Angry", a fine cover of Stonewall Jackson. There's some true, hardcore, no-punches-pulled honky tonkin' here as well, such as "The Cute Little Waitress", "Head Bootlegger Man", and "Honky Tonk Heaven". However, in my opinion, the finest cut is "I Bought The Shoes (That Just Walked Out on Me)". This is a superb album by a superb artist; I don’t need to tell you that after listening to this (and other true Country Music) you'll never again waste your time with the plastic dribble coming out of Nashville today. A+ (Roots & Rhythm)Stoney Edwards is probably the best hardcore country singer of the '70s that never got the attention he deserved. He never had a big hit -- two songs, "She's My Rock" and "Mississippi You're on My Mind," peaked at 20 and he never got any higher than that -- and after releasing four albums in five years, he was dropped by Capitol Nashville, with his recordings remaining out of print until Razor & Tie released this 20-track retrospective in 1998. Even this reissue didn't get the attention it deserved and was discontinued less than three years after its release, once again consigning Edwards to the status of a cult item among serious country fans, when he deserves much more. Why was it so difficult for Edwards to be heard? Most answers would likely say that it was because he was a black country singer, but Charley Pride was a fixture at the top of the country charts throughout Stoney's time on Capitol (indeed, his success was a significant factor in the label's decision to sign Edwards). Surely his race was likely a factor in his lack of success, but it's also true that he simply was not singing music that was fashionable at the time. Edwards was a pure country singer, in the vein of Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard, and his music was firmly in the hardcore honky tonk tradition, which was not exactly burning up the charts in the early '70s. Ironically, he didn't always stick to the tried-and-true honky tonk themes of drinking, cheating, love, and loss; he certainly sang his fair share of those songs, but he often sang about the pains of poverty, growing up country, trying to find work, and thinking about leaving his family behind. It was a sharp mix of expertly chosen covers and wonderful originals that revealed Edwards was as strong and imaginative a writer as he was a singer. Also, his productions and performances subtly stretched the boundaries of his beloved honky tonk, as he injected hints of the blues to his phrasing while the music occasionally flirted with modern and traditional folk. It was a rich blend and it has weathered the test of time, standing as some of the best hardcore country cut in the '70s, regardless of its status on the charts. It's the kind of music any true country lover will treasure, so even if it is difficult to find, it's worth seeking out because it's music that gets better with each listen. Sure, it would be nice to have actual albums on CD released eventually, but Poor Folks Stick Together: The Best of Stoney Edwards is such a perfectly assembled collection -- containing all of his modest hits, terrific album tracks, and even the previously unreleased "Jimmie Rodgers Blues" -- that after listening to it, it's hard to imagine that Edwards isn't better known. Too bad it's so hard to find. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)trax:

01 A Two Dollar Toy 02 Poor Folks Stick Together 03 The Cute Little Waitress 04 Odd-Job Dollar-Bill Man 05 The Fishin' Song 06 I Bought The Shoes That Just Walked Out On Me 07 Good To Have You Home 08 Mama's Old Quilt 09 Don't Be Angry 10 You Can't Call Yourself Country 11 She's My Rock 12 I Won't Make It Through The Day 13 Hank And Lefty Raised MMy Country Soul 14 Honky Tonk Heaven 15 I Spent A Week There Last Night 16 Jimmie Rodgers Blues 17 Jeweldene Turner (The World Needs To Hear You Sing) 18 Mississippi You're On My Mind 19 Head Bootlegger Man 20 Blackbird (Hold Your Head High)

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