Carnegie Hall Concert
Buck Owens wasn't the first country star to headline Carnegie Hall;Ernest Tubbplayed the hallowed hall nearly 20 years before Buck brought his Buckaroos to New York in 1966. Owens, however, signaled the ascension of a new era of plugged-in country when he grudgingly gave in to his manager's plea that he appear at the eminent venue. (Remember, this is the guy who insisted in song that he wouldn't live in New York City "if they gave me the whole dang town.") Owens was flying high in the mid-'60s, which is demonstrated by the hit-laden repertoire found on Sundazed's expanded reissue of the original LP: "Act Naturally," "Together Again," "Cryin' Time," and "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" are just a few of chart-busters Bakersfield's best parade before a welcoming audience. They even repay theBeatles' nod in their direction--Ringo's version of "Act Naturally"--with a caterwauling cover of "Twist and Shout." Buck, ace lead guitaristDon Rich, and the rest of the Buckaroos are in fine form throughout, mixing country weepers and twangy uptempo numbers with a good deal of goofing around. One gets the impression that, while Buck wouldn't want to settle in the Big Apple, he might not have minded taking the whole dang town back west with him.--Steven Stolder