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Bobby Bare
Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies
[Legacy Edition]
(RCA/Legacy)
First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2007, Volume 14, #10
Written by John Metzger
Wed October 17, 2007, 06:40 AM CDT
In the early ’70s, Nashville was ripe for a revolution. The honky-tonk
artists that had kept country music alive during the 1960s had begun to follow a
more pop-oriented path, and many traditionalists didn’t like what they saw as
the future of the genre. Sensing the backlash that already had been set in
motion by Willie Nelson (Yesterday’s Wine) and Johnny Cash (At San
Quentin), Bobby Bare changed labels and used the opportunity to reinvent
himself.
Shel Silverstein, in addition to his work as an author of children’s books
and a cartoonist for Playboy, had been writing and recording songs for a
decade when Cash took A Boy Named Sue to the upper echelon of the pop
charts. Considering that The Irish Rovers also had scored a hit with its
interpretation of The Unicorn, Silverstein understandably now found
himself in greater demand. Everyone from Kris Kristofferson to Loretta Lynn had
begun to incorporate his material into their repertoires. Tapping Silverstein to
pen a full slate of story-songs, Bare carried this concept to an entirely new
level on his 1973 endeavor Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies. The result
not only was the best and biggest-selling outing of his career, but it also
established a touchstone to which he has returned many times since.
"I may make you wonder/I may make you smile/I may bring the tears to your
eyes," sang Bare with genuine warmth on the title track, which served as the
introduction to Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies. Playing off a studio
audience that included an assortment of family and friends, Bare established an
intimate air that connected cowboys to folk troubadours. Over the course of the
hour-long set, Bare wove together tall tales (Paul) with European
folklore (The Wonderful Soup Stone); he delivered songs that recast
gunslingers as barflies (The Winner) and western outlaws as motorcyclists
(Rest Awhile); and he balanced witty observations of men and women (She’s
My Ever Lovin’ Machine) with the heart-melting honesty of a dialogue between
father and son (Daddy What If) that featured five-year-old Bobby Bare, Jr. The pairing of Bare with Silverstein yielded a magnificent and moving
convergence of styles, one that extended tradition into the modern age. Bare’s
comfortable, relaxed approach proved to be the perfect vehicle for delivering
Silverstein’s words, and neither artist is better represented anywhere other
than the material that was included on the original rendition of the album.
In its new incarnation, Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies has gotten
even better. Its second disc compiles 16 additional recordings of Silverstein’s
songs that Bare made between 1972 and 1983. Presented chronologically, the
latter portion of the collection begins with Sylvia’s Mother, the tune
that essentially sparked the project. Along the way, there are cautionary tales
about living life to the fullest (Brian Hennessey) and stories that
realistically address how Nashville treats its talent (Rough on the Living).
The music falters slightly whenever Bare douses his glowing campfire by
employing too much studio polish, and not surprisingly, the overall narrative
arc of the extra material isn’t nearly as tight as the main event. Nevertheless,
Silverstein’s words always hit their mark squarely. Taken in full, Sings
Lullabys, Legends and Lies not only highlights the role that Bare played in
defining the outlaw country movement while simultaneously remaining on its
fringes, but it also illuminates the influence that Silverstein had on the
careers of Loudon Wainwright, Todd Snider, Steve Goodman, and Kinky Friedman.
Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies: Legacy Edition — 
Bonus Material — ½
Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies [Original Album] —
Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies: Legacy Edition is available from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
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Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies: Standard Edition is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
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