AMG Review of Riding All Day/The Life of a Cowboy

Greg Adams
All Music Guide

The 26 radio transcriptions on this collection were probably recorded in the late '40s. Allen tackles a wide variety of cowboy songs, from idealized portraits of "The Life of a Cowboy" to humorous novelties ("My Cross Eyed Girl") and yodeling showcases ("Yodelin' Crazy"). Several tracks feature Allen's wife, Bonnie Allen, including the proto-feminist "She Buckaroo" ("I'm a man-hating lassie/a she-buckaroo"), and "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Dream Girl," a slight variation on Patsy Montana's "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." The sound quality is decent and the program generous on this inexpensive import, making Riding All Day a good value for fans of this singing cowboy of the silver screen.