Sing One for the Cowboy

AMG Review of Sing One for the Cowboy

Ronnie D. Lankford
All Music Guide

The Sons of the San Joaquin aren't real cowboys; they don't even play real cowboys on TV. But they do know a thing or two about the cowboy song. Jack Hannah, Joe Hannah, and Lon Hannah craft a lonesome sound that harks back to the Sons of the Pioneers and other Hollywood rough riders from the '30s and '40s. The Sons of the San Joaquin aren't just a /p>

ostalgia act, though. Most of their songs have been written by Jack Hannah, who effortlessly captures the classic style. Sing One for the Cowboy gets a sprightly start with "Trail to San Antone," a song filled with dreamy harmony and Rich O'Brien's tasty guitar licks. Dale Morris and Richard Chon's twin fiddles adds a touch of Western swing to upbeat romps like "Texas Plains," while Ray Appleton's harmonica adds a forlorn note to "Rough String Rider." Even the titles of these songs evoke the open plains, mountain ranges, and endless skies of the west: "Sierra Nevada," "California," and "God Gave the Cowboy Montana." Fans will be happy to find no new surprises on Sing One for the Cowboy: some things, it seems, are better the way they used to be.