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"AN INDEPENDENT VIEW"
by: Linda Fryer, BMI, CLA © 5/2001
"MONTANA COWBOY"
ARTIST: KEN OVERCAST
CD: MONTANA COWBOY
LABEL: BEAR VALLEY RECORDS
If you're a fan of COWBOY music, then you already know about our old
friend, Chris LeDoux, who's an authentic ropin', ridin', rodeo champion,
singin' cowboy! Right? Well, ladies and gentlemen, add
another cowboy to your list of singin' wranglers. 'Cause I've just found
another TRULY talented guy! And you can bet that KEN OVERCAST, the
"Montana Cowboy", is someone you'd better get to know, too!
(Although, I'm kinda guessin' you may have already discovered this great
talent!)
I found this CD in my mailbox the other day, and his
"gentleman-cowboy" signature was all over it. Add to
that, the personal note he wrote to me, and I was taken with this guy
IMMEDIATELY. 'Course, I admit, I've always had a weakness for
cowboys--what woman hasn't? But…I've also learned
enough about singer/songwriters, in general, to know NOT to judge a
singin' cowboy by the way he wears his hat!! OR his
spurs!!
Soooo, I popped the CD into my reliable Pioneer DVD/CD player, to take a
quick listen while my coffee was coolin'.
(Well, not really. 'Cause I HATE coffee! But it was a great line, huh? )
Anyway, coffee or no coffee, this cowboy woke me right up! Can
he write? YES! But, can he sing?? HECK, yes!! (see how
I carefully choose my 4-letter words?) Ken Overcast is a REAL
cowboy, folks. He's NOT just a guy in a hat. He has a workin'
ranch up there in Montana, and he knows what he's writin' AND singin'
about!
Ken penned most of the songs on this album, himself. Others were
carefully picked from his long list of old favorites. In fact,
you'll find a little personal note about each track on the inside cover.
No lyric sheets here, but you won't need them! Overcast has one of
the clearest voices I have EVER heard. Its honest, down-home,
soothing. And the instrumentals, which are just as pure and simple
as the vocals, don't attempt to overcrowd the sound of that wonderful
voice. And speakin' of voices, if you appreciate a good yodel every now
and then, well, you won't be disappointed. 'Cause this cowboy's
got it all!
It's hard to know what more I can say about this terrific album! Ken
Overcast can write, he can sing, he can just sit down and tell a great
story (he DOES it here, too). This guy is VERY cool!! He's happy
with his first calling, ranching. And he reaches us through his
music. Check out track #7, "What It Takes To Make A Cowboy
Cry" (K.Overcast). Here, he finally reveals the secret of
that soft side we don't often see in the hard-workin', tough exterior of
a REAL cowboy. And it's very moving. But don't worry, 'cause
you won't be 'heart-punched' for long. 'Cause he moves quickly
from tune to tune. Most are upbeat and fun to listen to. But he's
not afraid to warm our hearts with oldies like "When The Works All
Done This Fall" No one is really sure who wrote the music for this
one, but it comes from a poem written waaaaay back, by a cowboy poet
named DJ O'Malley. He's also included a great favorite and huge
hit for Eddy Arnold in the early 50's, "Cattle Call" (Tex
Owens) This one lets us hear more of Ken's beautiful, clear yodelin'.
The CD is FILLED with great songs, old AND new! How could I NOT
like it? It's got all the right ingredients, in just the right
amounts. Good writing. Good singing. Good stories.
And…a really CUTE cowboy, too!! I hope you'll
take a look at Ken's website (www.kenovercast.com), listen to a couple
of clips, and then order "Montana Cowboy"…(the album, that
is…not the cowboy…I'm keepin' the REAL cowboy! Wellll,
I'd like to…but law prohibits a journalist from holding cowboys
hostage) (smile) Oh, and he also has a full-length concert video, and
several other CD's to choose from!! He's won a vast amount
of awards, and I won't even TRY to name them all. But suffice it
to say, this is one cowboy who loves what he does, and is good enough to
share it with all us 'city-slickers'. Seriously, folks, this is a
great CD. A MUST HAVE if you're a traditional Country/WESTERN fan!
Don't miss this one. Move over, Chris LeDoux, darlin'. Oh,
ok, there's room on the stage for at least TWO singin' cowboys. And
what a team these two guys would make! Wish I could join 'em! But
I guess I'll stick with writin' about 'em. And, as always, This
has been…..'an independent view'.
“an independent view” by
Linda Fryer, BMI, CLA
Freelance Music/Entertainment Journalist
http://www.countryfryednews.com
Lfryer1324@aol.com
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