Buck Owens

• Hot Dog! [Capitol, 1988] B+
• Kickin' In [Curb/Capitol Nashville, 1991]

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Hot Dog! [Capitol, 1988]
The two rock and roll covers are unbelievably clumsy coming from country's great lost missing link, and not just rhythmwise--did he choose the teen protest "Summertime Blues" because his gerontologist thought it would do wonders for him? Nor are many of the originals worthy of the career-capping compilation I hope is on the way. But he has a lesson to teach both his cocky epigones (emotion and commitment) and his exhausted contemporaries (emotion and commitment '88). Sounds like he's learned some things, too--from premier contemporary George Jones, whose late work had the same phlegmy maturity and every-syllable-counts concentration until the emotion and commitment went out of him. B+

Kickin' In [Curb/Capitol Nashville, 1991]