Alright, let’s dive into Tennessee Square Chicken Reel by Harley Luse And His Blue Ridge Mountain Boys. This album is a real gem for anyone who digs Western Swing and Country vibes. It’s got that old-school Folk charm with some toe-tappin’ tunes that feel like they were pulled straight outta the juke joints of yesteryear. Released under Imperial Record Company (you know, those folks who knew how to press vinyl right), this record straddles the USA and Canada scenes like a musical diplomat.
Now, I gotta say, the two tracks that really stuck with me are “Chicken Reel” and “Tennessee Square.” Let’s break ‘em down real quick.
“Chicken Reel” is just plain fun. Like, you can’t help but picture yourself in some barn dance shindig, swingin’ your partner round while everyone hoots and hollers. The fiddle work here? Unreal. It zigs when you think it’ll zag, and before you know it, your foot’s tapping so hard you might wear through your boot. There’s something about the way the band locks in together—it’s tight but not stiff, if ya catch my drift. Feels like they’re all havin’ a blast, and that energy rubs off on ya.
Then there’s “Tennessee Square,” which hits different. It’s slower, more reflective, but still packed with soul. You can almost smell the sawdust on the floorboards as the steel guitar weaves its magic. It tells a story without needing words, kinda like one of those sunsets over the Smoky Mountains where everything feels bigger than you. Honestly, it made me wanna sit on a porch somewhere sipping sweet tea and thinking about life. Not bad for three minutes of music, huh?
What’s wild about this album is how timeless it feels. Listening to it now, decades after it came out, it doesn’t sound dated or creaky. Nope, it sounds alive—like Harley Luse and his crew could roll into town tomorrow and play these exact same songs and still blow people away. That’s rare, man. Really rare.
So yeah, give Tennessee Square Chicken Reel a spin if you’re into stuff that’s authentic, unpolished, and full of heart. Just don’t blame me if you end up dreamin’ about square dances and fried chicken afterward. Oh, and hey—did I mention chickens actually do have rhythm? Because after hearing this album, I’m convinced they do.
