DOUGHBOYS, PLAYBOYS AND COWBOYS (WESTERN SWING)

This four-disc box chronicles the development of Western swing from the Fort Worth Doughboys' 1932 recordings through its heyday in the late '40s. Along the way, the collection covers every major artist, from Bob Wills and Spade Cooley to pioneers like Milton Brown and Bill Boyd, who have been under-represented almost to the point of extinction in the CD era. It also includes Patsy Montana's groundbreaking hit single, "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart," and other fascinating tracks such as the Tex-Mex stomper "El Rancho Grande" by the Tune Wranglers, "Bring It on Down to My House" by Derwood Brown & His Musical Brownies, and dozens of others. The accompanying 43-page booklet features bios on all the artists as well as song notes and rare photographs. Unfortunately, this doesn't include anything after 1947, but such is the nature of Proper boxes. Besides, this doesn't claim to be an exhaustive chronology -- the subtitle, "The Golden Years of Western Swing," states the intent and, as such, this is magnificent stuff. Considering what's been included, it's hard to squabble over what's been left out ("Take Me Back to Tulsa," "Milk Cow Blues," and "Steel Guitar Rag" are notable examples), but pretend you don't know that and this set is perfect, containing every artist, every development, and every song that made Western swing a national phenomenon.

Disc: 1
1. Sunbonnet Sue - Fort Worth Doughboys
2. Nancy Jane - Fort Worth Doughboys
3. Oh You Pretty Woman - Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
4. Brownie's Stomp - Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
5. Osage Stomp - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
6. Who Walks In When I Walk Out - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
7. Boyd's Blues - Bill Boyd & Cowboy Ramblers
8. I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart - Patsy Montana & Prarie Ramblers
9. Sadie Green (The Vamp Of New Orleans) - Roy Newman & His Boys
10. Who's Sorry Now - Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
11. Down By The O-H-I-O - Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
12. Barn Dance Rag - Bill Boyd & His Country Ramblers
13. Never No More Blues - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
14. Too Busy - Bob Wills & Texas Playboys
15. Rambler's Stomp - Doug Bine & His Dixie Ramblers
16. The Eyes Of Texas - Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
17. The Yellow Rose Of Texas - Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
18. Red's Tight Like That - Tune Wranglers
19. Buster's Crawdad Song - Tune Wranglers
20. Big Daddy Blues - Jimmie Revard & His Oklahoma Playboys
21. Feather Your Nest - Washboard Wonders
22. Dirty Dog - Jimmie Revard & His Oklahoma Playboys
23. My Galveston Gal - Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
24. El Rancho Grande - Tune Wranglers
25. Texas Sand - Tune Wranglers

Disc: 2
1. Women Women Women - Shelly Lee & His Alley Cars
2. Mean Old Lonesome Blues - Buddy Jones
3. Bring It On Down To My House - Derwood Brown & His Musical Brownies
4. Corrine Corrina - Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers
5. One Sweet Letter From You - Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers
6. Fort Worth Stomp - Crystal Spring Ramblers
7. The Women ('Bout To Make A Wreck Out Of Me) - Buddy Jones
8. Streamlined Mama - Buddy Jones
9. Blue Guitars - Light Crust Doughboys
10. Dirty Dog Blues - Modern Mountaineers
11. Mississippi Sandman - Modern Mountaineers
12. Hot Tamale Pete - Bob Skyles & Skyrockets
13. Married Man Blues - Nite Owls
14. There'll Be Some Changes Made - W. Lee O'Daniel & His Hillbilly Boys
15. Dirty Hangover Blues - W. Lee O'Daniel & His Hillbilly Boys
16. Lose Your Blues & Laugh At Life - Jimmie Revard & His Oklahoma Boys
17. Range Rider Stomp - Range Riders
18. Hold That Critter Down - Sons Of The Pioneers
19. Chicken Reel Stomp - Tune Wranglers
20. Playboy Stomp - Bob Wills & Texas Playboys
21. Moonlight In Oklahoma - Smokey Wood & The Wood Chips
22. Keep On Truckin' - Smokey Wood & The Wood Chips
23. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) - Brown's Musical Brownies
24. Just Once Too Often - Light Crust Doughboys
25. Loud Mouth - Modern Mountaineers

Disc: 3
1. Kangaroo Blues - Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers
2. Pine State Honky Tonk - Claude Casey & His Pine State Playboys
3. Better Quit It Now - Adolph Hofner & His Texans
4. Pussy Pussy Pussy - Light Crust Doughboy
5. I'll Keep My Old Guitar - Adolph Hofner & His Texans
6. Cowboy's Swing - Hank Penny & His Radio Cowboys
7. Lonesome Road Blues - W. Lee O'Daniel & His Hillbilly Boys
8. Liza Pull Down The Shades - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
9. Truck Driver's Blues - Cliff Bruner & His Boys
10. My Untrue Cowgirl - Jewel Cowboys
11. San Antonio Rose - Cliff Bruner & His Boys
12. Gonna Get Tight - Sunshine Boys
13. Let's Make Believe We're Sweethearts - Light Crust Doughboys
14. Mississippi Muddle - Hank Penny & His Radio Cowboys
15. Billy Boy - Louise Massey & Her Westerners
16. Good Gracious Gracie - Light Crust Doughboys
17. Mean Mean Mama (From Meana) - Light Crust Doughboys
18. Jones Stomp - Port Arthur Jubileers
19. Rockin' Rollin' Mama - Buddy Jones
20. Blue Steel Blues - Ted Daffan's Texans
21. New San Antonio Rose - Bob Wills & Texas Playboys
22. Bob Wills Special - Bob Wills & Texas Playboys
23. Pussywillow - Port Arthur Jubileers
24. Tobacco State Swing - Hank Penny & His Radio Cowboys

Disc: 4
1. Draftboard Blues - Cliff Bruner & His Boys
2. Whatcha Gonna Do - Hi-Flyers
3. Cotton Eyed Joe - Adolph Hofner & His San Antonians
4. Sally's Got A Wooden Leg - Sons Of The West
5. What's The Matter With Deep Elem - Sunshine Boys
6. Lil Liza Jane - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
7. Pistol Packin' Mama - Al Dexter & His Troopers
8. Forgive Me One More Time - Spade Cooley & His Orchestra
9. Shame On You - Spade Cooley & His Orchestra
10. Steel Guitar Stomp - Hank Penny
11. Boogie Woogie Boy - Porky Freeman
12. That's What I Like About The South - Cliff Bruner
13. Stay A Little Longers - Bob Wills & Texas Playboys
14. Oklahoma Blues - Zeke Clements & His Western Swing Gang
15. Oklahoma Stomp - Spade Cooley & His Orchestra
16. Nails In My Coffin - Jerry Irby & His Texas Ranchers
17. Bob Wills Two Step - Luke Wills Rhythm Busters
18. I Got Texas In My Soul - Tex Williams & His Western Caravan
19. Wildcat Mama - Hank Penny
20. Betty Ann - Jesse Ashlock
21. One Year Ago Tonight - Don Churchill & Texas Mavericks
22. Oakie Boogie - Johnny Tyler & Riders Of The Rio Grande
23. Smoke Smoke Smoke (That Cigarette) - Tex Williams & His Western Caravan
24. Square Dance Boogie - Johnnie Lee Wills & His Boys
25. Humpty Dumpty Heart - Hank Thompson