Doug Sahm was a genius. He was a member of the Sir Douglas Quintet, and
distinguished an incredible solo career. My first introduction to Sahm was
listening to his first solo album Doug Sahm And Band from one of my
older brother's record collection. This album would include fellow musicians
Bob Dylan and Dr. John helping Sahm for this album. Decades later, I would
start collecting his music, and his album Doug Sahm And Band was not
on CD yet. (It was just recentled reissued on CD, along with other of his solo
albums.) WSVNRadio debuted Sahm's music with
Texas Tornados, a
band he would form with Country legend Freddy Fender. This week, WSVNRadio
looks at what would be a posthumous album released in the year 2000, The
Return Of Wayne Douglas. (The name comes from reversing his first and
middle name, and using this name would showcase his more country side of
music.) Doug Sahm passed away of a heart attack in his sleep shortly after
his 58th birthday, in 1999.
There really isn't a bad song on this album. It's a great album of
true country-sounding music. Songs such as "Beautiful Texas Sunshine"
and "Yesterday Got In The Way" brings back the old Country, where it
just doesn't sound this way in today's Country Music. "Beautiful Texas
Sunshine" could have easily been recorded by the Eagles in the their
early career. "Yesterday Got In The Way" takes you back to the 1970s
too, with its great fitting country sound.
"Oh No! Not Another One" has a more novelty country sound, the Bob
Dylan "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" has the great steel country guitar,
as many other songs on this release. And on that note, the rest of the album
is a great showcase of what Country music SHOULD sound like, including Sahm's
voice, bringing out the Country vocal as it is meant to be.
For anyone who truly enjoys old-fashioned County music, Doug Sahm's
The Return Of Wayne Douglas will be a true treasure. His solo albums
are also worth buying, with repeated listens to worth listening to, over and
over. Doug Sahm left us way too early, but he left behind a great career of
Country, Tex-Mex, R&B, Blues music that anyone who enjoys these kinds of music
will listen to Doug Sahm, and want to listen to him more. Doug Sahm is truly
missed, his music is what Country was meant to sound like. He proved this
when listening to the last track "Texas Me" (likewise throughout the
whole album), with his nice little speech at the beginning of the song, and
what is eerie is at the end, with his answering machine message; it would be
the last we would hear of Doug, as in his message he said "Adios."
A lot of great talent came from Texas, and Doug Sahm was no exception.
Doug Sahm -- November 6, 1941 -- November 18, 1999 -- We all miss you, Doug.
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