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Rating: A masterpiece of Country Music. The Statler Brothers can rightfully be regarded as one of the cornerstones of '80s Country music, practically unknown in Italy but almost an institution of the genre in the United States. We find ourselves in the mid-'60s, when the group became known thanks to the great Johnny Cash, who hired them to participate repeatedly in his broadcasts.
The group was originally composed of Don Reid, a very, very distinctive voice who generally took the lead at the microphone, then Harold Reid, Phil Basley, and Jimmy Fortune, who joined after the death in 1990 of one of the founders, Lew DeWitt, and was the youngest of the quartet. This debut, named "Flowers On The Wall" after its biggest hit contained within. It is indeed the title track, the first of the lot, for which we also have a video that, for the standards of the time, can be considered official, preserved on YouTube. 12 songs, alternating sweet sentimental ballads with actual manifestos of a genre never truly forgotten and always alive within true enthusiasts. The group would later give us other great pieces, such as "Oh Shenandoah" (which is, however, an arrangement of a traditional song) and also "Bed of Rose's" from 1970 or "New York City." It's worth noting that the title track became one of the top 5 country songs of that year, for me, in the top 5 of all time. Short, concise, rhythmic, and with that country feel of the United States that stays in your eyes for at least a day. Try it to believe it.
When you listen to the Statler Brothers, you can't help but imagine the vast American countryside prairies that bring to mind those '70s films or the areas where "Murder, She Wrote" roamed. There you have it, an all-American flavor that seems now erased by city pollution and work chaos. In short, it seems strange, but you have the sensation of being nostalgic for an era and situation never experienced.
It seems the Statler Brothers wandered until 2002 in modest venues with their musical repertoire, a modestly remarkable career of a truly remarkable group, worth rediscovering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s8nRL2bPCU
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Flowers on the Wall (02:21)
I keep hearing you're concerned about my happiness
But all that thought you're giving me is conscience, I guess
If I were walking in your shoes I wouldn't worry none
While you and your friends are worrying about me, I'm having lots of fun
Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Playing solitare 'til dawn with a deck of fifty one
Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothing to do
Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town
As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down
So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doing fine
You can always find me here and having quite a time
Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Playing solitare 'til dawn with a deck of fifty one
Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothing to do
It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Anyway, my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete
Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Playing solitare 'til dawn with a deck of fifty one
Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothing to do
Don't tell me I've nothing to do
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