Omnivore
's second installment of
Buck Owens
'
The Complete Capitol Singles
opens up with "Sam's Place," the song
Buck
took to number one early in 1967, and closes with "I Wouldn't Live in New York City (If They Gave Me the Whole Dang Town)," which peaked at nine in late 1970. In other words, this double-disc compilation traces the waning years of
's imperial era, ending at a point when he's still having hits but starting to have diminishing creative returns. While there are a couple of bum sides to be heard in these 36 tracks -- usually, they arrive in the form of duets with his son
Buddy Alan
or a half-baked B-side -- the consistency of these singles remains remarkable, as do the chances
Owens
takes. By 1969, he took "Johnny B. Goode" into overdrive, drenched "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass" with fuzz guitar, and didn't resist heightened productions like the one that made "Tall Dark Stranger" nearly cinematic. "Tall Dark Stranger" arrived in the summer of 1969, when
transitioned to stereo from mono, but the first disc and a half of
The Complete Capitol Singles: 1967-1970
are devoted to crisp mono mixes that give this collection a period appeal. Listening to these singles chronologically in the original mix illustrates how rapidly
Buck Owens & His Buckaroos
evolved in these four years, which means it's not just an entertaining listen, it's instructive as well. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine