Album Review

Ken Dryden [allmusic.com]

Homer & Jethro were a popular country comedy duo who continued to record together for decades until the death of Homer. This long-out-of-print live LP was taped at the Hillwood Country Club in Nashville, with many country celebrities evidently on hand, including Grandpa Jones, Jim Reeves, Chet Atkins (the album's producer), and Archie Campbell (the latter wrote the liner notes). The hilarious banter between songs is almost as funny as their parodies of popular favorites. In addition to the expected reworkings of country favorites like ''Yaller Rose of Texas, You All,'' ''(How Much Is) That Hound Dog in the Window'' (which detours into ''Blue Danube''), and ''Hart Brake Motel'' (skewering Elvis Presley's ''Hearbreak Hotel''), the duo has a blast with George Shearing's theme song (which is converted into ''Lullaby of Bird Dog'') and even Duke Ellington's ''C-Jam Blues.'' Although most of the selections feature the duo by themselves, their backup band includes Nashville saxophonist Boots Randolph. Many folks aren't even aware that they were superb musicians as well. No matter how corny the humor, it still produces chuckles decades later.