Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Lorne Greene - The Man (1965)


Here's one of my favorites from my celebrity albums! I have several Lorne Greene albums, and I posted the "Bonanza Ponderosa Party Time" album before. I also have one by Dan Blocker that I'll get around to posting. If anyone has anything by Pernell Roberts, I'd love for you to share it! :-)

I grew up watching "Bonanza" - and "Gunsmoke", "The High Chapparral", "The Big Valley", "The Virginian", "The Rifleman", "Branded", "Laredo", and many others! If it was a western or a war show (like "Combat!" or "The Rat Patrol"), then I watched it with my father. Those were the days when a home had only one TV (two TVs meant you were "rich"), and I even remember when we got a COLOR TV! My father would sit in his vinyl recliner and I would sit next to him in my little rocking chair. Oh - and I was the remote control, too! Well, I'm just glad I have cable TV and get the Encore Westerns channel and American Life Network - I get to watch a lot of these old shows and relive happy memories of my childhood.

Listening to this album also brings back pleasant memories of an era gone by. Henry Mancini wrote the liner notes and here's a snippet:
I like this album! It's a steel-drivin', mountain-movin' album full of exciting hammer-swingin', rock-splittin' rhythms....
Everybody knows Lorne Greene. Sure...he's the Big Boss of the Ponderosa Ranch on TV's "Bonanza," but that's NOT the Lorne Greene I'm talking about. In this album he takes off his shirt and bends these great work songs in his bare hands like some kind of way-out giant. In every groove there's pure, naked virility that will give your loudspeaker a real traumatic shock. There's bone, muscle and guts in these songs....
Okay - you get the idea! So, give it a listen! Lorne Greene is, indeed, The Man!


Track listing for Lorne Greene - The Man:

Side 1:
1. Pop Goes the Hammer
2. End of Track
3. Nine Pound Hammer
4. Bring on the Dancin' Girls
5. Oh! What a Town
6. Fourteen Men

Side 2:
1. Destiny
2. Sixteen Tons
3. Trouble Row
4. Chickasaw Mountain
5. Darling, My Darling
6. The Man

Here's a hilarious clip of Lorne Greene with Dean Martin:

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Esther,
YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!
Certainly my favorite TV western.
In 1978 I visted the Real Ponderosa Ranch in Inlcine Village Nevada. It was used from 1967 on.
It is the exact place in the opening of the show the map burns from.
I just happened to be visiting the area and saw the bill board. It was beautiful there. The house was the exact replica. I ate at a chuck-wagon and had a Hoss Burger.
The gift shop was a delight and I bought 2 bags of stuff.
I loved it there.
I also watched Combat with my Dad and he was in General Patten's 3rd army during WW2 and said many of the shows were lifelike. Dad also looked like Vic Morrow!
Thanks Esther, Vince

Unknown said...

Howdy. I have a few Lorne Greene LPs including one called Five Card Stud, which has a few of the same trax as The Man.

Anyhow, if you still haven't found the Pernell Roberts LP, I have his album "Come All Ye Fair And Tender Lillies" (RCA 1963).

Esther said...

Hi, Sarah!

I do not yet have the Pernell Roberts album. If you are willing to share, I would appreciate it! :-)

And thanks for visiting!
Esther