The album's first track, "Read 'Em And Weep," opens with some cool guitar work, and then he counts us in, perhaps dealing us in, for the first line then is "Cut the cards, boys, deal me in." And we are invited into a world of the untamed west, a world of possibilities, which is so appealing. "I've got a little story to tell." And indeed Dallas Burrow proves himself a damn fine storyteller. This track features special guest Ray Wylie Hubbard on vocals. It also contains some really nice work by Katie Shore on fiddle, that instrument a large part of the track's appeal, a large part of what enables us to journey to that time. Then her fiddle work at the beginning of "Colorado Bound" sets a very different tone. This song has a gentle, sweet, pretty sound, and its first line, "I saw you in a daydream," comes naturally from that sound. "Heading west for the mountains/In a sleeper car/In your head you were counting/All your lucky stars." Kelly Willis joins him on vocals for this one, delivering some beautiful work, and Lloyd Maines provides some good stuff on dobro. We are set in motion to Colorado, while also remaining behind, watching as the train goes.
Brian Beken is on fiddle for "Disappearing Ink," providing some nice work at the start, and at key moments throughout the track. The rhythm of this one plays a prominent role, not just the percussion, but the rhythm of the vocal delivery. This track features some wonderful vocal touches, like when there is almost a growl to his voice as he repeats, "Here I go again." Lloyd Maines delivers good work on banjo, including during that delicious instrumental section. "I've been a hundred places I shouldn't have been/I spent my last dollar 'bout a hundred times." That's followed by "Justice In The West." Something about this one has me feeling good from its opening moments. It's in the rhythm of the guitar, it's in the tone of his voice. We all know this place, recognize it, and feel drawn to it. And we can be there through this music. This song is told from the perspective of someone who became a lawman and went after bandits. It's a world that is now in the past. Not just our past, but the narrator's as well. This is a wonderful song, one of my personal favorites.
Another strong character is established in the opening lines of "Black Rock Desert Blues": "I headed out of Silver Springs/Just pawned a wedding ring/I've done some terrible things/But that one haunts me still." This track contains some really nice guitar work, and Bukka Allen adds some great flavor on accordion. We learn more about that wedding ring later in the song. Again, Dallas Burrow can tell a good tale, and this track is another of the album's highlights. It is followed by "Streets Of Dodge," which also makes great use of the accordion. There is something in that instrument that works to conjure memories, and to place us within them. There is a gentle, easygoing vibe to this song, and yet the tale turns to one of pain and loss. "I left old Dodge City/When I lost my loving bride/When I lost my loving bride." Then "Tornado" begins like one of those classic westerns, with a very cool sound. The opening lines are delivered in a way close to spoken word, setting the atmosphere for this tale about a horse named Tornado and that horse's rider.
Jim Lauderdale joins Dallas on vocals for "The Way The West Was Won," the album's title track. "Gold in them hills, and hope in our chest/We saddled up the ponies and we headed out west." There has always been something appealing about heading west, right? Following dreams, following legends, following desires. Lloyd Maines delivers some great work on dobro, as well as guitar and bass, on this track. Then Lloyd Maines plays flute on "Indian Song," and that instrument helps to create the atmosphere in the song's opening moments. This one features an especially cool vocal performance. "Got run off by long knives/The settlers and the trains." I also love the way this track ends. I highly recommend checking it out. "Time is of the essence/It's always running out/Like a freight train in the night," Dallas Burrow then sings at the beginning of "Livin' For Today." Oh yes, and as we get older we become more and more aware of that, and songs like this one hit us harder. Katie Shore returns on fiddle, delivering some wonderful work, especially on her lead in the middle. This is another of my personal favorites. "But if all our days are numbered/Like the sand in an hourglass/We still have a choice/As to how we let 'em pass."
"When The Cowboy Rides" is a lively number, featuring good stuff from Brian Beken on fiddle. It's a song that puts cowboys, poets and philosophers out on the same plain. "A woman's heart is wild as the sea/You can love her, but set her free/It's been this way for eternity/A woman's heart is wilder than the sea." Lloyd Maines delivers some good work on steel guitar, and Jim Lauderdale provides harmony vocals. Then "The High Low" begins with some nice work on guitar. The vocals have a friendly folk tone, fitting the vibe established by the guitar. And soon the percussion and fiddle are added and everything feels right. Brian Beken delivers excellent work not just on fiddle, but also mandolin. I love the playful aspect to this song, heard in lines like "She was born a brunette/Grew up to be a blonde." It's a fun number. And Jim Lauderdale, Kelly Willis, Katie Shore, Lloyd Maines and Pat Manske all join Dallas Burrow on vocals near the end. The album then concludes with "Cowboy's Prayer." "At the end of the trail" seems a perfect line to begin this album's final track, doesn't it? This song feels like the end of the day as well as the end of the trail. "If I've done some wrong, Lord/Well, I'll pay the price/If you could forgive me/That sure would be nice."
CD Track List
- Read 'Em And Weep
- Colorado Bound
- Disappearing Ink
- Justice In The West
- Black Rock Desert Blues
- Streets Of Dodge
- Tornado
- The Way The West Was Won
- Indian Song
- Livin' For Today
- When The Cowboy Rides
- The High Low
- Cowboy's Prayers
The Way The West Was Won was released on September 26, 2025 on Forty Below Records. And since then, Dallas Burrow has released another album, Modern Day Vagabond, which came out just last week.
