Soooo, I popped the CD into my reliable Pioneer DVD/CD player, to take a quick listen while my coffee was coolin'.
(Well, not really. 'Cause I HATE coffee! But it was a great line, huh? ) Anyway, coffee or no coffee, this cowboy woke me right up! Can he write? YES! But, can he sing?? HECK, yes!! (see how I carefully choose my 4-letter words?) Ken Overcast is a REAL cowboy, folks. He's NOT just a guy in a hat. He has a workin' ranch up there in Montana, and he knows what he's writin' AND singin' about!

Ken penned most of the songs on this album, himself. Others were carefully picked from his long list of old favorites. In fact, you'll find a little personal note about each track on the inside cover. No lyric sheets here, but you won't need them! Overcast has one of the clearest voices I have EVER heard. Its honest, down-home, soothing. And the instrumentals, which are just as pure and simple as the vocals, don't attempt to overcrowd the sound of that wonderful voice. And speakin' of voices, if you appreciate a good yodel every now and then, well, you won't be disappointed. 'Cause this cowboy's got it all!

It's hard to know what more I can say about this terrific album! Ken Overcast can write, he can sing, he can just sit down and tell a great story (he DOES it here, too). This guy is VERY cool!! He's happy with his first calling, ranching. And he reaches us through his music. Check out track #7, "What It Takes To Make A Cowboy Cry" (K.Overcast). Here, he finally reveals the secret of that soft side we don't often see in the hard-workin', tough exterior of a REAL cowboy. And it's very moving. But don't worry, 'cause you won't be 'heart-punched' for long. 'Cause he moves quickly from tune to tune. Most are upbeat and fun to listen to. But he's not afraid to warm our hearts with oldies like "When The Works All Done This Fall" No one is really sure who wrote the music for this one, but it comes from a poem written waaaaay back, by a cowboy poet named DJ O'Malley. He's also included a great favorite and huge hit for Eddy Arnold in the early 50's, "Cattle Call" (Tex Owens) This one lets us hear more of Ken's beautiful, clear yodelin'.

The CD is FILLED with great songs, old AND new! How could I NOT like it? It's got all the right ingredients, in just the right amounts. Good writing. Good singing. Good stories. And…a really CUTE cowboy, too!! I hope you'll take a look at Ken's website (www.kenovercast.com), listen to a couple of clips, and then order "Montana Cowboy"…(the album, that is…not the cowboy…I'm keepin' the REAL cowboy! Wellll, I'd like to…but law prohibits a journalist from holding cowboys hostage) (smile) Oh, and he also has a full-length concert video, and several other CD's to choose from!! He's won a vast amount of awards, and I won't even TRY to name them all. But suffice it to say, this is one cowboy who loves what he does, and is good enough to share it with all us 'city-slickers'. Seriously, folks, this is a great CD. A MUST HAVE if you're a traditional Country/WESTERN fan! Don't miss this one. Move over, Chris LeDoux, darlin'. Oh, ok, there's room on the stage for at least TWO singin' cowboys. And what a team these two guys would make! Wish I could join 'em! But I guess I'll stick with writin' about 'em. And, as always, This has been…..