Like many others for whom Creedence Clearwater Revival provided the first introduction to the name "Buck Owens," I wasn't sure what to expect from the man himself. Given that John Fogerty's shout-out to his fellow Golden Stater came during "Lookin' Out My Back Door," one of CCR's happiest, hokiest, hillbilly-est hymns, I should've known. Both that song and the Buckaroos' Bakersfield batch are cut from the same cloth: short, sunny, and spry. Oddly enough that mood persists throughout I've Got a Tiger by the Tail, despite variation in subject matter. Even when Owens is getting his ass kicked by love ("Trouble and Me," "Cryin' Time"), the only thing that really seems to change is the tempo. It's telling that even though the third track is titled "Let the Sad Times Roll On" and the seventh is called "We're Gonna Let the Good Times Roll," there is no appreciable difference in his voice. Take a good look at that album cover (he sort of looks like a clueless Mel Brooks, doesn't he?). Maybe he's just an upbeat guy. You can't exactly fault him for that. And you wouldn't want him to manufacture the pathos you hear on so many other country albums. It's just that when it comes down to it, as a vocalist, he's not all that versatile. He comes close to that "high lonesome sound" on a couple of occasions, but ends up more high than lonesome. For the most part, when a song needs an injection of some feeling other than optimism, Owens relies on the dependably mournful pedal steel to do the heavy lifting. Likewise, some much-needed variation is supplied by "The Streets of Laredo" - a highlight - when bass player Doyle Holly takes over singing duty. You know, they say you can't keep a good man down. Perhaps you can't make an up man good. Grade: C+
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