Tall, Tall Gentleman Carl Smith Artist

The song {|Tall, Tall Gentleman|} was the B-side of {|Carl Smith|}'s crossover hit {|Ten Thousand Drums|} in 1959, and mirrored that song's historical {|folk|} orientation with its use of banjo and narrative lyrics. {|Smith|} reprised {|The Tall, Tall Gentleman|} as the title track of this 1963 album, and the re-recording is very similar to the original. {|Smith|} remade a number of his hits the previous year on the album {|Carl Smith's Greatest Hits|}, and he does the same here, revisiting {|Back Up Buddy,|} {|This Orchid Means Goodbye,|} and {|(When You Feel Like You're In Love) Don't Just Stand There.|} {|Loose Talk|} is followed by its answer, {|No More Loose Talkin',|} which is an interesting touch, and each side ends with an inspirational song. Two hits from 1962-1963 are included: {|Air Mail to Heaven,|} a sad story with a twist ending that was one of {|Smith|}'s biggest hits of the '60s, and {|Live for Tomorrow.|} {|Tall, Tall Gentleman|} is hampered by the numerous unnecessary re-recordings, but the new material, particularly {|Air Mail to Heaven,|} is worthwhile. ~ Greg Adams