Buck Owens'
Blue Love gives no clue as to when the ten songs within are recorded. The fuzzy cover shot is from the '80s but a check of
Owens' discography clues us in that the songs were from his pre-Capitol days in the mid-'50s when young
Buck bounced between small labels like Pep, Chesterfield and La Brea. The ten songs are pretty decent honky tonk, simple and catchy just like most of
Owens' later work, and he exhibits the sweet and honest voice that proved so charming during his amazing run of hits in the '60s. The problem with the disc is that it sounds like it was recorded from a static-y AM radio broadcast and it is too damn short. The material and performances are definitely worth tracking down, however, and luckily there is a much better collection on the market; 2001's
Young Buck: The Complete Pre-Capitol Recordings which holds 16 tracks and five alternate versions in higher fidelity sound making it a much wiser purchase if you want to hear early
Buck Owens.