Pulse Magazine


By Jeremy Tepper

Don Walser
Dare To Dream - The Best Of Don Walser (Lone Star, TMG)

Don Walser is a national treasure. He's even received a National Heritage Fellowship at the Kennedy Center to prove it. Affection-ately dubbed the "Pavarotti of the Plains," this rotund, 60-something retired Texas National Guardsman sings real country music the way it should be sang [sic], with a crystal- clear tenor and spine-tingling yodel that have earned him reknown far beyond the city limits of his Austin home. With more than 20 tracks that make a strong case for Walser sainthood, Dare to Dream compiles the best of his recordings for the Watermelon, Sire and Valley labels, as well as five odds and ends from various compilations and soundtracks and two previously unreleased tracks. The album kicks off and closes with two takes of his signature tune, "Rolling Stone From Texas," which he originally wrote at age 18 and released as a single 12 years later. It eventually became the title track of his 1994 Watermelon debut, which is included here, along with a version from a live radio broadcast from 1964. Although there are only three original tunes on this collection, Walser more than makes up for his lack of songwriting with loving and personalized interpretations of songs made famous by Bob Wills, Hank Snow, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Hank Locklin and others, and he completely transcends country categorization on soaring versions of "Rose Marie" (with the Kronos Quartet) and the evergreen "Danny Boy." It just doesn't get any better than this.