Larger Than Life

RELEASE
1996
LABEL
Bear Family Records
GENRES
Country, Rockabilly, Traditional Country

Album Review

All of Sleepy LaBeef's most important records -- from his early singles for Starday to his latter-day sides for Sun -- are included on the mammoth, six-disc box set Larger Than Life. LaBeef recorded for a number of different labels during his career, and during that time, he explored a variety of roots music, from rockabilly and country to blues and soul. Spanning three full decades, Larger Than Life contains 158 tracks, including all of his recordings for Starday, Dixie, Columbia, and Sun. The box begins in the '50s and ends in the '70s, hitting all of LaBeef's best moments in the interim. A set of this size is designed for hardcore fans, and they are the ones who will treasure it -- for less-dedicated listeners, the music may become rather monotonous, since the sheer length of the box is overwhelming. However, Larger Than Life is a treasure for devoted followers, since it collects many rare items -- LaBeef's records have never been very easy to track down -- adding an excellent booklet and many demos and outtakes in the measure. For those fans, it's a necessary addition to their collection.
Thom Owens, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Baby Let's Play House
  2. Don't Make Me Go
  3. All Alone
  4. I'm Through
  5. Lonely
  6. All the Time
  7. All the Time [Alternate Take]
  8. Lonely [Alternate Take]
  9. I Ain't Gonna Take It
  10. Little Bit More
  11. Ballad of a Teenage Queen
  12. You're So Easy to Love
  13. I Wish I Was the Moon
  14. The Ways of a Woman in Love
  15. Home of the Blues
  16. You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven
  17. Guess Things Happen That Way
  18. Can't Get You off of My Mind
  19. I Found Out
  20. Turn Me Loose
  21. Ridin' Fence
  22. Ride on Josephine
  23. Walkin' Slowly
  24. Tore Up
  25. Lonely
  26. Ride on Josephine
  27. Lonely
  28. Just a Closer Walk With Thee
  29. I Won't Have to Cross Jordan Alone
  30. Drink up and Go Home
  31. Teardrop on a Rose
  32. A Long Time to Forget
  33. Goodnight Irene
  34. Leave Me Alone With the Blues
  35. Oh So Many Years
  36. Somebody's Been Beatin' My Time
  37. Bring Around Rosie
  38. Completly Destroyed
  39. Another Mile to Go
  40. This New Love
  41. You Can't Catch Me
  42. Everybody's Got to Have Somebody (To Love)
  43. Shame, Shame, Shame
  44. Ain't Got No Home
  45. I Feel a Lot More Like I Do Now
  46. I'm Too Broke (To Pay Attention)
  47. Drinking Again
  48. A Man in My Position
  49. Go Ahead On
  50. Schneider
  51. Sure Beats the Heck Outta' Settlin' Down
  52. Too Young to Die
  53. Two Hundred Pounds of Hurt
  54. If I Go Right, I'm Wrong
  55. Every Day
  56. Man Alone
  57. Too Much Monkey Business
  58. Sixteen Tons
  59. Got You on My Mind
  60. Birds of All Nations
  61. The Back of His Hand
  62. Asphalt Cowboy
  63. Blackland Farmer
  64. She's Bringin' Me Down
  65. Buying a Book
  66. Me and Bobby McGee
  67. Boom, Boom, Boom
  68. It Ain't Sanitary
  69. Honey Hush
  70. A Hundred Pounds of Lovin'
  71. Ballad of Thunder Road
  72. I'm Ragged But I'm Right
  73. Tender Years
  74. The Other Side of You
  75. Stormy Monday
  76. Cool Water
  77. Mule Train
  78. The Streets of Laredo
  79. (Ghost) Riders in the Sky
  80. Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
  81. Tumbling Tumbleweeds
  82. Strawberry Roan
  83. High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)
  84. Wagon Wheels
  85. Home on the Range
  86. There Ain't Much After Taxes
  87. Good Rockin' Boogie
  88. Roll over Beethoven
  89. Party Doll
  90. I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday
  91. You Can Have Her
  92. Mathilda
  93. Faded Love
  94. From a Jack to a King
  95. Send Me Some Lovin'
  96. You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover
  97. Young Fashioned Ways
  98. Sitting on Top of the World
  99. Matchbox
  100. Corrina, Corrina
  101. Let's Turn Back the Years
  102. What Am I Living For?
  103. Reconsider Baby
  104. Raining in My Heart
  105. Put Your Arms Around Me
  106. Elvira
  107. Polk Salad Annie
  108. I'm the Man
  109. Queen of the Silver Dollar
  110. Long Tall Texan
  111. Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)
  112. Baby Let's Play House
  113. Tall Oak Tree
  114. Take Me Back to Tulsa
  115. Blue Moon of Kentucky
  116. I'll Keep on Loving You
  117. I Won't Have to Cross Jordan Alone
  118. Just a Closer Walk With Thee
  119. Satisfied
  120. Ezekiel's Boneyard
  121. I Saw the Light
  122. I'll Never Let the Devil Win
  123. This Train
  124. I'll Be Somewhere Listening
  125. I Feel Like Traveling On
  126. The Old Country Church
  127. Standing in the Shadows
  128. Walk and Talk With My Lord
  129. Rock & Roll Ruby
  130. Big Boss Man
  131. I'm Ready If You're Willing
  132. I'm Coming Home
  133. I'm a One Woman Man
  134. Shotgun Boogie
  135. Boogie Woogie Country Girl
  136. Mystery Train
  137. There Is Something on Your Mind
  138. Jack and Jill Boogie
  139. Blues Stay Away from Me
  140. Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor
  141. Tore Up
  142. Flying Saucers Rock & Roll
  143. Red Hot
  144. Honky Tonk Man
  145. My Sweet Love Ain't Around
  146. If You Don't Love Me, Someone Else Will
  147. Milk Cow Blues
  148. Ride, Ride, Ride
  149. Are You Teasing Me
  150. Laboeuf's Cajun Boogie (Home Country Blues)
  151. Go Ahead on Baby
  152. Sick and Tired
  153. Mind Your Own Business
  154. Lonesome for a Letter
  155. Detour
  156. Shame, Shame, Shame
  157. Cigarettes and Coffee Blues
  158. Cut Across Shorty
  159. I'm Feelin' Sorry