Review by Rex Flottman
Walnut Valley Occasional
December 2004

album: Wide Open Range

artist: Bill Barwick

If you long for a return to those "Thrilling days of yesterday" or you find yourself with an urge to slip off into the sunset with Gene or Roy, then Bill Barwick is your man. With a voice that would certainly match up well with a ranger's tin star, Bill's latest recording "Wide Open Range" is a collection of songs that paint a wonderful picture of the way the west was, and still is for those living the life of a modern day cowboy.

The Saturday afternoon matinee theme is well addressed by "Carry Me Back to the Lone Prairie" or "Ridin' Down the Canyon" and "When Roy Rogers was Around". If ever you've found yourself in a movie theater with your best friend and a box of Milk Duds, these songs are bound to stir some memories that may have been misplaced for a while.

The real heart of "Wide Open Range" lies in the songs that express the history and the traditions that are the American Cowboy. The romance of the west in the original song "Silent Lonely Rider" or Scott Vaughn's "Colorado Sky" will touch the heart of the toughest hombres. The song selection reminds us that a cowboy's job is not just riding the range. "Burnin' Hair" and "There Ain't No Quit" tell of hard work and way of life few today can truly understand.

It would be difficult to single out one song as the highlight of "Wide Open Range". The spirit of the west is more than boots and a pair of Wrangler jeans. Today's cowboys and cowgirls are living a unique way of life. They represent a group of people that hold a special place in American history; "Wide Open Range" is a very well done celebration of that history.