"Don't be misled by the album's title, or its sub-title
"Where Roy Rogers Meets Buck Rogers"; or the two-page liner note introduction to this
album telling the story of how "the Sirians from a far-off galaxy visited our planet"; or even
the fact that Danny Mack has billed himself in the past as "The Mysterious Cosmic Cowboy"
...this is nothing but pure, honky tonk country music. The kind that Buck and Merle and Wynn
gave us from their Bakersfield days."
Danny Mack is a West Coast veteran of the Canadian country music scene...true he has often
ventured down different musical trails, but he remains a "stylist", and Galaxy Cabaret marks a
return to his honky tonk musical roots. All songs here, save for a cover of the Utah Phillips
country/folk classic 'I Remember Loving You' are original Danny Mack tunes, and he has
created some real winners, touching on all aspects of the honky tonk world...boozin', hurtin',
cheatin' and partyin', are all part of the menu.
The album opens with the title track 'Galaxy Cabaret', and it immediately dispels the
thought of some kind of "honky tonk meets Star Wars" project. This is gutsy, steel guitar driven
honky tonk music, made even more effective by Danny Mack's smoky throated vocal stylings. You
can tell the boy's been in more than a couple of smoky taverns. Next up is a swing-flavoured
'Dance With Me' and its followed by the whiskey hurtin' song 'Hotel'. All are
truly standout efforts.
The album continues to toss up some great tunes in the two-steppin' 'Ol' Beat Up Truck',
a lonesome ballad in 'The Loving Game' and some Wynn Stewart 'Bakersfield' sounds in
'Bitter Half'. There's plenty of diversity here - 'Holy Karumba' injects a Jimmy
Durante-style snort; 'If You Only Knew' has a touch of the Willie Nelson / Ray Price
cabaret country magic, and 'You Beat Me To The Door' is a tune reprised from Danny Mack's
own 1980's Alberta Crude album which also gave us nuggets like 'I Wonder If Waylon Jennings Did This',
and 'Good Ol' George Jones', as well as his nationally charted, 'Debbie Delight'.
The album closes with 'Canadian Cowboy', a patriotic ode to the 'Cancountry' way of
life; and it comes complete with a Danny Mack yodel that would make Wilf Carter proud.
Galaxy Cabaret was co-produced by Danny Mack and Perry Barrett and recorded at Dark
Horse Studios in Vancouver. Like any honky tonk album worth its weight there's got to be a lot
of scorching steel guitar work, and Jim Dorin does the honours here with some really tasty work
featured on every selection on the album. Good stuff!!!
By Larry Delaney (editor)
Country Music News (Canada's country music monthly)
