The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' is the 13th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at studios in Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by Andy Byrd with the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on November 21, 1995, by Capitol Nashville. The album was produced to mark the 25th anniversary of the group's 1970 inception, and was its first collection of new original studio material since the release of Keepin' Me Up Nights in 1990.
The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' received positive reviews from the majority of critics, many of whom praised its mix of "classic" Western swing and more radio-friendly country music. Some commentators, however, criticised's Benson vocal performances on the record. The album did not chart in the US, but was the band's first to reach the top ten of the RPM Country Albums chart in Canada when it peaked at number 3 in 1996. It was the band's last studio album to feature pianist Tim Alexander.
Background
The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' was produced to mark 25 years since Asleep at the Wheel's formation. Reflecting on the anniversary, the band's frontman Ray Benson stated that "Milestones are a funny thing. They give you a chance to pause and reflect," describing the album as the first of potentially "plenty more celebrations".[1] Benson went on to claim that the 1995 release was potentially more radio-friendly than its predecessors, noting that "We have gotten a reputation as a nonradio band, but we've had some hits. We can make radio records, and I really wanted to, because I love radio records. So I'm jazzed about this album."[1]
Following the critical and commercial success of 1993's Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Benson and Asleep at the Wheel deliberately decided to focus more on modern radio-friendly country music than old-school Western swing for The Wheel Keeps on Rollin', although the frontman admits that pressure from record label Capitol Records also played a part in this change.[2] Speaking to Texas Monthly reporter Gary Cartwright about the decision to record Eric Clapton's "Lay Down Sally", Benson admitted that "Frankly, I put it on [the album] hoping it would get a lot of radio time ... We still have to make a living."[3]
A music video for "Lay Down Sally", directed by Mark Shuman,[4] was released in October 1995.[5] The single followed in January 1996.[6] It did not chart in the US, but was the band's first song to reach the top ten of the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart, peaking at number 3 in April.[7] To promote the album, the band worked with an Austin, Texas-based company called Aztec to produce an "interactive CD-ROM" containing the album, the "Lay Down Sally" video, the electronic press kit and other content; speaking about the release, Benson commented that "I think it's revolutionary. I've always wanted to do something like this."[8]
Reception
Commercial
The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' was Asleep at the Wheel's first studio album since 1985's Pasture Prime not to register on the US BillboardTop Country Albums chart. Speaking about its lack of commercial success, frontman Ray Benson complained that "It's just our bad luck that the album came out at the same time as Garth Brooks' Fresh Horses album and the Beatles' new album [Anthology 1]".[6] The album was popular in Canada, however, spending several weeks on the RPM Country Albums Chart in early 1996 and peaking at number 3, the highest position achieved by the group.[9]
Media response to The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' was mixed. Reviewing the album for Cash Box magazine, Wendy Newcomer hailed it as "an amazingly fresh batch of new material that keeps jazzy country swing alive," praising original recordings "Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch", "She Came to Dance" and "The Wheel Keeps on Rollin'" as "outstanding".[11]Entertainment Weekly contributor Alanna Nash claimed that the album "runs the gamut from two-steppin', line-dancin' fare to '40s-style big-band romps," describing the collection as "mighty fine".[12] The San Francisco Examiner suggested upon the album's release that "the band is on an unstoppable roll".[13]
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine published a more balanced retrospective review of the album for the website, noting that "It might not have the conceptual power of their previous Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, nor is it as raw their earliest recordings, but it is an album that will satisfy their dedicated fans."[10] On a similar note, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch went as far as to claim that The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' "can't follow" the Bob Wills tribute, criticising Benson as a "subpar singer".[14] Dan Kuchar of Country Standard Time also highlighted the frontman's "lacklustre vocals", but praised the backing vocals and instrumentation (especially of steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar) as "superb".[2]
^"Billboard Video Monitor"(PDF). Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 41. New York City, New York: BPI Communications. October 14, 1995. p. 83. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
^Newcomer, Wendy (December 2, 1995). "Country Music Album Reviews"(PDF). Cash Box. Vol. 59, no. 14. New York City, New York: Cash Box. p. 23. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
