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THE PLAINSMEN Traveling Man (Greatest Hits) (Kosmos Records/EMI) The Plainsmen were amazing country ambassadors that were totally underrated, and are from Timaru (Sth. Canterbury, Sth. Island, New Zealand). They were also World class as songwriters, and instrumentally brilliant. I can only assume that their influences included Hank Snow, Jim Reeves and Marty Robbins. The Plainsmen were Norman & Claude Stringer (guitars & vocals), with Lex Sinclair (upright bass) and Russell Stevenson (piano). Traveling Man opens with the title track that is pure hobo blues, and a great country song to boot. There's the Jim Reeve's influenced 'I'm Believing In You', and 'Why Blame Me; and 'Sea Of Sand', a song I am sure Charlie Rich could have had a hit with. 'Bullocky Jones' is local folklore, and played on local radio stations on a regular basis. 'One Red Rose' and 'Big Sand' share the legendary ballad style of Marty Robbins, and are deserving of wider recognition. 'Travelling Blue' is quite endearing, and is a naturally flowing ballad, that features some terrific guitar playing from Norman & Claude. A beautiful finish to this delightful album is the sweet 'Until Tomorrow', that is reminiscent of the great country ballads of the fifties. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the classic 'Ballad Of Waitaki' that is World famous. This is the song that shot these humble Timaru lads to fame. Sadly Claude Stringer has recently died after a long battle with cancer. This review is dedicated to Timaru's timeless country minstrels Norman & Claude Stringer. 
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