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Further On

Patriotic Country 3

Rating * * * * *

Country Music and patriotism have often been synonymous.

Once mainstream country music really got started in the late 40's and early 50's, a lot of stars started making USO trips.  Little Jimmy Dickens was one of the first to make that tour around the world, but soon after, everyone followed.

Over the past few years, there have been compilation albums released that were full of tunes that focused on America. The albums are called "Patriotic Country," and on June 24th, 2008, the third addition was released. One thing that Music Choice stayed consistent with is the music they put on each album. They are packed with quality music that has made it to the top of the charts. This proceeds from this album go to help the children who are directly affected by war.

The first song on this album was a huge hit for Kenny Chesney.  Bill Anderson wrote "A Lot Of Things Different," and with the help of Kenny, it went to the top of the charts. The title is pretty self explanatory, and I think everyone at some point in our lives wishes we could go back and change one or two things. "Letter From Home" is great. It's about a soldier who is off in war. He always gets letters from everyone but his father. Finally, when his father does write, he expresses his feelings and the soldier's crying. It will leave you feeling moved, to say the least. "My Front Porch Looking In" is a song Lonestar had a lot of success with. This is a great family song, about a man who observes his life from the outside looking in. It's great!

"One More Day" is a personal favorite. Being a huge fan of Diamond Rio, there is no denying this song it perfect. Some people want the world, but when you are with someone, or perhaps, have just lost someone, you yearn for just one more minute with that someone. We've all been there at some point. Neal McCoy is added to this collection of tunes. He sings his hit "Last Of The Dying Breed." If you feel like you are a part of something that may not be here in twenty years, you can relate to this song. The family owned, American farmers come to mind big time, when this song plays.

It wouldn't be an album about America if The Hag was not included.. Well, Merle and  his legendary band, The Strangers, sing "The Fightin' Side Of Me." Merle Haggard stepped out on the line when he recorded this tune, but now it's played like an anthem. He's a legend, and this song proves it.

Another legend who's song can be heard is Waylon Jennings. Waylon's hit "America" remains a fan favorite long after his death.  His music could have died years ago in the crash that took Buddy Holly's life, but thankfully it didn't and he had one of the most diverse careers in Country Music.

"What Say You" is a duet that never received the recognition it deserved. Travis Tritt and John Mellancamp recorded it, and the video did well, but of course, it wasn't mainstream friendly, so it really doesn't get played much anymore. The way these two sound together is great. Hopefully we will get something more out of them in the future.

There is a duo that's only been around for a few years, but they have torn up the charts and that's Sugarland. Jennifer Nettles and Christian Bush have become one of country's hottest acts and "Everyday America" helped them accomplish this. The fans love it and the words can apply to a wide range of  Americans.

Wrapping up this album is good old, Randy Travis. His traditional style and deep voice helped bring country music back to its foundation. "Heroes And Friends" starts off with a harmonica that goes straight to the bone. It's about things that come and go, but when it's all said and done, you'll have two things, and that's your "Heroes And Friends." This has always been a song I loved to hear, and now it's back on an album that's great for any occasion.

If you are looking for music that you can play at your 4th of July picnic or any other time, look no further. On "Patriotic Country 3," you can hear smash hits, while supporting your country. You get great music and the children of our soldiers can get some help too. It's a win-win situation.

Album Tracks

A Lot Of Things Different - Kenny Chesney
Letter From Home - John Michael Montgomery
Blessed - Martina McBride
My Front Porch Looking In - Lonestar
Politically Uncorrect - Gretchen Wilson
I'm From The Country - Tracy Byrd
One More Day - Diamond Rio
The Last Of The Dying Breed - Neal McCoy
Long Arm Of The Law - Kenny Rogers
The Fightin' Side Of Me - Merle Haggard and The Strangers
Not Me - Keni Thomas
God Bless America - LeAnn Rimes
If I Don't Make It Back - Tracy Lawrence
America - Waylon Jennings
What Say You - Travis Tritt
Everyday America - Sugarland
Heroes And Friends - Randy Travis

Charlie Allen

That Was Then, This Is Now

Rating * * * * *

By Scott Sexton

There is a guy in country music that many people have probably never even heard of, but after reading this review, hopefully you will go to your favorite online music outlet and buy this record. Charlie Allen is truly a class act. He's a songwriter, musician, and one heck of a singer, but he also has a story. That story starts from his family heritage.

Both of his parents were in the music industry, and his mother is even a member of the Bristol Music Hall of Fame. Music is all Charlie has ever known, unfortunately, he's never gotten the fame he deserves. Now, on River Run Records, an independent label, he has a lot more freedom and a company that's actually backing him full force. The CD sleeve has Charlie as a young boy posing with some of Country Music's finest such as Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride and Mel Tillis. On the inside, he's posing with the likes of Rodney Atkins, Willie Nelson, and Shooter Jennings.

The first song off this album showcases his talent as well as his beliefs. "I Can't Take Him Out Of Me" takes a firm stand on politics and religion. Charlie explains how people are trying to take God out of schools, off our money and completely take God out of everything. Anyone who listens to this song will want to stand up with Charlie. Honestly, this tune should be played on every station and even sent to Washington. As a country, we need to quit worrying about being "politically correct" and everyone needs to get thicker skin and quit worrying about the small stuff. Charlie Allen makes it known that no matter what, God will never be taken out of him. "I Did This To Me" is another tough song. With Nashville producing so much "bubble gum" stuff these days, it's almost shocking to hear something so powerful, but what a delight it was. This is a tune about a man who cheated and now he's suffering the consequences. "I lit the match and now my whole world’s up in flames," sums up how he feels about the situation. Another very unique thing about this song is when his sister-in-law came to him and said they're packed and then threw the keys at him. These lyrics are great.

"Good Time Charlie" will hit the mark for many people. The background music features all of the instruments that make a country tune, but the way they are arranged, you'll feel like you're back in the good ole' days. There is just something about a harmonica that cuts like a knife. The title track "That Was Then, This Is Now" consists of Charlie's traditional Country sound with a modern edge. It's simply about how things change in a person's life and how some people live in the past. Everyone needs to hear this record, if nothing else, then for this tune alone. You can listen to it over and over again, and be able to pick out different things in their lives that are mentioned. Only a Country song could be about finding love in a "Dollar General Store." Your feet will be tapping from the first note to the last. Charlie Allen's "That Was Then, This Is Now" is one of the best albums I have heard in a long time. If you love Country Music, you need to add this album to your collection. You won't regret it.

Album Tracks

Can't Take Him Out Of Me
I Did This To Me
Why Ask Why
See If I Care
Everything but Me
Good Time Charlie
Proof
Can't Live Without You
She's Still Here
That Was Then, This Is Now
Dollar General Store
I Don't Have Forever

            Aaron Tippin                                                                                             He Believed

                             Rating ****

                                            By Stacy Harris

Aaron Tippin mixes several of his hits with some new material, serving up (no pun intended) this compilation on the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store record label.

Dedicated to the memory of Aaron’s father, Willis Emory “Tip” Tippin, the CD is truly a family affair. The title track, written by Aaron and his wife, Thea, sets the stage for the patriotic populist’s paean to the working populace: Traditional country music fans who never tire of hearing I Got It Honest, My Blue Angel, Working Man’s PhD, and I Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way will enjoy.

Those songs number among the dozen found here, notably including Country Boy’s Toolbox (which sounds like it might be the answer to a prayer for another Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong With the Radio) and Whole Lot of Love on the Line.

The gimmickry of the latter is evinced in Bad Latitude.  But these hook songs are meant to be enjoyed, not analyzed, hence Aaron brings us Honky-Tonk Superman. 

Slightly different moods ares created with Could Not Stop Myself and Trim Yourself to Fit the World. 

Tippin’s recording of Ready to Rock (In a Country Kind of Way)  suggests a purist’s desire to record music without boundaries every now and then.

So there you have it: A consistency Aaron's fans have come to expect and a little variety.

Not a bad combination at all.

      Julianne Hough                                                                                  Julianne Hough

                          Rating ****1/2

                                            By Stacy Harris

Still Crooked

I may be the only person in the United States who has never watched Dancing With the Stars longer than to get a glimpse of former TNN program host Samantha Harris, my second cousin once removed, whom, it seems, has something to do with this ratings winner. (I worked with Samantha's gramddad, Wally, grew up with her aunt, Andrea, but have never met Samantha nor her mother, Bonnie.)

That being the case, I may the only person in the United States who doesn’t know Julianne Hough as anything other than one of the hottest acts in country music.

Music Row generally doesn’t have a lot of interest in anyone who appears to be hopping on the country-music bandwagon (“appears to be” because nobody ever admits to doing so, though there’s a lot of hopping off when instant, unearned popularity fades).  So what’s the fascination with this dancer who has recorded a self-titled album?

Assuming she doesn’t owe it all to ProTools, Juliane is more than a blonde beauty who’s gone country.  That Song In My Head is not only a hit, it’s an example of what Hough’s debut album brings to a major label (Mercury):  a total of 11 songs, several of which are as good or better than anything else you’ll hear these days on country radio.

Best bets: My Hallelujah Song, Jimmy Ray McGee  and  Help Me, Help, Love You  plus Julianne’s duet (Dreaming Under the Same Moon) with another talented singer, Julianne's actor/dancer brother Derek Hough.  Seems the Osmonds don’t have a corner on Mormon country-singing siblings…  

        Crooked Still                                                                                          Still Crooked

                          Rating ***1/2

                               (Street date Jime 24. 2008)

                               By Stacy Harris

Still Crooked

If there’s such a sub-genre as easy-listenin’ bluegrass, the quintet calling itself Crooked Still would be its progenitor.

Not to characterize all of Still Crooked, by any stretch of the imagination, as  “easy-listenin’”…

Vocalist/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan, like her fellow Crooked Still instrumentalists, (O’Donovan plays guitar, baritone ukulele, glockenspiel and upright piano) knows how to tailor her often-lilting vocals, and to temper her skillful instrumentation, so that each is in synch with the harmonious sounds of fellow (tenor) guitarist (double bassist Corey Dimario), fiddlers (Brittany Haas, Tristan Clarridge) and banjoist/lyricist (Gregory Liszt).

A couple of snippets (Pharoh, Theme from the Absentee) number among the 13 tracks heard here.

I don’t find the lyrics of these story-songs particularly compelling, though listeners will enjoy Tell Her to Come Back Home, which harkens back to Uncle Dave Macon. 

I expect the purchase of this CD to be largely driven by the masterful musicianship and O’Donovan’s distinctive singing style.

And that is as it should be.

          Becky Schlegel                                                              For All the World to See

                             (Street Date: June 17, 2008)

                      Rating ****

                                   By Stacy Harris

Becky Schlegel may have grown up in Kimball, South Dakota, rather than in the Bluegrass state, but that might be misleading.  For Becky is a multi-award-winning favorite of the Minnesota Music Academy, Garrison Keillor, RFD-TV Midwest Country Theatre and the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Schlegel’s third album spotlights the singer/songwriter’s transcendent appeal- How can you not love a distinct, clear voice singing lyrics you can understand?- though her bluegrass roots are never in question.

While Becky’s lyrics are largely too esoteric for my taste, her music comes alive for me toward the end of these 11 performances, perhaps because I can identify with Spotlight and Sound of Your Voice in a way that Hills of South Dakota probably appeals to those, who, like Schlegel, have called the Mount Rushmore State home.   

               Rebecca Owen

                                                     Rebecca

                             Rating ****

                                                          By Stacy Harris

Jaded music critic that I am, I wasn’t particularly taken with Sidewinder, the first song on Rebecca.  But I didn’t have to give Owen 11 (the number of selections remaining on this CD) more chances to persuade me that time spent listening to the remainder of this album was time well spent:  Rebecca’s talent became apparent by Track Two: World Without You.

Just another indication of how important the song and singer match must be: a mantra confirmed with Rebecca’s mastery of Marv Green’s What I Need and affirmed by Owen’s take on Lucinda Williams’ I Lost It.

I wonder what Rodney Crowell thinks when he hears Rebecca’s recording of Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This.  I’ll bet it ain’t Waylon Jennings and his musicians, who interpreted Crowell’s lyric and medley much, much differently.

Jessica Andrews and Carlene Carter fans will want to check out Owen’s rendition of Unbreakable Heart, while Rebecca’s cover of  My Heart Would Know is good enough to wind up on the next Hank Williams tribute album.

What’s missing?  Obviously, original material, though I like the controlled self-confidence of the singer's persona as Owen vows You Will Be Mine.  And, with songs about domestic violence being so fashionable, I've takne notice of Rebecca's performance of Ariel Caten’s well-written lyric, A Man’s Home is His Castle.

My hands-down favorite: Owen’s performance of Tenderly. (Peter Fisher’s lyric, not to be confused with the standard of the same name, better known to fans of Nat “King” Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Sarah Vaughan, Bette Midler et al).

                 Caroline Herring

                                                        Lantana

                                  Rating ***½

                                                                   By Stacy Harris

If you’re a fan of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and other assorted folkies, you’ll love Caroline Herring.

If you’re a fan of the group, Lantana, the city in Florida of the same name and/or the tabloid press, you may be confused by the title of this CD. (There are no songs among the 10 found here titled Lantana.)

But don’t be fooled.  Caroline is as country as Danny Barnes’ banjo.  (Barnes is one of several musicians, including Warren Hood on fiddle and viola, whose musicianship is featured here along with Caroline's own guitar.)

Herringe had me from the lead-off song, Stone Cold World, on.  (How can you not love a song that champions the cause of an admitted “selfish girl” who longs for freedom from “the old complaining crew” and for whom “nothing comes easy”?)  

Children-murderer Andrea Yates’ fans will love Paper Gown (That’s what I got out of this “downer,” anyway, though the "cheat sheet" indicates the song was inspired by the Susan Smith saga), while Heartbreak Tonight spoke to me. 

Caroline’s work, as represented here (This is not her first CD, but it is the first I’ve heard of Herring's work) is often esoteric.  And some may regard that as- dare I say?- a red herring.

Consider that the CD’s finale is titled a “Song for Fay,” yet the lyrics don’t mention Fay by name.

But maybe Herring was in a “fey” mood when she wrote “This album dedicated to: Beverly, Christie and Carrie” (But not Fay).

Perhaps Caroline's fans will familiarize me with Beverly, Christie, Carrie- and for that matter, Fay.

Z                       Zane Lewis

                                Zane Lewis

               Rating *****

                                       By Stacy Harris

Zane Lewis’ high-energy vocals take this eponymously-titled CD to the proverbial other level. 

I haven’t been as entertained in some time by a relatively-new artist. (This is not Zane’s first CD, but it is the first I’ve heard.)

A dozen songs from the pens of more than two dozen songwriters (including Zane) provide the inspiration for Lewis’ spirited performances.  The diversity of contributors holds Zane’s interest- and the listener’s!

There’s nothing heavy here, just a lot of fun songs, though Becky Brown’s Dad (No, it’s not about Jim Ed Brown’s father-in-law) may be a standout.  Those who can identify may prefer Bad Ass Country Band.

Then, of course, Elvis Presley fans (Lewis namechecks Presley)- and maybe even Conway Twitty fans, given Zane’s sometimes Twittyish growl, will appreciate the seductiveness of Come With Me.      

With some sound business decisions to buttress what has the appearance of a trademark sound, Zane is only another album or two away from taking his place among the top tier of country-music’s most popular artists.  

Heart Shaped LikeTexas

SammySadler

Rating * * * ½

By Stacy Harris

Like Tracy Lawrence, Sammy owed his initial celebrity to a violent victimization.

Unlike Lawrence. Sadler hasn’t been rewarded with multi-platinum albums.  Sadler’s Music Row murder-induced injuries resulted in musical detours that only time, the healing of his own physical and psychic wounds and the long-awaited trial and conviction of Kevin Hughes’ murderer could make purposeful.

The bystander baggage is largely ignored as Sammy sails though selections like the title song, I Wanna Be Loved By You (not exactly inspired by Marilyn Monroe) and Trying to Get the Girl.

Sadler does a great job on each of the 11 songs found here.  But the material, such as Sammy’s cover of Steve Wariner’s I’ll Always Have Denver (co-written by Bill Anderson), despite its popularity, doesn’t always measure up. 

There’s nothing original in the themes of several of the other songs here, either.

You’ve heard them in dozens of earlier country songs.

But the thinking may be that sameness sells…           

Granted, the formula appears to work with I Know a Place, though I wish writers Harry Stinson and Tommy Lee James had been channeling Tony Hatch and Petula Clark instead of the tired idea that took hold of Stinson and James.

There’s a notable sentiment amid the warped wisdom and preaching of Doug Deforest’s John 3:16, but does country music need another song about the plight of the addicted homeless?  If so, this one is otherwise well-written and Sammy gives it his all. 

The CD’s true redemption comes with its finale.  Thank God transports listeners back in time and prior to the Kevin Hughes murder, moving with the passage of years to Sammy’s birthday reflections on having been spared.  Unlike the other songs on this CD, Sammy gets (co)writer’s credit for Thank God.

I assume that Sadler has more than one story to tell and that his future song choices would benefit from Sammy's picking up a writer’s pen more often.  For songs equaling the impressiveness of Sadler’s artistry are all that is standing in the way of Sadler reaching country-music’s top tier.

Naked

Katy Kiefer

Rating * * * ½

By Stacy Harris

Referencing my review of Katy Kiefer’s previously-released single, Caught Up In Your Gravity (below), two things are obvious: First, Katy has not taken my advice, as the title of the album and this CD's artwork (an outdoorsy photo of a “nude”- save for a strategically-placed bench Kiefer appears to be straddling- Katy, a piece of forbidden fruit in her hand) suggest. (How do ya like them apples?)

Second, courtesy of the artwork, I now know what Katy looks like.   (Young?  Yes.  Sexy?  Kiefer can certainly sell sexuality!)

So what of Katy's music? 

Kiefer’s performance of Baby So Long, the first burst here, has all of the sass and attitude required of a kiss-off song.  Well done!

Caught Up In Your Gravity, the second of the 14 songs found here, follows (see previous review).

The rest is a good mixture of ballads and up-tempo material.   I don’t know what to make of much of it, possibly due to an inability, at times, to understand some of the lyrics, due to overpowering production.

Caged Bird sounds rather pointless to me, but Maya Angelou fans will probably like it.

If I Were is interesting, as is the somewhat gimmicky Shakin’ the Family Tree.

Best bet for radio play: Girls With Tattoos.

*****

Jason Meadows

100% Cowboy

Rating * * * * *

By Steve Brooks

This ten track album by Jason Meadows provides a taste of real country music. The album opens with 100% Cowboy,  a bold declaration by Meadows that he’s no “posing pretty boy” who’s imitating the cowboy image. And if you don’t take his declaration seriously, he chases it with Country As A Dirt Clod.  If you can truly identify with country, this song will bring back some memories.

One of Jason’s hit numbers during his Nashville Star appearance has been reworked and  is in the number three position on the album. Big Shot tells the story about a somewhat simple man who is ever so thankful for his wife,  for he feels that she could have done so much better than he….yet chooses to stay with him.

San Antone tells the story of a man that goes to San Antonio to ask a gal’s father for permission to marry her.  The father says no initially, but the girl’s mother intervenes and all comes out right.

18 Video Tapes is the second single from 100% Cowboy and is designed to bring tears to even the most hardened listener. It’s about a father who knows he’s going to die  before his son will be born…so he produces 18 different videotapes for his to watch as he is growing up; tapes which impart a wide range of fatherly wisdom. Vince Gill sings background on this cut.

The rest of the album selections include titles Where Did My Dirt Road Go, Fever, Farm Girl, San Antone Alone, Just Pray, and wraps up with Here I Come which has a rocking flavor to it…and tells about Jason’s road to musical success.

If you like REAL country music, you’ll love Jason Meadows and 100% Cowboy.

Released on Baccerstick Records

*****

Willie Nelson

Moment of Forever

Rating *** 1/2

They say that the term “genius” is thrown around.  Then “they” usually go on to say something to the effect of  “But in this case, the assessment is justified.”

While Willie Nelson fans may be disappointed to learn that I’m not going there, my point is that, with the advent of country-music recording artists assuming the title, the designation “producer” is perhaps now thrown around more than the kudo "genius."

When I saw Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney listed as producers of Willie Nelson’s latest CD, my immediate instinct was to flip the pages of the accompanying booklet.

Sure enough, there is some political motivation to the composition (no pun intended) of this CD: Kenny, Dean Dillon and Mark Tamburino wrote I’m Alive  (a song conjuring The Highwayman, though more about this life than a past or future presence).  Knowing that, listeners won’t be surprised to learn that Willie also recorded Buddy Cannon’s copyright, When I Was Young and Grandma Wasn’t Old.

While radio-friendly, these disposable ditties are no more lyrically-interesting than Over You Again, a song Willie co-wrote with Nelson’s sons, Micah and Lucas.

Fans are paying more attention to Willie’s more memorable duet with Chesney, the infectious Worry B Gone.

Only an ardent Nelson or Kenny Alphin fan could love Willie’s recording of The Bob song, a pointless pirate-inspired salute to Bob, a dumb drunk, and Bob’s individuality.

By now you’re thinking I don’t like this 13-song album.

Au contraire.  It has its moments: Nelson’s rendition of Randy Newman’s Louisiana paints indelible images of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (though the song was written back in 1974- over three decades before what became the costliest hurricane in United States history).

Nelson’s own pen produced Always Now, a quirky, nebulous steam-of-consciousness suggestion variously leaving one sure that Willie is reading one’s mail while wondering, simultaneously, if one is being taken in by a bunch of nonsense.

Again, one wonders why Willie needed to rely on any other songwriter’s pen with such gems as You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore.  (Too bad a line about a “dirty whore” will leave country radio too nervous to play this one…_)

The best thing about Willie’s recording of Gotta Serve Somebody is that one senior citizen (Nelson) may succeed in introducing the music of another (Bob Dylan) to a younger crowd.  (The song itself is not up to Dylan's own lyrical standards.)

I’m saving the best for last:  When I heard Kris Kristofferson sing the title song, choked with emotion, I sobbed. 

Hearing Nelson open this collection with Moment of Forever, again, I burst into tears.  Willie makes Kris’ copyright his own and that alone is worth the price of this CD.      

Blue Highway

Through the Window of a Train

Rating *****

Blue Highway (featuring Tim Stafford [guitar, vocals], Wayne Taylor [lead vocals, bass], Shawn Lane [tenor vocals, guitar, mandolin], Rob Ickes [Dobro, Scheerhorn acoustic slide guitar] and Jason Burleson [banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass vocals] may be new to country fans, but Through the Window of a Train is the bluegrass quintet’s eighth album.

For the last several years, lyrics have taken on an added importance in the bluegrass genre.  And, in recent years, the most lyric-driven grassers’ material has become more topical. 

Through the Window of a Train is Exhibit A.

Sure, the customary travelin’ songs (the title song, Life of a Travelin’ Man) are found here.  But there are also some stark diversions: a tale of love, loss, war amd determination down in the "holler" (Sycamore Hollow) the plight of a Vietnam war hero (Homeless Man), even a song about an aging prison lifer whose sentence has been cut in half; something he finds as threatening as presumably does the society he’s re-entering, having been punished but obviously not rehabilitated, (A Week from Today).

Anne Murray

Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends

Rating *****

When Anne Murray’s last solo album was released in 2006 she so intended it to be her last recording that she titled the CD I’ll Be Seeing You.

Fortunately, Murray’s manager, Bruce Allen paid no attention.  Persuading Snowbird’s songbird to record a duet album reprising many of Murray’s hits, Anne narrowed the field to include only female duet partners.

Largely a Phil Ramone production (with assistance from Mutt Lange on

Shania Twain’s vocal contribution to You Needed Me, "phoned in” from Switzerland), Anne pairs with a total of 17 artists or groups, including  Martina McBride (You Needed Me), Carole King (Time Don’t Run Out on Me), Olivia Newton-John (Cotton Jenny), Carole King (Time Don’t Run Out On Me), k.d. lang (A Love Song), Emmylou Harris (Another Pot o’ Tea) and Amy Grant (Could I Have This Dance).

While Friends & Legends' promotional video clearly shows Ann and most of her duet partners sharing the same studio, I wondered how long I Just Fall In Love Again,  Anne’s collaboration with Dusty Springfield) had been in the can. The backstory surprised me: Dusty first recorded the song in 1979.  It can be found on Springfield’s Living Without Your Love; an album that was reduced to obscurity when, in tandem with the LP’s release, Dusty’s label was sold.

Anne’s hit version of I Just Fall In Love Again was released that same year.

Spring forward to the Dusty-Anne “collaboration” and the following (liner notes) explanation: “With the blessing of the Springfield family and estate, Anne was able to record this version with Dusty’s original vocals.”

Nobody Loves Me Like You Do features Murray in performance with her daughter, Dawn Langstroth, a demo singer who has inherited her mother’s talent.

The switch from studio performances to a “live” recording of When I Fall In Love (with Celine Dion) is a little jarring, but it doesn’t detract from a first-rate CD

with, as mentioned, many memorable performances, not the least of which is my favorite: Anne and Shelby Lynne collaborating on You Won’t See Me.

Randy Thompson

Further On

Rating ****

I’ve yet to see Randy Thompson perform “live,” but I only had to listen to Further On to realize that Randy is a dynamic performer.

Don Helms evidently agrees.  Helms plays steel on this CD that, while undeniably country, is less twangy than traditional, less evocative of Hank Williams than of Steve Young (Young being one of Thompson’s musical influences).

This 10-song Jackpot Records collection begins with an incongruous rocker; Don’t You See is a kind of a plaintive appeal for reason in what has become a frustrating relationship.

Ol’ 97 will get your attention.  Yes, it’s the same song known as Wreck on the Ol’ ’97 when Johnny Cash recorded it (Older listeners may also remember recordings of the classic by Woody Guthrie, Flatt & Scruggs, Hank Snow and The Seekers; Younger listeners will point to Hank Williams, III and Nine Pound Hammer's renditions).

Cash was himself experimental enough to appreciate Thompson’s take on the song; Just as Johnny did,  Randy makes the song Thompson's own.

Similarly,when you listen to Track 7, Randy’s interpretation makes it clear that it is not Bill Monroe’s, nor even Tom T. Hall’s, rendering of Molly and Tenbrooks.

It wasn’t hard to get my attention with Riptide: Not with lyrical gems like the one suggesting “the price we both pay for your not knowing your own mind.”

That priceless observation alone is worth your attention,  but the aforementioned highlights of this CD make for recommended listening.

Alabama

The Last Stand

Rating *****

e

The next best thing to hearing Alabama live would have to be hearing a live recording of the group.

The latest in the “Cracker Barrel Presents…” series features a dozen previously unreleased recordings of the group’s hits that the quartet performed on their 2003-2004 farewell tour. The band’s most popular songs (from Old Flame to Feels So Right) are found here with performances, despite the fact that they are for the umpteenth time, that do not disappoint.

Performances, whether they be The Closer You Get or, perhaps, the greater fan favorite, The Cheap Seats, feed off the crowd’s enthusiasm, culminating in an encore performance of the only choice for a true finale: The Fans.

Record-buyers will note that Mark Herndon’s photo is conspicuously missing from the CD’s artwork which includes two photos of the group’s original members: Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook.   Kirt Webster, publicist for Cracker Barrel, informs us that the visual statement was made in the wake of the group’s decision to stop touring and Mark’s pursuit of other projects.g to

Josh Turner

Everything Is Fine

Rating * * *

Having established himself on Music Row and with fans as a force with which to reckon, courtesy of a little help from the street cred of a somewhat premature Opry induction, Turner is at a career crossroad.

A rising star, Josh proved with his last (“live”) CD, that not only is he no one-hit wonder, he's a real concert crowd-pleaser.

An exception: Turner’s cover of Johnny Horton’s One Woman Man.  While a version is yet to be cut that could top the original, Turner’s young fans, who may not be familiar with the song that is older than Josh by a generation (Perhaps Turner’s own first exposure to the song was via George Jones’ cover), couldn’t be faulted for thinking this is a new paean to fidelity.

On the other hand, The Way He Was Raised, is a predictable story-song with no need of a spoiler alert (I’m being kind), while South Carolina Low Country capitalizes on Turner’s trademark bass vocal in a manner that will prove unsettling if Josh’s future forays include copycat material that takes Turner’s style from the signature category to that of gimmickry.

Van Morrison

Still on Top -The Greatest Hits

Rating * * * *  ½

Certainly if the standard is endurance, Van Morrison is “still on top.”Indeed, those of us of a certain age remember Them, even if we didn’t know then the name of the rocker’s lead singer.  (Yes, Van tips his hat to his former mates with Gloria and Here Comes the Night, cuts one and two, remastered for this CD.)

And listeners continue to wax nostalgic for the days when Morrison, having succumbed to the temptation of virtually all successful bands’ lead singers, rocketed to the top of the charts as a solo act with Brown-Eyed Girl.  (Track #3 here.)

As for this 21-song collection including only Morrison’s “greatest hits”- well, that is a stretch.  The Belfast-born rock, blues and jazz artist’s worldwide following suggests that a case could be made for classifying some songs as hits if they were more popular abroad than in the States, I suppose.

But, apart from Domino, the actual hits (Crazy Love, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You) are largely standards listeners will associate with other artists. None of this detracts from the range and versatility of Van’s performances.   What may be construed as criticism is directed only toward an all-too-common marketing strategy that is less about truth in packaging than it is moving CDs. Personally, I prefer the original performances/arrangements of the songs mentioned, but the first-time listener, with no basis for comparison, will enjoy these songs as much as I enjoyed this project as a whole. It’s good stuff.

Porter Wagoner 

Best of Grand Old Gospel 2008
Rating * * * *

I don't generally review gospel CDs.  I make an exception here, because this is the last CD to be released prior to Porter's passing (though it arrived just after he died), because the Thin Man from West Plains would have referred to these as sacred rather than gospel songs, and because, ironically, Wagoner didn't live till 2008.

With 22 songs on two CDs (including guest performances featuring Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Pam Gadd and Ralph Stanley) there, if you like the songs and the singer you can't go wrong.

Trouble is, I don't like the messages of songs.  Not on the first disc anyway. 

If you like hellfire and brimstone/fear-based religion you will strongly disagree.

My sentiments made the listening on Disc 2 all the more refreshing.  Leading off with the Mother Church of County Music (with a tip of the hat- had Porter worn one to Roy Acuff),  Porter seems to be more in his element.  Brother Harold Dee illustrates Wagoner's famous recitation skill, though that song is as cloying as I remember it when Porter made it a staple of his eponymous TV series.   

I wish When My Time Comes to Go had been played at Wagoner's funeral.  It would have been the perfect sendoff, just as it would have been my choice for Song 22 (rather than Song 14).  You'll find Rank Strangers (which was performed- as a tribute- at Porter's funeral) here, illustrating the singular style and the voice of the singer who loved my description of him as Johnny Cash meets Howdy Doody . 

Jimmy Dale

Rating: * * * *

Typically, a new artist doesn't receive songwriters' best material.  So, it's encouraging

that Jimmy Dale's debut, self-titled CD has some impressive moments.

While the "push" is on for Bad Luck, the first single from the CD and while Enough to Make an Angel Cry, with its images of a homeless Vietnam vet and references to other familiar societal ills (crime, illegitimacy, drugs and violence) manipulates to move the masses, I like the sleeper, A Long Ride. 

Those who may be disappointed that Dale's Hell and High Water is not a cover of the T. Graham Brown hit,  should feel that regret lift when they hear Jimmy sing this particular torcher.

No torture here.  Just a versatile artist (Jimmy even does a little Cajun music) with some decent material, my favorite of which is a song about good luck, titled Pink Fuzzy Dice.

               Katy Kieffer
                          (Advance Single)
                   Caught Up in Your Gravity
                         Rating: * *

I was caught up in my inability to put my finger on what is about this CD that causes me to react as I do.  I'm guessing Katy's producer has advised Kieffer to "sing sexy."

To a female reviewer,  the result sounds affected, though Katy's natural artistry isn't entirely hidden.

Men tend to hear whatever it is that female singers exude differently, but Kieffer got stuck with a female reviewer!  (Since the advance CD didn't come with artwork , I have no idea what Katy looks like.  That's a plus when the above observations come to mind.)

Carole King

Welcome to My Living Room (DVD)

Main Feature Running Time: 110 minutes

Bonus Feature Running Time 25 minutes

Rating* * * * *

Just released, this DVD features the filming of Carole’s August, 2005 live performance in Ternecula, California and additional footage of a 2006 concert in Sydney, Australia.  Additionally, viewers are treated to sections titled The Making of the Living Room Tour (featuring interviews with Carole and her band, complete with a “behind-the-scenes” view) and Songwriting 101 (an entertaining tutorial, that, as it sounds, demonstrates how songs are written- on stage, to boot!)  They also see Carole and the band in rehearsal.

Exuding the intimacy suggested in the DVD’s title, Carole breezes through nearly two dozen selections (including a medley), encompassing her hits (as a songwriter, singer or both)- and then some!    King is accompanied by Rudy Guess and- here’s the Nashville connection- Gary Burr. Whether you’re of the Little Eva, King- (Gerry) Goffin, or Tapestry eras, or even too young to remember any of these, you can’t help but enjoy what, for my generation, is a trip down memory lane with Carole, updated for the 21st century. Highlights: Welcome To My Living Room, Beautiful, Up on the Roof, It’s Too Late, and Locomotion.

Lisa O'Kane

It Don't Hurt

Rating ** 1/2

Lisa O’Kane is of the stature that she can command songs from Music Row’s finest tunesmiths (when she isn’t writing her own), but I don’t find John Prine’s Speed of the Sound of Loneliness (despite its provocative title) to be the most interesting performance on this CD.

Indeed, sometimes Lisa’s own material is- well, not up to standards she set with her last release- though Ain’t Done Nothin’, has some great lines about a guy who’s less than a great lover; a man who even the protagonist’s dog “don’t like.” I’m not a great fan of songs that milk popular cultural phrases, though I like the “attitude” Lisa voices in I’m Done, but there’s something to be said about the saga of a woman torn between staying and leaving, Got the Car Running, and a plea for redemption Paying for My Sins.

So take that which is good, add that which is merely radio-friendly and you’ll have pleasant fare that excites at times as it makes you hopeful Lisa will come up with something even better next time out.

Where It Belongs

Tess Reyes

Rating ***

Mix equal parts of Brenda Lee and Tanya Tucker, throw in a little Teresa Brewer, Lacy J. Dalton and Connie Cato.  Now, tone down some of the brassiness and you have a singer in what fans are coming to know as the Tess Reyes tradition. 

I'm more impressed with the singer than I am with most of the dozen songs found here (exceptions noted below).   While you won't find a better classic than End of the World (as evinced by the scores of cover versions, including Reyes'), nobody performed that standard better than Skeeter Davis, so  for Tess to include it here, presumably as filler, makes no sense to me. 

Since "It all begins with a song," here's hoping for some more inspiring material, Skeeter's signature song and those below excepted, next time around. 

Highlights: Can't Take This Any Longer, Life is So Wonderful, Turn and Run Away and Saying Good Highlights: End of the World, Mustn't Take This Any Longer

Tim Krekel Orchestra

Soul Season)_

Rating *****

If Tim Krekel’s newest CD doesn’t offer a song for every mood, well- I’ve lost count at 11. The singing and “orchestral” (that would be Tim on guitar, harmonica and lead vocals, along with an assortment of 10 equally-talented instrumentalists and background singers) performances are first-rate.

Highlights: Casualties, I Can’t Help Myself (Noooo, not as in the Four Tops, Sugar Pie/Honey Bunch and all of that)  Love One Another (Do I hear Big & Rich covering this one? )  I Just Can’t Cry Anymore, Stir Me Up Inside and a strange, post-game midnight hour burial tribute to Wilson Pickett.

Deana Carter

The Chain

Rating ***

Deana Carter’s fifth studio release is a tribute, largely in duet form, to her father, noted session player/producer, Fred Carter, Jr.

The Chain links Deana not only to her dad, but to standards largely more of Fred’s era than her own.

Leading off with Deana’s solo version of Roy Orbison’s classic Crying, (Carter’s version, veers from the original, alternately evoking vulnerability and a vamping that makes the listener wonder what the arrangement would have been if k.d. lang had been a party to it.)

Carter’s fans will love her duets with Kris Kristofferson (Help Me Make It Through the Night),  Dolly Parton (Love Is Like a Butterfly), Jessi Colter (I’m Not Lisa) and John Anderson (Swingin’).   Lay Lady Lay (performed without Bob Dylan) and The Weight (minus The Band) remain, even as solos, men’s lyrics, so Deana’s including the songs doesn’t make any sense to me. (I guess you could argue that Carter’s presenting a lesbian persona in the former, but I don’t think that’s what the divorced mother of young Gray Hayes intends.)

Deana sound pensive when she sings On the Road Again, the tempo forcing Willie Nelson to slow down, though, as always, Nelson  sings behind the beat. I would have preferred to hear Deana singing Good Hearted Woman with Waylon Jennings (a computerized possibility), rather than with Shooter Jennings,  just as I would have enjoyed Carter singing The Boxer with Paul Simon rather than with Harper Simon.

And, though this has nothing to do with Deana, George Jones sadly gives a really tired performance with Carter on S/He Thinks I Still\Care. As tribute albums go, this isn’t bad. 

Deana couldn’t make a bad album, but Carter is not  (just) a cover artist and I’d like to see  her back with some good, original material.

Reba McEntire

                                                                        Reba Duets

Rating *****

One of country music’s best artists singing songwriters’ best copyrights with other top artists can’t miss- and Reba Duets doesn’t. It’s easy to see why sales of this one are through the roof!

My favorites: When You Love Someone Like That (with LeAnn Rimes), Because of You (with Kelly Clarkson), She Can’t Save Him (with Trisha Yearwood) and Everyday People (no- this is not the Sly & the Family Stone smash, it’s Carole King singing something other than a Carole King copyright with Reba.  Lorrie Harden, Tommy Harden and Don Rollins wrote this tribute to unsung heroes and heroines). 

Josh Turner

Live at the Ryman

Rating *** 1/2

Of If  you've never been to a Josh Turner concert, you’ll feel like you’ve had the privilege after listening to If Of this 14-song Cracker Barrel collection, Turner is able to engage his audience (whether speaking, joking,

If you’ve never been to a Josh Turner concert, you’ll feel like you’ve had the privilege after listening to this 14-song Cracker Barrel collection, Turner is able to engage his audience (whether speaking, joking, introducing the band members, or singing to the crowd), showcasing his rich bass vocal as he leads off with the campy Way Down South. 

Josh mixes new songs, the most lyrically-interesting of which is Loretta Lynn's Lincoln, with suitable covers of Hank Williams (I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive), Merle Haggard (Silver Wings) and George Jones (He Stopped Lovin' Her Today) standards before closing with his signature song, Long Black Train.

Josh mixes new songs, the most lyrically-interesting of which is Loretta Lynn's Lincoln, with suitable covers of Hank Williams (I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive), Merle Haggard (Silver Wings) and George Jones (He Stopped Lovin' Her Today) standards before closing with his signature song, Long Black Train.

Todd Fritsch

Sawdust

Rated ****

The only thing missing from Sawdust is a song of the same title.

If you’re out honky-tonkin’, these are the songs you’ll want to hear on the jukebox. And, with 17 selections from which to choose, you’re bound to have a few favorites.

What’s Wrong With Me, a multimedia hit, courtesy of Todd’s video featuring Eddy Raven’s cameo, both asks and answers the perennial question. I’m partial to No Part Of and Guilty Conscience, two statements of cowboy wisdom that should be as popular with listeners as Honky Tonk Talk will be among those bar-scene veterans and Tables will be to those chasing dreams of country stardom.

If you’re not already wanting to go home to the Armadillo, Todd’s teaming with Gary P. Nunn on Every Honky Tonkin’ Hero (Has His Day) might provide just the incentive for packing a bag.

Outstanding