The old adage is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and in places on her new album, Blown Away, Carrie Underwood shares the same vocal abilities and qualities of such artists as Adele, Pat Benatar and fellow country artists LeeAnn Rimes, Taylor Swift and LeeAnn Womack. Believe me, it works, especially on this album as the overall sound of this record is somewhat all over the map. After my initial listening, I was a bit dismayed, however, after re-evaluating and listening a few more times, I came to discover that statement is not a criticism; experimenting and pushing yourself to move past boundaries is required of any artist else stagnation becomes commonplace. Blown Away is part country; part pop, part reggae and part rock all rolled into one.
As I have always said, good music is good music no matter what format or where it is written and Blown Away is good music. Will country fans be "upset" with her for "abandoning" her country roots? Will they want to recall their Idol votes? Probably. Yes, I did catch myself thinking the same thing. Fortunately, I came to my senses after a few more listens and realized that this is a record that she needed to make as an artist evolving in her craft. My crow-eating advice to you, the listener; leave the close-minded to their own devices as they matter not in the grand scheme of life. Stagnant and routine are anathema to artists and Carrie Underwood is no exception to that statement, especially with her release of Blown Away.
From top to bottom I found a much deeper, dark and more diverse set of subject matter for Miss Underwood on this record. A sure sign that the country girl from Oklahoma has depth, raw, limitless emotion and a lot to say about matters not only of the heart but of different facets that encroach and dissolve our routine daily lives into chaos, mayhem and fear. Congratulations to Miss Underwood for branching out and making the listener think as well as emote with her on this calliope of musical stylings.
First and foremost, girl can sing! Period! Those of you who doubt her vocal abilities…which is the sole reason why she won Idol…need to just sit back and listen to the opening track, Good Girl, to erase all doubts of that ability. A very strong opening number vocally, musically, and one that gives us a glimpse as to what we are going to hear on the remaining thirteen tracks of the album. Close you r eyes and you can her Pat Benatar nailing this type of song. Miss Underwood tackles the horrific emotion of an abusive parent/spouse on Blown Away. Anger and revenge pour out of her voice like a raging stream after the spring thaw. Forever Changed brings us a story about the devastation brought on by Alzheimer's. Is this a personal track to Miss Underwood? I dunno, but I do know that singing about it as she does in this haunting piece of music is as deeply honest, true and genuine as you will hear on any record. Thank God for Hometowns reminds us that you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl! Carrie can tell a story with the best singers/songwriters music has to offer and she does it with aplomb on this ode to the hometown that lives and breathes inside each of us. Wine After Whiskey is as rich, original and traditional country in its theme as it can get; Miss Womack could have cut this single, however, Miss Underwood does a masterful job of bringing us back to the traditions of the female country music legends that graced the radios and stages in our parent's time.
Carrie Underwood is evolving as an artist and as a human being. Superstar fame, marriage, and now life's daily struggles are bringing her to a deeper, more meaningful place with regards to her singing and songwriting skills. This is the place where all artists aspire and the good ones take us with them on their journey and we all grow together. With Carrie Underwood's fifth release, Blown Away, the ride has grabbed us, strapped us into our seat belts and sped on down the emotional highway of music and sound.
The saying goes that all things get better with age. In the case of one Willie Hugh Nelson, better is a complete understatement. He is as country as country can get and with his latest release, Heroes, Mr. Nelson does not disappoint in the least. The writing is crisp, his stories relevant and he still conjures vivid imagery in his simple yet effective words. Shakespeare (whom I truly dislike) said that "brevity is the soul of wit." Mr. Nelson is the epitome of brevity, soul and wit and that ability is no more clear than on this record. Oh, by the way, he will turn 80 years young next year. I can only hope to be able to stand up at that age let alone compose great music, play guitar as he does and get on a bus and tour the country on a nightly basis. Whatever he is smoking, we all need more of that!
I cannot, in good conscience, write about this record without some facts about Mr. Nelson and his life in the crazy world of country music; astounding facts some of them. He recorded his first album, And Then I Wrote, in 1962. Since then he has amassed a library of over sixty studio albums, ten live albums, thirty-seven compilations, soundtracks to movies The Electric Horseman and Honeysuckle Rose and then throw in over twenty-five compilations too boot. All totaled, Mr. Nelson has sold more than 40 million albums in the US alone. The man has done it all and seen it all in country music…and other endeavors. If there is an objective definition of "American Icon" it must include the name Willie Nelson!
This latest release, Heroes, is quite simply a record of music. Fine music! If there is a theme it is of a man looking back at his well-lived life and taking the time to say what he should have said all along to the people that truly mattered…and also to those that did not matter. We all grow and learn. It is truly NEVER too late for ANYTHING! Take charge and do it today. One gets an overwhelming sense of the joy, happiness, and camaraderie Mr. Nelson feels when creating music. It begins from the opening guitar strum of A Horse Called Music, a duet with another "American Icon," Merle Haggard. You will hear fellow outlaw Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Jamey Johnson, the incomparable Ray Price, Billy Jo Shaver and Snoop Dogg accompany Mr. Nelson on several of the tracks. Roll Me Up is most certainly an ode to his long-standing belief that marijuana should be legalized. Mr. Nelson gives us a glimpse of his hopeless romantic side with the simple melody called That's All There is to this Song. The most memorable moments are left for Mr. Nelson and his son Lukas who joins him on nine of the albums fourteen tracks. Let me just say that the fruit doesn't fall too far from the tree. Just Breathe is as beautifully composed a song as you will ever hear in your lifetime.
The melodies seem simple but are refreshing in an over-analyzed world of music today. The art of the waltz has generally been ignored in country music over the past several years. Mr. Nelson makes the ¾ time signature seem like a long, lost friend on this record. The sounds are an eclectic mix; country, blues, zydeco and pure Texas Swing are well represented with this album. Mr. Nelson has a great knack of bringing that harmonica from absolutely nowhere and his use of the steel guitar is Texas Music 101! One can hear the influence his use of that instrument has had on many of the great country artists of today. Make no mistake, his own guitar playing is as strong and poetic as it ever has been and exactly what you come to expect from Mr. Nelson and his stringed partner in crime, Trigger.
At a time in life when most country music artists are hanging up their spurs and riding off into the sunset; their legacy in place and the history books written, Mr. Nelson, ever the non-conformist (God love him for that!), defies conventional wisdom, age and expectations with an album that is a continuation of his cowboy life in music. I find that quite appropriate for a man whose heroes have always been cowboys.
Something is happening in Nashville and with song writers today. They are writing with a depth, introspection and brutal honesty that I have not heard in the past; mayhaps I was just not listening as closely before but I am now and I cannot get enough of the emotion with which they bring with their songs/stories, i.e. their lives to the table of country music for all of us to re-live, re-learn in our own time and about our own selves. For these songs are not singular in nature but provide us with a connective plurality that brings us all together via the vehicle of music. The artists on stage delivering the vocals are one thing but the writing has become of such quality that it is a shame there are not more awards for songwriters. It is truly an art form and as a lover of words, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate their artistry.
The new record by Lee Brice, Hard 2 Love, is no exception to this re-discovered discovery. Powerful, emotional, honest and playful all wrapped up in a mere forty-nine minutes and change. Mr. Brice definitely belongs in the aforementioned class of song writers and Hard 2 Love is certainly proof positive of his ability to craft songs with the best Nashville has to offer. Mr. Brice co-wrote eight of the thirteen tracks on the album (along with names like Jerrod Niemann and Eric Church…just to drop a couple of names) and all are filled with pictures painted with simple yet effective words conveying all the elements that comprise the totality of the human condition; pain, sorrow, melancholy, happiness, and complete relevancy in our everyday lives.
His endearing vocals…edgy yet with a solid, quality, colorful timbre…provide honesty, charm and free-spirit to the lyrics and provide us with insight to a man who has traveled far on his journey thus far, experienced plenty and is not afraid to look back and let us know just where he has taken some mis-steps. This is a very introspective and personal body of work. Within its melodies and harmonies, it contains an honesty that is not usually treaded upon by most artists. The love of country music and its fans is that honesty; and the more honest it is, the better we enjoy and appreciate the art.
Hard to Love the opening and title track sets up the entire record with a very introspective and very personal look at a man admitting his flaws to the one woman he has found is the true love of his life. Don't Believe Everything You Think is for those of us who let our minds wander and create problems or issues where no problems or issues exist. He nails this idea perfectly and one we can all relate to…especially with matters of the heart. I Drive Your Truck is a haunting, emotional story about missing a loved one who was taken too soon; Add the fact that this one died serving is and it is even more poignant. Seven Days a Thousand Times is reminiscent of ZBB's Colder Weather in its ability to paint the picture on a level that has never before been seen or felt by a piece of music. This should be the soundtrack for the next big romance movie….hell, it's a movie in its own right. I can't wait for this video! As a matter of fact, I have such a strong vision for this song that I hope and pray Lee and his team will call me to direct! This is a powerful piece of music…life…not to be missed! Finally, That Way Again requires that all men pay close attention lest you will end up like the man in this song. We have got to do a better job of treating the women we love like we really do love them. Period.
Lee Brice and his sophomore effort Hard 2 Love is a body of work that delves deep into the heart of a man who has made mistakes but is ready, willing and able to look back, let them go and do better in the future. We should all aspire to that level of honesty and perseverance in our own lives. Fortunately, we have singer/songwriters like Lee Brice to remind us of the beauty of that endeavor.
As I listened to the debut album…Up All Night…from Kip Moore, one word or phrase kept coming to mind; storyteller. The basis for country music is the story "played out in one long song." The music tells us a story and takes us on a journey; happy, melancholy, thought-provoking or any of a number of different types of emotional connections. Like all country artists and lyricists before him, Kip Moore does this effortlessly, with lyrics and expression that is passionately honest in all of its splendor. Each track is a bit longer than the usual 3:12 minute country song, but not overly lengthy; it allows us insight to his foundation as a writer and as the subject in the lyrics. This is a very poignant, deeply personal and special record. It has a lot to say and does so in a casual, effortless manner. Kip Moore is a gifted songwriter and I cannot wait to hear more of his stories in the years to come. The depth is what I really dig about country music and its lyrics. Not that I do not like the non-serious stuff but when the honesty takes you on the ride and touches you at your very soul then you have really created something special. Kip Moore has done that with his debut album, Up All Night.
Drive Me Crazy opens the record and gives us a very strong look at his storytelling influences; Springsteen, Kristofferson and Petty all come to mind as you listen to this track. Crazy One More Time, while the sound is country…the steel guitar is a lost art form, is a signature country sound and one missed by a lot of artists today…as mentioned above, this track is reminiscent of the raw, honest and spiritual grittiness of a Springsteen song. Hey Pretty Girl, more Springsteen here too. Think I'm on Fire…it's a hand holder with the woman of your dreams who you cannot live without, want to provide for, keep safe; and grow old with together. Up All Night, the title track to the album could have been cut by Keith Urban! It is very well crafted in its structure and visualization.
You hear Bryan Adams-esque guitar work and with an Eric Church/Brantley Gilbert vocal quality, Up All Night has soul with just enough of a rough edge to give it grit and authenticity. Mr. Moore has great ability to color the story and paint great pictures with not only the lyrics but also with the innate ability to use his voice effectively; much like a very good voiceover actor does to make commercials and movie scripts jump off the page and spring to life on the big screen or through the airwaves via many different audio mediums available today.
Producer Brett James has done a masterful job in the production quality. The entirety of this record is solid with a good balance between vocals and instrumentation…the two must blend well in order for the story to really come alive to the listener.
Up All Night is effective in introducing the country music fan to the human being that is Kip Moore. He brings to Nashville a sense of depth in his words, thoughts and emotions and a vocal ability that blends a soulful edginess with a mainstream country sound. Welcome to country music, Mr. Moore! Come on in, kick your shoes off, grab yourself a cold one and sit a spell. We'd like to get to know you better!
The more I listen to Texas/Red Dirt music the more I begin to understand the "feud" that is taking place with regards to what is "real" country music and what comes out of Nashville today. Much like Switzerland, I will not come down on either side of the argument; I am of the opinion that good music is good music no matter where it originates. The latest release by The Josh Abbott Band, Small Town Family Dream, is no exception to that moniker…with one minor exception; It is DAMN good music. Period!
The usual complaint about Texas/Red Dirt music is that it has too much "twang" for the contemporary country music listeners. I believe that to be a red herring. I challenge you to find any singer that does NOT have some sort of vocal inflection that can be construed as "annoying." I will not name names but they play all over radio today and on every format of radio station. There are two or three cuts on this record that SHOULD be played on country radio today. This music may not be as "sexy" and will not crossover into the pop music world (re: more marketing = more money) but the passion, truth and stories contained on this record are as strong as any record I have heard come out of Nashville.
What you first hear is what I will call a more traditional country sound; fiddles, banjos, acoustic guitars and melodies that need no more to them that what is presented. The KISS method works every time it is tried, especially in country music. There is enough over-produced, synthesized music of all kinds in the world today. Perhaps that is the real and unstated reason why this music is shunned; it is too simple for a progressive, intellectual country music listener. Really? Three words: Red Solo Cup. 'Nuff said.
This is the third album from Josh Abbott and if one word describes this record that word is consistent. It is Texas through and through and his home state pride shines through brightly in all of its twelve tracks. The first track, idalou, opens the record effectively and sets the tone for the entire record; small town Texas life where the work is hard but that is what is expected. I was immediately drawn to this small town just outside of Lubbock where Josh grew up. He captures the plight and the difficult work of the firefighter with Hell's Gates on Fire and the farmer whose crops are drying up until the Rain Finally Coming Down. He even fuels the "real country music" fire with I'll Sing About Mine where he contrasts his songs from those more contemporary artists on the radio today. He is joined by fellow Texan Pat Green on the heart-and-soul-track-of-the-album My Texas.
Thanks to Friend and colleague Justin Neighbor for not only giving me the record but to being the ONE AND ONLY (do NOT be fooled by cheap and tawdry imitations) Texas/Red Dirt music authority here in Kansas City. If you have not, I highly encourage you to tune in on Sunday evening s from 9pm-12 midnight and get your Texas music groove on with Justin and "Kansas City Limits." It is the only show dedicated to Texas/red Dirt music in Kansas City. If you are a country music fan you owe it to yourself to listen…and then tell one friend to listen. You will not be disappointed.
Josh Abbott is one of (if not the) hottest acts in Texas/Red Dirt music right now. Expand your horizons. Open your mind. Take a chance. Texas/Red Dirt country music is damn good music. It moves you; it teaches lessons and we can all relate to its themes. "Can't we all just get along?" There is plenty of room for ALL music in our world today. Let's open up the tent to what Texas/Red Dirt music can bring to our soul.
Lionel Richie has had a rich and illustrious career in the music industry. From the R&B, soul sound of the Commodores (Yep. You are now singing Brickhouse at the top of your lungs while you are reading this aren't you? It's ok. I do it all the time!)...which began back in 1968 on the college campus of his home, the Tuskegee Institute...to his solo debut in 1982, Mr. Richie is known as one of the most successful balladeers of the 80's. I, like many of you, can attest to this fact because his music played throughout my formative years and became a large portion of the soundtrack of my life during that decade. I still own his debut album and follow-up smash Can't Slow Down on vinyl! How many of you have NOT slow danced to a Lionel Richie song? Not too many hands are raised. From proms to weddings and with all due respect to Barry Manilow, Mr. Richie defined the persona of the romantic, singer/songwriter of the 80's generation.
Therefore, it is no surprise that Mr. Richie has brought his music over to the country side of the house. It is as natural a fit as an old pair of comfortable shoes. What is the adage? What was once old, is now new again...something like that. That is the case with his release of Tuskegee. This record will be talked about for many years to come. It is THAT good! He enlists many of our beloved country artists of today (Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton and Tim McGraw just to name a few) in making his old hits, new again with an infectious, uplifting and deeply honest approach.
For a record like this, one would expect the singers to simply show up and sing the same songs to the same arrangements with only minor modifications for a smidgen of difference. That would be the easy path. Mr. Richie is too much of a musician and artist to simply "phone it in," so to speak. No, these arrangements have been thoroughly vetted and re-created with a country sound and manner that keeps their original familiarity intact for the listener. The vocals are expressive with a new and energized sound that fully expand the deep honesty in these lyrics. Every singer on this record has given it there all to NOT make this "just another cover album." Whether it is a love of these songs, love of Mr. Richie or simply the work ethic that is innate to all country artists...probably all the above...these songs are sung from deep within the heart, with tremendous love, respect and powerful gusto.
My favorite track on the record is the re-make of Deep River Woman. Please note that this song was originally recorded as a duet between Mr. Richie and country super group Alabama. As he broke new ground with that collaboration, he does so again, only this time with country quartet Little Big Town. I am a HUGE fan of musicianship and great harmony...mainly because I cannot sing harmony to save my life. Damn it! It is truly an art form and when it is right, it is an enriching and fulfilling experience to the senses. Needless to say, these five artists nail it with such incredible and impeccable ease. Wow! This track alone is worth the price of the entire album. Darius Rucker and Lionel Richie singing together should send chills up your spine with just the thought of such a dream partnership. Let those chills begin my friends! Their rendition of Stuck on You with those two soulful, raw and emotionally honest voices together is a record for the ages! Jennifer Nettles joins Mr. Richie on his smash hit Hello. There is so much emotion and expression pouring out of their voices that it takes the idea of the power ballad to a new, uncharted level. This track has great imagery as only country music can provide.
Tuskegee brings Mr. Richie's greatest hits to the country listener with great effort and care to not debase their foundation as an original art form. This transposition is easily done; not one song on this record seems out of place or forced to fit into the country mold. BUY THIS RECORD! Was that out loud? I guarantee that you will be taken back to your high school days, a wedding; maybe your own wedding when you hear all of these songs again. I will take it a step further. I dare you to put this cd in your player, grab your spouse and dance around the living room or simply sit and listen while holding hands on the couch. Re-live those timeless memories together. You will be ever so glad that you did.
Casey James by Joe Matthews,posted Mar 27 2012 9:56AM
You will get a great mix of blues, soul and country with the debut album of Casey James. Most of you will remember him from season nine of American Idol...or from our Acoustic Christmas show last December at the Beaumont Club. Either way, he is a young man with tons of ability, drive and heart. With his voice, songwriting and guitar playing, Casey James is a true triple threat in the Nashville music scene...and if the contents of his debut album are any indication, Mr. James will be around for a very long time!
Sadly, that last sentence was not a forgone conclusion. When he was an infant a bad reaction to his whooping cough vaccine was thought to have caused brain damage; that diagnosis proved to be untrue. Then at the age of 21 he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that nearly ended his life. At one point he was told that he would no longer play guitar. Again, proven untrue and fortunate for all music fans everywhere. His guitar playing is equal to any "slinger" you have heard. Melodic and intense in structure yet effortless and smooth to the listening ear.
Singers and songwriters of country music are good at telling the story and painting extraordinary pictures with their words. What makes Mr. James even better is the influence of the blues...double bonus for the muddy water, delta style blues...and soul in his music. He counts the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan and Doyle Bramhall II as his early influences. Those influences, along with his own sense of soul and blues music, make him unique to country radio today. James Otto is the only other act that gives us this real look at the human condition in its gritty and raw form. It is a real treat to play and I hope it is equally as received by you, the listener. These are truly master craftsmen at their art.
Nowhere are those muddy water delta blues more prevalent than on track #4, entitled Drive. ANY true lover of music will find themselves playing air guitar with the opening guitar riffs! They immediately take you to the high heat and humidity of a summer night just before dusk down on the bayou! It is my personal favorite on the entire record. Wes, may I please add it to my overnight show? A close 2nd is the last track; Miss Your Fire. Its simple, effortless melody reminds me of Springsteen's I'm On Fire. This track gives us passion, desire and undying love in all of its brutal honesty. Lyrically, Crying on a Suitcase provides us with the background of running full bore through the brick wall for the one love that just cannot be lost in a setting that feels new and fresh. While listening to So Sweet I kept wanting to sing "...ground control to Major Tom" with the number. Give it a listen and tell me if I am wrong. Btw, that is a compliment and not meant to say he ripped off David Bowie.
Congratulations are in order. Casey James has delivered a debut album that has great writing...he co-wrote nine of the eleven tracks...great guitar playing and great vocals. His unique soul and blues influence will make him a mainstay to the country audience. Add his compelling, personal story and his none-too-hard-on-the-eyes-looks and you have a solid foundation for success in the music industry.
This Ole Boy, the sixth studio album from Craig Morgan and his first new music in three years, is simply infectious! The majority of the tracks on this record have an incredibly happy-go-lucky, honest and genuine sound that will make it very difficult for everyone to NOT get caught pounding out the beat on their steering wheel. This record brings visions of a warm sunny day, driving down the back roads with the sunroof open or the top down with nary a care in the world. To quote one of the tracks, it is the "difference between being alive and livin'"
Mr. Morgan co-wrote seven of the twelve tracks on this record. Their content immediately puts you in the shoes of a man who lives and breathes the visions, thoughts and emotions in the words and melodies he sings. Mr. Morgan's all-around good guy persona cuts like a knife through melted butter on every track and provides even more ample evidence of being one of the most liked and respected artists residing in the country music genre. It is not that other artists are not well liked and respected, however, Mr. Morgan simply has an All-American quality that cannot be denied by fans or critics alike. One can tell that he truly loves what he does not only in his music but he is completely at ease in his own skin. That, imo, is the backbone of country music. Real. Honest…brutally honest…Humble. Mr. Morgan exudes all of those qualities and it shines brightly on this record. The positive and upbeat messages contained in these songs is required listening for everyone who is haunted by troubles through the long days of worry and the short, sleepless nights of wondering.
The vocals are impeccable and the production is equally impressive. A fiddle and steel guitar are mainstays in country music and on this record the fiddle is very prevalent and provides a very rooted sound; by "rooted" I simply mean a more traditional country music sound than what we may hear on other records today. There is less "pop" sound than most of what we hear today…and that is a good thing. The title track, "This Ole Boy," starts us on a journey through a man's life of fun, frivolity, love, and loss. "More Trucks than Cars" shows us the small town, back story of life in the country. "Love Loves a Long Night" is the track designed for that romantic moment we all live for with the man or woman we cannot get enough of. You will feel the excruciating pain of a man who has lost everything; the love of his life in the drinking (sort of) ballad "I Didn't Drink."
This Ole Boy touches on all the usual suspects in country music and has something for everyone to enjoy and relate to on an emotional level. You will laugh and you will cry. Craig Morgan and This Ole Boy have given us a strong record full of life's genuine feelings of every size, shape and color. That is the joy and meaning behind all music; to feel something.
Dierks Bentley pays homage to the age-old adage of "home is where the heart is" on his sixth album release entitled "Home." Dierks makes a return to the mainstream country-rock influenced sound of his previous albums and gives his fans plenty of reason to clap, stomp their boots, raise their bottles and really enjoy the party. This release, especially after the critically acclaimed bluegrass tome, "Up on the Ridge," (an album NOT to be missed if you are any kind of music lover) is all very easy and matter-of-fact in its presentation and production. It seems as if this kind of music just pours out of him like the perspiration on a sunny day in the hot desert of his home state of Arizona. He is a gifted crafter of music and words that resonates easily and purposefully with all fans of music.
The first single "Am I the Only One" provides us with a great launch into up tempo and energized guitar-riff sounds that pick up right where his past work leaves off. Everyone deserves a cold one after a hard forty plus hour work-week and deserves to hit the saloon and "Tip it on Back." The novelty song has been a staple of country music throughout its history and Mr. Bentley gives us his version with "Diamonds Make Babies." "Home" is simply that; we all have ours and there is none other like it in our world. He enlists Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild on the "Weve-been-friends-for-so-long-lets-take-the-next-step" mid-range track "When You Gonna Come Around." The give and take in the story is expertly crafted, the instrumentation (listen for that steel guitar) is orchestrated impeccably and their smoky, sultry vocal styles seduce you with great emotion. Mr. Bentley even enlists the voice of a very special guest on the last track, "Thinking of You," which gives it a twist that will tug at every heartstring in your body.
"Home" by Dierks Bentley gives us a little bit of everything in its structure and content as a country album. His vocals are crisp and the writing is as solid as any country record on the market today. The production value of this album is certainly worthy of praise as well. The mixing of the instruments compliments the vocals in an effortless fashion. Dierks Bentley has another album chalk full of hits that are guaranteed to keep the home fires burning throughout the remainder of the winter and into the rest of the year no matter where it is that you hang your hat.
In Latin, the translation of the word sophomore roughly equates to "wise fool." David Nail has released a sophomore record in The Sound of a Million Dreams that you, the listener, would be wise to purchase and considered a fool or foolish if you fail to complete the purchase task. There is so much to hear, feel and see on this record. From the production quality, the fusion of instrumentation to the depth of the lyrics and their corresponding emotional connection with the listener, this album has rightly landed on many 2011 end-of-year "best of" lists. This record brings Mr. Nail a seat at the table of Nashville's best and brightest country music stars of today. Listening to this album from top-to-bottom, you are painlessly bombarded with the sounds, the emotions, and the passion of an artist in relentless pursuit of that "thing" which drives all artists to the very depths of their soul. The good ones never attain their "thing" and continue effortlessly and passionately, to provide us the sweet and delectable fruits of their labors for years to come. Good thing for us selfish fools who could not create art if our life depended on it.
Mr. Nail is a gifted songwriter in his own right, however, country music is like one big family and he has included excellent material on this record by some of his "brothers" of country. Notably, Keith Urban, Phil Vassar and the men from Lady A. Vocally, not to be missed are the additions of Lee Ann Womack (husband Frank Liddell co-produced the album) and Sarah Buxton…which seems odd on the surface. Ms. Buxton is a native Kansan. Mr. Nail is a native Missourian. In these here parts, Jayhawks and Tigers do not mix…and Will Hoge lending their voices to enrich the material.
It is not as if the usual subjects of country music are not hit upon here. Quite the opposite, however, the beauty of this album lies in the sounds and emotions evoked from Mr. Nail's musical influences and those artists who have influenced his band members. There is guitar artistry reminiscent of U2's The Edge. Stevie Ray Vaughn blues. The romantic piano sounds of Jim Brickman. Poetry by the likes of Springsteen (Half Mile Hill is as memorable and vivid as a little ditty called The River), Jackson Browne (The Sound of a Million Dreams has the brutal honesty of his Load Out) and John Mellencamp (Songs for Sale.)
There are country sounds and feels that take us away too. A Vince Gill quality in his vocals (That's How I'll Remember You) along with the fullness and richness reminiscent of "back in the day" group, Restless Heart, i.e. Desiree…the tempo change comes out of nowhere and is dead, solid perfect! Mr. Nail even channels Skynrd too with the up-tempo, southern rock tome, Grandpa's Farm. Even the track simply entitled Catherine (his wife's name) gives us a full wall of gospel, bluesy sound. The track is chalk full of emotions that gush out of the guitar like blood pumping through ones veins.
Congratulations to David Nail for giving us an album full of life, energy, passion and brutal honesty straight from the heart. It is aptly entitled The Sound of a Million Dreams; each track is filled with sounds which dreams are made…and realized.
This is not your sistersâ country music! Texas/Red Dirt music is pure country and nothing like you hear coming out of Nashvilleâ¦even though this album was produced and recorded in Nashville over a three-year time period. It is a nice change of pace to hear something different. It is raw while being poetic all at the same time. The focus is on the music; its melody; its structure; its layers; its breath. These folks make music simply for the joy of making music. Picture yourself seated around a big, campfire; autumn; on a beach; river or creek bank. Where the whiskey pours straight, the people are real, the guitars are plentiful and music plays constantly with no pretense. Put away that three-and-a-half-minute-solve-all-the-problems-of-the-world song. This is real music and real life.
 Velvet is Stoney LaRueâs first studio album release in six years. While not completely familiar with all of his music, I know the name and my gut tells me that a more authentic red dirt music artist will be difficult to unearth. His voice has just enough edge, roughness and twang to fuel that authenticity from beginning to end. I have a definite affinity towards lyrics, however, I found myself completely enthralled by the music created on this album as well. Lyrically, the album does not disappoint either. The words are exactly what I look for; honesty, passion, depth, meaning, contemplation; all things that touch the human condition. One major difference I noticed was that I was able to hear and differentiate each instrument on the record; a feat difficult to achieve in most commercial projects. From the acoustic guitars, to the piano, even to the flute (yes, I said flute. Jethro Tull fans will be pleased) on one of the tracks. The production quality is beyond anything I have heard come out of Nashville in many years. Producer Frank Liddell created an environment where the music melted together from each instrument and each musicianâs individual artistry.
 Stoney LaRue was born into a musical family in Texas. However, he spent many nights playing the clubs and honky tonks of Stillwater, Oklahoma. He gained a solid reputation as a passionate live performer and it is typical for him and his band to play well over 250 shows per year. Velvet comes at a time where he has lived a lot of life and heard/played a lot of music. Always searching for the underside; the nuance behind the music and lyrics, Velvet delivers that underbelly extremely well. It provides a deep look into a manâs search and yearning for something and how that quest affects the other inhabitants of his life. Velvet is poetic, earthy, honest and gives off a sense of calm all at the same time; calming in the sense that the journey is part of life for all of us and that the best part of life is that journey.
 Dresses â A Tom Petty-esque opener that tells us she has decided to let him go because he is a runner; a wanderer whose soul needs to roam; she is tired of trying any longer. She is not perfect either but it is a womanâs world and once the woman decides, there is (usually) no turning back. Sarah Buxton lends her vocals to give it an ever-so-slight edge of darkness.
 Wiregrass â This is a great melody with an almost perfect mix of instruments and vocals! Life is all about hard work and there is no such thing as a free lunch. Keep your nose to the grindstone and good things will come. I do not recall hearing a fluteâ¦especially on a country music recordâ¦since the days of Jethro Tull; Ian Andersen would be so proud! You can sense a lot of Skynrd as well.
 Look At Me Fly â I loved the Irish sound created with the opening fiddle sequence. It then moves into a Mellencamp-esque flavor; something along the lines of âPaper & Fire.â The drifter who has the road in his soul takes us on a journey to where, in the end, we reap what we sow.
 Travelin Kind â Another fine example of melody that keeps playing in your head. There is an all-around sweetness to this song at its core. However, we hear the pangs of judgment and of living life in a âbubbleâ where our antagonist spews forth with her thoughts but they are thoughts without substance. The background vocal of Lee Ann Womack adds a rich, full sound and gives us more believability.
 Sharecropper â An infectious beat that asks the question what do you do when you have burned all of your bridges in this life. You are most likely going to be left standing around with all the others who burned their bridges. This song conjures up the sound and attitude of Neil Youngâs âRockinâ in the Free World.â
 Sirens â What do you do when the warning signs of a restless life are closing in around you? These sirens play in each of us everyday and in all different circumstances. The key is how you react to what they mean. If you listen closely, you will hear the slightest overtones of Skynrdâs âFreebirdâ with the exceptional guitar work at the end of the song. Save the best for last and keep âem wanting more.
 Te Amos Mas Que La Vida ( I Love You More Than Life Itself) â Tells us the pain of having a lost love come back to haunt us. Not much matters other than the hurt of losing that love.
 Has Been â Grabs you with the first chords of the acoustic guitar and makes you sit up and take notice. Very nice melody that ebbs and flows easily on the ear. Love never dies and in this instance, it has all been tried before but that hope of a fulfilling chance at love keeps you coming back for another chance.
 Way Too Long â A little zydeco infused sound on this song with the B-3 organ taking the lead. We all grow and (hopefully) change; in essence, an old dog can be taught new tricks in order to make a new chance at love work.
 Velvet â More solid melody; a soft, touching sound of love/hope/support found in the throes of a dismal life echo throughout the lyrics as the steel guitar gives us a rainy day vision. There are even shades of Eric Claptonâs lyrical fingering that accentuate this song. I even heard a little James Taylor in the acoustic measures. Sarah Buxton adds more softness and depth in the background.
Special thanks to my on-air colleague, Justin Neighbor, host of Kansas City Limits heard every Sunday night from 9pm-12m for sharing this album with me. This is an album full of music that is worthy of airplay on any country music station across America. It has depth; it has soul, it has incredible honesty and it is chalk full of heart. If you are new to Texas/Red Dirt music, I highly recommend that you allow Stoney LaRue and Velvet to introduce you not only to their music but also their way of life. They do things a little differently down in Texas.
Well, call me impressed! I had the opportunity to meet this young man earlier this year when he came by on a station visit. Record companies send artists out to radio stations across the country where they are introduced, play their music on an acoustic guitar for the Program Director and on-air staff in attempts to get the artistâs first or current single in the airplay rotation. On this day, there was more than a guitar case in his hand. He literally transformed the cafeteria into his own private studio where he played several instruments and demonstrated to us how he single-handedly produced a song. It was mind-blowing! Recording studios are nothing new to me, however, one young man doing the work that takes numerous producers, engineers and audiphiles of all types was beyond comprehension.
 Prodigy is usually a term bandied about in the classical music genre; violinists, pianists, etc are prodigies. That misnomer changes as of today, my friends. Let me introduce you to the first country music artist prodigy I can recall in the genre: Hunter Hayes! Make no mistake, he is not your typical 20-year old. His talent is beyond anything seen thus far in country music. Graced with the ability to pick up and play any instrument put in front of him, he also has the technical savvy to combine all the elements of those instruments into a song. Oh. And he sings those songs too; very, very well I might add. The comparisons to Gary Levox are completely warranted. I am a tenor but no man should be able to sing that high and that powerfully. Ok, I was wrong. No TWO men should be able to sing that high and that powerfully! I shake my head every time I think there is no way to sing those notes; and then they both hit them effortlessly. The only explanation is that God touched their vocal chords and said âyou are a singer.â
 Young Mr. Hayesâ effort with his self-titled debut album is nothing short of remarkable. He co-produced (with legendary producer Dan Huff) co-wrote (with a couple of impressive names; Rivers Rutherford and Katrina Elam) all twelve tracks and played EVERY instrument on every track! Make sure you re-read that last statement again and think of the different sounding instruments you hear on a record. I cannot recall another artist who has achieved as much. He has taken the phrase âhands onâ to an entirely new level.
 As for the album itself, it is a good mix of tempos and subject matter. Good melodies combined with solid lyrics that will leave you tapping out the beats on your steering wheel while stopped at the red light on your way to work in the morning. The ballads contain relatable, rich and raw emotions to cry your eyes out with at that same stop light. Be sure to have plenty of Kleenex to wipe the running mascara that you just applied at the last stop light. All told, this is a remarkable album from a technical standpoint and an extremely enjoyable album from a listening standpoint.
 Storm Warning â On the first single released we hear the reverse angle to the âbad boyâ that all women want and desire. Now we have a boy who runs into a âbad girlâ (â..keeps you up at night hanginâ on the edge of a kissâ)and it is not going to end well. Fellas, she is bad for a reason and much like a zebra, she cannot change her stripes. Get out of her storm path before she lays waste to you, your heart and soul with nary a care.
 Wanted â Takes us on a journey of the heart to discover and explore the depths of true, real and genuine love. He leaves the usual physical, outside beauty alone (ââ¦your beautyâs deeper than the make-upâ) in this ballad. He wants her to know there is so much more depth and meaning in his love for her than just the superficial and transparent.
 If You Told Me To â A mid-tempo song that does not wish to control his lover but only to enhance and build a stronger relationship because of who they are as two separate individuals. A good reminder that love takes two; and those two bring separate and distinct qualities to the relationship.
 Love Makes Me â We all get a bigger spring in our step, a bigger smile on our face and a more positive and easy approach to life when we have found love. Thus the proclamation in this up tempo number about the girl of his dreams.
 Faith to Fall Back On â When the one you love has left you behind, the dismal after affects seem to obliterate all the good things in your life. All you can do is wonder why. Like an investment, putting your eggs all in one basket is disastrous. Now, putting all the eggs in one basket in matters of the heart is the only option for love to grow and breathe. Never apologize for falling in love; just be aware that there are good consequences and not so good consequences in that love.
 Somebodyâs Heartbreak â I hear a lot of Adam Levine led Maroon 5 on this song where he asks for her love no matter what conditions she puts on him. He has decided to take the chance on a love that could leave him tomorrow based on her conditions. It takes courage to let go of your own sense of self and dive in head first. Hopefully, it turns out well for all parties involved.
 Rainy Season â We get a nice melody her in a bluesy track that gives us the euphemism for all the troubles that eventually rock all relationships. Is it just a trickle or a full blown down pour? He is certain it is the former and that the solution is at hand if given enough time. This track is enhanced with some very impressive guitar work that adds more black to the picture being painted in this ballad.
 Cry With You â Everyone needs that one person in their life that will not quit, leave or give up on you no matter the circumstance. One hopes and prays it is your soul mate; the one person who knows you better than you know yourself; the one person you allow deeper inside of you than you ever thought possible. By allowing for this vulnerability, you are opening yourself up to a fulfilling life without pretense.
 Everybodyâs Got Somebody But Me â A quirky little melody that posits that there is nothing worse than being couple-less in a couple filled world. Hate is too strong of a word but one is definitely envious of the companionship and love others have found in each other, especially when that companionship is âout thereâ fully on display. For all the couples out there who believe being single is wonderful and fulfilling. Pay heed to my advice; do not fall prey to the self-delusional. Stay together. Being single is anathema to humanity itself. Humans are not meant to be alone; we are at our best when we are part of something; part of someone, greater than ourselves.
 What You Gonna Do â Quite simple; you wanted out. You tossed aside the best part of your life and now you are left with what? It is a great question to ask yourself BEFORE taking drastic measures. Being single and alone, while alluring with visions of partying and countless men and women filling your life sounds great, consider the down time. Nobody can live the âpartyâ lifestyle twenty-four hours a day and after awhile, there is no more fulfillment. Then what?
 More Than I Should â Solid rocker about the poor selfless soul who gave all of his love, unconditionally, and she took his heart, ripped it out of his chest, tossed it onto the floor and stomped on it with all her might, all the while laughing uproariously at her achievement. Love is important but trust is even more important. Be careful of who you give your heart to; lies and deceit await around every corner and they could care less about your feelings.
 All You Ever â Loving another requires honesty and vulnerability in order to survive. We spend an inordinate amount of time putting up walls and defense mechanisms to keep everyone at arms length from our true self. Hurt is part of life; get used to that fact. No one is immune to being hurt or hurting someone, especially the ones who purport to love us. When you decide to hide your true self from the one you love, you will end up alone and very unhappy. We all need to be vulnerable and trust our love with EVERYTHING that lies inside our heart, soul and mind. Leave nothing to chance. Put it all on the table honestly, carefully and respectfully. The greater the risk; the greater the reward.
 Listen to this record. Hear this record. Take the time to digest the super-human effort this young man took upon himself simply to realize his dream of making music. Revel in the fact that he is so youngâ¦20â¦and hope (and pray) there are many more like him out there ready to take on all the coming challenges of our world; and not just in the realm of music. Prodigies do not come around every day.
The pride of Sharon, Kansas is back with new management, a new record company and a new album. With her eleventh studio album release, aptly titled Eleven, Martina McBride has returned to the airwaves with an album that has just enough different sounds to make it interesting but also contains her trademark, country-rooted ballads with that voice as big, resonate and awe-inspiring as the Kansas prairie! I am a true believer in the KISS theoryâ¦I am also a true believer in kissing but that is a story for another blog entryâ¦Keep It Simple Stupid. With the release of Eleven, Ms. McBride provides for us a simple yet very effective collection of music that will be very pleasing to your ears.
One Night â An excellent lead-off song for a new album; it catches your attention; an up tempo, catchy number with an easy to follow melody that sounds very Taylor Swift-esque in its presentation and production value. If âImitation is the sincerest form of flattery;â it is also a very smart, savvy and strategic ploy on Ms. McBrideâs part.
Always Be This Way â A toe tapper, finger-snapping Reggae infused sound. Frisky is the word that keeps coming to the forefront of my mind with visions of a sun-drenched beach, waves crashing onto the shore, walking hand-in-hand with your lover/friend; I like different and this is not what you would expect from Martina McBride. Jimi Westbrook of Little Big Town adds his voice to the background vocals.
Iâm Gonna Love You Through It â Wow! If this song does not move you to tears then you are simply a being incapable of feeling whatsoever. No matter the circumstance (cancer, in this instance) love and support endure. âGet used to itâ as I am wont to say frequently. Dr. Leo Buscaglia once said about unconditional love: âWeâre missing the boat, and I think one of the reasons is this idea of âI will love you ifâ¦â If everyone had just one single person in his life who says âI will love you no matter what. I will love you if you are stupid, if you slip and fall on your face; if you do the wrong thing, if you make mistakesâ¦I will love you no matter.â Martinaâs husband John said it best, simply, about the lyrics in the liner notes: âThatâs what I would say to you.â
Broken Umbrella â The production quality evokes images of the great sounds of the pop group Chicago from the 1970âs with the inclusion of horns in the melody. A playful, happy melody that tells us two things; never lose the kid inside and it matters not matter where âweâ are as long as we are together the world is a perfect place.
You Can Get Your Love Right Here â A soulful, bluesy finger-snapping, funky number that lauds the day-to-day hustle and bustle that we all live with in our world today. Now, sometimes that crazed pace is self-inflicted on our part but at the end of the day, there is one, single, solitary, safe haven where we all return to be re-energized; the arms and shoulders of the one we love.
Whatcha Gonna Do â A very simple number that letâs the raw emotion carry the listener through the story of our protagonist. She is through with the limbo; the unknown; the questions of commitment and has drawn the line in the sand. She says it is time to âput up or shut up.â Quit with the games, the sophomoric antics and choose; the Porsche or the Yugo. It pays homage to the age-old adage of âyou canât have your cake and eat it too.â A very easy-on-the-ear melody with a hint of Natalie Imbruglia/Natasha Bedingfield/Sarah MacLachlin angst and edge that gives us a rich, soulful energy in its presentation.
Teenage Daughters â Talk about real life! The first single released from the album was only a listing on the charts for Ms. McBride due in large part to a melody that never quite gets started. Written with the Warren Brothers, who has not lived vicariously through these words? They hate us right now; love us an hour from now and then tells us to âshut upâ later in the day. Chalk it up to raging hormones, pushing the boundaries, desperately seeking and needing structure but mostly it is about discovering who they are and what they want to do with their lives. If you have a teenage daughter like I do, all you can do is sit back, stay focused on giving them the tools they need to be successful, hang on and enjoy the roller coaster ride. A good bottle of red never hurt either just be careful not to spill it on the rug as the coaster leaps and bounds through space and time. Just sayin!
Summer of Love â Another simple melody about having love; losing love and the universal emotion of whether or not the love that we lost is thinking of us. Aided by Jimi Westbrook of Little Big Town, the harmonies are interwoven sweetly and enhance the genuine emotion of the lyric. The beauty of this song is that it can have ANY interpretation and that interpretation is only hindered by our imagination. My mind conjures up the romance of the WWII era where our two star-crossed lovers are saying goodbye to each other in the autumn of their lives. What is your interpretation?
When You Love A Sinner â One of the best pieces of songwriting this year! There is so much depth, so much honesty, so much adversity, and so much raw emotion. âFor better, for worseâ¦â are powerful words that we have all vowed to uphold at one pointâ¦sometimes moreâ¦in our lives. But how much is TOO much? How much is one person expected to take while smiling pretty into the camera of life? Where does the breaking point finally come? They are all tough questions and questions that only you can answer for yourself. Let all who will, judge; they will no matter the circumstance but do what is right for you; for your safety, for your healthâ¦mental and physicalâ¦and what is right for YOUR life. Living for what others think of you is not living a life; it is mere puppetry and manipulation.
Long Distance Lullaby â Beautiful, simple and lush strings make this the best and sweetest melody on the entire album. Living without the one you love unconditionally, whether for a day, a week or a month is the hardest endeavor to have to endure. The phone/texts/emails only goes so far when you are an âocean away and sharing the same full moonâ when all that you truly crave is their touch; their strength; their soul.
Newcomer Brantley Gilbertâs Halfway to Haven release is as much a southern rock tome as a country album; but it works. With this southern flavor, Gilbert delivers an album full of music and lyrics that have a real sense of soul; that have depth; that have sentimentality but with an edgeâ¦slightly more edge than most country music that is being released today. From beginning to end we are along for a journey in an old pickup through the back country roads of the south where the roads are dirt and gravel, the heat and humidity cause the sweat to pour out of you as the sun comes up over the hills. Where Friday nights are spent in the stadium and Saturdayâs are spent by the water where the bonfire blazes with a life full of passion and energy. The possibilities are endless. Life is damn good and you want it no other way!
From the up tempo, hard-charging, take no prisoners songs where boys will be boys to the raw, pour salt-in-the-wound devastating emotion of a life and love snuffed out in the blink of an eye, this album brings with it the trademark of all southern style albums before it; brutal honesty. Looking in the mirror is never easy but with Halfway to Heaven, Brantley Gilbert gives us permission to look into that mirror, accept what we see, and apologize to no one for the reflection that stares back. For that reflection has made usâ¦whollyâ¦the men and women that we are today.Â
Track #1 â Hell on Wheels - sets the tone for the outlaw, southern life that runs throughout the record. âSo man you think you wanna run whiskeyâ¦â evokes the days when the good âol boys were running âshineâ down the back roads throughout the south; the preface to what NASCAR is today.Â
Track #2 â Bendinâ the Rules & Breakin the Law - reminds me of Hey Jealousy by the Gin Blossoms, but I digress. Ah, yes the rebellious teenager awakens from its slumberâ¦âthe closest thing to hell sheâs ever raisedâ¦â by recounting all the things we did in our youth that we shouldnât necessarily regret. ââ¦made mistakes that paved the way for the man I am todayâ¦â Everyday is a new day and we all get the opportunity to learn and grow from the haunts of our past.Â
Track #3 â Back in the Day â memories of an innocent timeâ¦âa hand full of rocks and daddyâs pine ladderâ where all that mattered was the freedom granted from a carâ¦âbutterflies in the backseatâ¦â and the girl that you lovedâ¦âshe was my dashboard drummerâ¦four letters in a heart carved in a pineâ¦â stir the romantic longing we all had inside of us at one time or another. Where did all that romance go? We need it more today than ever before.Â
Track #4 â My Kinda Crazy - is pure unconditional love for the woman of your dreamsâ¦ââ¦thatâs my baby and sheâs my kind of crazy.â This man knows his woman isnât perfect; he does not want her to b, knows how to love his woman and makes no apologies or excuses for it. âBut I hear âwake up sleepy head and I open my eyes and its all worth the while.â A reminder that we should all love passionately; love forever and never, ever apologize for that love!Â
Track #5 â Kick it in the Sticks - The most raucous track on the record and an autobiographical look at what it means to live, love and grow up in the south. âSo, we hangout by the bonfire weâre just some good âol boys havin a dang good time.â Sets the scene where the rules areâ¦there are no rules; âweâ re crankinâ up AC/DC, Hank, Skynrd and George âStraightâ.â Where everyone is invited and everyone is welcome ââ¦with the hippies and the hicks, jocks and bikersâ¦â Come on in, sit a spell and weâll show you how we do it in the south. On a personal note to the editor of the liner notes, misspelling the King of Country Musicâs name is a sacrilege. Strait. Youâre welcome. Donât let it happen again. :-)Â
Track #6 â Halfway to Heaven - title track and an inside look at the event that changed Brantley Gilbertâs life; a near fatal car accident. âThereâs a live oak tree you can still see off âol 129. You can see the scar itâs missinâ bark where it stopped my truck that night.â He recalls that instance where life hangs in the balance; âhanging on by a thread, wonderinâ which oneâs your last breathâ with no idea how it would end. Life doesnât promise us anything, especially second chancesâ¦âYou live your life a better man when youâve been halfway to heaven.â Cherish your life and those in your life; it will not be here forever. I expect this to be the next single released.Â
Track #7 â Saving Amy - Is my favorite track on the record; pure, raw and cutting emotion from start to finish. It continues the life is too precious to take for granted theme from the previous track. This story evokes every emotion of loss and grief. Told from a man looking down from heaven, itâs about two people whose love has been promised foreverâ¦âsince that night I proposed; when I promised her forever.â Until the unthinkable happens; one life is snuffed out in the blink of an eye. When one is left holding onto the memories and the hope of a promised future, the pain is immeasurable and has no peer to ANY physical ailment known to man. âIâve watched her losinâ her mindâ¦screaminâ out my name.â it is his selflessness, his unconditional love for her that should make us all sit up and take notice; âOh but God I know I canât but you canât let her live this way itâs too late for saving me but thereâs still hope for saving Amy.â One of the people in this world that I love the most has always believed that death is not the end of life; the spirit lives on and remembers forever. May all of us and the ones we love believe in that spirit.Â
Track #8 â Country Must be Country Wide - is the first release and tells us to leave judgment to the small and trite amongst us lest shame will pour down upon you and your small-mindednessâ¦âI grew up south of the Mason Dixonâ¦an ol boy pulled up with a license plate from Ohio I thought oh good lord heâs lost. From his wranglers to his boots he reminded me of Chris LeDouxâ¦â The other picture this evokes is that we; you, me all of us are in this together. Letâs depend on each other to provide for each other when help is needed. âWe werenât raised to take, we were raised to give the shirt off our back to anyone in need.â Love thy neighbor. See Joplin, Missouri. See also, Alabama.Â
Track #9 â Take it Outside - is on its surface just exactly that; a couple of olâ boys being stupid in a barâ¦probably over a womanâ¦and they take their endeavors outside to âproveâ their manhood. âIf you think youâre man enough, you really wanna knuckle upâ¦â However, reading between the lines, one interpretation can be about man standing up for principles and what is right. âLetâs have some respectâ¦itâs man to man, toe to toe.â Bar fights are cheap and tawdry; âfightingâ over principle is an entirely different matter; it is steadfast and true.Â
Track #10 â Them Boys - is all about respectâ¦âThem boys donât know one thing about lifeâ¦â and the know-it-all attitudes of âyoung unsâ today. âOut ridinâ like they own this town, that racket turned all the way up.â Oh. Wait a minute. Didnât they say the same things about us back in the day? ââ¦lookin back on the times we shared, from rock ân roll to these rockin chairs, the same ones our granddads sat inâ¦about how much trouble we were in.â Yes, Virginia we have all evolved into our parents in some form. It is hell getting old!Â
Track #11 â Fall Into Me - Fear and patience rear their heads in this ballad about finding a love too good to be true. âA whisper away from changinâ everythingâ¦girl, Iâm weak in the kneesâ¦â It also requires both of us to follow our hearts; a recipe for success in all things âLet our kiss count the moments and our hearts set the pace...â we also learn that unconditional love is just that; without limits or boundaries. âLove ainât a race, thereâs no finish line.â True love endures all things and may we all find that one, single person that we can share that love for a lifetimeâ¦or the remainder of a lifetime.Â
Track #12 â More Than Miles - What would you sacrifice to achieve your dreams? ââ¦before her memory hits the brakes.â Can you put yourself and your dreams above your love of another soul; the other part of YOUR soul? âI think I just realized how much I need herâ¦I canât put my dreams before her.â All of us hopeless romantic types believe that above all else, love conquers all. Never quit on love. Itâs reward is immeasurable.Â
Track #13 â You Donât Know Her Like I Do - Your friends can talk until they are blue in the face but when you lose real love, they have no ability to convince you otherwiseâ¦âIt stops hurtinâ, she ainât worth it.â They have no idea; they havenât walked in your shoes and felt and experienced what you have. âThat girls my best friend, thereâs no way youâre gonna help me, sheâs the only one who can.â Friendsâ¦acquaintancesâ¦come and go. Your âbest friendâ never leaves your sideâ¦âthrough thick and thinâ⦠and is a priceless and revered treasure. I would like to see this released as a single as well, however, I believe the record label will want the more compelling story line that comes from the title track.Â
Track #14 â Hell On An Angel â Someone has come along in our lives that has reached down and pulled us from the bottom of the muddy, murky water we were wallowing in. âYeah but I got a blessin, sent down from heaven, baby youâre my savin grace.â Theyâve been able to show us the truth and beauty that we cannot see in ourselvesâ¦âto this heart Iâve kept long guardedâ¦â and they have the uncanny ability to illustrate how to re-frame our own image.ââ¦a dirty old hound dog, learningâ new tricks like cuddlinâ up.â They are truly sent by God above and are angels on earth.Â
In some ways Halfway to Heaven has some of the same sounds as other country records, however, taken as a whole, it does contain something different. I believe it is a sound of true appreciation, excitement, love and passion for the second chance at a real, genuine and more fulfilling life emitting from a man who, for all intents and purposes, should not be alive. Maybe it is the second chance sound that gives us the cutting edge to the lyrics. Maybe it is the second chance sound that resonates in the timbre (huskyâ¦raspyâ¦masculine) of Gilbertâs voice. Whatever the difference, do yourself a favor and listen to this record. You may not get a second chance.
CMAâs, ACMâs and the coveted Grammy award line the bookshelves of this talented trio who first hit the scene approximately five years ago with their debut hit âLove Donât Live Here.â Btw, if you are a lover of words and lyrics like I am, that single contained one of the best lyrics since Bernie Taupin wrote âI canât light, no more of your darknessâ¦â for Elton John many years ago. ââ¦and you don't haunt my dreamsâ¦â was a lyric that solidified this group in the country music world as both writers and performers who have the uncanny ability to write equally as well from the male and female perspective; often times in the same verse of the same song. This androgynous style suits the world of country music like a well worn pair of cowboy boots.
Lady Antebellum has released their third studio album with âOwn the Night.â Is the album earth-shattering? No. Is the album terribly creative? Not really. Is the album fluff? Not in the least. There is depth and meaning in all of the tracks and is as solid an effort as has been released this year in country music. With a hand in writing ten of the albums twelve tracks, this is what you come to expect from the trio of Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley; lush ballads of love gone astray for a myriad of reasons; love found along the road of life when it was least expected and mid and up tempo numbers where the night time is the foundation for some of the simple joys in life. An acquaintance of mine is wont to say that only the best things happen when the moon rises and the stars come out to play. As a self-prescribed night owl, with crime and the evil inside manâs heart aside, I am certainly one to agree with that statement. From the sounds of this album, Lady A not only agrees but jumps in with both feet and shouts it from the mountaintop for all to hear!
I must say that I do have a couple of issues with this album; annoying little pet peeves of mine, if you will. First, can you please include the lyrics in the liner notes? Why would a record labelâ¦especially a label as lucrative and large as Capitol Records Nashville...purposely NOT include the lyrics to their artistsâ music? As a lover of words, I like to see the words on paper to fully enjoy the listening process. Besides, I am also a bit deaf in one ear (too many years with headphones on in the studio) and it helps me make out the words I cannot hear in the presentation of the song itself. Yes. Call me selfish but who does NOT want to see the lyrics?
Second, and I have noticed this on many albums being released these days, watch the production aspects of the music versus the singing. As a performer, I understand the delicate balance between the vocals and the music; however, not being able to hear the singers over the music defeats the purpose of singing and is a disservice to the listener who needs to hear every word in order to connect with the ebb and flow of the lyrical emotion being presented. This over-production (for lack of a better term) is especially noticeable on this record because these three singers instruments are of a more light and lyrical timbre than the edgier and fully resonating style.
Some will say this is not a country album but more of the homogenized pop sound that pervades the country radio airwaves today. They may be correct in that assertion, however, the one thing country music has always had at its core is the story; and every track on this album tells a story just like every country album that has come before this one. That being said, to a true music lover labeling does nothing more than eliminate the opportunity for music to be heard and enjoyed in its simplest sense. Let us get away from the labels of what music is or what music is not and just get back to enjoying the music for its pure pleasure.
The title track, âWe Owned the Night,â leads off this album and sets the tone and theme of the night time that resonates throughout the album. The memory of a unique loverâ¦âShe was the purest beauty but not the common kindâ¦â is forever entrenched in the heart and mind of our young man ââ¦not knowing in that moment weâd never speak again, but it was perfect, I will never forgetâ who will never forget the woman of his dreams and the magical gifts of the nights they spent together.
Track #2, âJust a Kiss,â the lead off single, flew to the #1 spot on the charts in a very short time. In this story (based upon actual events with regards to Charles meeting his now wife) our protagonist desires only the purest form of thought, word and deed in relation to the woman who holds his heart in her hands. âI donât want to mess this thing up, I donât want to push too farâ¦no I donât want to say goodnight, I know its time to leave but youâll be in my dreamsâ¦â Who wants to screw up what could possibly be the one and only shot at honest, true and unadulterated love that will last a lifetime?
Track #3, âDancinâ Away with my Heartâ is all about first love; itâs idealism, itâs innocence, itâs memoriesâ¦âoh you headed out to college at the end of that summer when we lost touchâ¦â itâs wonder; ââ¦I canât help but wonder if you ever miss meâ¦â
Track #4, âFriday Night,â give s us the analogy of the work week in relation to the one we adore. Donât ever think of me as a Mondayâ¦âI donât wanna be your Monday morning heading back to workâ¦â but rather the fun loving, good times of a Friday night spent together. âI wanna be your Friday night sweet rideâ¦I wanna set you free, I wanna take you highâ¦â With every thought of âthe oneâ a smile and a tremendous sense of warmth envelope you like being held in a set of strong, safe arms and shoulders. This track gives an entirely new meaning to TGIF!
Track #5, âWhen You Were Mine,â provides us with a look inside the world of one-sided love. The kind of love that flows freely and purely from one person but the return of that love is suspect at best. It leaves one with a feeling of being used and taken for granted. âHere, with me, I thought weâd be, stronger than the past, better than the ones before how did I fool myself into thinking we had it all.â Love is most assuredly blind.
Track #7, âSinging Me Homeâ has the best melody on the record and its message is one of loveâ¦âOh my sweet love keep singing me homeâ¦â and companionshipâ¦âthe sunshine shining through the windshield got a hand on her leg the other on the wheelâ¦âin its most simplest form.
Track #8, âWanted You More,â incorporates the lush sound of strings to expand on the theme of one-sided love, however, in this instance that love was returned for awhile and for whatever reasonâ¦âI kept waiting for a reason and a call that never cameâ¦â the hopes, dreams and plans made together all changed. For those of us who wear our heart on our sleeve, this is a reminder of how vulnerable we areâ¦âmy heart was open, exposed and hoping for you to lay it on the lineâ¦â to those who do not understand the magical and fulfilling feelings that come with that vulnerability. In the end, the one who wants it more than the otherâ¦âI guess I wanted you more and looking back now, Iâm sure I wanted you moreâ¦â will most certainly fall prey to the folly of the other.
Track #9, âAs You Turn Away,â uses a melodic piano and gorgeous strings to tell the story of a personal goodbyeâ¦âstanding face to face, wrapped in your embrace, donât wanna let go but youâre already goneâ¦this is our goodbyeâ¦â as opposed to the sub-human methods we employ today; voicemail, email or worse yet, texting. Whatever happened to courage in our world? Putting the âgenie back in the bottleââ¦âno we canât be friends cause I couldnât take seeing you and knowing where weâve beenâ¦âisnât going to work either. What is the point? We do not need or want another âfriend.â Simply put, man is not meant to be alone. We seek and desire commitment, love, passion, intimacy, and companionship with one, single person more than anyone else in the world.
Track #10, âLove Iâve Found In You,â is the song every guy wants his buddiesâ¦âwell, I bet my buddies are out on the town tonightâ¦âto hear so he doesnât have to tell them that she fulfills his needs (get your mind out of the gutter) on a higher plane more than they ever could. A real man embraces it...âWearinâ my old sweatshirt and your favorite pair of jeans, barefoot on the couch curled up next to me, oh I got everything Iâve ever neededâ â¦and readily admits itâ¦âsome people search the whole world over just to find a love thatâs even half as true as the love Iâve found in you.â
Track #11, âSomewhere Love Remains,â embraces the idea that love conquers allâ¦âI know through all this pain somehow, somewhere love remainsâ¦â no matter how much instant gratification abounds in the world. In all things, especially relationships, actions speak louder than words; ââ¦More than just a lineâ¦you told me but you never really showed meâ¦â and there are three things that MUST be present in every relationship; love, trust and respect; ââ¦trust takes time to tear down those fences and love remains thatâs stronger than ever before so donât (quit) and walk out that door.â The hopeless romantic in us all knows that true, real and honest love, much like honesty, works every time it is tried!
Track #12, âHeart Of The World,â illustrates from both the male and female voice; a feat Lady A has perfectedâ¦âYouâll never not be my girlâ¦Iâll never not be your girl.ââ¦that love is strong and can withstand all challenges it faces. We are also rewarded with a richness and depth in their writing abilities that equals that of their minor hit âHello Worldâ from their last album. âIf fall is the soul of the engineâ¦forgiveness the road to redemptionâ¦if grease is the soul of the kitchenâ¦faith can still beat the oddsâ¦â In the end, love is the heart of the world and we owe it to ourselves to make every second count because we never know when that heart will stop beating.
Love is a central theme in most country albums. In this case, love the new Lady A record and âOwn the Nightâ with them; whether at home with a roaring fire, a glass of wine, wrapped up in the arms of the one you love or in the car on the way to a lovers only getaway destination while holding hands or sensually touching each other all along the way. No matter the circumstance, you will never go wrong with the night time, music and true love!
Is it possible for George Strait to ever do anything wrong as a country music artist? Is it even within the realm of possibility that he could do ANYTHING that would alienate his fan base, his peers or industry executives? Yeah. I think not either; there is not a chance of that happening in this lifetime and with the release of his 39th studio album, âHere For a Good Time,â George Strait continues to reign as the âKing of Country Musicââ¦and that crown has not been tarnished nor is it going anywhere anytime soon.
 Like a fine wine, Mr. Strait has aged so very well with timeâ¦and I do not mean just on the eyes ladies. Yes, he is still dashingly handsome as ever; who would NOT want their daughter to walk through the door with him to meet the family? His voice has lost nothing in his 30+ year career; unmistakable, expressive, rich, vibrant, lyrical and joyous in its timbre. From his first single (âUnwoundâ) back in 1981 to his latest single, âHere for a Good Time,â there is no doubt that the full-bodied flavor of his music continues to be poured at the finest establishments all over the country.
 Being in his position at the top of country music royalty, Mr. Strait has the privilege of being able to pick and choose who he will work with when it comes to songwriting and song selection. His stable of writerâs include the absolute best names in the music business from Nashville and across the world of music. However, with the release of his last couple of albums, there has been a slow change in his songwriting process and selection; the introduction of his son, Bubba, into the mix. Whatever the reason for this inclusion, the change is positive, significant and forward-moving as the lyrics and subject matter have plunged to a depth that seems to be, on the surface, different from what we have come to know from Mr. Strait. Keeping it in the family, so to speak, has provided a deeper and more insightful look at the world through their writing together and his uncanny ability to make lyrics jump off the page of sheet music they are written upon.
Track #1, âLoveâs Gonna Make it Alright,â is the true hopeless romantic answer to the worldâs ills; no obstacle is insurmountable as long as we are together and our love provides the foundation for the solution. (ââ¦watch the sun come up behind our bedroom doorâ) screams romance and the truth that love does indeed conquer all.
Track #2, âDrinkinâ Manâ puts us in the shoes of a man looking deeper into the mirror of his life than ever before. In that reflection he (and many along with him) re-lives his epic battle with the bottle. (âWhen youâre fourteen and drunk by 10amâ¦â) should stop every parent dead in their tracks and require them to give more thought to what is really happening in their childrenâs lives; it could be foreshadowing of things to come.
Track #4, âPoisonâ gives us the juxtaposition of poison as both pleasure and pain (sour mash is the pleasure n this instance) (âMy first sip made me gag and I thought I was gonna blow beets.â) and a womanâs purported love and affection; the pain. (âAnything can bring you pleasure, even painâ¦â) A story of how we mask the truth that surrounds us with the illusion of what we invent or rationalize in our mind. It is every man and womanâs dilemma; do I follow my head or my heart? The truth is there is no right answer to that question; attention must be paid to both.
Track #5, the aforementioned âHere for a Good Time,â is an upbeat and memorable number about living life to its fullest extent, everyday, without excuse and enjoying each and every day as if it is our last. Letâs drop the pretense and the façade (âTo hell with the red wine, pour me some moonshineâ¦â) and live, love and laugh. Life is far too short to do otherwise.
Track #6, âHouse Across the Bayâ not only paints the picture of the loneliness and isolation that comes as the result of a breakup (âGone are the days when Iâd wake up with her warm body next to mineâ¦â) but also of the search for understanding (âThey say things happen for a reason but I canât find one good reasonâ¦â) and an attempt to make the illogical, logical.
Track #7, âLone Star Bluesâ is an ode to escapism, living life on the edge doing what we want to do, when we want to do it rather than what we should do in order to survive. (âWell I gassed my truck and packed my clothes, turned in my key and hit the roadâ¦â) tells us that there may be more to life than a husband/wife, a house, a yard with a white picket fence, the average 2.3 kids and a dog.
Track #8, âA Showmanâs Lifeâ bursts the bubble on what we laymen think we know about show business; the fame, the fortune, the glory. However, when the rubber meets the road as the bus rolls down the lonely two-lane highways of west at two in the morning headed to the next gig, nothing could be farther from the truth; (âNo mention of the wear and tear on an old honky tonkers heartâ¦â) Mr. Strait, known for his duet prowess with the women of country music; Reba and LeeAnn come to mind quickly, does not disappoint on this number as he enlists none other than Faith Hill to add authenticity and a sense of two âold soulsâ swapping stories on the track.
Track #9, âThree Nails and a Crossâ takes us down the road of trials and tribulations to redemption and forgiveness. (âThree nails and a cross equal forgivenessâ¦Iâve made a big mistake, can you help me out?â) Country music has never had an issue of featuring God and religion in their songs; this track is no exception to that rule. However, I believe there to be a deeper level of societal concern here that may not have been as prevalent on his earlier records; (âShe was sittinâ on a bed crying crocodiles, sixteen ainât a good age to be pregnant.â) I do not know if Mr. Strait would have tackled this issue in years past on one of his records. To know his audience has changed and that there are real problems like this within his audience displays tremendous insight, growth as both an artist and as a human being.
Track #10, âBlue Marlin Bluesâ is a fun number about the glory days of just fishing. However, if you read between the lines I think you can see it is more about a tale of change that hits all of usâ¦no matter how much we try to avoid that change there is always going to be someone bigger and badder than us in the world. (âI had one swimminâ right behind my baitâ¦I picked up my rod I put in free spool thinking Iâll shake these blue marlin bluesâ¦he came out of the water spit the bait right back at me and disappeared back into the sea.â) The only constant in life is change.
Track #11, âIâll Always Remember Youâ is his way of telling the fans thank you for all the years spent together. He never expected it to last, is sure glad it did and has no timetable as to when it will end. That, my music friends, is a damn good thing!
Wolf Music
The old adage is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and in places on her new album, Blown Away, Carrie Underwood shares the same vocal abilities and qualities of such artists as Adele, Pat Benatar and fellow country artists LeeAnn Rimes, Taylor Swift and LeeAnn Womack. Believe me, it works, especially on this album as the overall sound of this record is somewhat all over the map. After my initial listening, I was a bit dismayed, however, after re-evaluating and listening a few more times, I came to discover that statement is not a criticism; experimenting and pushing yourself to move past boundaries is required of any artist else stagnation becomes commonplace. Blown Away is part country; part pop, part reggae and part rock all rolled into one.
The saying goes that all things get better with age. In the case of one Willie Hugh Nelson, better is a complete understatement. He is as country as country can get and with his latest release, Heroes, Mr. Nelson does not disappoint in the least. The writing is crisp, his stories relevant and he still conjures vivid imagery in his simple yet effective words. Shakespeare (whom I truly dislike) said that "brevity is the soul of wit." Mr. Nelson is the epitome of brevity, soul and wit and that ability is no more clear than on this record. Oh, by the way, he will turn 80 years young next year. I can only hope to be able to stand up at that age let alone compose great music, play guitar as he does and get on a bus and tour the country on a nightly basis. Whatever he is smoking, we all need more of that!
Something is happening in Nashville and with song writers today. They are writing with a depth, introspection and brutal honesty that I have not heard in the past; mayhaps I was just not listening as closely before but I am now and I cannot get enough of the emotion with which they bring with their songs/stories, i.e. their lives to the table of country music for all of us to re-live, re-learn in our own time and about our own selves. For these songs are not singular in nature but provide us with a connective plurality that brings us all together via the vehicle of music. The artists on stage delivering the vocals are one thing but the writing has become of such quality that it is a shame there are not more awards for songwriters. It is truly an art form and as a lover of words, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate their artistry.
As I listened to the debut album…Up All Night…from Kip Moore, one word or phrase kept coming to mind; storyteller. The basis for country music is the story "played out in one long song." The music tells us a story and takes us on a journey; happy, melancholy, thought-provoking or any of a number of different types of emotional connections. Like all country artists and lyricists before him, Kip Moore does this effortlessly, with lyrics and expression that is passionately honest in all of its splendor. Each track is a bit longer than the usual 3:12 minute country song, but not overly lengthy; it allows us insight to his foundation as a writer and as the subject in the lyrics. This is a very poignant, deeply personal and special record. It has a lot to say and does so in a casual, effortless manner. Kip Moore is a gifted songwriter and I cannot wait to hear more of his stories in the years to come. The depth is what I really dig about country music and its lyrics. Not that I do not like the non-serious stuff but when the honesty takes you on the ride and touches you at your very soul then you have really created something special. Kip Moore has done that with his debut album, Up All Night.
The more I listen to Texas/Red Dirt music the more I begin to understand the "feud" that is taking place with regards to what is "real" country music and what comes out of Nashville today. Much like Switzerland, I will not come down on either side of the argument; I am of the opinion that good music is good music no matter where it originates. The latest release by The Josh Abbott Band, Small Town Family Dream, is no exception to that moniker…with one minor exception; It is DAMN good music. Period!
