Suzy Bogguss is not one of the names usually associated with the “Class of ’89″, as it was another couple of years before she really broke through commercially, but her debut album Somewhere Between was one of my personal favorite releases of 1989.
The best adjective I can find to describe Suzy’s voice is pure – it is sweet without ever sounding saccharine. Further, she knows how to convey convincing emotion without overacting. In the liner notes to that debut, the legendary Chet Atkins is quoted raving about Suzy, and he says “her voice sparkles like crystal water”. They were later to collaborate on an album together.
One of the things that really distinguishes this album is Suzy’s penchant for western songs and yodeling. Her delightful cover of Patsy Montana’s ‘I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart’ (which sold a million records in the 1930s) must be the most unlikely revival of the period, and was actually the first single released from the album. Unfortunately, even though the neotraditional movement was in full swing in 1989, this was just a little too retro for radio. Suzy also yodels tastefully on the final track, the wistful cowboy song ‘Night Rider’s Lament’, a song with a theme similar to ‘Someday Soon’, which was a hit for Suzy a few years later, once radio had accepted her. ‘Night Rider’s Lament’ itself was later recorded by Garth Brooks. Suzy and her husband Doug Crider co-wrote the charmingly old-fashioned mid-tempo ‘I’m At Home On The Range’ with Verlon Thompson, as Suzy extols the life of an itinerant singer traveling among the cowboys, roughnecks and loggers, singing at small bars, ‘from Billings down to Laramie the cowboys take good care of me‘. This is autobiographical, as before she got her record deal, Suzy had traveled all over the country performing, accompanied only by her dog and cat.
Surprisingly, three of the four singles released from Somewhere Between were covers, even though there were some good new songs on the album. This may say something about the direction the label was trying. The title track is a beautiful interpretation of one of Merle Haggard’s lesser-known songs, a sad waltz about a troubled relationship, which is possibly the best track on this very fine album, and really should be better known. The other choice was Hank Williams’ ‘My Sweet Love Ain’t Around’, which has a high lonesome feel. Sadly, neither of these superb traditional-sounding recordings made the least chart impact, although they were marginally more successful than ‘I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart’. Read the rest of this entry »
For her first solo single since 2005, Reba returns offering up an irresistible up-tempo strong woman anthem. The self-described ‘sexy sassy’ sound of her new single ‘Strange’ is filled with the spunk that has been missing from Reba’s singles for over a decade. My only complaint with the production is that the backing vocalists are too loud at times.
Vince Gill was not a new artist in 1989, but it was the year that saw him make his big breakthrough and really established him as the major star he was to be through the 1990s. He had spent several years signed to RCA, and had released three truncated albums of varying lengths, plus a number of singles which had received varying amounts of radio play, three becoming top 10 hits. Much of Vince’s RCA output is still worth seeking out; I particularly like ‘The Way Back Home’, ‘Oh Carolina’, ‘Living The Way I Do’, and ‘If It Weren’t For Him’, a duet with Rosanne Cash. The production was not always quite right, though, in my opinion, and sometimes making his voice sound a little thin, especially on up-tempo material. Sales however were not encouraging, and RCA’s lack of faith in Vince is reflected by the fact that none of his album releases were full-length. 
Tomorrow night’s Academy of Country Music awards are on everybody’s minds and lips. Reba will be hosting for the 11th time as the Academy hands out the awards on their 44th annual show. Here then, is our contribution to the ACM Awards media frenzy. These are the predictions of the My Kind of Country writing staff.
After seeing massive success with “Suds In The Bucket”, one of her most traditional singles, Sara decided to record a more traditional-leaning album. At a shallow listen, the sound and production of Real Fine Place is not very different from Restless or Born To Fly. What differentiates this album from those is, however, Sara’s choice of material. The huge Diane Warren-esque ballads like “Need To Be Next To You” are mostly gone, being replaced by foot-stompers like “Coalmine” and traditional tracks like “Cheatin’”.
I’m a newbie lover of Country music. There’s just something about it that’s drawn me in. I know it has a great deal to do with the stories – both in the songs and of the artists themselves. Similarly, I love it when the tune or the arrangement or the inflection in the singer’s voice nuances the story, and makes it come to life.
My Kind of Country is pleased to announce Ms. Megan Morrow as the newest addition to our regular writing staff. She’ll be sharing her musings on country music with us regularly right here. So stay tuned for more from Meg …
Clint Black was the first out of the chute of country music’s fabled Class of ’89. His debut single, ‘A Better Man’ hit #1 on June 10, the first of four consecutive #1′s from the Killin’ Time album. While it only stayed in the top spot for one week, it was also Billboard’s #1 single of the year. The tune was written by Clint Black and Hayden Nicholas. The pair was responsible for six of the ten tracks on Black’s debut album. And while the writers don’t break any new ground, this astute ode to love lost still sounds as clever and fresh as it did 20 years ago.
