Classic Christmas Rewind: Suzy Bogguss and Chet Atkins – ‘Mr Santa’

Learning to eat broccoli

I was one of those kids who refused to eat vegetables; mealtimes were often a battle of wills with my parents — battles, that more often than not, I won. If left to my own devices, I would have quite happily subsisted on an all junk food diet. Of course, I wasn’t alllowed to do that but there were a lot of foods that i just would not eat. Gradually, as I matured, I came to develop a more well-rounded palette.

Simply put, a junk food diet is usually more appealing to kids. Likewise, many of us are initially drawn to the musical equivalent of junk food, often preferring to listen to ear candy instead of more substantive music. I got into country music during the Urban Cowboy era, so there was ear candy galore on the radio, although there was a lot more diversity on radio playlists in those days. I listened to my fair share of pop-flavored music in those days, but I was always drawn to the more traditional country. Certain artists though, were an acquired taste. Emmylou Harris was an artist that I just didn’t “get” as a kid, but have come to appreciate as an adult.

Willie Nelson was an artist that was very hit or miss for me when I was growing up. Initially I didn’t care for his voice, but every now and then he’d come out with a song that I really liked. Like Emmylou, he was often more palatable as a collaborator than as a solo artist; I always liked his work with Waylon Jennings and the Pancho and Lefty album with Merle Haggard was always one of my favorites. Always On My Mind was the only solo Willie album I owned growing up. If iTunes had existed in the 80s, I definitely would have downloaded some cherry-picked tracks.

I recently purchased a copy of One Hell of a Ride, the boxed set released by Columbia/Legacy last year to coincide with Willie’s 75th birthday, when Amazon had it on sale for half price. It covers some early independently-released tracks, some cuts from his Liberty and Atlantic days, as well as a generous sampling of songs from his long associations with RCA, Columbia and Lost Highway Records. It’s difficult to like everything that Willie does, due to his willingness to experiment with a variety of musical styles and collaborate with just about anybody; sometimes those experiments work and sometimes they don’t. But in listening to the 102 tracks that span the four discs of this collection, I’ve been amazed at how many songs that I thought I didn’t like, but for which I’ve developed a new appreciation. I can remember when “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” from the Honeysuckle Rose soundtrack, came out in 1980. I really hated it, but can remember a friend of my dad’s telling me to really listen to it and pay attention in particular to the guitar work, even if I didn’t like Willie’s singing. I’m afraid I wasn’t willing to put that much thought into listening to music in those days, but now when I listen to that track, I realize that my dad’s friend was right. It really is a great recording. I’m also enjoying listening to some of the earlier incarnations of songs that Willie re-recorded in his more successful days — songs like “Half a Man”, “Blackjack County Chains” and “The Party’s Over”.

With age, they say, comes wisdom. I suppose it’s also true that good taste is something that takes time to develop. I have to confess that I still hate broccoli, though.

What songs or artists have you acquired an appreciation for, despite not liking them initially?

Classic Christmas Rewind: Lorrie Morgan – ‘Christmas At Our House’

Year In Review: Occasional Hope’s Top 10 singles of 2009

This has been the worst year for mainstream singles that I can remember. That was rubbed in for me when I started thinking about compiling not only this list but an upcoming list of the best singles of the decade. My shortlist comprised far more songs for every other year than for the current one. Not only that, but almost none of my picks for this year were actually hits. I didn’t deliberately pick obscure songs, and there have been some hits this year I have liked, but few that I have loved. It’s not just that radio seems to have moved in a direction I don’t care for, but also the labels have been picking as singles the songs I least liked from artists and albums I did like. But after a lot of thought, I’ve come up with this list of my personal favorites from 2009.

10. ‘Even Now’ - Caitlin & Will
This hardly even counts as a single, because the label pulled it before it had a chance to make an impact in favor of the over-produced ‘Address In the Stars’. That gamble didn’t pay off, and the duo was dropped by Columbia without an album release before the end of the year and have since split. However, this was a very impressive contemporary country duet with strong vocals, and it should have done much better.

9. ‘Cold Coffee And Hot Beer’ – John Anderson
The leadoff single from John Anderson’s Bigger Hands is a witty look at man so hopeless at life without his woman you can’t be really surprised she left. Sadly, it didn’t make any headway at radio.

8. ‘Stop The World (And Let Me Off)’ - Rhonda Vincent
My favorite track from bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent’s current album, this cover of a real country classic was never going to get played on today’s country radio, but it’s a great song and recording regardless.

7. ‘Mama’ – Holly Williams
The daughter of Hank Williams Jr is more Americana than she is country, but this warm tribute to Holly’s mother following her parents’ divorce has a charm which cannot be denied – unless you’re a radio programmer.

6. ‘To Say Goodbye’ - Joey + Rory
I was disappointed that this moving song about the pain of loss and not being able to say goodbye was ignored by radio.

5. ‘She Never Got Me Over You’ - Mark Chesnutt
This lovely Keith Whitley/Dean Dillon/Hank Cochran song (never released by Whitley) was recorded by 90s star and current independent artist Mark Chesnutt on his most recent album (2008′s Rollin’ With The Flow), and it peaked on the Billboard singles chart at #49 earlier this year.

4. ‘Backwoods Barbie’ - Dolly Parton
Another non-charting single which deserved a wider audience, the title track of Dolly’s 2008 comeback attempt album is a remarkable song. Dolly’s image has often got in the way of a true appreciation of her as a singer and songwriter, and in this song she tackles that head-on.

3. ‘All I Ask For Anymore’ - Trace Adkins
Trace is a very frustrating artist for me. He has one of the best voices in country music, but too often he wastes his talent on material unworthy of it. Further, he and his label have been pioneers in the art of consistently picking his least good material as singles. So this song is a rare change – a genuine hit single from 2009 I actually like. The song is good if not great, and lifted by a beautifully judged vocal. I didn’t include the superb ‘Til The Last Shot’s Fired’ (nominated by Razor X last week) on my list, because I wanted to restrict it to formal singles, but if I had done, it would have challenged for the #1 spot.

2. ‘Busted‘ – Patty Loveless
Patty’s vibrant cover of the Harlan Howard-penned classic, which restored its original coal mining setting, is a true delight. It is the only single so far from her lovely Mountain Soul II. It was a top 10 hit for Johnny Cash in the 60s and for John Conlee in the 80s, and a crossover hit for Ray Charles in between, but Patty’s version, which easily rivals any of these, has failed to chart at all.

1. ‘High Cost Of Living’ - Jamey Johnson
I was disappointed by Jamey’s follow-up single, which sank without a trace, and surprised that the label didn’t try one of the other fine songs on That Lonesome Song, but this was far and away the best single of the year, with its serious, downbeat look at the cost of sin and addiction which was just too adult for the increasingly immature focus of country radio. It did manage to sneak into the top 40 earlier in the year.

Let’s hope next year is a bit better.

Week ending 12/12/09: #1 singles this week in country music history

1949:  Mule Train — Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol)

1959: The Same Old Me — Ray Price (Columbia)

1969: I’m So Afraid Of Losing You Again — Charley Pride (RCA)

1979: Happy Birthday, Darlin’ — Conway Twitty (MCA)

1989: If Tomorrow Never Comes — Garth Brooks (Capitol)

1999: He Didn’t Have To Be — Brad Paisley (Arista)

2009: Need You Now — Lady Antebellum (Capitol)

Week ending 12/12/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: Willie Nelson – City of New Orleans (Sony)

1989: Randy Travis – No Holdin’ Back (Warner Brothers)

1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)

1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)

2004: Shania Twain – Greatest Hits (Mercury)

2009: Taylor Swift – Fearless (Big Machine)

Classic Christmas Rewind: Faron Young – ‘White Christmas’

Classic Christmas Rewind: Trisha Yearwood – ‘Sweet Little Jesus Boy’

Year In Review: Razor X’s Top 10 Albums of 2009

I spent a lot of time in 2009 adding to my collection a lot of boxed sets and classic country albums that I’d overlooked when they first came out. There wasn’t a whole lot of new music to get excited about this year, but here is the best I came across in 2009:

10. The Rose Hotel — Robert Earl Keen (Lost Highway)
The latter part of 2009 has found me in a decidedly Americana mood, fueled by an ever-increasing dissatisfaction with the mainstream. Part rock, part country with a lot of excellent banjo playing and excellent songwriting throughout. A nice change of pace.

9. Brothers From Different Mothers — Dailey & Vincent (Rounder)
The sophomore effort from these bluegrass virtuosos does not disappoint. Even people who don’t normally listen to bluegrass should give this one a try; they may find that they are pleasantly surprised.

8. Destination Life — Rhonda Vincent (Rounder)
An interesting blend of contemporary bluegrass and acoustic country from one of the best and most underrated female voices in country music. Occasional Hope reviewed this album in July.

7. Twang – George Strait (MCA)
I’ve never met a George Strait album that I didn’t like. Interestingly, this is the only mainstream major label release on my list. I don’t rate it quite as high as some of his earlier efforts, but it’s still a solid, enjoyable album. Read my review from August.

6. My Turn – Tanya Tucker (Saguaro Road)
It was great to hear Tanya again after a lengthy break. I hope to hear an album of all-new material from her soon. Read my review from June.

5. The List — Rosanne Cash (EMI Manhattan)
The best of this year’s covers albums. A pleasant surprise that I didn’t expect to like nearly as much as I did. This is easily Rosanne’s best album since 1987′s King’s Record Shop.

4. A Taste Of The Truth — Gene Watson (Shanachie)
The long awaited return of one of country music’s most underrated singers. It was highly recommended by Occasional Hope when she reviewed it in August.

3. Mister Purified Country — Shane Worley (Country Discovery)
I discovered this artist thanks to my colleague Occasional Hope, who reviewed this album in September. Pure, unadulterated and unapologetic country music.

2. Bigger Hands — John Anderson (Country Crossing)
A very enjoyable album that reminds me of what mainstream country was like not too long ago. John Anderson is an artist that I rediscovered this year. Read Occasional Hope’s review of this album from July.

1. Mountain Soul II — Patty Loveless (Saguaro Road)
Hands down the best album of 2009 from the last of the true country singers, and a great antidote to all the 80s pop/rock music masquerading as country. Read my review from September.

Classic Christmas Rewind: Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers – ‘Winter Wonderland’

Album Review: Sara Evans – ‘Born To Fly’

As the third release of her career, after one album that flopped and a second moderately successful release, this album would make or break Sara Evans’ career. The title cut from her previous album, ‘No Place That Far’ was a hit, but the other two singles were not as successful.  Sara sorely needed to come back with a bang. Long story short? She did in October of 2000.  This time co-producing the set with Paul Worley, known for his work with the Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride, and Lady Antebellum.

This two-times platinum album spawned three top ten singles, including the #1 title track.  The album itself went to #6 on the Country Albums chart – Evans’ first top 10 album.  For me, this was one of the first country albums I voluntarily listened to. My dad, a big Sara Evans fan passed Restless on to me and eventually Born To Fly, and I played the heck out of them. Without those albums, I might not love the country music that I do today.

This album highlights the pop in pop-country, but is still distinctive because of Sara’s great voice. The title track is also the opener and it really sets the tone of the entire album. Acoustic guitars and a chugging drum line push along a story of a girl who knows she’s destined for bigger things. A catchy song with traces of dobro and fiddle, it’s a very enjoyable slice of pop-country that cemented Sara’s spot as a star.  It would be her first #1 hit on the Country Singles chart.

Also on the faster side is one of my favorite tracks on the album, ‘Four-Thirty’. A song about a woman promising to meet her traveling lover who she would see around…4:30. Right. Well, Sara gives an engaging performance to a simple song that has one of the better melodies to come around. She sells the song with all she’s got and it works. ‘I Keep Looking’ is another hit single – it went to #5 – with some tempo that details how Sara keeps looking for something more. It’s a song that’s easily relatable, talking about how everyone wants everything they can’t have. While fun, this song has no country elements whatsoever, showing Sara’s complete move away from country music on parts of this album.

Classic Christmas Rewind: The Oak Ridge Boys – ‘There’s A New Kid In Town’

Year In Review: Razor X’s Top 10 singles of 2009

The general consensus is that 2009 has been a less than stellar year for mainstream country music. Most of the artists that I like have fallen out of favor with radio, so it’s little surprise that most of the songs on my list were not huge radio hits.

10. Consider Me Gone – Reba McEntire
9. Living For The Night – George Strait

In a way, both of these songs are testaments to the weak state of country music in 2009. Both are decent songs, but neither is among the artists’ very best work.

8. Red, White and Pink Slip Blues — Hank Williams, Jr.

An accurate and sometimes scathing commentary on the current economic crisis. This song would have resonated with the masses if only they’d had a chance to hear it.

7. White Liar – Miranda Lambert

I haven’t completely gotten on board the Lambert bandwagon yet; I’ve considered her an artist with a lot of potential and have been waiting for her to come out with a song that just blew me away. This isn’t quite it, but it comes closer than anything else I’ve heard from her so far.

6. Staying Together – Gene Watson & Rhonda Vincent

It’s always great to hear new music from Gene Watson. He and Rhonda Vincent sound terrific together on this cut.

5. Love’s Gonna Live Here – Tanya Tucker with Jim Lauderdale

I’ve always liked this Buck Owens classic, no matter who was singing it, so when one of my favorite artists covered it, it was a no-brainer that it would end up on my favorites list.

4. Drunk Dialer – Miss Leslie

Who would have thought that a retro honky-tonk sound would work so well with lyrics that deal with modern conveniences such as voice mail and texting? This song puts the mainstream to shame.

3. Backwoods Barbie — Dolly Parton

This was Dolly’s strongest single in years, and it deserved, but did not get, a shot at radio. It would probably have received a warmer reception had Dolly not committed the mortal sin of being over 60.

2. ‘Til The Last Shot’s Fired — Trace Adkins

For reasons that are comprehensible only to those strange beings known as record label executives, Capitol chose not to take advantage of Trace’s powerful performance of this song at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards by releasing it to radio. However, the live version was sold as an iTunes exclusive to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project, so technically, it qualifies as a single, and it is without question, a highlight among this year’s slim pickings.

1. Busted – Patty Loveless

The Harlan Howard-penned classic, heard for the first time with the original coal-mining lyrics. Far too country for today’s market, this single was dead on arrival at radio but it is the year’s best single, nonetheless.

Classic Christmas Rewind: Johnny Cash and Friends – ‘Children Go Where I Send Thee’

Single Review: Keith Urban – ‘Til Summer Comes Around’

For the fourth single from his very successful Defying Gravity album, Keith and his label have chosen the introspective ‘Til Summer Comes Around’.  It’s a sign of the changing seasons when more and more artists begin sending ballads to radio.  Slow songs always work better in the colder months.  It was deep in the winter of 2004 when the last Urban single I liked this much was released.  This song reminds me of ‘You’ll Think Of Me’ for several reasons, and it’s mostly the melody that jogs my memory. Mostly. Much has been said about Urban’s music being ultra-positive, and his releases lately clearly reflect someone who’s satisfied with their current situation, and who doesn’t want to change things up much.

I’ve heard the summer’s over and my new love is gone theme before, many times actually. But it’s the sort of tried and true theme that almost always works, and this is no exception. The brooding narrative tells of two young lovers and the singer’s memories all revolve around their time spent at the carnival, and his eventual employment there after the romance is over. Later in the song, we find him on the boardwalk in the wintertime, longing for the warm days and his sweetheart to return. Writers Keith Urban and Monty Powell managed to create images of a small-town boy working at the local carnival, as Keith sings of ‘greasing the gears’ and ‘fixing the lights’ and indeed, the song captures the experience and the feeling the summertime fair circuit gives you. Still, it maintains the melancholy feel of the best of Urban’s excellent ballads.

The five and a half minute album version begins with faint yells and sound effects from a crowded carnival. I assume the radio version will edit this out, and shorten the somewhat indulgent length a bit. Keith’s effective vocal is framed by some blistering electric guitar work between verses, a staple of his sound at this point. With ‘Til Summer Comes Around’, Keith Urban has given us one of the finest singles of his career, in my opinion, and a gentle reminder of his impressive talents.

Grade: A

Listen to ‘Til Summer Comes Around’ at Last FM.

Classic Christmas Rewind: Alan Jackson – ‘Let It Be Christmas’

Album Review: Sara Evans – ‘No Place That Far’

After the traditional sound of Three Chords And The Truth had failed to break Sara at radio, there was some modification and a slightly smoother, glossier sound for her second album in 1998, but without breaking away completely from her traditional roots by any means. The production chair passed from Pete Anderson to Norro Wilson and Buddy Cannon, a partnership with experience on both pure country and pop-country sides of the fence and a track record creating hits.

Leadoff single, the insistent mid-tempo Jamie O’Hara song ‘Cryin’ Game’, did no better than its predecessors, but it is a good pop-country song with a fine vocal as Sara tells a lover he’d better treat her right or she’ll be gone. I think Jamie (formerly half of the O’Kanes duo in the late 80s) sings backing vocals here. The long-awaited breakthrough came for Sara when the title track, an impressive ballad co-written by Sara herself with Tom Shapiro and Tony Martin, was selected as the next single. It was a #1 smash hit. A delicately subdued opening leads to a big chorus, with Vince Gill prominent on harmony.

Disappointingly, the third and last single, Sara’s last release of the 90s, ‘Fool, I’m A Woman’, which she wrote with Matraca Berg, was less successful, failing to reach the top 30.  It is another contemporary-sounding song, but an engagingly peppy one about a woman’s prerogative to change her mind about love, addressed to a boyfriend treating her badly.  I think this is the track featuring Martina McBride on backing vocals, although Martina is very low in the mix and is basically indistinguishable.

Altogether, Sara co-wrote almost half the material on this album, including the very traditional country gospel ‘There’s Only One’, which she wrote with the brilliant Leslie Satcher.  Closely banked female harmonies (possibly from Sara’s sisters) help this track close the set on a high as she declares God’s love is the only thing that matters.  Although the song itself is not as memorable, I also love the traditional sound of the lost-love ‘These Days’, which Sara wrote with Billy Yates, and on which Alison Krauss sings prominent harmony.

Classic Christmas Rewind: Reba – ‘Up On The Housetop’

Week ending 12/5/09: #1 singles this week in country music history

1949: Slippin’ Around — Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely (Capitol)

1959: The Same Old Me — Ray Price (Columbia)

1969: Okie From Muskogee – Merle Haggard (Capitol)

1979: I Cheated Me Right Out Of You — Moe Bandy (Columbia)

1989: It’s Just A Matter Of Time — Randy Travis (Warner Bros)

1999: When I Said I Do – Clint Black featuring Lisa Hartman Black (RCA)

2009: Need You Now — Lady Antebellum (Capitol)

Week ending 12/5/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: Willie Nelson – City of New Orleans (Sony)

1989: Randy Travis – No Holdin’ Back (Warner Brothers)

1994: George Strait – Lead On (MCA)

1999: Faith Hill – Breathe (Warner Brothers)

2004: Shania Twain – Greatest Hits (Mercury)

2009: Carrie Underwood- Play On (19/Arista)