Week ending 2/6/10: #1 singles this week in country music history

1950: Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy — Red Foley (Decca)

1960: El Paso — Marty Robbins (Columbia)

1970: A Week in a Country Jail — Tom T. Hall (Mercury)

1980: I’ll Be Coming Back For More — T.G. Sheppard (Warner Bros.)

1990: Nobody’s Home — Clint Black (RCA)

2000: Cowboy, Take Me Away — Dixie Chicks (Monument)

2010: The Truth — Jason Aldean (Broken Bow)

Week ending 2/6/10: #1 albums this week in country music history

1985: The Judds – Why Not Me (RCA)

1990: Clint Black – Killin’ Time (RCA)

1995: Garth Brooks – The Hits (Capitol)

2000: Dixie Chicks – Fly (Sony)

2005: Shania Twain – Greatest Hits (Mercury)

2010: Taylor Swift – Fearless (Big Machine)

Classic Rewind: Rosanne Cash & Rodney Crowell – ‘No Memories Hangin’ Round’

Classic Rewind: Alan Jackson – ‘Midnight In Montgomery’

Album Review: Gary Allan – ‘It Would Be You’

Gary’s second album for Decca was released in May 1998, and was in many ways a continuation of the approach taken on Used Heart For Sale, but with generally better material. Like that record, it was produced by Mark Wright and the songwriter Byron Hill who had helped Gary get his deal.

The title track and leadoff single was another top 10 hit for Gary, a brooding song about a woman who epitomises the worst kind of heartache:

If it was a full moon it would be a total eclipse.
….
But if we’re talking ‘bout a heartache, it would be you

Following the pattern of his debut, the ensuing singles performed disappointingly, failing to make the top 40. ‘No Man In His Wrong Heart’ is a fine song (written by Ronnie Rogers and Trey Bruce) which deserved to do much better, a tenderly delivered tale of resisting temptation one night while affirming the protagonist’s love for the woman at home. The third and final single, ‘I’ll Take Today’ (previously recorded by Tanya Tucker) is based on a similar situation, in this case with the protagonist running to an old flame, and telling his loved one that his ex is no threat to their relationship:

Old times, next to you, can never come close
I’ll take today over yesterday, any day

Gary Allan’s love songs are never saccharine – there is usually some kind of pained undercurrent of a troubled past which, together with the grainy tone of his voice adds a real sense of authenticity to the romantic sentiments. In similar vein is the mellow-sounding Jamie O’Hara/Gary Nicholson song ‘I Ain’t Runnin’ Yet’, which has a man used to shying away from anything approaching commitment and now taken unawares by his feelings. If Decca had not closed down, perhaps this would have been a fourth single.

‘Don’t Leave Her Lonely Too Long’ (a single for co-writer Marty Stuart in 1989) picks up the tempo. It is one of two cuts from Kostas, the other being ‘Red Lips, Blue Eyes, Little White Lies’. Both songs are pretty good, and bring some variety to the record, but individually neither is particularly distinctive.

Giveaway: Patsy Cline Prize Package

UPDATE:  The winner is … Lanibug.  Congratulations and we’ll be in contact with you shortly.  Everybody else, thanks for commenting and keep coming back to check out the Gary Allan giveaway we’ll be starting shortly.  Thanks again for reading My Kind of Country.

Patsy Cline has been one of the most influential female vocalists in the history of country music.  The fact that her recording career lasted less than a decade is a testament to her pure talent.  That her recordings have stood the test of time and are still beloved some 50 years later is an even greater accomplishment.  So when we began discussing legendary artists for our Spotlight Artist series, Patsy’s was one of the first names that came to mind.  We’ve been working hard this month to get you acquainted with her catalog if you weren’t already, or just reminisce with you readers who already love these songs.

Be sure to check out all the Classic Rewinds that we’ve put up of Patsy’s limited television appearances.  And to get you started with your Patsy Cline collection – or maybe just add to it – we’re giving away a Patsy Cline prize package.   One reader will win:

- Patsy Cline Gold 2 CD set

- Sweet Dreams movie starring Jessica Lange on DVD

Certainly Patsy’s influence on artists from Loretta Lynn to Reba McEntire to LeAnn Rimes and everywhere in between can be heard in their own recordings.  But that’s just the tip of the iceberg to Cline’s far-reaching and lasting impact on the genre of country music.

To enter, tell us who your favorite singer who’s been obviously influenced by Patsy Cline is, and why. Commenting will close January 31, 2010 at 11:59 PM.  Good luck!

Classic Rewind: Statler Brothers – ‘Flowers On The Wall’

10 things I hate about CD liner notes

The CD may be a dying format, but it’s still my personal preferred way to buy music. Partly that’s because I like having proper printed liner notes to refer to and keep physically with the music they refer to. But I often have cause to complain. Here are my top ten peeves with unsatisfactory liner notes:

10. Songs not listed in the correct order (most recently I found this on Marty Raybon’s religious album from 2008). This is deeply confusing when you’re listening for the first time and aren’t yet familiar with the material. You wonder why a song has the apparently dissasociated title it appears to, before you realize they’ve had a last minute change in the sequencing, after the liner notes were printed. Not a frequent error, but really annoying when it happens. It’s more common for the songs to be listed in order, but only if you unfold the paper in just the right way.

9. Print too small to read without a magnifying glass or a torch. What’s the point of printing it if no-one can read it?

8. Text and background in a color combination too faint/dark to read ever.

7. Mis-spelling songwriters’ or musicians’ names. This looks embarrassingly amateur as well as being disrespectful to the person in question. On Brandon Rickman’s very good album last year, for instance, fiddle player Jenee Fleenor’s name was spelt correctly twice and incorrectly three times. Misspelt sogwriters’ names are even more common.

6. Mis-spelt words on printed song lyrics or in commentary. There is no excuse for this on a high-budget release. If the person responsible for putting the notes together can’t spell, employ a proofreader.

5. No lyrics at all.

4. No songwriter credits – not common these days, but some low-budget releases do omit them; this is an economy too far for me. I want to know who wrote the songs.

3. Your liner notes are printed on a glossy, multi-page brochure with room for dozens of fetching pictures of the artist in various outfits, holding instruments, posing with pets, etc, but somehow they still have no room for the lyrics. (Okay, I like the odd picture of a dog. I’d stil rather have the lyrics, though.)

2. You can’t be bothered to print the lyrics in the liner notes, but tell buyers you can see them on the label or artist website. Websites are transitory. I hope to still be listening to your album in 10, 20 or more years’ time: is your website still going to be there?

1. A note saying lyrics (or credits) are available on the label website, when they aren’t, at least when the album is released (Anita Cochran’s Serenity and Randy Kohrs’ Quicksand are recent guilty parties here). This is extremely frustrating.

What are your pet peeves?

Classic Rewind: Tammy Wynette – ‘Til I Can Make It On My Own’

Album Review: Gary Allan – ‘Used Heart For Sale’

Country music enjoyed a huge renaissance with the New Traditionalist movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s, but by the mid-90s, it had begun to backslide and the lines between country and pop once again became more blurred. Gary Allan’s 1996 debut for Decca Records was a notable exception to the rule. Produced by Mark Wright and Byron Hill, Used Heart For Sale is a throwback to the Bakersfield sound, reflecting Gary’s traditionalist leanings and the experience he gained while paying his dues in southern California’s honkytonks.

Things got off to a strong start with the lead single “Her Man.” Previously recorded by Waylon Jennings but not released as a single, Gary’s version of the Kent Robbins tune reached #7 on the Billboard country singles chart. Unfortunately, none of the subsequent singles — “Living In A House Full of Love”, “From Where I’m Sitting” and “Forever And A Day” — fared as well on the charts. None of them managed to crack the Top 40, probably due in part to Gary’s newcomer status; he was not yet an “automatic add” at country radio. Another obstacle was that country radio had begun to resist playing traditional-based music, a trend that continues to the present day. However, it is safe to assume that “From Where I’m Sitting” would have been a monster hit had it been released by one its co-writers, Garth Brooks. It’s one of the less traditional songs — and one of the weakest — on the album, but Garth’s star power would likely have carried it to the top of the charts. In the hands of a newcomer like Gary Allan, however, it faltered and stalled at #43. It’s a rather forgettable ballad, most likely chosen as a single based on the Brooks connection.

Used Heart For Sale boasts a strong roster of songwriters: George Ducas, Jim Lauderdale, John Levanthal (aka Mr. Rosanne Cash), Faron Young, Billy Sherrill, and Glenn Sutton all made contributions, as did producers Byron Hill and Mark Wright. Gary himself shared songwriting credits with Jake Kelly on the title track, which is one of my favorites from the album. Sherrill and Sutton wrote “Living In A House Full Of Love,” which had been a Top 5 hit for David Houston in 1965. Gary’s version of the Faron Young classic “Wine Me Up” is another highlight of the album. Tanya Tucker included it on her recent covers album, which got me to thinking that she’d be an ideal duet partner for Gary.

The bluesy “Wake Up Screaming” closes the album. It’s the least traditional-sounding song in this collection, foreshadowing a style that Gary would use more frequently in subsequent albums. This one would have fit perfectly on 1999′s Smoke Rings In The Dark, perhaps more comfortably than it fits on this album.

Despite producing only one bonafide hit, Used Heart For Sale sold respectably, earning gold certification from the RIAA. Not as well known as Gary’s later albums, it is an overlooked gem in his discography. Decca Nashville folded in 1998, but Gary was transferred to the roster of Decca’s parent label, MCA which re-released Used Heart For Sale. It is still in print and is available both digitally and in CD form from retailers such as Amazon and iTunes.

Grade: A-

Classic Rewind: Don Williams – ‘Good Ole Boys Like Me’

Single Review: Reba McEntire – ‘I Keep On Lovin’ You’

The title track and third single from Reba’s comeback album has a lot to live up to, as the follow-up to her latest #1 hit. I admit I never expected radio to be as receptive to Reba after such a long layoff as it has proved to be, but it looks as if the concessions Reba and her producer made to contemporary tastes have paid off handsomely in commercial terms. Two uptempo numbers have given her airplay, and now she changes the pace by showing off her interpretative ability to a new radio generation on a ballad. To say this song provided one of the better moments on Keep On Loving You may come close to damning it with faint praise because I was disappointed by that album as a whole. The release of this as a single gives me a chance to reassess it on its own merits.

Written by Ronnie Dunn with his regular songwriting partner Terry McBride, the song bears many of the hallmarks of a Brooks & Dunn ballad and I can imagine Ronnie singing it himself. The tune is very pretty, and help to lift a first verse which offers a few platitudes about having faith. The lyrics of the central part of the song, however, are genuinely interesting, offering an unusually mature attitude about a longterm relationship which has endured its share of ups and downs. The protagonist is almost obstinate in the way she is holding on to love through fights, repeated (probably broken) promises, and pleas for forgiveness:

Sometimes I swear it might be easier to throw in the towel
Someday we’re gonna look back and say look at us now
That’s why I keep on lovin’ you

It is not a romantic picture, but it does feel very real. I do wonder how younger listeners with a more idealistic image of love may respond to it. On the whole, then, this is a very good song.

Reba’s version opens very nicely indeed, with some subdued steel and an effectively restrained, reflective vocal in the first two verses and first run-though of the chorus. I really enjoy listening to the first half of the song. Unfortunately the production builds into a big ballad with heavy production as the song progresses, and some totally unnecessary electric guitar rises way too high in the mix from the second chorus (exactly halfway through the song) onward. I think perhaps this may be intended to indicate triumphing against the odds, but that is not really borne out in the lyric. Reba’s voice (still one of the best in country music) is strong enough not to be completely overpowered, but in order to do this comes close to oversinging at times, particularly in some of the repeats of the title line. Furthermore, the build from the first half of the song to the second does not really sound organic, making this feel somewhat disjointed – as though Reba is trying to appeal to two bases simultaneously.

While the lyric is mature and definitely grown up, the production of the second half is clearly aimed at the mainstream sound on today’s country radio. It should follow ‘Consider Me Gone’ to the upper echelons of the chart. The coincidence of almost sharing a title with a song currently on the charts, labelmates Steel Magnolia’s top 30 hit ‘Keep On Lovin’ You’, is unlikely to harm the chances of Reba’s offering. The songs are dissimilar enough that there is no risk of confusion between them, and not only is Reba a much bigger name and on a hot streak at the moment, but this is a better song. While the production is flawed, this will not hurt it at radio.

Grade: B

Classic Rewind: Lee Ann Womack – ‘The Fool’

Spotlight Artist: Gary Allan

By the age of 13, Gary Allan Herzberg – he takes his stage name from his middle name – was already playing the club circuit in his native southern California area.  The young man from Li Marada, CA began his music career as a child, always having a guitar around the house.  ”I don’t remember not playing the guitar”, recalls the singer, “It was just always there.”  By age 15, Gary had caught the attention of executives at A&M Records, but decided against the deal, opting to finish his education and pursue his music career when his skills were more honed.

The late 1980s and early 90s found Gary playing the club scene once again.  In 1993, a chance meeting with Byron Hill lead to his first demo recordings in Nashville.  After a 1995 Los Angeles showcase, the singer was offered a deal on the newly-revived Decca Records country division.  He recorded his first 2 albums for the label before it was absorbed into Universal Music Group and Gary was moved to MCA Nashville, with Decca being shut down once again.  He has recorded for MCA since then.

His first album for Decca, Used Heart for Sale, yielded the top 10 ‘Her Man’ and was certified gold.  He’s since charted 18 top 40 hits on the Country Singles chart, including 3 #1′s.  With six gold albums – three platinum – to his credit, Allan has proved a consistent hit-maker and record seller while retaining a fresh and soulful sound.  He will release his eighth studio album, Get Off On The Pain, March 9.

Throughout his career, Gary Allan has infused traditional country music with the Bakersfield sound and West Coast rock, to mostly renowned critical acclaim.  And there’s good reason for that: he’s really that good.  His mainstream success is a bit puzzling, but nonetheless refreshing.  Throughout the month of February, we’re going to explore the music of Gary Allan, revisiting the songs that made us fans and the ones that reminded us of of his raw talent.  We hope you enjoy the music from one of the few standout talents left in mainstream country music.  If you’re not familiar with it already, now’s a great time to start.