Album Review: Mark Chesnutt – ‘Rollin’ With The Flow’

Mark Chesnutt’s eleventh album, and only release for the Lofton Creek label, was released two years ago this month.  While not as remarkable as his previous two independent releases on Vivaton, Rollin’ With The Flow continues in the back-to-basics approach Chesnutt has been applying to his music for the past decade – since radio all but gave up on him.  The relatively small success of the first single, plus I would imagine career momentum, helped the album chart inside the top 40, landing at #35 the week of release.  And even though a grand total of six singles were sent to radio throughout 2008 and 2009, only two even charted at all, and only one cracked the top 40, Chesnutt’s last to do so.

The album’s title track, a decidedly country song by production, finds a man growing older with a different attitude from his friends.  They’re all off starting families and settling down, while he’s still whooping it up for the most part.  Lines like ‘Can’t take it with you when you go, but I want enough to get there on’, and the basic sound behind it, save the song from being too mundane.  Stalling at #25 on the singles chart, it was the album’s biggest hit with radio.

First single ‘Things To Do In Witchita’, is a list song by definition, wherein the narrator spends the entire song telling us all the boring things he’s doing to pass the time.  No insight into his heartache or even insight into why he’s alone are presented, but it’s melody usually gets me humming along when it comes on.

Keith Whitley co-wrote the smart ‘She Never  Got Me Over You’ with Dean Dillon and Hank Cochran, which finds a man telling us all the virtues of his new lady.  She’s fixed him up pretty nice, but her love didn’t cool the feelings he still holds for his old flame.  The crying steel guitar work sells me on it every time. It was the only other release to chart aside from the lead-single, stopping at #49.  Likewise, ’When I Get This Close To You’ is a well-written song, and the orchestrations in the production give the swooning-for-you lyrics a full effect.

‘If The Devil Brought You Roses’ is an uptempo tune about a man crawling home to his wife, with several I’m sorry’s in his hand.  It’s a driving honky-tonk number that probably sounds better in concert than on record.  ’Come On In The Whiskey’s Fine’ is another dittie, this time about a pair of cousins who stumble upon a backwoods honky-tonk.

Mark co-wrote two songs for the album himself, and stacked them near the end. ‘Man In The Mirror’, not to be confused with the Michael Jackson hit, is a genuinely touching look at losing a father.  His crooked smile in the mirror, coupled with a few gray hairs, remind him of his dad.  The lyrics paint a vivid picture:

Cause he was too old-fashioned when I was 16, not near as smart as my buddies and me
Not near as smart as my buddies and me
But the only friend I’d grow up to need, got called home just shy of 63

Now the man in the mirror, looks so familiar
He’s wearing that same crooked smile
Same lines of worry, kids growing up too early, and gray hairs from extra miles
I thought I’d never see him again, but little did I know
I’d turn into the man in the mirror

I’ve heard a lot songs about dads in my life, and I can honestly say there’s not one I like better than this. Maybe because my own dad’s family tends to look an awful lot alike, especially around the mouth and eyes, and I am no exception to this rule, so I can relate to it more than most, but it’s an honest and intimate look into the mind of a man genuinely missing the company of his father, not to mention all those questions that only Dad can answer. Producer Jimmy Ritchie wisely kept the production low-key and allowed the lyrics, and Mark’s fitting vocal, to shine through. I’ve always thought it should have been one of the radio singles.

As a whole, Rollin’ With The Flow comes across as a hodge-podge of country themes, and some not-so-country, that don’t have any real theme to tie them together, but that doesn’t stop it from holding a handful of great country songs no collection should be without.

Grade: B-

Rollin With The Flow is available digitally (for cherry-picking) or in CD form at amazon.

Classic Rewind: Webb Pierce – ‘There Stands The Glass’

Single Review: Stealing Angels – ‘He Better Be Dead’

This new country trio on independent label Nine North is likely to attract some initial interest based on its members’ illustrious relatives; Tayla Lynn is Loretta’s granddaughter, Jennifer Wayne is granddaughter of John, and third member Caroline Cutbirth is descended from Daniel Boone. But what really should be attracting attention is their music.

Their debut single (going to radio next week) is a lively slice of attitude which has enough commercial appeal to get radio play if their label had enough clout, while being rooted in country music, tastefully produced by Paul Worley, a man who knows how to add interesting textures to a record without overwhelming the artists. Tayla takes lead on this track and she has a distinctive and definitely country voice with a strong Southern twang and attacks the song, supported by sweet harmonies from the other two on the chorus.

The protagonist is less than pleased not to hear from the man with whom she shared a romantic interlude the previous night:

Last night he promised me the world and now I’m gettin’ nothing at all

Few excuses are going to be good enough to save him from her wrath when she finally catches up with him. Not only has he failed to call her, but he is ignoring her texts (21 and counting, rising to 22 by the end of the song). The exhilarating chorus runs through a list of possible acceptable excuses, most involving death or near-death experiences:

He better be dead as a doornail
Cold as a stone
Flat on a train track
Whoa
Face on the floor
Stiff as a board
Knock-knock-knockin’ on heaven’s door
He better be dead

Held hostage at gunpoint, his car hanging off a cliff, and being bound and gagged in a motel room are equally acceptable.

She digresses in the second verse to say she doesn’t like “little boys playing games” with her, as her anger grows. By the time she finally catches up with her love interest, she might not be the only one to wish he was dead.

I doubt if this entertaining track has much of a chance making its way onto radio playlists, but if it did get the exposure it deserved it could be a breakthrough hit. I’ll be interested in hearing what else they come up with.

Grade: A

Listen to the finished version here and see and hear a live rehearsal on the group’s myspace.

Classic Rewind: Stonewall Jackson – ‘That’s Why I’m Walking’

Random playlist

I’ve been listening to different songs lately. We’ve all got our evergreen favorites that we always come back to. These are not them.  They’re also not new releases or recent discoveries. These are just 8 songs that have been giving me a lot of satisfaction lately. So I wanted to share them.

Mark Chesnutt – ‘Thank God For Believers’ … This is one of my favorites from our June Spotlight Artist.  Years into a rocky relationship, this guy is still making mistakes, but he’s sure grateful for his good-hearted woman who just ‘wipes her tears away and puts the coffee on’.

Wynonna – ‘Sometimes I Feel Like Elvis’ … Pressures build up and even the best of us feel a little overwhelmed sometimes.  This ‘song about having everything and nothing at all’ features a pair of smart, revealing verses that give way to a soaring chorus.

Reba McEntire – ‘Never Had a Reason To’ … The closing track on Reba’s acclaimed What If It’s You album finds the narrator chasing her own dreams, having never been tied down to any one person, place, or thing – until now, that is.  The bass-line intro, which frames much of the song, recalls classic country songs like George Jones’ ‘Her Name Is…’

Dixie Chicks -’If I Fall You’re Going Down With Me’ … Natalie Maines rips into this track with a funky vibe in her timbre, complimented by strange but pleasant harmonies throughout the song by her band mates.  She’s on the edge of falling in, but not letting go of his hand.  Nobody wants to be the only one in love.

Reba – ‘Have I Got a Deal For You’ … This is just a fun song, with Reba in full New Traditionalist mode – this time with a western swing number as good as any George Strait has given us.  Reba talks about her heart like it’s a used car, hinting at a bit of wear and tear, but quickly pointing out that ‘it’s a one time only offer’ and she’s letting this one-of-a-kind, life-time guaranteed heart go at basement prices.

Linda Ronstadt – ‘Tracks Of My Tears’ … The Miracles had the first hit with this oft-covered gem.  Ronstadt’s California Rock-inspired recording of the Motown classic went top 5 in 1976 on the pop charts, and just missed the country top 10.

Elton John – ‘Turn The Lights Out When You Leave’ … In 2004, Elton John released Peachtree Road, an album of songs he had recorded in Atlanta.  While it wasn’t billed as a country album, nor should it be, much of the press surrounding it called it country, and an appearance with Dolly Parton on the CMA Awards that year helped cement that classification.  The CMA performance of this song lead me to buy the CD, and I still find myself spinning the lead single – which doesn’t feature Dolly’s magnificent harmonies – quite often.

Patty Loveless – ‘When The Fallen Angels Fly’ … The (almost) title track to Patty’s CMA Album of the Year features one of the singer’s finest vocals, set to a pure country backdrop, while lines like ‘I near drowned myself in freedom, just to feed my foolish pride’ elevate it from other similar-themed songs like Patty’s own ‘Lonely Too Long’ and Trisha Yearwood’s ‘Like We Never Had a Broken Heart’.

What’s new in heavy rotation in your library these days?

Classic Rewind: Gene Watson – ‘She Found The Key’

Album Review: Mark Chesnutt – ‘Heard It In A Love Song’

Mark Chesnutt’s second independent release, the follow-up to 2004′s Savin’ The Honky Tonk, is primarily a collection of remakes of a few well known songs and a handful of obscure ones. Though slightly less cohesive than its predecessor, Heard It In A Love Song allows Chesnutt to shine in a way that his last few major label releases did not.

The title track was a 1977 hit for the Marshall Tucker Band. I was never a big fan of the original version, so I wasn’t expecting to like Mark’s version very much, but after listening to it for the first time I was pleasantly surprised. Though vastly superior to the original, it is still the weakest song in this collection that seems slightly out of place alongside the other songs on the album. Its inclusion was likely a calculated move to garner some radio airplay; so many country radio program directors nowadays come from a pop/rock rather than country background, so remakes of old pop hits are often stand a better chance of making it onto station playlists. Indeed, “Heard It In A Love Song” is the most commercial song in this set; nevertheless it failed to chart when it was released as the album’s first single.

“That Good That Bad”, a pleasant dance-hall number and the only new original song on the album, was released as the second single. Written by Mark along with Roger Springer and Clessie Lee Morrissette, Jr., it is reminiscent of the type of song that appeared on Mark’s major label releases. In fact, it was recorded during Mark’s Thank God For Believers sessions, but left off the album. It too, failed to chart.

“A Hard Secret To Keep”, which had appeared on Savin’ The Honky Tonk, is reprised here in a newly-recorded version. Though it is a good song and Chesnutt’s performance is solid, its inclusion is a bit of a disappointment; Heard It In A Love Song contains a meager — by today’s standards — ten tracks, so recycling a song that appeared just one album earlier is bound to leave the listener feeling a little disappointed.

The remaining seven songs on the album are are remakes of songs made famous, to one degree or another, by other country artists. What sets Heard It In A Love Song apart from other cover albums is its reliance on some obscure material, as well as some well-known classics. Among the more famous songs are “Dreaming My Dreams With You”, which has been recorded countless times by artists such as Collin Raye, Martina McBride, and Patty Loveless. Chesnutt’s rendition, however, is surprisingly strong, and is the best version of the song I’ve heard, aside from Waylon Jennings’ original recording. Mark turns in another strong performance on “Apartment #9″,. a Johnny Paycheck-Bobby Austin composition, that is best remembered as the record that resulted when a then-unknown Tammy Wynette knocked on Billy Sherill’s office door and asked for a record deal.

My favorite song on the album is “A Shoulder To Cry On”, an overlooked gem written by Merle Haggard, and recorded by Charley Pride. Pride’s 1973 recording was a #1 hit but it is largely forgotten today. Though Chesnutt’s version cannot compare with the original, it’s nice to see that the song was resurrected and given the opportunity to find a new audience.

“A Day In The Life Of A Fool” was originally recorded by George Jones for Musicor Records, and released in 1972 after Jones had departed the label for Epic. It was a common practice at the time, when an artist switched record companies, for the former label to dig into its archives and release singles to compete with the same artist’s recordings for a new label. This somewhat limited the record’s chart potential; it peaked at #30, and as such is one of the Possum’s most obscure hits. It was worthy of a revival. Covering a George Jones song has got to be an intimidating prospect for any artist, but Mark’s remake, which is somewhat less polished than the original, succeeds nicely.

Another rarity is the Tommy Collins composition “Goodbye Comes Hard To Me”, a decent song that didn’t make as much of an impression on me as the others, probably since I’m unfamiliar with the original. Rounding out the set are covers of Hank Williams Sr and Jr. — the latter’s energetic “You Can’t Find Many Kissers”, and a surprisingly good version of Hank Sr.’s 1949 classic “Lost Highway” which closes out the album.

Heard It In A Love Song may have been a commercial failure — it was the first Mark Chesnutt album since his 1988 independent debut that failed to produce any charting singles — but it is nonetheless one of his most enjoyable, particularly for those who are fed up with the watered-down pop that currently dominates the mainstream country scene.

Grade: A-

It’s out of print in CD form; but is still available with a relatively high price tagfrom third party sellers on Amazon. It is also available digitally from Amazon and iTunes, although, due to licensing restrictions, the digital version of the ablum does not include “That Good That Bad.”

Classic Rewind: Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton – ‘Run That By Me One More Time’

Week ending 6/26/10: #1 singles this week in country music history

1950: Why Don’t You Love Me — Hank Williams (MGM)

1960: Please Help Me, I’m Falling — Hank Locklin (RCA)

1970: Hello, Darlin’ — Conway Twitty (Decca)

1980: One Day At A Time — Cristy Lane (Liberty)

1990: Love Without End, Amen — George Strait (MCA)

2000: Yes! — Chad Brock (Warner Bros.)

2010: The House That Built Me — Miranda Lambert (Columbia)

Week ending 6/26/10: #1 albums this week in country music history

1965: Buck Owens – I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail (Capitol)

1970: Charley Pride – Just Plain Charley (RCA)

1975: Merle Haggard and The Strangers – Keep Movin’ On (Capitol)

1980: Kenny Rogers- Gideon (United Artists)

1985: Hank Williams Jr. – Five-O (Warner/Curb)

1990: Clint Black – Killin’ Time (RCA)

1995: John Michael Montgomery – John Michael Montgomery (Atlantic)

2000: Dixie Chicks – Fly (Monument)

2005: Toby Keith – Honkytonk University (DreamWorks)

2010: Lady Antebellum – Need You Now (Capitol)

Classic Rewind: Johnny Paycheck – ‘Lefty Was Right After All’

Classic Rewind: Reba McEntire – ‘Have I Got a Deal For You’

Single Review: Jewel – ‘Satisfied’

Just about the time I became a fan of country music, acts like Jewel, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Sheryl Crow were releasing diamond-selling country albums, but having hits on the pop charts.  I’ve always attributed most of that to Garth Brooks and his massive numbers.  But why those artists didn’t just start as country artists – or why country radio didn’t embrace the music at the time – has always been puzzling to me.   To my ears -and apparently hers too - songs like Jewel’s ‘You Were Meant For Me’, Hootie’s ‘Let Her Cry’, and several other hits, notably one-hit wonders Sixpence None The Richer’s ‘Kiss Me’ were clearly meant to be on the country station beside the Clay Walkers and the Lee Ann Womacks of the time.

Having been a fan of her adult-contemporary hits in the 90s, and even her more rocking ‘Standing Still’ and dance hits like ‘Stand’, and being my favorite among her named contemporaries, I had high expectations for her country album(s) for the Valory Music Group. After her first album left me disappointed, or rather not blown over like I expected, I had lost a little respect for her abilities to say the least.  Instead of making a strong artistic statement, I felt like she pandered to country radio – a cardinal sin these days – and wasn’t expecting to like much from her second Valory album.  The first single held much of the same , but I am much more impressed with her second single from Sweet & Wild, her second Valory album.

‘Satisfied’ pins down the basic human feeling of satisfaction, in so many words.  The first few lines of the second verse a bit abstract, and make you think the song has lost its way, but it gets back to the basic theme of ‘let your love show’, tying it all up nicely before the start of the second chorus.  A couple more epic lines in the bridge, and a great country song is born.  A basic piano and rhythm backing the big, emotive voice she’s always had frame the verses, while the choruses and ending are more produced.  At the end of it all, the Alaskan farm girl delivers a fine vocal performance of a well-written song.

Even it doesn’t shoot up the country charts, I’ll hear it on the radio or on CMT and smile, finally satisfied that Jewel has proved herself as a credible country artist, if only in my mind.

Grade: A-

‘Satisfied’ is available everywhere, from amazon and others.

Classic Rewind: Bobby Bare – ‘Detroit City’

Album Review: Mark Chesnutt – ‘Savin’ The Honky Tonk’

After the relative commercial failure of Thank God For Believers, Mark’s label forced him to record the Aerosmith song ‘I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing’. While this was a big hit, it undoubtedly alienated much of his core fan base, and his career never really recovered. One more album for MCA (the underrated Lost In The Feeling), and a sole release for Columbia (the lackluster Mark Chesnutt), failed to recapture his commercial glories, and Mark was relegated to the minor leagues of independent labels.

Yet the loss of his last major label deal turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Mark as he was enabled to produce some of the best music of his career. His first venture into independent territory (on Vivaton Records) marked a deliberate reclamation of traditional country now that he was free of major label constraints and the need to produce radio fodder. Savin’ The Honky Tonk, released in 2004, is formally dedicated to “all the Honky Tonks and all the bands playing the hard core country music”, and it is almost a concept album with only a handful of the generous 15 tracks not on the theme. Jimmy Ritchey’s production is solid, and Mark’s vocals are great throughout.

The record reached #23 on Billboard – the same peak as Mark Chesnutt, which had benefitted from more radio play thanks to the #11 hit ‘She Was’ – and the first two singles at least did better than his last two for Columbia. While these were only modest successes by his own standards, it’s always been harder for artists on small labels to get played on radio at all, let alone charting inside the top 40.

The lead single, a tongue-in-cheek ode to alcohol, ‘The Lord Loves The Drinkin’ Man’, was one of two songs from the pen of Texas artist Kevin Fowler. The protagonist defies his mother and preacher, both saying he’ll never get to Heaven if he keeps on drinking, by saying,

I hear that He can turn the water into wine
Any man can do that is a good friend of mine
I’ve been baptised in beer, I’m here to testify
I was speaking in tongues when I came home last night
Some folks say I’m living in sin
But I know the Lord loves the drinkin’ man

The single charted well for an independent release, making the country top 40.

Fowler’s other cut here, the resolutely secular ‘Beer, Bait & Ammo’, has also been recorded by Sammy Kershaw and George Jones, and is an ode to a useful country store with “everything any old beer-drinkin’ hell-raisin’ bona fide redneck needs”.

Classic Rewind: Porter Wagoner – ‘A Satisfied Mind’

Single Review: Jamey Johnson – ‘Macon’

Jamey Johnson’s long-awaited new single starts off with a somewhat misleading piano intro that gives the impression that “Macon” is one of those pop-infused power ballads that Lonestar and Collin Raye used to turn out regularly in the 90s. But about thirty seconds in, someone seems to have remembered that this is a Jamey Johnson record, and the piano gives way to the pedal steel and acoustic guitar and the song gets underway for real. Suddenly, the polished pop ballad becomes a Southern rock-infused anthem that is one part Waylon Jennings, one part David Allan Coe, and one part Marshall Tucker Band.

The tune is a little light in the lyrics department — Johnson has to get his big rig home to Macon ASAP because the lady in his life has made it abundantly clear that she doesn’t want to be left alone too long. That’s pretty much all the song has to say, which is probably a huge advantage from a commercial standpont; there is nothing controversial a la “That Lonesome Song” so country radio has no built-in excuses to ignore Johnson this time around.

“Macon” has a very retro sound, in a 1970s Southern rock sort of way. It’s definitely not traditional and it’s likely that had it been released in the 70s, radio programmers might have deemed it too rock-oriented to fit in with the country radio format. But things have changed considerably at country radio in the past forty years, so it would appear that Johnson has got a decent shot at getting some airplay. He’s managed to craft a record that will satisfy country fans’ nostalgia for some Outlaw music, but more importantly, he’s created one that lacks the blandness and cliches that have fatally flawed so many contemporary country releases.

Written by Jamey Johnson & Kacey Coppola

Grade: A-

“Macon” is available for download at iTunes and Amazon.

Classic Rewind: Susan Raye – ‘Hangin’ On’

Album Review: Mark Chesnutt – ‘Thank God For Believers’

For his fourth album for the Decca label, and his seventh overall, Mark Chesnutt delivered a stone-country album, chock full of great songs.  His previous studio album, Wings, had been a commercial disappointment, and his first not to sell at least gold.  This time out, after a greatest hits set that yielded a #1 and another top 10, the Texas crooner gave us a reminder why he rose to the top of his game as the premiere traditional spokesman (sorry, Sammy Kershaw) during the 90s country boom.  Co-producer Mark Wright has a great track record for mixing traditional with contemporary, and though red-hot Tony Brown made magic with George Strait, Reba McEntire, and Vince Gill, his helm on Mark Chesnutt and Trisha Yearwood’s albums never yielded the sum of their parts. After Wings, Chesnutt wisely put Mark Bright back in the producer’s chair for this release.

While it had only been 3 years since his hey-day, the winds of country music had changed considerably since then.  The undeniable strength of the title track pushed it into the top 5 and another single cracked the top 20.  Still, 2 other singles failed to become hits, and the album stalled at #25 on the Country Albums chart.

Opening things with the forgettable ‘Goodbye Heartache’, a fast paced number with a western swing feel, Chesnutt gives the impression that we’re in for much of the same from his previous releases. Not to say it’s a bad song, it’s just not among his best, and not a telling snapshot to the album overall, which I’ve always thought the opening song should be.

The album’s lead single, ‘Thank God For Believers’ is simply a great song about a woman holding onto and believing in her sometimes wandering man, and he’s saying he’s damn grateful for it.  With its waltzing speed and pure country backdrop, it’s also a nice piece of ear candy, and one I play frequently. Just barely missing the top spot in late 1997, it landed at a #2 peak on the Country Singles chart.

Classic Rewind: Mark Chesnutt – ‘Somebody Save The Honky Tonks’