Week ending 5/19/12: #1 singles this week in country music history

1952: The Wild Side of Life — Hank Thompson (Capitol)

1962: She Thinks I Still Care — George Jones (United Artists)

1972: Grandma Harp — Merle Haggard (Capitol)

1982: Always On My Mind — Willie Nelson (Columbia)

1992: Neon Moon — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2002: My List — Toby Keith (DreamWorks Nashville)

2012: Over You — Miranda Lambert (RCA)

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

1952: The Wild Side of Life — Hank Thompson (Capitol)

1962: Charlie’s Shoes — Billy Walker (Columbia)

1972: Chantilly Lace — Jerry Lee Lewis (Mercury)

1982: Always On My Mind — Willie Nelson (Columbia)

1992: Neon Moon — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2002: My List — Toby Keith (DreamWorks Nashville)

2012: Banjo – Rascal Flatts (Big Machine)

Single Review: Kix Brooks – ‘New To This Town’

After the breakup of hitmaking duo Brooks & Dunn, Ronnie Dunn’s solo career was greeted with considerable interest. It is fair to say that there was less anticipation for partner Kix Brooks’ solo endeavours. Kix Brooks was definitely the member of Brooks & Dunn held in less regard even by fans of the duo. He rarely sang lead on one of the duo’s singles, but he sang his share of album tracks, and often provided the more interesting moments.

Conversationally drawling his way through the song, Kix presents a man stuck in the same small town his ex lives and wistfully wondering what it would be like not to be surrounded by memories, or the fear of running into her around every corner. The picture painted is full enough to be convincing.

Production is reasonably contemporary without completely overwhelming the song’s essential sadness in a complete wall of sound, and although there is an extended guitar solo (courtesy of the Eagles’ Joe Walsh, who gets a special credit), it doesn’t take over the song. The melody is simple, allowing the lyrics center stage.

Kix wrote the song with frequent collaborator Terry McBride and Marv Green. It sounds very like a good B&D album cut, which makes its substantially more interesting than most radio playlists. It would probably be a more memorable record sung by a better singer, but Kix’s vocals, while limited, work on this song. He imbues it with a resigned regret which is very efefctive.

Grade: B+

Listen here.

Week ending 3/24/12: #1 singles this week in country music history

1952: Wondering – Webb Pierce (Decca)

1962: That’s My Pa — Sheb Wooley (MGM)

1972: My Hang-up Is You — Freddie Hart (Capitol)

1982: Mountain of Love — Charley Pride (RCA)

1992: Dallas – Alan Jackson (Arista)

2002: The Long Goodbye — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2012: Home – Dierks Bentley (Capitol)

Single Review: Easton Corbin – ‘Lovin’ You Is Fun’

It seems like a long time since we’ve heard anything new from Easton Corbin. After arriving on the scene in a big way with two consecutive #1 hits two and a half years ago, he faltered with his third single “I Can’t Love You Back”, which stalled at #14. Since then he’s been relatively quiet, but he is finally back with a new single, with a new album slated for release later this year.

From the very beginning, Corbin’s vocal style was compared to that of a young George Strait, and though the similarities are still there, the first thing I thought of upon hearing the opening notes of “Lovin’ You Is Fun” was that it sounded very much like the kind of song that Clint Black used to do early in his career — fast paced, high energy and not taking itself too seriously, a throwback to the good old days in the 90s. It’s an upbeat, positive song that should appeal to country radio, if they can overlook the prominent pedal steel and lack of pop pretensions. It was written by Bob DiPiero and Jim Beavers. DiPiero has penned countless hits for the likes of The Oak Ridge Boys, Charly McClain, Reba McEntire, Pam Tillis, Brooks & Dunn, Sammy Kershaw and Sunny Sweeney, while Beavers co-wrote “Felt Good On My Lips” for Tim McGraw, “Red Solo Cup” for Toby Keith and a few of Dierks Bentley’s poorer efforts.

February seems like an odd time to release a light-hearted, beat-driven record like this one, but records take so long to climb the charts these days, summer will be just around the corner by the time this one peaks. I hope that does well for two reasons: (1) because Corbin needs a hit; in today’s climate he can’t afford to miss the Top 10 with two consecutive singles, and (2) because country music desperately needs more artists like Easton Corbin.

“Lovin’ You Is Fun” is not yet available for purchase, but it has been released to country radio and can be heard here.

Grade: A

Album Review: ‘The Very Best of David Frizzell & Shelly West’

One of the hottest male-female duet acts of the early 80s, David Frizzell and Shelly West released four studio albums together. None of them ever had a CD release, nor are they currently in print. However, this 2009 anthology includes all of their big hits, plus a few misses and some key alubm cuts, and provides a more than adequate overview of their duet career.

The younger brother of Lefty Frizzell, David had had a singles deal with Columbia from 1970 to 1976. Only one of those recordings, 1970′s “I Just Can’t Stop Believin’” (not included in this collection) cracked the Top 40; the rest languished in obscurity on the lower rungs of the charts. His younger brother Allen joined his band in 1977. Alan had been the lead guitarist for Dottie West, and had married West’s daughter Shelly. Shelly began performing with David, and eventually they caught the attention of producer Snuff Garrett. Their big break came in 1981 when their recording of “You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma” was included in the Clint Eastwood film Any Which Way You Can. The song was written by the legendary Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, along with Larry Collins and Sandy Pinkard. It reached the #1 spot on the Billboard country singles chart. It was the duo’s biggest hit, telling the story of a couple dealing with a painful separation when one of them leaves their hometown for the bright lights of the big city. It’s a theme that the duo would explore a number of times, beginning with their follow-up hit “Texas State of Mind”, which peaked at #9 and the following year’s “Another Honky-tonk Night On Broadway”, which reached #8. Of the three songs, it isn’t difficult to see why “Oklahoma” is the best-remembered (the other two have been virtually forgotten); it is the best-written of the three songs and also managed to avoid some of the early 80s production excesses that marred the other two records; there is a somewhat intrusive string section on “Texas State of Mind”. While this is less of a problem on “Broadway”, “Oklahoma” sounds the least dated and would stand a reasonable chance at success today with very little tinkering to the arrangement.

In between “Texas State of Mind” and “Another Honky-tonk Night on Broadway”, Frizzell and West did an excellent cover version of Roger Miller’s “Husbands and Wives”, which peaked at #16. One of Miller’s more serious efforts, his original 1966 version had reached #5, as well as reaching #26 on the Hot 100. Brooks & Dunn would cover it again in 1998 and take it all the way to #1 on the country charts. Their version also reached the Hot 100, peaking at #36.

Frizzell and West stopped recording together after 1985. It was speculated that West’s acrimonious divorce from Allen Frizzell was a contributing factor, but the rest of the songs in this collection — and their performances on the charts — suggest that the official reason, a lack of good duet material, was probably the truth. The duo had only one more Top 10 hit, 1982′s “I Just Came Here To Dance”, a cover of an R&B hit by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack. The Frizzell and West version is barely country, yet managed to reach #4. Their next release, the decent but somewhat overproduced “Please Surrender” only reached #43. 1983′s “Cajun Invitation” was a song that I liked a lot when it was first released, but it sounds very cheesy today. The duo reached the Top 20 two more times in 1984 with the beautiful “Silent Partners” and “It’s a Be-Together Night”. Their final single together “Do Me Right”, released in 1985, failed to chart at all.

Also included in this collection are some very good non-single releases. “Carryin’ On The Family Names”, which was the title track of their first duet album, name checks other stars such as Hank Williams Jr., Rex Allen Jr., Debby Boone, and Crystal Gayle, who, like David and Shelly, were trying to emerge from the shadows of their more famous relatives. Also quite good is a medey of “The Wild Side of Life” and “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-tonk Angels” which are performed as a single song, much like Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter had earlier done. Missing the mark entirely, however is a cover version of the 1963 Ruby and the Romantics’ R&B hit “Our Day Will Come.”

The collection does not include any of David or Shelly’s solo hits, which is a shame, because there is sufficient room on the disc for “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino To Decorate Our Home”, “Lost My Baby Blues”, “Jose Cuervo” and “Flight 309 To Tennessee”. It does, however, include one solo performance by Shelly of “I Just Fall In Love Again”, which is very good, though it does not compare with Anne Murray’s version that topped the country charts for three weeks in 1979.

David and Shelly’s careers — as a duo and as solo artists — were largely over before the CD era, so very little of their work was ever released in that format. This collection appears to about the best that is currently available, and will suffice for all but the most die-hard fans.

Grade: B+

Week ending 12/31/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way — Carl Smith (Columbia)

1961: Walk On By – Leroy Van Dyke (Mercury)

1971: Kiss An Angel Good Morning — Charley Pride (RCA)

1981: Love In The First Degree — Alabama (RCA)

1991: My Next Broken Heart — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2001: Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) — Alan Jackson (Arista)

2011: Keep Me In Mind — Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground/Atlantic)

Week ending 12/24/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way — Carl Smith (Columbia)

1961: Walk On By – Leroy Van Dyke (Mercury)

1971: Kiss An Angel Good Morning — Charley Pride (RCA)

1981: All Roads Lead To You — Steve Wariner (RCA)

1991: My Next Broken Heart — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2001: I Wanna Talk About Me — Toby Keith (DreamWorks Nashville)

2011: Keep Me In Mind — Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground/Atlantic)

Occasional Hope’s Top Ten Singles of 2011

While it wasn’t a great year for country music, there were some definite signs of life, and some very good songs made their way across the airwaves. A few were even hits. Here are my favorite singles this year:

10. ‘Look It Up – Ashton Shepherd’
Ashton comes across like a modern Loretta Lynn in this scornful rejoinder to a cheating spouse. Forgiveness is not an option. Although it was a top 20 hit and just about her biggest to date, I expected more commercial success from this sassy number, written by Pistol Annie Angaleena Presley with Robert Ellis Orrall.

9. ‘Colder Weather’ – Zac Brown Band
The Georgia band is one of the most artistically adventurous acts in country music, and this is one of their finest records. A complex lyric depicts a couple separated by the man’s driving job; she seems keener than he does on their being together. It was inspired by co-writer Wyatt Durrette’s own thwarted romance with a girl who struggled with the travel demanded by a music career. The production neatly marries an understated piano-led first verse with rock elements as the protagonist’s emotions rise. It was another #1 hit for the band.

8. ‘In God’s Time’ – Randy Houser
Rich-voiced singer-songwriter Randy Houser released his finest effort to date this year with this gently understated expression of faith in God, whatever may happen. A gentle piano-led accompaniment provides effective support. This was intended to be the lead single for Houser’s third album for Show Dog Universal, but it did not do as well as hoped, and Houser has now left the label. He has since signed to indie label Broken Bow, so hopefully he will be able to continue releasing mauic of this caliber.

Week ending 9/17/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: Always Late With Your Kisses — Lefty Frizzell (Columbia)

1961: Tender Years — George Jones (Mercury)

1971: Easy Loving — Freddie Hart (Capitol)

1981: Older Women — Ronnie McDowell (Epic)

1991: Brand New Man — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2001: I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight — Toby Keith (DreamWorks)

2011: Barefoot Blue Jean Night — Jake Owen (RCA)

Week ending 9/10/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: Always Late With Your Kisses — Lefty Frizzell (Columbia)

1961: Tender Years — George Jones (Mercury)

1971: Good Lovin’ (Makes It Right) — Tammy Wynette (Epic)

1981: (There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me — Ronnie Milsap (RCA)

1991: Brand New Man — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2001: Austin – Blake Shelton (Giant)

2011: Remind Me – Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood (Arista)

Album Review – Ronnie Dunn – ‘Ronnie Dunn’

Ronnie Dunn’s long-awaited solo debut finds the singer staying close to the signature Brooks & Dunn sound, although with slightly more emphasis on the contemporary end of the country music spectrum. There are no fiddles and very little steel guitar to be found, but there is a healthy helping of Southern rock and even a dash of Tex-Mex, which make for a much more interesting album than I was expecting after the somewhat bland lead single “Bleed Red”, Dunn’s first solo Top 10 hit, which I reviewed back in February. Dunn produced the album himself and had a hand in writing nine of the album’s twelve tracks.

The album opens with the (presumably) autobiographical “Singer In A Cowboy Band”, one of the rock-leaning songs, which, though well written and well performed, contains some heavy-handed electric guitar work, which I found somewhat distracting. More effective is “I Don’t Dance”, which is also rock-flavored but with less intrusive electric guitars. Better yet is the quieter “Your Kind of Love”, one of only three tracks that Dunn didn’t write or co-write. Composed by Maile Misajon and Jeremy Stover, it’s a little closer to the familiar Brooks & Dunn sound and seems to be a good prospect for a future hit single. “How Far To Waco”, co-written with Terry McBride, opens with the sound of trumpets blaring and is reminiscent of the type of record The Mavericks used to make back in the 90s and would be another good choice for a single release. And finally, we get to hear some steel guitar on “Once”.

Overall, the tracks that work best are the quieter ones: “Last Love I’m Trying”, “I Can’t Help Myself”, and “Love Owes Me One”. But hands down, the best song on the album is the current single “Cost of Livin’”, a stripped-down track that is a testament to the current economic hard times. It tells the tale of an out-of-work war veteran who is struggling to make ends meet while he searches for new employment opportunities. Unfortunately, far too many people will be able to relate to this one. But despite the bleak circumstances he finds himself in, the protagonist is still hopeful that things will improve. This track is a masterpiece, which I can’t praise enough and it makes me wish that Dunn would release an all-acoustic album in the vein of Dwight Yoakam’s dwightyoakamacoustic.net.

iTunes offers a deluxe version of the album with two bonus tracks: “Boots and Diamonds”, and “King of All Things Lonesome”, both of would have been worthy of space on the main part of the album.

Although not every track on the album was to my taste — I could have done without “Singer In A Cowboy Band” and “Let The Cowboy Rock” — I found myself liking it more with repeated listenings. Dunn has succeeded in widening his repertoire a bit while still retaining the vintage Brooks & Dunn sound that should keep long-time fans feeling satisfied.

Grade: B+

Week ending 6/4/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: I Want To Be With You Always — Lefty Frizzell (Columbia)

1961: Hello Walls — Faron Young (Capitol)

1971: I Won’t Mention It Again — Ray Price (Columbia)

1981: Elvira – The Oak Ridge Boys (MCA)

1991: Meet In The Middle — Diamond Rio (Arista)

2001: Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2011: Old Alabama — Brad Paisley featuring Alabama (Arista)

Week ending 6/3/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Buck Owens – Roll Out The Red Carpet for Buck Owens and His Buckaroos (Capitol)

1971: Merle Haggard and The Strangers- Hag (Capitol)

1976: Wille Nelson – The Sound In Your Mind (Columbia)

1981: Alabama – Feels So Right (RCA)

1986: Willie Nelson – The Promiseland (Columbia)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Brooks & Dunn – Borderline (Arista)

2001: Tim McGraw – Set This Circus Down (Curb)

2006: Rascal Flatts – Me and My Gang (Lyric Street)

2011: Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party (Broken Bow)

Week ending 5/28/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: I Want To Be With You Always — Lefty Frizzell (Columbia)

1961: Hello Walls — Faron Young (Capitol)

1971: I Won’t Mention It Again — Ray Price (Columbia)

1981: Seven Year Ache — Rosanne Cash (Columbia)

1991: In A Different Light – Doug Stone (Epic)

2001: Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2011:Heart Like Mine — Miranda Lambert (Columbia)

Week ending 5/21/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: Kentucky Waltz — Eddy Arnold (RCA)

1961: Hello Walls — Faron Young (Capitol)

1971: I Won’t Mention It Again — Ray Price (Columbia)

1981: I Loved ‘Em Every One — T. G. Sheppard (Warner Bros./Curb)

1991: If I Know Me — George Strait (MCA)

2001: Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2011:A Little Bit Stronger — Sara Evans (RCA)

Week ending 5/21/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Buck Owens – Roll Out The Red Carpet for Buck Owens and His Buckaroos (Capitol)

1971: Merle Haggard and The Strangers- Hag (Capitol)

1976: Wille Nelson – The Sound In Your Mind (Columbia)

1981: Willie Nelson – Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Columbia)

1986: Hank Williams Jr. – Five-O (Warner Brothers/Curb)

1991: Dolly Parton – Eagle When She Flies (CBS)

1996: Brooks & Dunn – Borderline (Arista)

2001: Tim McGraw – Set This Circus Down (Curb)

2006: Rascal Flatts – Me and My Gang (Lyric Street)

2011: Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party (Broken Bow)

Week ending 5/14/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: Cold, Cold Heart — Hank Williams (MGM)

1961: Hello Walls — Faron Young (Capitol)

1971: How Much More Can She Stand — Conway Twitty (Decca)

1981: Am I Losing You — Ronnie Milsap (RCA)

1991: If I Know Me — George Strait (MCA)

2001: Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2011:A Little Bit Stronger — Sara Evans (RCA)

Week ending 5/7/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: The Rhumba Boogie — Hank Snow (RCA)

1961: Don’t Worry — Marty Robbins (Columbia)

1971: Empty Arms — Sonny James (Capitol)

1981: Rest Your Love On Me — Conway Twitty (MCA)

1991: Rockin’ Years — Dolly Parton with Ricky Van Shelton (Columbia)

2001: Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)

2011: Live A Little — Kenny Chesney (BNA)

Week ending 5/6/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Buck Owens – Roll Out The Red Carpet for Buck Owens and His Buckaroos (Capitol)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: Wille Nelson – The Sound In Your Mind (Columbia)

1981: Willie Nelson – Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Columbia)

1986: Alabama – Greatest Hits (RCA)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Brooks & Dunn – Borderline (Arista)

2001: Brooks & Dunn – Steers & Stripes (Arista)

2006: Rascal Flatts – Me and My Gang (Lyric Street)

2011: Alison Krauss & Union Station – Paper Airplane (Rounder)