Album Review: Brooks & Dunn – ‘Cowboy Town’

For what would be their final studio album, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, the duo turned in a near carbon copy of their previous releases from this decade.  And in what appears to be a split-down-the-middle approach, Ronnie Dunn dominates the first half of the disc with both his lead vocals taking on the first [...]

Classic Rewind: Reba McEntire – ‘Somebody Should Leave’

If they were starting out today …

A lot has been written during the past week about The Night The Music Died. I read an excellent post in the past few days on Twang Nation about the state of modern country music. It speculated that country music icons like Hank Williams and Dolly Parton would not be able to find [...]

Album Review: Brooks & Dunn – ‘If You See Her’

Brooks & Dunn spent 1997 on tour together with Reba McEntire as co-headliners.  One night Reba would open for Brooks & Dunn and the next night they’d switch.  At the end of that tour, Reba and Ronnie Dunn would perform ‘You Don’t Know Me’ as a duet before being joined onstage by Kix Brooks for [...]

Songs about adoption

I was adopted as a baby, and because of that the subject has always drawn me in fiction. In fact I’ve read some really bad books and watched some bad TV purely because of the topic. One of the things I appreciate most in country music is the range of topics it covers, [...]

Classic Rewind: Reba & Brooks & Dunn – ‘If You See Him, If You See Her’

Who should win this year’s CMA Awards

This year’s CMA Awards are due to be announced on November 11th. There are bound to be a few surprises, with unexpected winners or losers. We’ll share our best attempts at prediction with you next week, but first we thought we would let you all know not who we expect to win, but [...]

Discussion: Crossover roots?

Last week, this article about Taylor Swift’s crossover success got me to thinking about not only Swift, but other country stars who have met with major success in pop and adult contemporary markets.  It’s a mixed bag among the genre’s most steadfast supporters, while we welcome all the new listeners and fans to the format, somehow [...]

Album Review: Patty Loveless – ‘When Fallen Angels Fly’

Hot on the heels of the success of 1993’s Only What I Feel,  Patty Loveless and Emory Gordy Jr.  headed back to the studio to record her sophomore album for Epic Records.    A lot was riding on this follow-up album; Patty’s album sales had been inconsistent throughout her career up to that point [...]

Album Review: Patty Loveless – ‘If My Heart Had Windows’

Signed to MCA in 1985, Patty Loveless enjoyed some modest success on the singles charts, which did not translate into album sales by the time her eponymous debut disc was released in 1987. Her second album, released in 1988, didn’t fare much better at retail, but it did provide a much needed breakthrough at [...]

A swarm of new videos!

Head over to CMT’s website today, and there are 10 music videos that are premiering. Those would be “Southern Voice” by Tim McGraw, “I’m Alive” by Kenny Chesney & Dave Matthews, “White Liar” by Miranda Lambert, “Keep You” by Sugarland, “Consider Me Gone” by Reba McEntire, “That’s How Country Boys Roll” by Billy Currington, “Hit [...]

Album Review: George Strait – ‘Somewhere Down In Texas’

In 2005, twenty-four years into his hit-making career, George Strait released Somewhere Down In Texas, a collection of laid-back songs that contrasted 2003’s Honkytonkville’s hard honky-tonk sound.  The album landed at the top of the country albums chart as well as the all-genre Billboard 200 and was certified platinum.  It also provided Strait with another [...]

Week ending 9/19/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: Hank Williams, Jr. – Major Moves (Warner Bros/Curb)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: The Dixie Chicks – Fly (Monument)
2004: Tim McGraw -Live Like You Were Dying (Curb)
2009: Taylor Swift – Fearless (Big Machine)

Week ending 9/12/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: George Strait – Right or Wrong (MCA)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Tim McGraw -Live Like You Were Dying (Curb)
2009: Reba McEntire – Keep On Loving You (Valory/Starstruck)

Classic Rewind: Reba McEntire – ‘And Still’

Week ending 9/5/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: George Strait – Right or Wrong (MCA Nashville)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA Nashville)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Big & Rich -Horse of a Different Color (Warner Brothers)
2009: Reba McEntire - Keep On Loving You (Valory/Starstruck)

Recommendation: Reba – ‘Maggie Creek Road’

There was one track on Reba’s new Keep On Loving You album that jumped out at me from the first listen, and that was ‘Maggie Creek Road’.  The ominous opening catches your attention right away and as the story unfolds, like a good book that’s a page-turner, you can’t wait to hear what happens next.  Clearly, [...]

CD Giveaway: Reba – ‘Keep On Loving You’

And the winner is … highwayman3.
Congratulations and thanks to everybody who commented on this and all our other Reba coverage for the month of August. And stick around as we spotlight King George Strait this month.
Want to win a copy of Reba’s brand-new album? Keep On Loving You is her first solo album in six [...]

Who I am is who I wanna be

To finish up our Reba coverage this month, we wanted to talk about what she’s been up to for the past decade, since she’s only released 3 studio albums in that time – and I don’t count any of them among essential listening.  You should check out her take on the Kenny Rogers-penned ‘Sweet Music Man’ [...]

Week ending 8/29/09: #1 albums this week in country music history

1984: George Strait – Right or Wrong (MCA Nashville)
1989: Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen (MCA Nashville)
1994: Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon (Curb)
1999: Shania Twain – Come On Over (Mercury)
2004: Jimmy Buffett – License To Chill (Mailboat)
2009: George Strait -Twang (MCA Nashville)