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Album Review: Patty Loveless – Sleepless Nights
Too many cover albums fall into the comfortable paradigms of reserved, standard interpretations of oft-covered standards (Martina McBride, Timeless and recent Shanachie Records projects by Gene Watson and David Ball) and irreverent statements of artistic independence (Various Artists, Johnny Cash Remixed). Despite the proliferation of projects in these categories, most of the artistry of the [...]
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Album Review: Glen Campbell – Meet Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell has accomplished something unique and extraordinary: he’s recorded a cover album that doesn’t pay homage to anyone except Glen Campbell.
There’s a very important difference between Meet Glen Campbell, Campbell’s album of famous pop songs, and the recent forays into pop music by contemporary country stars: Campbell doesn’t sing like someone [...]Continue reading "Album Review: Glen Campbell – Meet Glen Campbell"
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Album Review: George Jones – Burn Your Playhouse Down: The Unreleased Duets
Over several days in the winter of 1993, during one of the worst ice storms in Tennesee history, George Jones, producer Brian Ahern and a boatload of country and pop stars retreated to the famous “Bradley Barn” studio to record Bradley Barn Sessions, an album of Jones classics performed as duets between The Possum and [...]
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Album Review: Eleven Hundred Springs – Country Jam
In conversation, as well as in my writing, I’m often dismissive of current, corporate, country music radio, so it’s typical to field accusations of “elitism,” of trying to pigeonhole country music’s sound into an early 60’s George Jones mold for narrow-minded nostalgia’s sake, and of requiring that every song have the pretense of earth-shaking [...]
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Album Review: Julianne Hough – Julianne Hough
In one way, Julianne Hough could be considered the first member of a new generation of country singers. Scholars and fans alike have noted the evolution of the country genre from the music of the rural lower class to the soundtrack of suburbs. This demographic shift, and the coincident thematic divergence of radio singles, [...]
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Album Review: Cory Morrow – Vagrants & Kings
When it comes to songwriting, Cory Morrow is like that guy at the party who keeps telling the same lame jokes over and over, while all of his friends look on, either too embarrassed or too kind to break the truth to him that he’s not funny in the slightest.
Vagrants & Kings, the Texas [...]Continue reading "Album Review: Cory Morrow – Vagrants & Kings"
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Album Review: Hayes Carll – Trouble In Mind
Far too much of the country music coming out today is “successful” in achieving a very limited aim; to be enjoyable by leaning heavily on pop-rock conventions while using the lyrics to vaguely define the emotional point of the song and to provide just enough of a hook for folks to sing to. [...]
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Album Review: Kathy Mattea – Coal
Kathy Mattea’s recently released album, Coal, is a superb concept album centered around coal and it’s effect on the people who depend upon it for their livelihood. She’s taken a collection of songs that stood well on their own when released previously and molded them into her greater thematic vision to tell the story [...]
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Album Review: Josh Gracin – We Weren’t Crazy
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March ‘08 Album Review Wrap-Up
Carlene Carter – Stronger
Born the daughter of June Carter and Carl Smith and step-daughter to Johnny Cash made Carlene Carter an heir to a rich line of country music nobility, but that doesn’t mean you’ll finder her latest album dripping with steel guitars, fiddles, and hillbilly twang. Stronger is at times beautiful and poignant, [...]
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What country artist, young or old, would you recommend as a must-listen artist to a newcomer on his/her journey through country music, and what would your essential song picks be?Current Discussion
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- Dan Milliken: I do like the Everly Bros version of "Brand New Heartache," but this is yet another solid sampler.
- Matt B.: I honestly don't think Josh Kelley is being crass about it at all. I suspect it's more inline with ...
- Dan Milliken: "Now, there’s a perfect reason not to listen to his music." Ha! I mean, I'll welcome anyone to country music who demonstrates ...
- Shank Filoso: I was born in New York and grew up listening and break dancing to hiphop music of the mid 80's ...
