Warner Brothers Records is releasing the original songwriter demos to some of country music’s biggest hits. Some of Nashville’s best songwriters are represented in the two-volume series. And the CD/digital booklet for the Demos contains the stories behind each hit as told by the writers.
Track listing for the Original Songwriter Demos:
Volume 1
1. The Dance – Garth Brooks (Tony Arata)
2. Strawberry Wine – Deana Carter (Matraca Berg, Gary Harrison)
3. Something Like That – Tim McGraw (Rick Ferrell, Keith Follese)
4. Independence Day – Martina McBride (Gretchen Peters)
5. Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts (Jeff Hanna, Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd)
6. It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere – Alan Jackson (Jim Brown, Donald Rollins)
7. She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy – Kenny Chesney (Jim Collins, Paul Overstreet)
8. I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack (Mark Sanders, Tia Sillers)
9. Amazed – Lonestar (Marv Green, Chris Lindsey, Aimee Mayo)
10. The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert (Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin)
Volume 2
1. Check Yes Or No – George Strait (Dana Hunt, Danny Wells)
2. If Tomorrow Never Comes – Garth Brooks (Kent Blazy, Garth Brooks)
3. It’s Your Love – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (Stephony Smith)
4. If You’re Going Through Hell – Rodney Adkins (Dave Berg, Annie Tate, Sam Tate)
5. I Swear – John Michael Montgomery (Gary Baker, Frank Myers)
6. How Do I Live – LeAnn Rimes (Diane Warren)
7. Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You – Brooks & Dunn (Rivers Rutherford, Tom Shapiro)
8. Every Day – Rascal Flatts (Alissa Moreno, Jeffrey Steele)
9. How Forever Feels – Kenny Chesney (Wendell Mobley, Tony Mullins)
10. Jesus Take the Wheel – Carrie Underwood (Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, Brett James)
The new Beth Hart album, My California, has been released.
On first listen, I found this album to be much better than her previous release. On second listen, I realized this was a very good compilation of songs. It's a bit different than her previous releases as the music is not as raw, gritty or loud, but yet her voice is still very powerful. It's a wonderful change.
"Sister Heroine" was written for Beth's sister, Sharon, who died at the age of 32. "Heroine" (with the 'e' on the end) refers to being a female hero and not the drug, heroin. It's a wonderful song with great melody and interesting lyrics. The song has become my favorite so far this year.
What began as a ho-hum day turned bright very quickly when I arrived at the radio station and saw that a bunch of new singles had arrived. One of them caught my eye very quickly. It's a new version of Loretta Lynn's classic, Coal Miner's Daughter, which features Loretta along with Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow.
Now I know, some of you are saying "how does Sheryl fit into that group?" Well, Sheryl is a bit of a Southern girl herself, growing up in the bootheel of Missouri. It's interesting to hear how much her southern "twang" emerges when singing with the likes of Loretta & Miranda on this one.
Take a listen:
"Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn" will be released on November 9th. It includes Loretta songs done by Gretchen Wilson, LeeAnn Womack, The White Stripes, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson & Martina McBride (I really want to hear THAT one!), Faith Hill, Steve Earle & Allison Moorer, Reba McEntire, Kid Rock and more. See it here at Amazon
By the way: If you haven't heard Sheryl do some 'twang' previously, take a listen to her remake of the Carter Family classic, No Depression in Heaven:
I received a couple new-ish albums at the station today.
Jadi Norris' "Make Hay" was released a few months ago.
This is Jadi Norris' debut album. It features the patriotic song, "Hail the American Soldier". Jadi's style is a bit contemporary and a bit rockabilly. The album does well in mixing the rockin' & rowdy with the sweet & tender.
Take a listen to a few of the highlights -
Workin Man's Saturday Night:
Not Coming Back:
Hail the American Soldier:
She Needs Me:
Mickey Utley's "Til Our Hats Float" has been out for about a week:
Mickey may be known for his delta-blues heritage - which does come through a bit in this album - but he also brings some contemporary sound mixed with a little bit of twang. We get to hear a smidgen of fiddle, pedal steel, and even *gasp* a cowbell?! It was nice to see some familiar names in the credits of this album, including Eddie Bayers, John Jarvis, & Brent Mason.
Take a listen to a few of the tracks -
What I've learned about women:
The incomparable Patsy Cline was born on this day in 1931.
She was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Winchester, Virginia. Patsy only recorded four albums before the plane crash that claimed her life in 1963, but her music legacy has spanned many generations.
Patty Loveless is the epitome of a music artist who has the respect of her peers and other industry professionals, gets raves from music critics, yet isn’t a superstar. Patty was part of a new wave of female country singers, including Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, & Wynonna, who enjoyed success in the late 80s & early 90s.
Patty Loveless emerged on the Country Music scene in the mid-80s with her first album, a self-titled project for MCA Records. The first single released was "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights", reaching #46 on the Billboard country charts. “I did”, “Wicked Ways” and “After All” were also released as singles, but none charted very well. “After All” was my first introduction to Patty and her wonderful voice.
“After All”
Patty’s second album, “If my heart had windows”, was released in January of 1988, and included two songs that charted in the Top 10 – the title track and “a little bit in love”.
Another album, “Honky Tonk Angels” was released in October of the same year. This album garnered Patty more success, with five singles reaching the Top 10, including two in the top spot – “Chains” and “Timber, I’m falling in love”. “Don’t toss us away” reached the #5 position on the charts and featured Rodney Crowell on background vocals. “The lonely side of love” peaked at #6. “Don’t toss us away” was one of my favorites. There was also a video for it.
“Don’t toss us away”
In 1990, “On down the line” brought Patty success with “I’m that kind of girl”, “blue side of love”, and the title track. A year later came the album, “Up against my heart”, and included the hits “Jealous bone” and “hurt me bad (in a real good way)”.
By the end of 1992, Patty had left MCA Records and signed with Epic. At this point, she was also suffering through throat problems and eventually had surgery. She was back in the studio in 1993 and released “Only what I feel” in April of that year. “Blame it on your heart” brought her immediate success with a climb to the top spot on the singles chart. “How can I help you say goodbye” also brought success, including CMA nominations for single & video of the year. The song & video is also another of my favorites.
“How can I help you say goodbye”
The follow-up to “Only what I feel” was “When fallen angels fly”, released in August of 1994, and brought Patty top honors as CMA’s Album of the Year. The album also produced four Top 10 singles – “I try to think about Elvis”, “Here I am”, “You don’t even know who I am” and “halfway down”.
“Here I Am”
“You don’t even know who I am”
“The trouble with the truth” was Patty’s third release for Epic Records. This time there were five notable singles – “you can feel bad”, “a thousand times a day”, “lonely too long”, “she drew a broken heart”, and the title track. Her increasing music success and popularity brought her Female Vocalist honors from both the CMA and ACM.
“A thousand times a day”
However, it seemed that her popularity and chart success could not keep pace with the barrage of country artists that kept emerging in the genre and seemed more flashy.
September of 1997 saw the release of Patty’s “Long stretch of lonesome”. It managed to reach #9 on the album chart, however none of the singles, including “you don’t seem to miss me” (which featured a duet with George Jones) and “to have you back again”, made it to the Top 10. “Strong Heart” was her first album in the new decade, released in August of 2000, but the results were much the same as the previous album. Singles like “that’s the kind of mood I’m in” and “the last thing on my mind” garnered little success, however, the album did reach #13 on the charts.
“You don’t seem to miss me”
It was at this point that Patty decided to follow her heart and not worry about commercial success. She went back to her roots and emerged with the bluegrass album, “Mountain Soul”, which was released in 2001. The album garnered much critical success and decent sales despite the lack of radio support. This album is amongst my all-time favorites.
“Boys are back in town”
“pretty little miss”
“You’ll never leave Harlan alive”
A bluegrass Christmas album, “Bluegrass and White Snow: A Mountain Christmas” followed in 2002.
Patty returned to a more commercial country sound in 2004 with “on your way home” – another album that came with much critical acclaim, but only reaching #29 on the album chart. The album featured singles like “lovin’ all night” (a Rodney Crowell tune), “I wanna believe” and the title track.
Almost two years later came “dreaming my dreams”, again reaching #29 on the album chart, but no singles charted. This ended up being the last album Patty would record for Epic Records as the label closed its Nashville division and Patty was released from her contract.
She returned to the studio in 2008, having signed a contract with Saguaro Road Records. The first project was a tribute album, “Sleepless Nights”, that featured Patty remaking some old country classics. She was rewarded with a Grammy nomination in the Best Country Album category.
“There stands the glass”
Patty’s second project on the Saguaro Road label was “Mountain Soul II”, released in late September 2009. It’s a follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2001 project. Some of the highlights included a remake of John Conlee's "Busted", as well as "Fool's thin air" and "when the last curtain falls".
Another great part of Patty's career has been her ability to provide wonderful harmony vocals, most notably with Alan Jackson on "Monday Morning Church", Vince Gill on "Pocket full of gold", and a wonderful rendition of "Go rest high on that mountain" featuring Patty with Vince Gill & Ricky Skaggs.
On April 7, 2011, Patty will be honored with induction into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.
The Wilson sisters are rockin' & rollin' again - this time in their Red Velvet Car!
Ann & Nancy Wilson, along with the rest of the aura that encompasses Heart, are back with a new album titled "Red Velvet Car". With this new release, there's a little rocking, a little lamenting, and a whole lot of great harmony. It's nothing less than one would expect from a project that includes Ann & Nancy. Oh, and did I mention the sounds of the mandolin? It warms my heart every time I hear it.
Nancy takes lead vocals on "Hey you" and "Sunflower". The album concludes with one of my favorite songs ever done by the Wilson sisters - "Sand".
Check out a few of the album highlights:
Red Velvet Car:
Hey You:
Safronias Mark:
Sand:
Be sure to put this album on your list of ones to listen to. And don't forget to check out their website: Heart-Music.com
Here's a new one that's out this week from an artist I hadn't heard of previously, but enjoy the music immensely.
Shannon Whitworth's music is of the Americana/Roots variety. It's refreshing to hear the great sounds of the banjo, dobro, pedal steel, mandolin and fiddle... and the voice is pretty good too!
This album has been out for a few months (released in late April), but I finally got a chance to take a listen to it.
Being the daughter of country legends Tammy Wynette & George Jones, Georgette has a huge music legacy to overcome. With this album, she doesn't shy away from that task - covering four songs from her mother's repertoire ("Slightly Used Woman", "Send Me No Roses", "I Don't Want to Play House" and "I Still Believe in Fairy Tales") and one from her dad's ("the race is on"). A highlight is a duet with her father, "you and me and time".
At times, Georgette sounds eerily like her mother, with a little less of the 'weathered hurt' that made Tammy's voice so recognizable. Georgette, however, is still able to make this album her own and not just an extension of her parents.
I got a bunch of new singles at the radio station today. One of them intrigued me greatly, not so much for the song itself, but by the people singing.
"Something Going On" is a duet with Wayne Warner & Bonnie Tyler. While I've never really heard of Wayne Warner, I've definitely heard of Bonnie Tyler (and my brain immediately starts humming "Total eclipse of the heart"). However, after the first listen of the song, I came to the realization that it's a nice little ditty of a song.
Sheryl Crow's new album, 100 Miles From Memphis, is being released next week.
As has been the case for all of Sheryl's albums, this one has a little different sound than her previous releases.
For those that know of Sheryl's roots, the title of the album should be self-explanatory. Sheryl grew up in Kennett, Missouri, located in the bootheel of the state, and - oddly enough - only 100 miles from the music mecca of Memphis, Tennessee. So, of course, the music that was made there had a profound effect on her life and her music. This new album pays homage to the Memphis sound that she grew up with.
It's good to have him back. Clay seems to always get pushed to the sidelines by country radio in favor the barrage of today's current popp-y mainstreamers. That's quite a shame, because not only is his voice always a pleasure to listen to, but his music always seems to have a nice depth to it as well.
With this album, Keith Stegall is on board to produce most of the project, and bringing a bit of honky tonk sound back to the forefront.
A few of the songs draw on our cultural icons, like "Double Shot of John Wayne" - a nice country waltz that talks of the need to be people of integrity. Another name dropper is "Jesse James", which gives the inclination of wanting to be free.
I encourage the pop-y mainstream country fans to take a listen to this album to remember what a countrified album can be without excessive twang.
The Australian Country artist returns with a new album in which she wrote or co-wrote all of the songs. Catherine has gone back to her roots with this new release (both literally & figuratively), as she returned to Australia after six years in Nashville - an experience which she shares in the lyrics of "Call you back town". -- "In this counterfeit city, they don't look if you ain't pretty. And it's such a damn pity in this counterfeit city. 'Cuz they push you up just to pull you down. They pour on lies to watch you drown in this call you back town."
The greatest part of Catherine's music is her lyrical songwriting.
Dierks Bentley has released his new album, Up On The Ridge.
The new album brings a wonderful change of sound to the all-acoustic bluegrass and roots side of the spectrum. The change is very welcome and quite refreshing.
If the change of sound wasn't enough to get you jumping for joy (like it did for me), then maybe the nice collection of guest artists here will. Dierks rounds up assistance from The Punch Brothers, Del McCoury, and Chris Thile; featured vocals of Kris Kristofferson, as well as Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson teaming up on "Bad Angel".
The one track on this album that quite surprised me was the cover of the U2 song, "Pride (in the name of love)". I'm normally skeptical about covers of well-known songs, but with this one, the bluegrass style brings a nice change.
Take a listen to a few of the highlights from this album:
Up On The Ridge:
Senor (tales of Yankee power) with the Punch Brothers & Chris Thile:
With Jewel’s latest release comes a bit more of a pop-y flavor, with a touch of country – including a hint of fiddle & mandolin.
While some of the melodies may be standard mainstream fare, the lyrics are all pure Jewel (even one not written by her). Thankfully, she’s able to intersperse the more pop-y flavored songs with the countrified ones to make a very nice, cohesive compilation - some being a bit sweet, some a bit on the wild side.
The combination of the ‘Sweet’ and the “Wild” here makes me think of the latest release from Laura Bell Bundy, “Achin’ and Shakin’” , where half of the album was a “heartbreak” tone and the other half was upbeat, “dancin’” tone – and it turned into a bit of a bi-polar album that seemed out of place. With “Sweet & Wild”, Jewel takes that same type of concept, but intersperses the songs to make a much more cohesive unit.
Take a listen to some of the songs:
Fading:
Bad as it gets:
Stay here forever:
Ten:
"Sweet & Wild" will be released on June 8th. Be sure to pick this one up
Got a new album at the station this week from an artist I hadn't heard of previously.
Her name is Teea Goans (TEE-uh GO-uhnz), and her sound is all Country music - not what the occasional listener thinks "Country" is these days. There's no "mainstream" about it. If you like fiddles, steel guitars, and a twang - this will bring a smile to your face.
The album brings back some classics, like Ernest Tubb's "Walking The Floor Over You", along with Willie Nelson's "I m Still Not Over You", Merle Haggard's "I Didn t Mean To Love You", Bill Anderson's "Walk Out Backwards", and more. But there's one song that you definitely need to take a listen to. It's the album finale - "Letter From God". Also, "Made for loving you" is a duet with Dan Tyminski.
It always makes me smile when I hear new music from mainstream country artists who are able to keep a hint of the "country" in their music.
Thus is the case with Chely Wright and her new release, Lifted Off The Ground. It's been five years since Chely has put out a new album, but it seems that she hasn't changed what got her to where she is today. With this album, you get a touch of the mainstream mixed with a touch of the country, and definitely ALL Chely - including writing all of the songs on the album, with one of them co-written by Rodney Crowell.
It's not much of a surprise to hear the country sounds when you see that the album was produced by Rodney Crowell. In fact, Rodney even makes an appearance on the second track, "heavenly days".
The album, as a whole, is a great compilation of melodies, lyrics, and production. Take a listen to some of the standout tracks:
Heavenly Days:
Notes to the coroner:
That Train:
Damn Liar:
Shadows of a doubt:
This album should be a 'must' for your albums to get this year. It's on my Top 5 of 2010 list so far.
Martie Maguire and Emily Robison – the sisters that make up the new duo known as the Court Yard Hounds – aren’t newcomers to the music industry. In fact, they’re quite well-known. Country fans will know them as 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks.
Yes, there are going to be all kinds of comparisons to the Dixie Chicks, but that wouldn’t do justice to the purity of this album. Yes, the music is similar to the Dixie Chicks’ style, but it’s still quite different without Natalie’s distinct lead vocals. The Court Yard Hounds have a mellower sound, with a little more highlight on the instrumentation.
Emily takes the lead singer duties and was the songwriter on every song except for "Gracefully," which Martie wrote and also sings. There’s also a pleasant surprise with the addition of Jakob Dylan’s guest vocals on “See you in the spring”. The voices blend quite well.
Take a listen to some of the songs: The Coast:
Delight (Something new under the sun):
See You In The Spring (ft Jakob Dylan):
Gracefully:
It didn’t make a sound:
This is a great ‘debut’ for two ladies who have been in this business for a long time. Be sure to check it out.
A duo of Dixies are howling as “Hounds” (and doing it extraordinarily well). Sisters Martie & Emily of the Dixie Chicks have a new album out tomorrow (without Natalie) and call themselves the Court Yard Hounds. So far, reviews I’ve seen are mixed, however, I do enjoy their sound. I’m also pleased to see the two are getting a bit of recognition for themselves. As the Dixie Chicks, they’re usually overshadowed by Natalie most of the time.
I'm working on an album review right now and it should be up soon.
A little more music talk includes a little Q&A with Melissa, and a new album for Toni Braxton. I’ll admit that I’m only a semi-casual fan of Toni’s music, as I have enjoyed a few of her songs through the years (“breathe again”, “unbreak my heart”, and “he wasn’t man enough for me”). This new album is pretty decent. A few songs that I enjoy from this one include “yesterday”, “hands tied”, “wardrobe” and “hero”. Be sure to check it out.
Another album that’s out tomorrow, but I haven’t had a chance to listen to yet is Chely Wright’s new one, “lifted off the ground”. Can’t wait to hear that one!
Right now, I'm listening to Merle Haggard's new album, "I am what I am", which is being released on April 20th.
The title succinctly sums up this man and his music. What you get in the new album is exactly what you've heard from him throughout the years. It's what you'd expect from the man whose music has been wonderfully simplistic in melody and lyrics - and wonderfully "Country" in its feel. Steel guitars, dobros, fiddles... this album has it all.
As usual, Merle's lyrics don't pull punches. There are drinkin' songs, train songs, Texas swing songs, and great 'real-life' songs.
At the moment, my favorite song from the album is "How did you find me here?" -- "I thought I could do it; all of it. All by myself. I thought I could win every round. Then I hit rock bottom, the blues I got 'em. Lifted me out of my beer. How did you find me here?"
Another favorite is the opening track, "I've seen it go away." -- "I've seen it in its pride and all its glory. I've seen it through the bars on a dark & stormy day. I've seen it from on high through the tears I've had to cry. Sad part is, I've seen it go away."
The title track wraps up this wonderful compilation with a reflective look at life -- "I'm just a seeker. I'm just a sinner. And I am what I am."
Take a listen to a few of the songs: "I've seen it go away"
"How did you find me here"
"I am what I am"
"Bad actor"
Yes, the title says it well. This is The Hag - and he is what he is.
If you love pure, real country music - this one is a must-have for your music collection. Be sure to pick this one up for a listen.
I was just taking a look at some of the upcoming album releases, and there are a number of great ones on the horizon. Let's make a list & check them twice:
This week: Jakob Dylan - Women & Country
April 13th: Carrie Rodriguez - Love & Circumstance Laura Bell Bundy - Achin' & Shakin'
April 20th: Willie Nelson - Country Music Merle Haggard - I am what I am David Ball - Sparkle City Shelby Lynne - Tears, Lies & Alibis
April 27th: Mary Chapin Carpenter - the age of miracles Melissa Etheridge - fearless love
May 4th: Court Yard Hounds (2/3 of the Dixie Chicks) - self titled Chely Wright - Lifted off the ground
May 18th: Mary Gauthier - The foundling
Later on this summer, Sheryl Crow is scheduled to release "100 miles from Memphis" on July 20th. It's supposed to be a funky R&B/Soul feeling album. something a bit different from her.
Are there any others on your list that you're looking forward to hearing?
There are many days where I'm thankful for being in the radio business. Most times it's because I've 'discovered' some great music from an artist I had not previously heard of.
Thus was the case yesterday.
I got an email from a music PR company with a list of various artists they're currently promoting. Among the list was a duo with the name Madison Violet. What caught my eye was that their music was listed under the "roots country" category. Well, that's sure to perk my ears up in a heartbeat. So, of course, I needed to do a little research and music preview.
Yep. I'm sure you can tell that there's a big smile on my face.
Madison Violet is a Canadian duo composed of singer-songwriters Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac. What threw me the most is that they're not 'new'. They have, in fact, already released four albums: a self-titled EP in 2002; Worry The Jury in 2004; Caravan in 2006; and No Fool For Trying was released last year. It's a shame that I hadn't been aware of last year's album, or it would have made my Top-15 of 2009 list.
I had to laugh at a review I read about their last album -- "If Lucinda Williams was shagging Gillian Welch and had a collective love-child with Steve Earle, their offspring might sound a little bit like Madison Violet's new album No Fool For Trying." -- Now how could you not enjoy their music when given that description?
They’re a very rare species: Those music artists whose legacy transcends all genres.
Johnny Cash, The Man in Black, is at the top of that list of rare species. His legions of followers weren’t limited to the Country music genre; They were as diverse as you could find – from hip-hop to gospel, as well as everything in between and everything beyond.
Today, Friday, February 26th, would have been Johnny’s 78th birthday. The day is celebrated with the release of a new album of Cash’s final recordings, American VI: Ain’t No Grave. It’s a collection of 10 songs amongst those that Johnny recorded following the death of his beloved wife, June Carter Cash. As always, the music on this new album showcases Johnny’s commanding baritone voice, which by this time in his life was a bit frail. However, you’re still able to hear the strength and authority that his voice always seemed to command throughout the years.
It’s that same strength and authority that makes the lyrics to the songs on this album resonate even more powerfully. “Ain’t no grave”, “redemption day”, “I don’t hurt anymore”, “I Corinthians 15:55”, and “can’t help but wonder where I’m bound” all bring the impression of a man at a crossroads (or the end of his life) with his head held high, and ready for whatever fate comes his way. The songs are all backed with a sparse instrumentation, making the sound even more raw and fitting in well with his voice.
Redemption Day is a song by Sheryl Crow, which she had on her self-titled album in 1996. After hearing Sheryl’s version many, many times throughout the years, I’m pleased to note that Johnny’s version is also quite striking. Listen to Redemption Day
Cool Water is a song that I associate with the Sons of the Pioneers, as it was their vinyl record from my dad’s collection that I’d play many times growing up. Other classics which I grew up on that are covered in this album include For the Good Times, and Satisfied Mind. It’s great to hear Johnny’s voice on them this time around.
I Corinthians 15:55 is a Cash original, and shows that he never lost his musical writing touch.
Aloha Oe is a surprising close to this compilation. One wouldn’t think of the legend of Cash going off with a Hawaiian farewell, yet after listening to the full album, I realize that it is indeed the perfect picture of Johnny’s farewell: the Man in Black going off into the sunset. Listen to Aloha Oe
If you're a Dixie Chicks fan, you'll be excited to hear that sisters Martie & Emily have teamed up (without Chicks' lead singer Natalie Maines) to record a new album under the name of the Court Yard Hounds. The music is quite similar to what Chicks fans are used to hearing, without Natalie's distinct vocals. It's a nice change to actually hear their voices as something more than just background harmony for Natalie.
The new Court Yard Hounds album is now available for pre-order (in the US - for now) at their official website. You can also preview their music there as well . With your pre-order, you will be able to download 4 album tracks immediately.
