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Tracks:
It's
The Whiskey That Eases The Pain, Sunday With My Son, The Writer,
Sinner, This Weary Way, I Wouldn't Live In Harlan County, When
It's, Raining After Midnight, In The Mountains, My Last Bottle
of Wine, Crash On The Highway, Since Jesus Came Into My Heart,
What I Really Need Is You, Folsom Prison Blues.
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Growing
up on a tobacco farm in Crane's Nest, Kentucky in the 30's and
40's, music was always an integral part of his life, but he
often kept his talents to himself. It was on the West
Coast,
at 40 years old, that Wayne finally put a band together and
began
playing
in dusty taverns and roadhouses all over California.
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He
played the West Coast circuit for almost twenty years and wrote
songs the entire time. But he never played his own songs in public.
He gave the crowds what they wanted to hear and what he was paid
to play hits the audience knew and could dance to. Now, at the age
of 71, his son, Darryll Scott(also a songwriter/recording artist)
has finally got him to record an album of his own songs and "This
Weary Way" is the result. Incredibly, this is Wayne's debut
album! |
Four
themes fill his stories - work, family, church and music -
in that order and you will hear an excellent endorsement of
that fact, from a man who despite his age, still has a fine
voice for the songs he writes.
Joined
on this album by such luminaries as; Guy Clark & Tim O'Brien,
the songs which, were recorded in different locations including
half in his son Darryll's living room and one in his own,
are a pure delight to listen to, with sparse, acoustic backing,
from excellent musician's, Dirk Powell, Casey Driessen, Dan
Dugmore, Danny Thompson, Darrell Scott, and many others..
Apparently,
he doesn't understand why his son got him to make this album.
When you listen to it, you will know!! Although 71 years old,
I hope this will be the first of many from, a man who doesn't
know just how good he is!! One of my top albums of 2006!!
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Metro
Country Rating: 10/10
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| LANTANA |
UNBRIDLED
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Tracks:
Country as a city girl can be, Ride 'Em Cowboy, I Ain't Your Jailer,
The Juice ain't Worth The Squeeze, No Trespassin', Everything, You
Know How It Is, Let Somebody Love You, Give, Roll With The Changes,
Savin' It Up For Saturday Night, What Turns Me On, Feel Like Rockin'. |
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Lantana(a
hardy Texas flower) are an all female group from Texas, consisting
of Biz Haddock, Karol Ann DeLong and Dalene Richelle(formally
from Canada but now living in Texas), with stunning good looks
that equal their top drawer vocal abilities!
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Although all the girls write, there is only one self penned tune
on here but, the song(The Juice Ain't Worth The Squeeze) is one
of the best tracks on the album.
Don't expect too much traditional country from these girls, at
least not on this CD, instead, a more eclectic mix, as they visit
traditional, bluegrass, country/rock, country/pop and pop ballad's.
Throughout the album the musicianship is outstanding, with multi-instrumentalist
Bobby Flores contributing his many talent's well. As are the girls
vocals, with the only let down, for a country music fan, being
some of the material. If your taste in music varies well outside
of country then, I think, you will like this debut album, from
a talented girl band who are looking to find their feet in this
music business.
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Metro
Country Rating: 7/10
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HERMANN
LAMMERS MEYER .......................................YESTERDAY
ONCE MORE
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Tracks;
San Antonio Rose, Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, Silver Wings,
Yellow Rose Of Texas, Today I Started Loving You Again, Yesterday
Once More, The Bottle Let Me Down, The Wild Side Of Life, If You're
Gonna Play In Texas, Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be
Cowboy's, Truck Driving Man. Bonus Track: The Old Bear.
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A
new release from this genial, German artist, is always welcome
when it comes popping through my letterbox and once again, Hermann
has gone over to Nashville to employ the services of some of their
top musician's.
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As is usual on most of his recording's........... although a highly
proficient pedal steel guitarist himself.......... he employs
the services of renowned, Nashville, steel guitarist, Buddy Emmons,
along with Buddy Spicher & Rob Hajacos on fiddle, Hargus "Pig"
Robbins on piano and Terry McMillan on Harmonica, just to name
a...... mouth watering......few.
There
are 13 tracks on the cd, with 12 of them being his most requested
songs on the road. There are covers from Willie Nelson, Bob Wills(Cindy
Walker), Hank Williams, Hank Thompson, Ed Bruce and 3 from my
own favourite artist, Merle Haggard, while the title track was
a hit for Moe Bandy.
Marion
Möhring joins Hermann for a duet on Haggard's "The Bottle
Let Me Down" and The Callaways, once again, provide excellent
backing vocals. The bonus track is a H.L.M original called "The
Old Bear", a wonderful monologue, presented only as the man
can! Brilliant!!
Excellently
produced by the man himself, along with Tom Kawai, "Yesterday
Once More" is a very enjoyable CD of country music classic's,
excellently performed by this talented, German artist!!
Metro
Country Rating; 9/10
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Website:
www.hermannlammersmeyer.de/
E:mail: hermann.l.meyer@freenet.de
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NATALIE
STOVALL ...................................................LATE
NIGHT CONVERSATIONS
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Tracks:
Intro, Everytime You're With Me, This Time, You're The Reason, I
Needed You, Stronger, If I Run To You Now, Who's That Other Man,
Better, Like Nothing Else, What Can I Do, No Other, Maybe I'm Amazed,
Angel (For Granny) |
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Although
in her early twenties, Natalie is no newcomer to the country music
scene. She has lived in Nashville all her life and has made a
living in the industry one way or another since she was five years
old. As a child performer in the Opryland Kid's Club she had the
opportunity to
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perform on such programs as the Oprah Winfrey Show, Nashville
Now, Crook and Chase and even performed solo on the Grand Ole
Opry.
This,
her second album, contains a very generous 14 tracks, 11 of
which are self penned. The album, although rooted in Country
music, contains an eclectic mix of styles, ranging from Country
to Blues, from Soul to Pop and more or less anything in-between.
An album for traditional Country music fan's, this is not, but,
if you're taste in the music is varied, then read on.
The
opening track is a 40 second "Intro" taken from track
#2 that, has Natalie's vocal going into an echo effect, which
I personally, found very odd, but then, others may differ. A
very strange track indeed and one that had me wondering what
was coming next but, as I listened on, I realised that it was
just a blip on an otherwise, very good album!
"If I Run To You Now" made the top fifty in November
of last year on the "New Music Weekly" radio charts
and though it's a good song, the standout track for me, has
to be the self penned, "You're The Reason", a very
radio friendly track with a soulful rhythm and a very catchy
melody that, I'm sure, could be a big crossover hit if released
as a single!
A
surprise for me was a version of Paul McCartney's "Maybe
I'm Amazed", but what an incredible job she does of the
song! Not country but, I like it, and I'm sure Sir Paul would
too if he heard it (maybe he already has?) It's a song he wrote
(about his wife Linda) in 1969 just after "The Beatles"
broke up and was included on his first solo album.
All
in all, "Late Night Conversations" is a very good
album, but I would advise that you pay a visit to Natalie's
website where you can hear some clips of it first before you
part with your money as, it is not all Country music!
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Metro
Country Rating: 8/10
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MISS
MARY ANN
AND THE RAGTIME WRANGLERS - ROCK IT ON DOWN TO MY
HOUSE
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Tracks;
Low
Man On A Totempole, Groovesville, Homebrew Hooch, Groover's
Bop, I Can't Stand It, Blue Smoke, Town Hall Shuffle,The Manhunt,
Guy did Get My Bread, Hop Scotch, Black Mountain Rag, Bronco
Boogie, West Indies Groove.
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Mary Ann is a Founding member of Western Swing/Rockabilly act 'The
Ranch Girls', a very popular duo who have played all over the world.
Now living in London, she has now gone solo but, still uses "Ranch
Girls" backing band from Rotterdam, 'The Ragtime Wranglers',
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musicians
who have also been the favourite accompanists of no-one less than:
Sid King, Hardrock Gunter, Curtis Gordon, the Collins Kids, Marvin
Rainwater, Jack Earls, Barbara Pittman, Janis Martin and many
more . . . . .
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The
album consists of mainly Rockabilly music but, there is some Country
on here too, including an excellent version of Faron Young's "Forget
About The Past" There's also a nice version of Marty Robbins'
"I Can't Quit" and the title track, "Don't stop
The Music". I also like her excellent version of Orville
Couch's "Easy does It".
A
class album that should be on the shopping list of all fans of
this genré of music!!
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Metro
Country Rating: 8/10
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Tracks:
Take
To The Water, Hickory Wind, Going To California, I Can't Understand
Why, Here Come The Memories, Old Man As He Walks Out The Door.
Floyd Johnson, Blue Blue Heaven, Ain't No Ash Will Burn, Pretty
Peggie-o, Red-Winged Blackbird, Bonus Track; Hickory Wind(Acoustic)
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Mockingbird,
is the fourth recording from Sally Spring, a singer/songwriter
who was a folk-rock legend of the New York/Los Angeles music scene
during the 70s and early 80s. The album features contribution's
from Tift Merritt, Marshall Crenshaw, Caitlin Cary (Tres Chicas,
Whiskeytown), Thad Cockrell and Gene
Parsons (the Byrds), who writes; "I
met Sally Spring about thirty years ago while touring through
the South. I was taken by her wonderful voice, her gentle and
soulful approach to song, her guitar and I was taken particularly
with Sally as a person. Her vocal phrasing is unique and pleasing
with a voice so rich and full that there is always more to discover
as you listen over and over. She was fantastic thirty years ago
but now she has even more depth and maturity in her performance.
She is a treasure." -- Gene Parsons (Byrds)
11
tracks, 8 of which are self penned, but although Sally's songwriting
is excellent, the standout track, for me, has to be her 'killer',
version of the old Gram Parsons classic, "Hickory Wind".
The song, disputatiously penned by Gram with "New Christy
Minstral" Bob Buchanan, features backing vocals from Gene
Parsons and Tift Merritt and is the best version of the song that
I've heard since Gram himself! There is also an equally excellent,
'acoustic' version of the song included as a 'bonus' track, making
12 tracks in all.
Sally's
70's roots are evident throughout the album, as she weaves effortlessly,
between Folk, Folk/Rock, Country and Country/Rock, all the while
adding a contemporary feel, and her wonderfully rich vocals are
a pure delight to listen to!
Highly
recommended!!
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Metro
Country Rating: 10/10
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STEVE
LARKMAN - WORD GAMES
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Tracks;
A Bad Time To Stop Loving Me, A Chance To Prove My Love,
Don't Stop In My World, Don't Let Me Go, I Wish I'd Never Asked,
Hard To Say Goodbye, A World Of Love, No Love But Your Love, Another
Morning, Love Was What We Had, Word Games, We Love But Once.
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Steve
Larkman is primarily, a pop/rock musician, vocalist and songwriter
but, his recent association with Jeffrey Krugar has found him
trying his luck with the country music market.
Although
a songwriter, Steve has chosen to record other writer's material
for this album but, as I listen, there is very little that sounds
country. But that isn't to say that "Word Games" is
a bad album, it certainly isn't and I think that there is plenty
on here to interest the country music listener, especially here
in the UK, where a more liberal look at the music is taken.
The
more country sounding song's on here include, "I Wish I'd
Never Asked", a song written by country music writer Ray
Griff, and Ray Pennington, also a country music writer, provides
the lively and very catchy "Don't Stop In My World"
Stand out
track's for me include, the above mentioned plus, I also like
the very catchy title track "Word Games".
Steve's vocals
are faultless and the production throughout is of a very high
standard. A very good album for the more eclectic listener that,
I would have given a higher rating had there been more country
music content!
Metro
Country Rating: 7/10
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Website:
www.stevelarkman.com
E:Mail:
info@stevelarkman.com |
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JONNY
WILLIAMS
- THE REAL THING
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Tracks:
The Real Thing, Hank Williams Medley (Setting
the woods on fire, Mind your own business, honky tonk blues, why
don't you love me), Honey Hush , I Still
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Someone, Hung Up On You, Sweet Talk and Good Lies, There Stands
The Glass, Crying Time, Storybook Endings, What Made Milwaukee Famous,
All Over Again, Golden Ring |
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One
of the U.K's most popular solo artist's with a collection of well
sung covers. Most will be familiar, while there are also some
lesser covered songs on here such as; G Jones' "Honey Hush"
and the 'probably' unheard of "Hung Up On You", written
and recorded by Pop/Country-Rockers 'Fountains Of Wayne'. A good
song!! Maria Futter joins Jonny for a credible version of the
Jones/Wynette classic "Golden Ring" and I am also pleased
to see a Heather Myles song on here as she is a very popular touring
artist in the U.K. Johnny does a very credible version of her
"Sweet Talk And Good Lies".
It's
not too difficult to see why Jonny is so popular as, he has a
very pleasing vocal style.
A
very well produced album!!
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Metro
Country Rating 7/10
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Website:
www.jonnywilliams.co.uk/
E:Mail: jonnywilliamscountry@yahoo.co.uk
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