Rolling Country 2009 Thread

My own Nashville Scene Ballot. Reissues were tough to come by this year. I was interested in that Dolly Parton box set, but have put off buying it for now. The John Rich single probably would have been #11. As for albums, just missing the cut were Holly Williams, Boxmasters and Eric Church.

TOP TEN COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2009:

1.Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night
2.Miranda Lambert - Revolution
3.Buddy & Julie Miller - Written In Chalk
4.Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel - Willie & The Wheel
5.Elvis Costello - Secret Profane and Sugarcane
6.Flatlanders - Hills & Valleys
7.Otis Gibbs - Grandpa Walked A Picketline
8.John Anderson - Bigger Hands
9.Dailey & Vincent - Brothers from Different Mothers
10.Phosphorescent - To Willie

TOP TEN COUNTRY SINGLES OF 2009:

1. Brad Paisley - Welcome to the Future
2.Taylor Swift - You Belong To Me
3.Flatlanders - Homeland Refugee
4.Zac Brown Band - Toes
5.Miranda Lambert - White Liar
6.Keith Urban - Kiss A Girl
7.Darius Rucker - Alright
8.Billy Currington - People are Crazy
9.Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
10.Carrie Underwood - I Told You So

TOP FIVE COUNTRY REISSUES OF 2009:

1.Elvis Presley - From Elvis In Memphis
2.Jayhawks - Anthology
3.Leon McAuliffe - Tulsa Straight Ahead
4.Woody Guthrie - My Dusty Road
5. Randy Travis - Inspirational Hits of

Assuming anybody's still out there, here are a couple country-related issues that have been raised on other threads in the past week or so; might make sense to pick them up here. Or then again, might not.

In the middle of a Kentucky Headhunters discussion started by George:

Rolling Past Expiry Hard Rock 2009

it's still kind of amazing in retrospect that the Headhunters actually ever had country hits. Weirder still: 1990, when that live set was recorded, would have been exactly in the smack-dab middle of their commercial prime, between '89's Pickin' On Nashville (which I've never heard) and '91's Electric Barynard (which is a good record, but not nearly as boogie-rocking as the live album.) Makes me curious about when country music videos and CMT actually may have nudged butt-ugly acts off the air (which, wow, might be an obvious parallel to what had happened with MTV in respect to '80s rock radio.)

― xhuxk, Tuesday, 1 December 2009 16:31

Arising out of a mostly typically frursratingly ignorant discussion of Toby Keith and whether current commercial country is worthless or not:

Btw is there any modern country employing virtuoso steel pedal players and fiddlers?

― Adam Bruneau, Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Can't think of many current fiddle or pedal steel virtuosos on the country charts (though ha ha, Keith Urban and Brad Paisely are real good guitar players.) There are tons of crack sessionmen in Nashville, obviously; just not sure how much space they're given on actual albums. (Paisley hands over space on most of his albums to some old-style jamming. But I can't think of the last big virtuoso bluegrass crossover -- Ricky Skaggs, maybe? And he was a while ago. Of course people like the Dixie Chicks have crossed from the bluegrass world, though I'm not sure to what extent they'd be considered virtuosos. But I tend to virtuosophobic, so maybe I'm neglecting somebody obvious.)

― xhuxk, Tuesday, November 24, 2009

toby keith's 'american ride' video

Good point, re: ugliness, from George:

In the hit-with-the-ugly-stick department, don't see how the Headhunters have anything on Zac Brown or Jamey Johnson.

And there were probably some unpretty rock guys who survived MTV's great early '80s Foghat purge too, come to think of it -- most obviously ZZ Top, I guess, though they learned to make a joke out of it. (Actually, though, I do suspect country still has more tolerance for ugliness than popular rock or pop have in the past 25 years or so.)

So I just figured out (after hearing it several hundred times, probably) which '80s pop records Brooks & Dunn's "Ain't Nothing 'Bout You" from 2001 sounds like. Frank has always said Londonbeat, which may well be possible (haven't heard them in ages), but what I hear now is "Midnight Blue" by Lou Gramm in the rhythm, and, uh, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley in the melody. At least that's what I heard when I heard it on the radio this morning. Next time might be different.

So when are other folks besides jetfan going to post their country favorites of the year here? I've been relistening to albums after all the past couple days -- Mac McAnally, Ashley Monroe, Tim Carroll, Rufus Huff (see Rolling Hard Rock for more new discussion of that record), Blackberry Smoke, Megan Munroe, and Charlie Robison all hold up better than I'd expected. Eric Church bored me more than I thought he would. All of which means there'll be stiff competition for the lower rungs of my ballot top ten -- a lot of those albums seem neck-and-neck, quality-wise. Also, I somehow missed including Those Darlins above; probably they belong in my top 20. Seriously doubt they'll make Top 10, though.

Haven't heard some of the albums that jetfan listed. Tried the John Anderson a few months back, and I'm a fan, but it struck me as pretty subpar; definitely thought his version of "Shuttin Detroit Down" didn't match John Rich's. And I think I gave cursory listens to those Buddy & Julie Miller and Otis Gibbs albums, or a few tracks on each of each anyway, way back at the beginning of the year, and they struck me as really drab. But maybe I should've given them more time; who knows.

the Buddy & Julie Miller was pimped by a lot of friends, and, yeah, it bored me too. Well-intentioned, etc.

And relistening to Those Darlins now after a few months not, their routine is hitting me as more irritating than fun. Good chance that's also how I'll feel about the King Khan and BBQ Show in six months. At the permalink below I try to explain why I think their new album isn't worthless, after which George and Scott set me straight (and George points out that they're touring with the other band in this paragraph):

Rolling Past Expiry Hard Rock 2009

So yeah, as much as I like the idea of Those Darlins, truth is they just sound too tinny and thin (at least on record, but in most live clips I've watched too) to manage the wild and raucous stomping their songs clearly strive for. You could blame that on production budget, except that white country blues guys like Charlie Poole and Frank Hutchison (whose "Cannonball Blues" they cover) somehow managed to get a raucousness into their sound that Those Darlins don't --- even though those guys were limited to the recording technology of the '20s or '30s (Alternately, play Those Darlins' "DUI Or Die" against either Bo Diddley's or the Dolls' version of "Pills" -- which it basically rewrites. They're not even close to the same league. I wish they were.)

New Xgau CG -- Honorable mentions for Joe Nichols and Black Crowes ("Finally the lyricism their South deserves--sometimes even the songs" hmmm -- haven't heard it, but now I'm at least slightly curious); Big Dud for new Skynyrd though he says one cut would make a decent Darius Rucker B-side (haven't heard that either); handful of choice cuts from Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift ("Jump and Fall" -- zzzz), and, surprise, Toby Keith -- "Ballad Of Balad" (which is pretty awesome actually, middle-eastern tinge on up, and would've been a "bus song" in earlier days) plus the smooth-jazzed eulogy for Wayman Tisdale (which is kinda sweet).

http://music.msn.com/music/consumerguide/

(Link will switch to a new guide next month, like always)

The 9513 is listing their top 100 Country albums of the decade:

http://www.the9513.com/top-country-albums-of-the-decade-100-91/

Looking over the list so far, I realize I have no Dale Watson CD's in my collection, yet I've always wanted to buy something by him. I've heard enough to be curious, but years pass and I forget about him. Still, I'm intersted in the 2006 album that the 9513 site ranks.

Have barely skimmed their list, but I assume that'd be Whiskey Or God? That's from 2006, anyway, and it's the one I'd vouch for -- made by Nashville Scene list, and almost my Pazz & Jop, that year. I've heard a couple others by him, though, that'd didn't quite cut it.

Yeah, it's Whiskey or God. I think I'm going to go look for a used copy of it. Has me intrigued. Thanks.

They've also got From the Cradle to the Grave on there.

I'm really liking Keith Urban's 'Til Summer Comes Around.

I think it's his strongest single from his new album, which I haven't felt compelled to play much.

Yeah, I thought it was the best song on the album, which I haven't felt compelled to play at all since I reviewed it for the Voice when it came out. The previous singles have done absolutely nothing for me.

In other news, I think I have my Nasvhille Scene ballot figured out, but I'm procrastinating on sending it in, in case anybody posts lists here containing songs or albums (or better yet, songwriters) that somehow have slipped my mind. Sadly, that seems increasingly unlikely at this point. But I'll give it a couple more days, I guess.

I think my end of the year singles would go something like this.

1. A Little More Country Than That - Easton Corbin
2. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
3. Living For The Night - George Strait
4. Satisfied - Ashley Monroe
5. People Are Crazy - Billy Currington
6. Seven Vern Gosdins Ago - Darren Kozelsky
7. Do I - Luke Bryan
8. I Told You So - Carrie Underwood
9. White Liar - Miranda Lambert
10. Things To Do In Wichita - Mark Chesnutt

Also really enjoying these albums;
Sarah Darling 'Every Monday Morning'
Owen Temple's 'Dollars and Dimes'
Kirsty Lee Akers 'Better Days'

Listening to Darius Rucker's singles is odd. Sometimes he lets Hootie out and it's almost laughable. Not that I dismiss his attempts at country simply because he was in Hootie and the Blowfish. In songs like It won't be like This For Long, he fits right in with lots of new country's family themed songs. I'm actually getting tired of this theme in country singles. I think something hurting him is the lyrics can be long winded. Maybe I don't want a song to spell the whole story out to me.
I also just listened to Jamey Johnson's High Cost Of Living. I'm surprised at it's honesty and forthrightness. Does it get played on G.A.C. or CMT? A new outlaw country? In Colors was one of my favorite singles of last year.

It won't be like This For Long, he fits right in with lots of new country's family themed songs. I'm actually getting tired of this theme in country singles

And even more so, the whole pervasive "You're Gonna Miss This"/"Don't Blink" theme. Those three songs have been making my wife want to throw the car radio out the window all year because, she says, if they're enjoying the present as much as they say they are, how come they're so obsessed with how they'll be thinking about it in the future?

No idea if "High Cost" gets played on the video channels (which I only see when I happen to be in a hotel room, which isn't often.) I've only heard it on the radio one time (documented upthread somewhere, I think.)

So when are other folks besides jetfan going to post their country favorites of the year here?

I'm going to start cramming albums now; was working on a piece for the Las Vegas Weekly that I thought was due today so everything else got ignored including relatives' birthdays. Turned out that the piece is put off for a week (and I'm keeping my fingers crossed) but I'm treating it as done - LVW is owned by Greenspµn Media Group, which just laid off over 40 writers across a range of publications including the Las Vegas Sun. This is not good. The editor of LVW does care about writing quite a lot, so I hope something survives...

I'm skeptical I'll ever stay awake through an entire Brad Paisley album, but will give this one a chance. Played the Collin Raye earlier in the year and liked the voice and the sound a lot but wasn't connecting to many of the tunes. Will definitely spin it again. Love the Borges single, which sounded new wave, but the album stalled, but should try it again too. Thought the Holly Williams album had four solid tracks and the rest was blah but that might be enough to make my list, and I'll give her another twirl. Singer-songwriter leanings. Oh yeah, and there's Taylor Swift, whom nobody talks about anymore: I've had the Platinum Edition of her last year's album atop my country albums list as a placeholder - she's 3 for 6 on the new tracks, the best of which, "Come In With The Rain," has been floating around the Web for two years, the second best is an acoustic version of a song already on the album, and the second worst was chosen as the single; for Taylor 3 for 6 is not a good percentage and the new tracks are basically just an excuse for me to reassess the album, 'cause I fundamentally missed the boat on it last year, though did give it third place.). Second on my list is Ashley Monroe's Satisfied which was in the can for three years before getting an official release, and that was digital only. Might vote an EP of hers too, if it's this year.

Got scads of songs on my singles list, however, despite barely listening to country radio all year.

new tracks are basically just an excuse for me to reassess the album, 'cause I fundamentally missed the boat on it last year

I put her seventh on my Nashville Scene ballot last year, and she deserved better, and she was never not on the radio or in the media this year. But Fearless still feels like 2008 not 2009 to me, and I'm going to keep it that way. Which is unfair to Taylor since I'm considering Lady Gaga 2009 for Pazz & Jop purposes, but then again I barely noticed Gaga's exitence in 2008, so there's a difference. Also, Taylor is guaranteed to make plenty of my non-album Scene lists. So it's not like I'm leaving her to flap all by herself out in the wind. She'll do fine in life without being on my album ballot, I'm sure.

Toby's Wayman Tisdale song sounded better than I would've predicted over the car radio today, but maybe I just like smooth jazz. Also heard, for the second time, "Bonfire" by Craig Morgan (#5 on the country chart as we speak), which is basically an imitation of Jason Aldean pretending to be Bad Company. Still don't like it much, though.

"Need You Know" by Lady Antebellum is coming into my room from my housemate's radio. Seriously dope song imo.

My Nashville Scene ballot (which I just filed):

TOP TEN COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2009:

1. Collin Raye – Never Going Back (Time Life)
2. Brad Paisley – American Saturday Night (Arista Nashville)
3. Mac McAnally – Down By The River (Show Dog Nashville)
4. Ashley Monroe – Satisfied (Sony)
5. Miranda Lambert – Revolution (Columbia Nashville)
6. Pat Green – What I’m For (BNA)
7. Tim Carroll – All Kinds Of Pain (Gulcher)
8. Charlie Robison – Beautiful Day (Dualtone)
9. Megan Munroe – One More Broken String (Diamond)
10. Rufus Huff – Rufus Huff (Zoho Roots)

TOP TEN COUNTRY SINGLES OF 2009:

1. Jamey Johnson – “High Cost Of Living”
2. Love and Theft – “Runaway”
3. John Rich – “Shuttin’ Detroit Down”
4. Sarah Buxton – “Space”
5. Rascal Flatts – “Summer Nights”
6. Caitlin & Will – “Even Now”
7. Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now”
8. The Flatlanders – “Homeland Refugee”
9. Phil Vassar – “Bobbi With An I”
10. Taylor Swift – “You Belong With Me”

TOP FIVE COUNTRY REISSUES OF 2009:

1. Richard Thompson – Walking On A Wire Discs One And Two (Shout! Factory promo)
2. Kentucky Headhunters – Live/Agora Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio May 13 1990 (Mercury)
3. (Various) – Winter Dance Party: 50th Anniversary Special: The Day The Music Died (El Toro)
4. The Scene Is Now – Burn All Your Records (Lexicon Devil)
5. 16 Horsepower – Secret South (Alternative Tentacles)

COUNTRY MUSIC’S THREE BEST MALE VOCALISTS OF 2009:

1. Collin Raye
2. Mac McAnally
3. Toby Keith

COUNTRY MUSIC’S THREE BEST FEMALE VOCALISTS OF 2009:

1. Taylor Swift
2. Ashley Monroe
3. Miranda Lambert

COUNTRY MUSIC’S THREE BEST SONGWRITERS OF 2009:

1. Taylor Swift
2. Chris Gaffney
3. Mac McAnally

COUNTRY MUSIC’S THREE BEST DUOS, TRIOS OR GROUPS OF 2009:

1. Rufus Huff
2. Blackberry Smoke
3. Brooks & Dunn

COUNTRY MUSIC’S THREE BEST NEW ACTS OF 2009:

1. Tim Carroll
2. Rufus Huff
3. Megan Munroe

COUNTRY MUSIC’S THREE BEST OVERALL ACTS OF 2009:

1. Taylor Swift
2. Collin Raye
3. Brad Paisley

Will probably put Martina McBride's Shine on my ballot. Warm voice, good tunes, nothing totally outstanding but I like every song and the rockers rock; choice cut would be rocker "Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong," co-written by (among others) Stephen Barker Liles of Love And Theft and Robert Ellis Orrall, who's had his hand in the first Taylor Swift album and the first and only Love And Theft album.

(Didn't mean to italicize that Love And Theft album; I doubt that Orrall had anything to do with the album entitled Love And Theft, just with the band. Btw, has anyone here heard the Love And Theft album?)(Which is called World Wide Open.) The other two writers of "Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong" are the Warren Brothers, whom I think Xhuxk once voted for.

I have no time to read this whole thread, so I will ask a quick question. I like George Strait and I like Dwight Yoakam. Can you offer me 3-5 male performers doing similarly trad/stone-face material? I don't want anything even slightly wannabe-rock/crossover-ish (I've already listened to Montgomery Gentry and I don't like them) or suburban housewife radio crap (Paisley, Chesney); nor do I want alt-country. I want old-school shit of the George Strait/George Jones/Dwight Yoakam/Buck Owens school, but by younger or lesser-known dudes. Many, many years ago I remember reading favorable reviews of a guy named Marty Brown. That's sort of the type of thing I'm looking for. Got anything for me?

Try Justin Townes Earl " The Good Life" or Midnight At The Movies" But you might think of him as alt country, I don't. John Anderson's new album "Bigger Hands" or his 2 disc anthology. Mark Chesnutt"s newish album might that "old school shit" feel you want.Vince Gill's "These Days" might be your best bet.

Though if I were you I would reconsider your feelings toward new country as just wannabe-rock/crossover suburban housewife radio crap. Go out to a honky tonk that plays radio country, ask someone to two step or waltz, dance to it, have a few beers with it. Hearing the music in the right context and it might open you up to hearing it different. Just saying.

This is what I've got for an expanded singles list, and I won't have time between now and Monday to rethink it much. Best year easy for singles since I've been doing the poll; a lot of these are unabashed dance numbers - possibly are a more typical reaction to the Great Recession than "Shuttin' Detroit Down" is.

1. Love And Theft "Runaway"
2. Jamey Johnson "High Cost Of Living"
3. Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me"
4. Sarah Buxton "Space"
5. Lady Antebellum "Need You Now"
6. Caitlin & Will "Even Now"
7. Sarah Borges And The Broken Singles "Do It For Free"
8. Taylor Swift "White Horse"
9. Brooks & Dunn f. Reba McEntire "Cowgirls Don't Cry"

10. Miranda Lambert "White Liar"
11. Jack Ingram "Barefoot And Crazy (Double Dog Dare Ya Mix)"
12. Rascal Flatts "Summer Nights"
13. Brad Paisley "Welcome To The Future"
14. Randy Houser "Boots On"
15. John Rich "Shuttin' Detroit Down"
16. Jamie O'Neal "Like A Woman"
17. Taylor Swift "Fifteen"
18. Kenny Chesney "Out Last Night"
19. David Nail "Red Light"

20. Dierks Bentley "Sideways"
21. The Parks "As Long As You're Going My Way"
22. Holly Williams "Keep The Change"
23. Phil Vassar "Bobbi With An I"
24. Collin Raye "Mid-Life Chrysler"
25. Flatlanders "Homeland Refugee"

(I have a strange way of dividing things into tens. I still haven't caught up on my lost sleep from earlier in the week, I guess.)

x-post to Unperson-- As for Strait-like recent artists (or neo-trad, at least), there's Chris Young (The Man I Want to Be) and Josh Turner (Everything Is Fine). Both of those guys get played on the radio, but aren't going for any rock crossover. From a few years back there was Mark Chestnutt's Savin' the Honky Tonk and Daryl Singletary's That's Why I Sing This Way. Then of course there's Dale Watson--all of his stuff fits the bill.

Serious business Youtube comments on Jamie Johnson's "High Cost of Living"

26 days clean now.... this song means more to me than most of you will ever know....always been a counrty fan but this is the truth

i love this song it reminds me of my mom she was on drugs...

I'm surprised at the enthusiasm for Brad Paisley on lists. He must have the most unintentionally fucked and annoying lyric of the year in his "Welcome to the Future" video: "Look around it's oh so clear/Wherever we were goin' well we're here" -- quick cut to idiot robot, two IED-maimed guys running on their spring feet, all of it framed like product placement.

If there's anyone who really screams for a cream pie to the face onstage and in front of the TV camera, it's Paisley. Big jangly guitars and magnificent airs swelling in the background. Glory, glory hallelujah.

I haven't quite ordered my list of favorites yet, but some that might make it (and I haven't seen mentioned much here):

Chuck Mead- Journeyman's Wager
Dailey & Vincent- Brothers From Different Mothers
Darryl Worley- Sounds Like Life
Dean Brody- Dean Brody
Patty Loveless- Mountain Soul II
Radney Foster- Revival

(Emphasis on much since I wouldn't be surprised if Xhuxk has already written on all of them.)

Just got Love And Theft's World Wide Open, and while I'm not one who concentrates on lyrics to the exclusion of everything, the words right at the start are rather inauspicious:

Roads, which one will I take
With this world wide open, this world wide open
Marks, which one will I make
With this world wide open, this world wide open

Also, every day is an open page, apparently, though I'd always thought it was a winding road. (According to Google, everyday is (1) a saturday, (2) a winding road, (3) a holiday, (4) a saturday soundtrack, (5) a day of thanksgiving lyrics, (6) a struggle lyrics, (7) a holiday calendar, (8) a saturday torrent, (9) a lifetime without you, and (10) a thanksgiving song. Every day spelled correctly is pretty much the same thing, though it's also a saturday trailer, a saturday ski movie, and a new day lyrics.)

Man, go away to San Antonio for a couple days, and the thread comes back from the dead. How 'bout that. Anyway, "briefly" (or maybe not):

-- Seems to me the obvious Stoneface that Phil should be seeking out might be Randy Travis; Old 8 x 10 and Storms Of Life from the '80s seem to generally acknowledged as his best albums, and they're definitely the best I've heard, though his one from '08 wasn't bad. Mark Chesnutt probably a good choice too; sounds good when I hear him on the radio, but I've never explored him much. Dale Watson more trad than those guys, and more wildass when he's not just leaden; I like Whiskey And God a lot, but maybe not stonefaced enough. Clint Black and Ricky Van Shelton might be boring enough, I dunno; I've never liked anything by either of them enough to pay close enough attention, but George Strait fans seem to like them sometimes. Among young guys, maybe Blaine Larsen, at least on his first album? (I like both his first and second, but Phil might think him too wimpy.) Jawn Anderson blows all these guys out of the water on about half of his albums (couldn't get into the new one), but he definitely has rock tendencies, and when he's good, he's no stoneface at all -- he likes to laugh a lot. (Also worth mentioning that I don't think Montgomery Gentry's rock leanings mean they're trying to "cross over" to anywhere -- well, maybe to aging rock fans, but even Strait does that at times. And Dwight Hokum is sometimes less a purist or a stoneface than he's given credit for. I always thought Marty Brown was dullsville, though I'm not sure how much time I ever gave him. And I've long been on record as a skeptic when it comes to country stonefaces, so maybe I'm not the best person to ask.)

-- I got the idea when it came out that Martina McBride's '09 album was being slept on somewhat; struck me as...not bad at all. But couldn't get excited about much of it regardless, give or take "Wile Rebel Rose."

-- Never got around to checking out the Love & Theft album, for some reason, maybe because the non-"Runaway" tracks I did hear seemed bleh.

-- Though Paisley's "Welcome To the Future" was definitely worth making fun of lyrically for its entertainment-technology-means-the-future-is-here silliness among other things (and I did so both on this thread and the Paisley piece I wrote for the Voice), but damned if I've heard a Tom Petty single that jangled that fun or catchy and in the past, oh, couple decades or so. There's just something perfectly timed about the hooks; it didn't quite make my country singles top 10, but it just missed, and I haven't gotten tired of hearing it on the car radio yet, which is sure more than I can say for, say, "You Got Lucky" or whatever. (Which makes me wonder why people who can sit through an entire Petty box set that doesn't even end in 1979 like it probably should've can dismiss Brad as music for housewives, but that's another question.) Anyway, I've never been a huge Paisley fan at all (as perusing a couple years' past Rolling Country threads can attest), but his current album holds up. What the naive optimisim of "Welcome To The Future"'s lyrics always remind of, weirdly, is Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y. (What A Beautiful World)" from 1982 (though Fagen was imagining what it would've been like to believe the future is here in 1957/58, and Paisley doesn't even provide himself that distance.) Also, somehow, "Calling America" by ELO. And as dorky as I think a lot of the song is, it still somehow manages to grab my heartstrings every time; guess I'm just a sucker. (What does stump me is that I've been seeing Paisley's pleasant so-what ballad "Then" show up on best-singles-of-the-year lists, like Jody Rosen's at Slate. That song is eveything that makes me cynical about Paisley. But the album's still real good.)

-- Of those last few albums President Keyes listed, the Chuck Mead is the only one I probably mentioned here. Got maybe a couple songs into the Loveless before getting bored like I almost always do with her; don't think I heard anything on the rest of those. Here's me on Mead (basically, I liked some songs, but think he's a snooze of a singer):

http://www.emusic.com/album/Chuck-Mead-Journeyman-s-Wager-MP3-Download/11452405.html

Okay, I lied about the "briefly," duh.

Lotsa typos in that Paisley spiel ("Though" instead of "thought", noun and vowel disagreements re plurality and singularity, etc); oh well.

And I probbaly shouldn't be so skeptical about that Petty box (which Phil recommended on Rolling Hard Rock) without actually hearing it, but what I can I say? I hate box sets pretty much on principle, and I've only loved a few Petty songs since Damn The Torpedoes. So it will always be hard for me to believe the first three albums, his 1993 Greatest Hits CD, and my 45 of "Jammin' Me" aren't all I'll ever need. Might be wrong, though. I just think lots of country hunkapapas beloved by suburban housewives (Chesney too sometimes, and Keith Urban and Jack Ingram) do Petty better than Petty has in a really long time.

Some Fagen "I.G.Y." lyrics, for those unfamiliar. (Title stood for "International Geophysical Year"; single went to #26 pop in 1982; Fagen appropriately dressed up Mad Men style on album cover):

Standing tough under stars and stripes
We can tell
This dream's in sight
You've got to admit it
At this point in time that it's clear
The future looks bright
On that train all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
Well by seventy-six we'll be A.O.K.

What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free

etc.

I just think lots of country hunkapapas beloved by suburban housewives (Chesney too sometimes, and Keith Urban and Jack Ingram) do Petty better than Petty has in a really long time.

I don't come to country for Tom Petty; I go to Tom Petty for Tom Petty, and country for country. I agree with what Joe Carducci said about "countrypolitan" singers: "Let Frank (Sinatra) be Frank; you just be Gomer."

Lots of old country LPs (and a couple chitlin' circuit soul ones) among the $1-bin finds I found in San Antonio and San Marcos this weekend:

"I'd buy that for a dollar!" Great purchases for a buck or less

Summary of the weekend's force-feeding:

Mac McAnally album was short on great songs but grew on me as it went onward; liked it most at its sloppiest and bluesiest, though I've kinda forgotten its character; I do recall it seeming more antique than I'd anticipated (but my anticipations were entirely based on associations with the name "Mac," as in "Mac, you're standing in my light," or Connie Mack, or the swordfight between Macbeth and Macduff).

On the Collin Raye LP, loud fast rules, 'cause that's when he's closest to "Fast-Lane" Eagles. His slow and sentimental side goes flaccid, unfortunately. I'm not against the sentiments themselves, in fact there are some touching stories in there, even if Jesus ends up as too much of a buzz word; I just wish the flaccidity wouldn't accompany them.

Charlie Robison. Thought this was more consistent than either Raye or McAnally but I've forgotten its character so need to relisten between now and the deadline.

On the couple of tracks of Sarah Darling that stood out for me ("Whenever It Rains" and "Jack Of Hearts") she manages to sound weepy and tough simultaneously in a way that I find cute, but the rest seems to evaporate into the mist.

Brad Paisley: For the first three songs this more than meets the buildup it got here, what's special not being the lyrics particularly (though I'm touched that a country guy would write what's essentially a pro-immigrant song in which he suggests that our cultural diversity has improved our ability to party) or the symbolic synthesizer, but the sense of color he injects into the music, something I'd never noticed from him previously. Maybe he's been listening to psychedelia. But the album does go on for quite a bit, the best bits later on being when he reprises "Welcome To The Future" in a couple of different guises.

Pat Green: Hard but lite strumming, sorta reminds me of Dierks in its cheerful rocking way, and far better than the album of his that I heard back in '05 or so. But I'll need to hit refresh a few times to let this penetrate further.

Jack Ingram: Double dog dare ya mix of "Barefoot And Crazy" is a bit brighter and thumpier and better than the album version, but either version is Ingram's great track of the year. Album dull for its first half, but does effectively hunker down dark and hard later on.

Love And Theft: Resolutely mediocre, platitudes piling upon platitudes and the harmonies that worked so well when they massed together on "Runaway" tending to neutralize the impact of everything else. Huge disappointment.

Miranda Lambert: Gave this year's alb another listen and it continues to fall short, though is sure to make my ballot. Her voice is still a whip and she's effectively sly on the sly tracks, but her touch on the soft thoughtful songs has vanished utterly.

Willie Nelson American Classic: At album's start, with Willie's old wavering voice, "Nearness of You" is interminable, Willie sounding like he's about to collapse from frailty. But by "Angel Eyes" in the middle of the set those wavers are sounding beautiful again. I doubt I'll figure out what I think of this by deadline.

Dailey & Vincent: Think the singing needs to be more piercingly intense to deliver this, but the songwriting seems good.

and far better than the album of his that I heard back in '05

Far better than the album of Pat]s that I heard back in '05, that is.

Re: Robison's character; this link to something I wrote a few months ago about the album might help. I never got around to per se' reviewing either the Raye or McAnally (both of which I much prefer) for anyone, and probably won't get around to defending them here (though I talk about the Raye quite a bit upthread I think). Anyway, my Robison review:

http://www.emusic.com/album/Charlie-Robison-Beautiful-Day-MP3-Download/11487591.html

Looking down Frank's top 25 singles, I do see a bunch of songs-for-dancing it had never occurred to me to specifically classify that way (partly maybe because "Sideways" pretty much still leaves me shrugging despite basically thinking it's okay, plus I still haven't heard the Ingram remix.) Not sure I'm convinced, though, that country had more good dancing songs this year than recent previous years (partly maybe because I don't two-step myself.) Need to give that more thought.

Also, some briefs I hacked out (which I may not entirely agree with now, especially the gospel and jazz line in the Sugarland one) about a couple '09 albums that some people might want to consider; none came anywhere near my Top 20, but I'd say I liked them all more or less as much as I liked Martina McBride's album. (Scroll down for blurbs):

Bomshel Fight Like A Girl

http://www.rhapsody.com/bomshel/fight-like-a-girl

George Strait Twang

http://www.rhapsody.com/george-strait/twang

Sugarland Gold And Green (Christmas album):

http://www.rhapsody.com/sugarland/gold-and-green

(Sorry about the redundancy if I'd already linked to any of those upthread somewhere.)

Also curious if Frank ever checked out the '09 Eric Church album (since he had been a big champion of the guy's debut album way back when.)

Yacht-rock-wannabee special:

Phil Vassar, Traveling Circus

http://www.rhapsody.com/phil-vassar/traveling-circus

Uncle Kracker, Happy Hour

http://www.rhapsody.com/uncle-kracker/happy-hour

Actually, just replayed the '09 George Strait album for the first time in several months. Has some surprises (the Spanish cut, for instance), and "Livin' For The Night" is truly a beauty. But I can't imagine ever playing the album again. Would definitely rank it well below the McBride, the Sugarland Xmas, and the Vassar (just because I love "Bobbi With An I" so much in his case.) Don't much care about the Kracker.

Ha, I'm going to vote for the Robison without having really taken in its lyrics or their bearing on the former Mrs. Robison.

Never did get to the Eric Church; rather hated the single, and it wasn't getting much enthusiasm on this thread.

I like the Otis Gibbs album more than Chuck does; is relentlessly gruff, but there's beauty in the gruffness, and good-sounding songs. Probably won't make my ballot, which I have to finish in the next half hour, before I go out.

The Gibbs album was released in October 2008, but got re-released in Jan. '09. It ended up at #7 on my ballot, but early on I knew it would end up somewhere in my Top 10. Among other names mentioned lately the Eric Church was a disappointment coming off his debut. Charlie Robison's was okay but just that. Strait was as usual good for a few songs, but got filed quickly. I've heard the Megan Munroe but didn't think much of it at the time (will have to go back someday), and I liked Sarah Borges' better. I had a chance at the Collin Raye via a Promo, but the company never sent it. Patty Loveless' album was a good followup. And what about the Tanya Tucker covers album? Not bad and where's she been? Also worthy are albums by Holly Williams, Levon Helm, Keith Urban and Todd Snider. I'd lump Snider's and Robison's album in the same category. Competent but missing something. Oh, and the Sugarland Christmas album is worth a Holiday spin.