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Re: Great job... (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
...but Sun Volt, Patty Griffin, and Sheryl Crow? While it's true that these artists have incorporated elements of country music into their works, it's a bit of a stretch to include them on this list.
Eh, I don't think it's a stretch, based on their actual sound. Sure, Crow isn't a country artist per se-- though lately she's been trying to position herself as such, for whatever reason-- but the production on "If It Makes You Happy" has far more in common with classic country styles than with her Lilith Fair contemporaries.
Personally, Kelly Willis' What I Deserve is one of the best country records released EVER,
Trust me, man, you don't need to sell me on Kelly Willis-- I've owned everything she's ever released at some point. I don't think some of the songs on What I Deserve have held up all that well ("Talk Like That," "Cradle of Love," and "Got A Feelin' For You"), but, at its best moments ("Not Forgotten You," "What I Deserve," "Heaven Bound") it certainly veers into "best ever" territory, so I know where you're coming from. :o)
and Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball is the blueprint from which Rick Rubin did his thing with Johnny Cash, and from which Jack White did his thing with Loretta Lynn.
Not sure how Wrecking Ball would manage to serve as a blueprint for the first of the Rubin-Cash collaborations which predate it by a year-- nor that serving as a blueprint for the subsequent albums in that series would really be much of an accomplishment, given their exponential decline in quality-- but the analogy between Lanois-Harris and White-Lynn is quite apt in its structure, if not necessarily in its magnitude.
Both those records--which are actual country records--should be included on any 10-best list of the '90s.
Well, I did list them both in my 11 - 25 range without pause, though I don't think either is a better overall album than Griffin's Living With Ghosts or Beck's Mutations, regardless of one's specific definitions of country music.
Just my humble opinion. You, however, have impeccable taste. :)
And you most definitely know your stuff! There aren't (m)any people around this site who can converse about "good" country music, so I'm very glad to have run across you.
Best,
Jonathan
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Dec 29 '04
8:04 pm PST
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Great job... (Reply to this comment)
by kknox0616
...but Sun Volt, Patty Griffin, and Sheryl Crow? While it's true that these artists have incorporated elements of country music into their works, it's a bit of a stretch to include them on this list. Then again, it's your list. :)
Personally, Kelly Willis' What I Deserve is one of the best country records released EVER, and Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball is the blueprint from which Rick Rubin did his thing with Johnny Cash, and from which Jack White did his thing with Loretta Lynn. Both those records--which are actual country records--should be included on any 10-best list of the '90s.
Just my humble opinion. You, however, have impeccable taste. :)
Ken
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Dec 28 '04
7:42 pm PST
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Actual rating should be "Extremely Helpful"! (Reply to this comment)
by bonnieleigh
Um....Powers That Be - Could we peons have such a rating? Better than VH, since we can't use MH?
Great job, Jonathan. I'm in awe of your extensive knowledge and insights in this field. And I'm wondering where I was for part of that decade. My (singer/songwriter) son was heavily into country music and CMT played 24/7 in our house, but somehow I missed some of these! I think I had a long migraine...both my boys had Attention Deficit Disorder and those were rough years. Sounds like I missed at least a few really good artists!
Bonnie
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Nov 01 '04
8:30 am PST
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enjoyed your quote (Reply to this comment)
by bobbo428
I enjoyed your quote
So, there we go. One bitter southern boy's take on an entire decade of a genre hellbent on devouring itself whole. I still intend to review worthy country albums, but I'm just tired of complaining about an industry that largely marginalizes the music I respect in favor of faceless, interchangeable products, then has the audacity to wonder why music journalists continually gripe about those products' lack of artistic mettle. I repeat myself enough as is.
It debuted on my weekly top 100 this past week. Good job!
Bobbo428
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Jan 10 '04
10:12 am PST
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I despise Toby Keith too (Reply to this comment)
by bobbo428
I despise Toby Keith as well--he may be my least favorite country act of all time because of his macho, obnoxious, jingoistic, women-as-sex-objects attitude.
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Jan 06 '04
1:28 pm PST
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Not a huge country fan, but these are my kind of country albums... (Reply to this comment)
by rw99angels
These are some great albums, some that I've even forgotten about. I did just see Lucinda Williams in concert and brought up all the oldies but goodies. My favorite though is Mary Chapin-Carpenter. She's a goddess and "Come On Come On" is quite a feat. Great epinion!
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Oct 30 '03
12:38 pm PST
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Re: Lucinda (Reply to this comment)
by Horswispr
I still say, If you like Car Wheels, you GOTTA listen to Sweet Old World.
--H
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Oct 28 '03
9:34 pm PST
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Re: Strong compendium (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Hmm.
I'll admit that I haven't heard either I Fell in Love or Little Love Letters in their entirety, but I like all of the singles I know-- "Love Like This" really should've been a big crossover hit, her version of "Unbreakable Heart" far surpasses Jessica Andrews' rendition, and I did consider including "Every Little Thing" on my best singles list.
I don't like the words "overrated" or "underrated," but I'd say the latter certainly applies to Carter. Though not as talented as Rosanne Cash (and hardly deserving of the rather nasty comments Cash made in No Depression. a while back), she more than holds her own against many more successful contemporary acts (Suzy Bogguss, Lorrie Morgan, Kathy Mattea).
Her personal struggles-- the Carter / Cash families are way over their death quota for the year, to say nothing of the bizarre identity-fraud charges-- really are a shame. And it's a story that the Nashville establishment really seems eager to cover up.
Thanks for checking in, and hopefully you'll get around to reviewing those two albums.
-Jonathan-
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Oct 27 '03
5:21 pm PST
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Re: Patty Griffin (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Hey there, Brian.
Yeah. "Moses" and "Poor Man's House" are easily my two favorite tracks on Living with Ghosts.
I usually reserve the term "mealy-mouthed" for the vocal stylings of Rufus Wainwright and Darius Rucker, but I definitely agree that Griffin could articulate her consonants a bit mroe.
Tanya Donnelly has not yet turned up, sadly. Best Buy had it on one visit but not the next. They had to clear more space for the new Clay Aiken album, I guess...
Aside: Noticed a comment to Marsha about which Trisha Yearwood to pick up. I would reccomend 2000's Real Live Woman, which is an absolutely gorgeous album I'd describe as pretty damn perfect but for one atonal uptempo number in the middle. It's far more polished than most of the music I listen to, but I think the slick production works for her. That's easily her career-best work. Hearts in Armor and The Song Remembers When are both excellent, as well. Her best-of, Songbook, omits some of her bluesier songs, which I think are among her best, in favor of the shmaltz of pop-antiChrist Dianne Warren and her ilk. Anyhow. My $.02 there.
-Jonathan-
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Oct 19 '03
4:25 pm PDT
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Patty Griffin (Reply to this comment)
by voxpoptart
Just wanted to mention that, as a direct result of this piece, i've been playing Living with Ghosts quite a bit, and am very impressed ("Moses", the title track, and "Poor Man's House" are complete stunners).
I can see why i didn't like her originally; her voice is not a great voice in any conventional sense, and she doesn't articulate her words all that well. But she has incredible presence, she plays guitar well enough, and the words i can make out, i like.
As ex-Throwing Muses go, Living with Ghosts seems far more Kristin Hersh than Tanya Donnelly. Luckily that works too; this can make up for my disappointed with Hersh's latest. Am saddened to hear that Lovesongs for Underdogs is out of print: did you find it anyway? I'd heard something about Best Buy being helpful...
it's a sane mission so sign me up,
- Brian
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Oct 14 '03
4:49 pm PDT
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hmm (Reply to this comment)
by jankp
Did Elvis release a country album? I really don't listen to country music. Had to growing up on a farm, but hated it. I'll listen to one song okay, but then it irritates me. Well-done list it would seem.
Jan
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Sep 30 '03
3:06 pm PDT
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Re: Hey... (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Hey there, Paul.
Most Helpful? You're too, too kind. ;o)
I definitely need to get this Richard Shindell CD... you're the third of my favorite writers around here to endorse it!
I actually had the Tim Easton cd in my hands a couple of weeks back, but ended up passing on it in favor of... umm... The Thorns, maybe? I've seen it on sale a couple of times since then, but there's always been a more "pressing" purchase-- the new Shelby Lynne, for instance.
I still haven't seen The Bangles' Doll Revolution anywhere, however, even though allmusic lists it as having been released in August...
Thanks for checking in!
-Jonathan-
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Sep 23 '03
3:43 pm PDT
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Re: And, out of curiosity... (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Ah, let's see...
Lizzie West: She's been near the lower-half of my to-buy list for most of the year, but I still haven't gotten around to picking up her EP. I honestly just haven't been buying all that much country this year. But I've heard nothing but great things about Lizzie West, and I first looked into her late last year, after hearing her song at the end of Secretary. My first reaction to "Chariots Rise" was, "Hey, when did Natalie Merchant get that kind of range?"
Unknown Hinson: Aptly named. I've never heard of them(?), and allmusic wasn't even any help. Should I look into them? You know I actually take your endorsements quite seriously.
Joe Firstman: War of Women is also on my to-buy list, after one of my good friends saw him live and described him as a "less pretentious, more likable version of Ryan Adams." So I definitely think that he sounds promising-- especially with Ryan Adams' latest album currently mired in record-label limbo...
-Jonathan-
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Sep 23 '03
3:36 pm PDT
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Re: Shattered Dreams (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Hey there, Ryan.
Yeah, I really don't write all that much around here anymore... Though, not having a job and all, it's not like I really have much of an excuse.
I've been feeling especially full of myself lately, so I've been toying with turning a short-story that one of my writing profs liked into a screenplay.
As for the mix-tape. Wow. Just wow. I don't even know where to begin with that. Honestly...
Yeah. Do keep in touch!
-Jonathan-
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Sep 23 '03
3:20 pm PDT
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Hey... (Reply to this comment)
by plorentz
I loved reading this, because I'm one of those people who says "I hate country music" with a twinge of guilt, because what I really mean to say is "I hate the country music they play on the radio."
I see voxpoptart already recommended Richard Shindell - his album "Somewhere Near Paterson" is one of my favorites of the last couple years. I'd also recommend Tim Easton (I've been getting around to reviewing him myself), who seemed to have picked up where Beck left off on "Mutations", and gone back to something more acoustic and purist. His newest album "Break Your Mother's Heart" is one of my favorites of 2003.
-Paul
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Sep 22 '03
11:41 am PDT
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And, out of curiosity... (Reply to this comment)
by Officer
A couple artists I've explored a little bit this year, but that I'd like to hear your take on:
Lizzie West, Unknown Hinson and Joe Firstman.
Any opinions? ~Ryan
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Sep 20 '03
2:33 am PDT
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Shattered Dreams (Reply to this comment)
by Officer
Great piece. (And the link to California White Boy Sound was cool too!)
I'm always glad to see a new review by you, although I've long since abandoned actually reading through my email alerts and hence don't always catch the review til it's a few weeks old! Still, you're one of the few folks here I do make a point to check out at least once a month or so. (I'm pretty terrible about reading reviews, and not much better at writing them in a consistent or timely fashion.)
Anyway, all that aside, I was thinking of you today.
Last week I was in New York City for the first time since 9/11/01, and I went back to the hotel I had been staying in on that trip and finally reclaimed my lost belongings, or at least, the lost belongings which had survived. (Surprisingly, most of the stuff DID survive, and the only stuff which was missing seems to have been either lost or stolen during the two years it sat in that near abandoned hotel.)
One of the things that surfaced was your mix tape, "Shattered Dreams, You Will Never Be a Hedgehog". I had to box up some of the stuff and ship it home to Los Angeles, and today the box finally arrived! I'm holding the tape now and it's bringing back just a flood of memories... Listening to it at the Indiana State Fair, or while on the road between locations... Making notes on the various tracks so that I could properly tackle the music in my mix-off review... Writing said review while hunched over a computer at the Ridgedale Library in Minnesota!
Anyway, it's great to have it back in my hands again, especially considering that some of the cd's never made it. Most disappointing to me is that my copies of Trip Shakespeare's Lulu, R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People, Neutral Milk Hotel's On Avery Island, Propagandhi's Todays Empires, Tomorrows Ashes and The Moulin Rouge Soundtrack never showed up. Thus, I am EXTRA grateful that you were able to burn that kick-ass Moulin Rouge collection for me!
As promised, I plan on burning a thank you mix for all of the people who burned music for me to replace the missing discs. I expect to finish that sometime in October.
Thanks again Jonathan! I'll be in touch. ~Ryan
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Sep 18 '03
12:08 pm PDT
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Re: I didn't mention... (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Hey there, Shelly.
I just checked out his allmusic bio, and he sounds like someone I would definitely like a lot... "troubled Pentacostal upbringing" seems to be in vogue these days, thanks to Kings of Leon.
He goes on my to-buy list, reasonably close to the top. I've been neglecting my alt-country collection this year, and he sounds like a great way to flesh it out more. Thanks for the heads-up!
-Jonathan-
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Sep 14 '03
2:13 pm PDT
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I didn't mention... (Reply to this comment)
by lambchops
in my last post anything about Jim White. Have you heard him? If not, he's a great alt-country guy. I love both his albums (he's working on a third right now), but I highly recommend No Such Place.
Go get it. Or not. But it's worth hearing.
Shelly.
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Sep 14 '03
1:52 pm PDT
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Great history (Reply to this comment)
by MattBjorke
I was a mainstream country guy back in the 1990's but loved Richey and Chapin.
Matt
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Sep 10 '03
12:43 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Re: comparing (sketchy) notes (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Brian,
Two: who's Walter Chaw? I'm obviously missing out.
His username here is Mangiotto, but www.filmfreakcentral.net is the full site where he publishes his material (with Bill Chambers, who's also an exceptional film critic).
His reviews of Titanic and Episodes I & II are legendary...
Which, oddly, might be tempting to plenty of Coen Brothers movie fans who wouldn't read a country piece. Personally, i'm still looking for the unhardcore of Nickle Creek, whom you speak so well of; i suppose it would help to have a clue where in the CD stores they're filed.
Let's see... the local Best Buy keeps them in the Bluegrass section, but I'm not sure if that's a national thing or just a product of this being Kentucky. Most of the better independent stores I frequent have taken to keeping a copy or two of their cds in each of the country, bluegrass, and pop sections.
Interesting... for awhile.
Boys for Pele would likely make my top-10 rock albums of the 90s list. I know most people prefer Little Earthquakes, but I think Pele is by far the more challenging album.
Dar Williams was someone I discovered my senior year of high school, and whose appeal for me was somewhat soured by my overwhelmingly negative college experience. You can only hear some nasal neo-crunch girl butcher "As Cool As I Am" out on the freshman quad so many times before you develop a conditioned twitch... But I've been listening to Mortal City and The Green World since graduating, and I'm remembering why I adored her in the first place.
Lovesongs for Underdogs now sits atop my to-buy list, just ahead of Warren Zevon and Dizzee Rascal. Will keep you posted on that one.
-Jonathan-
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Aug 31 '03
7:46 pm PDT
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Re: A little bit country (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Jer,
Thanks for checking in!
I think I left you a comment a while back on World Without Tears, an album that I still haven't made up my mind about. As good as I know it is, it still leaves me wondering why I just can't embrace it more fully.
As for Stones in the Road, aside from "House of Cards" and the title track, that one just never grabbed me the way that Shooting Straight in the Dark or Come On Come On did. I still like it quite a lot-- were I to review it, I'd give it 4 stars, no question-- and like it more than A Place in the World, which was lovely but dull, but I dunno. You're probably the only person I've ever encountered who preferred that one. Her time*sex*love album is about as close a perfect balance between the polish of Come On Come On and the neo-folk material of Stones... as she'll likely ever come. That's a great, great record.
And, if I have you to second Brian's Richard Shindell endorsement, I think that moves him near the top of my very lengthy to-buy list. Luckily, there's a nice independent store in town that reports its sales to No Depression, so I'm almost positive I'll be able to find something of his there. Which Dar Williams does he cover?
Yeah. And I'm going to try to write more. If nothing else, for the first time in a couple of years, the "Redeem" button on my account is within earshot.
-Jonathan-
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Aug 31 '03
7:25 pm PDT
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Re: Re: comparing (sketchy) notes (Reply to this comment)
by voxpoptart
but you're one of two writers on this site (Walter Chaw being the other) whose work I never skim
Two responses. One: blushing gratitude for the praise and the forwards to the other people. Two: who's Walter Chaw? I'm obviously missing out.
I didn't even attempt to incorporate hardcore Bluegrass.
Which, oddly, might be tempting to plenty of Coen Brothers movie fans who wouldn't read a country piece. Personally, i'm still looking for the unhardcore of Nickle Creek, whom you speak so well of; i suppose it would help to have a clue where in the CD stores they're filed.
The first time I listened to it, I sat on my couch, just staring open-mouthed at my stereo for the entire 50-minute running time.
Interesting. I warm to albums slowly; the only albums i've ever had the precise reaction to were Boys for Pele (but i was already a Tori Amos fan), and my first encounters with Dar Williams and Jane Siberry. That said, after listening to Dar as a mood-setter, i pulled out Living with Ghosts again this evening. I still don't love it, but for the first time, i can see or guess how i might come to. So it stays in the 3-CD changer for awhile.
d.amned if your Tanya Donelly pick-up isn't dead on the money.
Cool!
I owned her solo debut-- not that I knew she'd released a follow-up-- for maybe two months before selling it off, and now you've left me with the nagging feeling that it may have offered something I missed the first time.
I'd say yes. As usual it took me a few listens, but if anything Lovesongs for Underdogs now strikes me as the best thing she's ever done. And more of her singing sounds country to me than ever, even as the music sums up for me what used to be good about the radio genre of Alternative Rock.
best,
- Brian
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Aug 30 '03
11:23 pm PDT
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Re: Wow! (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Marsha,
Thanks so, so much for those nice remarks.
We've discussed Shania a handful of times around here, and I've slowly developed an increasing appreciation for her since her real breakthrough. What I think ultimately separates Twain from her fellow "diva" (a term I'm quite ready to declare a moratorium on...) Faith Hill, aside from the ability to sing on key consistently, is that her pop leanings and "crossover" aspirations have been readily apparent from the first notes of her major-label debut. Teaming up with Mutt Lange between that debut and The Woman in Me advanced those aspects of her sound much faster than Nashville could handle, but no one could ever legitimately label Shania a "sell-out." She's consistent, and her brand of pop-country is so much more than a commercial gimmick. Even if I don't like everything she's released-- my favorite singles of hers, "No One Needs to Know" and "The Woman in Me" aren't among her biggest hits, and the way her falsetto just explodes out of nowhere in the verses to "Forever and For Always" has made me re-think my take on her vocal capabilities-- but I fundamentally respsect Shania Twain.
That I've been able to admit that without begrudging her accomplishments has definitely been key to my changed attitude on the whole stinkin' Nashville establishment. And it's not Shania Twain's fault if said establishment has adopted the same image-over-integrity credo that allowed MTV to kill mainstream pop. Sure, it's a regrettable by-product of her success, but she certainly wasn't the one signing hacks like Chely Wright or Jennifer Hanson (talk about a Z-grade Sheryl Crow. Wow.) to their contracts.
To that end, I'm not the least bit surprised to hear Trisha Yearwood-- and if there's a better singer recording for a major label in any popular genre, I've yet to hear of him or her-- say that she doubt that she'd earn a recording contract today. And considering how the best voice of her generation had to "pay her dues" in Nashville as a demo and backup singer before earning a contract, Yearwood undoubtedly has the industry knowledge to make that statement accurately.
That this same problem is now starting to impact male artists isn't especially shocking, either. I mean, who really talks about what a great songwriter Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath is? And it makes sense that country-- certainly the most conservative of the popular genres-- was a bit slow to embrace this trend, allowing "husky" (re: "normal") sized artists like Garth Brooks, Joe Diffie, Doug Stone, and Sammy Kershaw to succeed.
Once Keith Urban posed for Playgirl and then Kenny Chesney, who boasts the stultifying anti-talent combo of being both monotone and tone-deaf, started racking up Best Male Vocalist nominations, there really wasn't much room to question how thoroughly Nashville had bought into the Cult of Abs.
What frustrates me even more is that genuine talents who also happen to skew towards the upper-end of the attractiveness bell curve don't fare much better. Maybe my perspective is off, but I think Patty Griffin is beautiful. And Kelly Willis was even (deservedly) named to People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful List" when she was still signed to MCA. If in need of a shower, Ryan Adams is a good-looking guy. Rhett Miller, the frontman for the Old 97s, looks dead-on a Gap model, right down to the razor-sharp cheekbones. Neko Case and Allison Moorer are both sexy as hell. If nothing else, it all just proves how heavily Nashville values image over artistic vision.
Well, now I'm all fired up again. Your comments always leave me with so much to say!
Thanks again,
Jonathan.
PS-- I'm warming up to Rosanne Cash's Rules of Travel moreso than I ever did to Richey's Rise, an album that still hurts. Any thoughts on this?
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Aug 29 '03
1:32 pm PDT
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Wow! (Reply to this comment)
by katmar
What an in-depth, thought-provoking, informative piece you have written here. It was wonderful
And so many overlooked artists that I love so dearly: Chapin, Kim Richey, Patty Griffin - and your defense of Shania Twain's artistry and vision.
You made so many perfect points, I think this "essay" should be passed along to every friggin' radio station in the country. And not just country stations, but pop stations, too.
I was reading an interview with Trisha Yearwood not too long ago, and the topic was the new "image" country wanted in its artists. If you're a man, better look like Tim McGraw. If you're a woman, there's Shania. And the labels telling Joe Diffie to lose weight, and on and on and on. And Trisha, who in my mind, possesses one of the most moving, heartfelt voices heard in any genre of music, said if she came along today, she probably couldn't get signed because of the extra weight she carries.
How sad of a statement is that? And do you think if Patty Griffin had a few more genes that produced features found on the likes of Deanna Carter, Sheryl Crow, etc., that she would be a superstar? I do. I think the company doesn't promote her because she isn't a pretty "cover girl".
Oh see, you got me all stirred up here, talking about country, and injustices, and talent! :)
But I really loved what you wrote, and thank you for putting it all down for us.
Marsha
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Aug 29 '03
11:41 am PDT
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Re: comparing (sketchy) notes (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Hey there, Brian,
Well... lots of territory to cover here.
First off, not to come off as a fanboy, but you're one of two writers on this site (Walter Chaw being the other) whose work I never skim and which I frequently e-mail to friends who complain about rarely finding intelligent pop-culture writing (in case you're wondering where your non-member hits come from...), so your generous remarks for this essay carry considerable weight with me. Thanks.
As a purchasing guide, I'll admit that this list, as long as it is, isn't complete-- to spare myself considerable headache, I didn't even attempt to incorporate hardcore Bluegrass. Which is likely a bigger oversight than I should've allowed, since so many people are of the belief that the genre disappeared for nearly thirty years between Bill Monroe and the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack... And, as much as I've attempted to play catch-up over the last six-plus years, I'm sure there are plenty of worthy artists I've entirely overlooked, what with my having spent much of the mid-90s as a teenage boy in love with Shirley Manson and PJ Harvey as much as Kelly Willis.
Not that I'm any less in love with them now, which is beside the point. Moving on...
Living with Ghosts is an album I picked up based solely on that considerable reputation you mention, knowing nothing whatsoever of Patty Griffin's sound. The first time I listened to it, I sat on my couch, just staring open-mouthed at my stereo for the entire 50-minute running time.
But now, I'm trying to figure out where I could have possibly misplaced my copy of Belly's Star, which I don't think I've listened to in at least five years. As I write this, I've been listening to "Feed the Tree" on loop from a mix-CD, and d.amned if your Tanya Donelly pick-up isn't dead on the money. The way she launches into "Take your HAT off..." sounds like vintage Loretta Lynn. I owned her solo debut-- not that I knew she'd released a follow-up-- for maybe two months before selling it off, and now you've left me with the nagging feeling that it may have offered something I missed the first time.
From your other reviews, I'd say that Alejandro Escovedo would probably be more to your liking than Dwight Yoakam or SCotS. I can't imagine that Gravity is still in print, unless there's a reissue I missed, but he's really never released a bad album. SCotS are definitely something of an acquired taste-- this is a band best-known for throwing buckets of fried chicken into the crowd at their live gigs-- because their hilarious lyrics often overshadow what an accomplished southern-rock band they are.
Let's see:
-Richard Shindell. The mentions of John Gorka, Nanci Griffith, and Dar Williams in his allmusic bio speak awfully well of him, but I've honestly never heard anything he's done.
-Michael Hall. I have (and enjoy) his Love is Murder, but I lost track of him after that release, other than his credit on Richard Buckner's Devotion+Doubt.
-Handome Family. This isn't a good reason, but I've avoided them because an especially abrasive jackass at Kenyon-- this guy played a tinwhistle on his way to classes-- wouldn't shut up about them.
-James McMurty. Not familiar with his stuff, but I'm more than willing to give an album titled Where'd You Hide the Body a try.
-Maria McKee. I've always felt like she's someone whose talent somehow exceeds her material. She's very hit-or-miss for me. But I very seriously considered including Life is Sweet on this list. The harder edge of the arrangements suits her voice incredibly well.
Allrighty. I think that's all. You've certainly given me a lot to think about-- and a handful of acts to check out-- here, so I'm quite appreciative.
-Jonathan-
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Aug 29 '03
8:41 am PDT
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Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Shilo,
"Strawberry Wine" was one of those times when I went out and bought an album about 10 minutes after seeing a song's video for the first time. So I can definitely relate.
One of the strangest experiences of my college career was explaining to a good friend, who was far too literal-minded ever to have been an English major, that the line "I was thirstin' for knowledge / And he had a car" is not, in fact, a non-sequitor...
-Jonathan-
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Aug 29 '03
7:41 am PDT
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Re: . (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Shady,
Admitting this probably negates any credibility I established with this essay, but you asked:
Billy Ray Cyrus was the first concert I ever attended.
What can I say... he's a Kentucky native, I was 11, and all of the cool kids were going. It was the first time that the concept of "studio magic" ever really hit me, because Lord knows the guy couldn't hold a pitch to save his life. Not that you could really hear him over thousands of single women screaming at the top of their lungs.
Quitting while I'm ahead (or not),
Jonathan.
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Aug 29 '03
7:36 am PDT
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Re: I am... (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Shelly,
My main worry in posting this was that some of the names might be too obscure for anyone without a No Depression subscription for the list to have any sort of meaningful context. Glad to see I was wrong about that.
I had to dub a second copy of that Beck mix from Stockstad, since I'd used the original so much that it eventually broke. And the underpromotion for Sea Change is something I don't think I'll ever understand.
Thanks for the egoboo.
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Aug 29 '03
7:29 am PDT
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Re: Hmm. (Reply to this comment)
by omophagia
Yeah, when I first starting posting here back in the days of the $.03/hit eroyalties, one of my initial goals was to flesh-out the site's somewhat lacking country section.
But, y'know, college and all. A bit of a higher priority there.
Thanks for checking in.
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Aug 29 '03
7:21 am PDT
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