Background
Don Imus, aka the I-man, love him or hate him, has a lot of contacts in the music business and two of them came up with the idea for this project. Tracy Gershon and Kyle Lehning proposed a fund raising project to the I-man to benefit The Imus Ranch. Simply put, the I-man was to identify artists and songs he wanted them to record. They would assemble them on a compilation album and distribute the record through the same channels as any other record. The goal, like any other record, is to sell a lot of copies of the Imus Ranch Record.

There had to be some difficulties pulling this project together and indeed it was several years in the making. Artists had to be identified and their agreement to record the songs picked by the I-man as well as waive the fees associated with the revenue from the sale of the record. Then there was the songwriters, producers, studios and various other people that had to be lined up to accommodate 13 different artists in different locations. No small feat by any means. But in the end it is about the music and all of the baggage aside, I'm going to give my opinions of the music as opposed to the I-man as so many other reviews of the Imus Ranch Record have done.

My Impressions
Like most records it is rare to be able to get an album that every track I like. This album is no different as the styles are so varied that it stands to reason that any given person would be unlikely to just go nuts for all of them. My rating of the album is based on the overall liking of the tracks not based on every individual song. I enjoyed every track to some degree and overall I would say this is a great collection.

Tracks
Track 1 - Silver Springs by Patty Loveless - This is a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song composed by Stevie Nicks that was on several of their albums but never charted as far as I know. I liked this version pretty well and my only complaint would be that it has a weak bass line. A little too acoustic for my taste, but in feedback from others it seems like I'm going to be in the minority on that opinion. Patty Loveless delivered a powerful and stirring vocal and this could be a radio hit should country radio pick it up. My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Track 2 - Lay Down Sally by Delbert McClinton - This is a cover of Eric Clapton's song that was also recorded by other artists notably by Asleep at the Wheel. Delbert gives us a credible performance and could be a radio hit if it is played. The problem with radio as I see it is the length is a bit long and that may hold it back. My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Track 3 - Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys by Lucinda Williams - Obviously a cover of the Waylon Jennings hit and sung by a woman, especially this woman, makes it better than ever. Lucinda makes you believe she had first hand knowledge of the subject. It is a bit long perhaps at 4:19, but given the song and artist I would think it is a real candidate for country radio play. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Track 4 - You Better Move On by Levon Helm - This was penned by Authur Alexander and recorded by a lot of artists such as Authur Alexander, The Byrds, Billy "Crash" Craddock, The Hollies, Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Rivers, The Rolling Stones, many others and now Levon Helmes. To my knowledge despite its obvious respect by many artists it has never been a huge hit. Maybe this recording will change that as it is one of the more popular songs being downloaded off of the album. For me, I liked some of the earlier versions better, but this one is very listenable. My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Track 5 - Life Has Its Little Ups And Downs by Raul Malo - Composed by Margaret Ann Rich this song is another that has been recorded by several artists in the past. Artists such as Brook Benton, Charlie Rich, Gary Puckett and Jerry Lee Lewis. None compare with this version, in my opinion. This is one of the standouts on this album for me. Raul Malo, of The Mavericks, delivers this ballad like he was living the story. Just excellent. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Track 6 - I Ain't Never by Little Richard - A reprise of the Webb Pierce song from the fifties, '59 I think. Talk about fifties Rock and Roll and you are talking Little Richard. He delivers a performance on this track that would have been a huge hit back in the day. It just sounds from start to end like a Little Richard song. I enjoyed it a great deal and it is too bad there is not a radio segment for new music of this style anymore or it could be a huge hit today, my opinion of course. If you are a Little Richard fan, you will love this song delivered with the energy of his previous favorites such as Good Golly Miss Molly, Long Tall Sally and Tutti-Frutty. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Track 7 - I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore by Randy Travis - Yet another song that has been recorded by various artists in the past. While basically a country song, artists such as Perry Como, Dean Martin and Percy Faith have all recorded versions that borderline standards. The more traditional country versions include recordings by Jim Reeves, Charlie Rich, Carl Perkins and now Randy Travis. This could be a huge country radio hit, assuming they play it. My only complaint is I don't care for the staccato repeating of some words in a couple of phrases, but that's probably just me. My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Track 8 - Fight For Your Right To Party by Big and Rich - This is just a fun song. A remake of The Beastie Boys hit that fits Big and Rich very well. Made in the style of their own monster hit Comin' To Your City, this song rocks from start to end. Clever how they changed some of the words to fit the projected audience. Great fun, but not sure how it will do. My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Track 9 - What A Difference A Day Makes by Willie Nelson - This song would have been very much at home on his Stardust album had he recorded it back then. It has been reported that he told the I-man that he does not know why he never recorded this song before. If you liked his Stardust collection, you will love this song. Pure Willie. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Track 10 - Give Back The Key To My Heart by Dwight Yoakum - This is an old Uncle Tuplio song that has been completely Yoakum-ized. Not only did he change the words a bit, but some of the music. At the end of the track there is a little snicker by Dwight left to annoy the I-man, I'm sure. All in all it is a very lively version that should find a home on the radio somewhere. My rating 5 out of 5 stars.

Track 11 - What Happened by Beckka Bramlett - This song is the only one on the record that was co-written by the artist. A collaboration of Al Anderson, Bekka Bramlett, Bob DiPiero, Nichols and James Timothy penned this song as as far as I can tell this is the first and only recording of it. A moving ballad about a gal that has received word from her lover that it's over, leaving her to wonder What Happened. In the I-man's words, "It's a great record" and I agree. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Track 12 - Welfare Music by John Hiatt - Well I hit one I didn't much care for here. First I never liked the song much when The Bottle Rockets had it out, so that taints my opinion. John Hiatt does a good job of singing though. My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Track 13 - Satisfied Mind by Vince Gill with Patty Loveless - The story goes that Vince and Patty had sung this song at Porter Wagner's memorial service and left there to go straight into a studio to record this song. Vince was having trouble with the I-man as to what song to record for this album and suggested that this recording should be used. Obviously it was and a great choice in my opinion. This may be the best track on the album. My rating is 6 out of 5 stars! YES 110%

If you enjoy good country music you should get the Imus Ranch Record.