If That Ain't Country

In this week's episode we're featuring the self-titled, debut album from Texas City native Jason James: "Jason James" (2015). After latching on to his father's love for traditional country music and leaving a fledgling punk band on the shelf, he began making recordings and demos for personal use. His mother got ahold of some of those recordings and began sending them out to labels - lo and behold, a major player in the world of independent music in New West Records got wind of it. And so was born our feature album. Jason James has a vocal style that wonderfully blends Lefty Frizzell, Hank Williams, Sr., Mel Street, a little Dwight and (the overarching influence for this reviewer) George Jones to create an unmistakably country lilt, which, when applied to these thirteen original tracks is one of the freshest takes on the traditional country genre in years. Recorded over three and a half years between ages 26 and almost 30, Jason James has a sense for classic country that defies his age. Highlights are plentiful, but you'd do well to check out the big single in "I've Been Drinkin' More" (and you'd better wait til the very end); The Derailers and Buck Owens-esque "Here Comes The Heartache"; the hard-edged and twangy-as-all-get-out "Hot Mouth Mama" and a Jim Lauderdale co-write in "Walk Through My Heart" where Lauderdale duly lends his harmony vocal to proceedings. This is one album I can promise you will not regret adding to your collection.

In this week's episode, we're featuring an album from the tail end of Conway Twitty's hard country period: "I've Already Loved You In My Mind" (1977). As was the way at that point, there was only one single (the title track), which duly went #1 and then MCA moved on to the next project. However, when you dive a little deeper, there's plenty of album gold here. There are few singers who would write 80% of their album cuts after 10 years in country music and 20 #1s to their name - but that's where we find Conway Twitty here. Eight of the ten tracks on "I've Already Loved You In My Mind" were from the pen of Twitty, which really speaks to the country music genius that man was. Side A has a few songs clearly influenced by Conway's rock 'n' roll roots, but the very next track - "I'm Used To Losing You" - we're right back with the oh-so-country steel guitar of John Hughey embracing Conway's growl. A heartbreaking cheating ballad with a lyrical twist in "The Reason Why I'm Here", the upbeat "My First Country Song" (which also became Dean Martin's first and only solo country single in 1983) and the semi-profound "Come See About Me" contribute to a very strong album. Even if it may look like Conway was just going through the motions in 1977, the Twitty bird was chirping as good as ever on our feature album this week.

Jim Beck was an innovator and a wizard in the recording studio. In the early-mid 1950s, Beck gave raw honky tonk talent some of their first sides - names that later went on to become some of country's legends. Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price, Marty Robbins amongst many others were in Beck's studios long before they went to Nashville - and if not for Jim Beck's untimely passing in 1956, could Dallas, Texas have become centre for all things country music? In this special edition of the show, we explore what may have been and take a deep dive into some of the finest country, western and hillbilly talent that ever was.

Photo credit: Texas/Dallas History and Archives Division of the Dallas Public Library.

In this week's episode we're featuring an album from Porter Wagoner put out at the peak of his powers: "The Carroll County Accident" (1969). His syndicated TV show was in it's eighth year of production, Dolly Parton was building up a real head of steam as a solo and a duet act and Wagoner was an established hitmaker. Our feature album has typically solid instrumental support from The Wagonmasters: Buck Trent on his iconic electric banjo, Don Warden on steel guitar and Mack Magaha on fiddle - but in this reviewer's opinion, this album is the sum of it's songwriters. Mel Tillis leant his lyrical talent in "Your Mother's Eyes"; Wagoner's penchant and admiration for bluegrass shone through on Don Reno's "Barefoot Nellie"; Arkansas' Jimmy Driftwood scored a cut with "Black Jack's Bar" and two tracks were credited to some fellow by the name of Louis M. Jones. Dolly Parton, Hank Cochran, Merle Haggard and Joyce McCord (the sister to Wagoner favourite Damon Black) are all in the mix - but one cannot forget the title track. Written by the RCA producer on this album Bob Ferguson ("Wings Of A Dove"), "The Carroll County Accident" supposedly came about between the Carroll counties in both Tennessee and Mississippi (of the thirteen nationwide) and remained one of Porter Wagoner's greatest hits, fitting snugly into his wheelhouse for slightly creepy story songs. An excellent album all around.

In this week's episode, we're featuring a fiddle and steel framed return to form for Mark Chesnutt: "Thank God For Believers" (1997). After debuting in the first half of the nineties, Chesnutt's first four albums were a resounding commercial success: with producer Mark Wright, he enjoyed three platinum and one gold album right out of the gate, steeped in this Beaumont, Texas native's keen sense of tradition. In 1995 he teamed with Tony Brown, but the resulting "Wings" was a flop in relative terms. The choice was made to reunite with Mark Wright and the rewards were almost immediate. The title track went rocketing into the Top 2 and other singles had success also - but perhaps most notable about "Thank God For Believers" was the involvement of Chesnutt himself. Having not written much for his previous work, the Texan traditionalist had a hand in five of the ten tracks here. Along with veteran Oklahoma songwriter Roger Springer, many nights were spent on the tour bus listening to classic Haggard and Jones for inspiration. One such night, the Jones weeper "When The Grass Grows Over Me" inspired a Chesnutt/Leslie/Springer co-write in "That Side Of You", which Chesnutt confesses is his personal pick of the bunch. Such a reverence for tradition, along with Buddy Emmons on steel guitar and Larry Franklin on fiddle for the majority of this project makes "Thank God For Believers" a good example of what 90s honky tonk ought to sound like.

In this week's episode, we're featuring a sensational Capitol compilation of all-truck driving country: "Put The Hammer Down!" (1976). Popularized by the booming baritones of singers like Dave Dudley and Del Reeves in the 60s, truck-driving country music hit a peak in the early-mid 70s in the USA, right around the time of a nationwide fuel shortage and significant spike in CB radio use. CB radio use amongst truckers, however, was oftentimes to get around speed traps and organise resistance against government regulation in capped speed limits and fuel price increases. The half-sung and half-spoken recitation style of truck-driving hitmakers Red Simpson and Red Sovine echoed the sound of a CB radio, and Merle Haggard and Dick Curless spoke to the trucker in plain, relatable lyrics often delivered with revved-up guitars and standout twang. Our feature album showcases those artists and more (most on the Capitol label itself, hence any glaring omissions) in ten songs that epitomise what the American trucker came to represent: a blue-collar hero who lived the American cultural ideals of autonomy, non-conformity and freedom but who had fierce pride in their country and the principles upon which she was founded. Highlights include Haggard's theme song to the TV show of the same name in "Movin' On", Dick Curless' twangy re-recording of "A Tombstone Every Mile", Red Sovine's tearjerker "Phantom 309" and Red Simpson's sense of zeitgeist in "I'm A Truck". A thoroughly enjoyable album.

In this week's episode, we're featuring the first solo album from Kentucky-born Ray Sanders: "Feelin' Good Is Easy" (1969). During his college years at Texas Western in El Paso, Sanders began working for radio station KHEY and picked up personal appearances around the Southwest. He must have done all right too, because in 1959 he was recruited by Ray Price to lead The Cherokee Cowboys and to sing harmonies with Price himself. Ray Sanders was with The Master until 1961 or '62, during which time he was on several hit Price records. After his stint with The Cherokee Cowboys, he went solo and released a myriad of singles without a huge amount of success until '69 and "Feelin' Good Is Easy". The album's quality saw him take home "New Male Artist Of The Year" at the ACM's at that time, and the stage seemed set for this hard country stylist to hit the big time. However the big time never really happened for Ray Sanders - after 1970 and years of minor hit making on labels including Imperial, Republic and Hillside, Sanders settled into the California club circuit, then moved to Honolulu and partial retirement. Our feature album, though, demonstrates the honky tonk quality of Ray Sanders output at his peak - highlights include two early Red Steagall cuts in "Lonely Eyes" and "Beer Drinkin' Music", a faithful rendition of Charlie Walker's "Who Will Buy The Wine" and the buckle-rubber "Gotta Find A Way". Solid material.

In this week's episode, we're featuring the debut record from Houston piano man Damian O'Grady: "From 9 'Til 1" (2018). Here's a man who spent years playing sideman to some of the Lone Star State's best dance bands and who picked up a thing or two along the way. A frequent cameo to the mic when playing with Texas favourites Amber Digby & Midnight Flyer and prior to that with Miss Leslie & Her Juke Jointers, Damian O'Grady started recording this album years ago. Life got in the way for a while, but five years after shelving it he finally rented the studio time to get it mastered, and the result is an excellent debut. For a man who's musical tastes range from Jethro Tull to George Harrison, this is a remarkably traditional country album: shufflers and two-steppers go back-to-back with barroom weepers and cheating ballads, tales of lost love and introspective deep thinkers. O'Grady wrote every song bar one on this album, and it's one cover is a masterful duet version of a 1983 Conway Twitty B-side, where Damian O'Grady teams with Austin songstress Brennen Leigh on "Cheatin' Fire". The fiddle from Jason Roberts and steel from Dave Biller and Johnny Cox add to the album's many highlights: including the can't-live-with-'em-can't-live-without-'em "Back Again", the rocking "Too Far Gone" and the honky tonkin' title track. A thoroughly entertaining debut that O'Grady's son will be proud to play for his kids further down the line.

In this week's episode, we're featuring Reba McEntire's second album for MCA: "My Kind Of Country" (1984). After being plucked from the rodeo arena in 1974, Mercury Records took McEntire and turned her into a recording professional. Her signing with MCA in the early 80s was meant to cement her as a country superstar. However her first MCA release stalled. Reba was no fool - sensing a shift away from the post-Urban Cowboy polish, she rejected the country-pop offerings being pushed by the executives and instead, went digging in her own record collection for inspiration. She pulled out some of the best that the 50s and 60s had to offer, enlisted producer Jimmy Bowen, added fiddlers Johnny Gimble and Mark O'Connor along with steelers Sonny Garrish and Doyle Grisham. With that team, "My Kind Of Country" was born and Reba was afforded two singles for two Number One hits. With that team, Jimmy Bowen (who also produced George Strait around the same time) collaborated with Reba and her gut instinct for traditional country and did indeed cement McEntire as a bona fide country star. Highlights include two Ray Price covers in "I Want To Hear It From You" and "Don't You Believe Him", a revamped version of Carl Smith's 1956 hit "Before I Met You" and the reserved lovelorn ballad "How Blue".

In this week's episode, we're featuring some lost 60s honky tonk from James O'Gwynn: "The Best Of James O'Gwynn" (1962). Nicknamed "The Smiling Irishman Of Country Music", he got his start around the same time as George Jones on the Houston Jamboree in the mid-50s, sharing a label and a legendary producer in Pappy Dailey. They stayed friends during their time at the Louisiana Hayride and Jones cut several O'Gwynn-penned songs. Encouraged to perform on the Opry stage by another good buddy in Jim Reeves, James O'Gwynn had hits, sure enough - three Top 30s, two Top 20s and one Top 10, before being dropped from Mercury Records. That success was never regained on the national stage, but O'Gwynn was kept employed in music for the next forty years, which says something for his quality as a country singer. He possessed a hard-edged honky tonk sound and may well have gone down in history in the same sentence as The Possum had the stars aligned. But James O'Gwynn, a likeable, dedicated family man, never complained about his stop-start career and he had all four biological children by his bedside when he passed in 2011. "The Best Of James O'Gwynn" is a small look back at a man who earnt his place in country music history and who is absolutely worthy of a trip down memory lane.  

NB. Many thanks to Carol Murdock O'Gwynn for the help in putting this episode together.