Reasons to love youTube No.3 - Stonewall Jackson

For some reason, Stonewall Jackson is a much overlooked artist. He's got a great voice, a good strong quiff and some pretty good songs as well. Here's a few selections from the wonderful world of youTube.

That's Why I'm Walkin'

I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water

Don't Be Angry

Hank Williams Revealed: The Unreleased Recordings

Hank Williams Revealed: The Unreleased Recordings
Time Life Entertainment

Hank Williams Revealed is the follow up to last years, Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings. The format is the same, three CD’s featuring some complete 15-minute “morning shows” of hits, narratives and gospel. The shows were pre-recorded in Nashville and sponsored by Mother’s Best Flour and Feed for distribution to radio stations across the land. Hank Williams Revealed features three full Mother’s Best programs first heard nearly 60 years ago, as well as stand-alone songs, in-studio conversations and banter between Hank and the Drifting Cowboys.

The first CD is billed as The Hits… Like Never Before. The first thing that strikes you is the quality of Hank’s vocals and the band. These versions are so tight they could have been released as singles. The disc kicks off with his then current single, Cold, Cold Heart, running at over three minutes. It’s of particular interest because this is believed to be the first public appearance of the song. Highlights include Move It On Over, described by Hank as “The Doghouse Blues, the dog song”.

The upbeat manner and jokey nature of Hank belie the pain and suffering he was going through at this time in his life. We do get a glimpse of it at the beginning of the second disc when during the introduction to That Beautiful Home he says he’ll get up out of this chair to the mic if his back can stand it. This second disc, Southern Harmony, contains the spirituals and although this isn’t really my favourite genre, there are some great numbers on offer. How Can You Refuse Me Now is beautiful and Lord Build Me A Cabin also hits the spot. Something Got A Hold Of Me is a duet with Miss Audrey where she maintains her 100% record of always sounding like she’s in the middle of an argument.

The third and final disc, Luke the Drifter, is an intriguing collection of less familiar songs. Hank jokingly refers to Luke The Drifter as his half brother before reciting the clever, bittersweet, Everything’s Okay. I love the version of Jimmie Davis’ honky-tonkin’ homage to Dixie, Where The Old Red River Flows with Hank’s strange yodel which is part Lovesick Blues, part Muleskinner Blues. A drop or two of moonshine liquor must surely have passed his lips before this recording. Prime-time Hank. His revamp of Tennessee Waltz to Alabama Waltz drags a bit, but not so a rompin’ Orange Blossom Special, which sees Jerry Rivers shine. I Hang My Head and Cry is neat ballad, almost a rewrite of I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.

As with the first box, this is a superb release that sits nicely alongside the 10 Hank box and the Health & Happiness Shows. He was a freak of nature to be such a brilliant and consistent artist even when his personal life was in tatters. He remains the bench mark for all country singers.

Rockin' Song of the Week No.88 - Webb Pierce

Webb Pierce – Walking The Dog
Decca 9-28834



Today I was supposed to be going down to South Wales to watch Crazy Cavan play their annual hometown gig. A shitload of snow left the roads closed and with no gritters and no salt I was left in mid Wales with nothing to do but walk the dog. As fate would have it, Phil has just phoned to say the gig is sold out, so we wouldn’t have got in anyway. Mind you, if it’s the same PA as last time we could’ve listened from the car park.

So I was walking Charlie, and it made me think of Webb. The honky tonk stomp, from the pens of Cliff Grimsley and Tex Grimsley was cut at the Castle Studio in Nashville on July 30th 1953. Producer Owen Bradley gave Webb a strong, beaty backing that helped take some of the focus from Webb’s sometimes strained vocals.

Webb sang, I'm walking the dog and I'm paintin' the town, well, I walked the dog, but I didn’t get to paint the town. I’m sure Cav is though.

Jackson Taylor & The Sinners - Aces 'n' Eights

I’d never heard of Texan singer-songwriter Jackson Taylor before, despite his previous half dozen or so releases. On first hearing I’ve gotta say I like him, I like him a lot. He reminds me a lot of the great Monte Warden and the Wagoneers who I’ve raved about before. When a songwriter of Billy Joe Shaver’s talent and status describes you as follows, “Jackson’s songs are so real and honest, you know straight off he's been there and done that. He writes and sings like he lives, great songs that I believe will live forever", you know the guy must have talent.

The opener is a great honky tonk duet with Dale Watson, telling us how they’re “I’m back on the bottle, back to the bad old days”. There’s a Waylon feel to the Mike Ness penned Ball And Chain, this time duetted with Jason Boland. Country Song is a four-letter rant at some of country music’s “spiky-haired half assed popstar wannabes”. The disgruntled, aggressive lyrics are what give the album it’s Parental Guidance warning on the cover.

Both Goin' Back To California and Barefeet On The Dash show a fair bit of flair and originality and I really liked the title track, a Texas ballad that has more than a hint of Joe Ely about it. Easy Lovin' Stranger is another fine item, and I quite enjoyed Ness’s other number Highway 101, which is the rockiest number on show. Sex, Love & Texas is an up-tempo tribute to a girl we all dream about.

The album closes with Cocaine, a juicy honky tonk barroom baller and a second version of Back On The Bottle, with Swedish country band, the Taylors replacing the Sinners. A really impressive album that will get me searching out the earlier releases.

Alan Jackson - Songs of Love and Heartache

Alan Jackson - Songs of Love and Heartache
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®

Tracklisting: Here In The Real World - She's Got The Rhythm (And I Got The Blues) - Tropical Depression - Livin' On Love You Can't Give Up On Love - Gone Crazy - When Somebody Loves You - Remember When - Rainy Day In June - A Woman's Love - That's What I'd Be Like Without You (Previously Unreleased) - Nothing Sure Looked Good On You (Previously Unreleased)

Not only do you leave your local Cracker Barrel store with a full stomach, you can also come away with a twelve song CD of Alan Jackson ballads. The folks at my favourite chain restaurants in the world, have added the great honky tonker to their growing list of featured artists. For the hardened fans like myself the bonus of this CD is the inclusion of a couple of unreleased gems.

I fell in love with AJ after hearing the brilliant title track of his debut album, Here In The Real World. As with most Nashville stuff at the time, the wonderful fiddle of Rob Hajacos gave the best songs a great, haunting feeling. One of the things I love about Alan Jackson is that his ballads are't usually about being suicidal because his wife has left him. There's usually a feeling of hope and mostly they're about family values and the simple country life. Basically, you can listen to him without feeling the need to check the ceiling beams, wondering if they're strong enough to hold a rope.

The other nine issued tracks come from all stages of his career and there's not a duffer in sight. There's a few omissions that I'd have included, like Dallas, Tonight I Climbed The Walls and Everything I Love, but when you're just looking for a dozen tracks in a career like his you're bound to miss a few out.

Anyway, what about the two unissued numbers. The best is his cover of Gene Watson's great Nothing Sure Looked Good On You. On AJ's superb 1999 cover album, Under The Influence, he said in the sleevnotes that "I think Gene Watson was one of the greatest country singers ever, still is". Well his performance here shows that Jackson himself belongs in that same category - class. That's What I'd Be Like Without You is pure Alan Jackson, strong country lyrics and a great honky tonk voice.

Whether you've got all his other albums is irrelevant, you need this for the Gene Watson cover. The CD is available only at Cracker Barrel and crackerbarrel.com.

Jason Lee Wilson - Another Hole In Another Wall

Jason Lee Wilson - Another Hole In Another Wall
Rhythm Bomb Records - RBR5679

You can tell from his song-writing that he’s steeped in the history of hillbilly and rockabilly, little surprise when you consider he born and raised in the hill country of south-east Tennessee. In 1998, he formed the rockabilly band the Cumberland Runners, and although he’s gone solo, they still they occasion gigs together in the South. He singed to Rhythm Bomb Records resulting in the High Country album in 2007 where he was backed in the studio by label-mates, the Round Up Boys. They provide sympathetic backing that perfectly compliments Wilson’s songs. Such was the universal acclaim of that album, Rhythm Bomb have again teemed JLW with the Roundup Boys for this latest album, which regretfully is my introduction to the guy.

I know it shouldn’t matter, but I already loved this guy before I heard him – he’s the grand-cousin of Marvin Rainwater gaddamit. Jason Lee Wilson recorded this fine album in Berlin, Germany in the famous Lightning Recorders studio.

The opener is a chugging honky tonk number. The title track sounds like early BR549 to me with JLW’s voice not disimilar to Chuck Mead. Truckstop Betty has more steel than Pittsburg and is great uptempo country music. I know we keep saying that country music ain’t what it used to be, but songs like this remind us what it could/should be. The Field And The Vine visits Johnny Cash territory with the Roundup Boys giving a spirited nod to the Tennessee Three. I Used To Wish On A Star is stone-cold country with a great 50’s feel with a gentle layer of backing vocals that lifts the song from really good to fantastic – this is so authentic it makes Dwight Yoakam seem like a pop star, and I love Dwight!

Tired Of Being Sorry has a 60’s feel that reminded me of Buck Owens. There’s more hillbilly fever in Tough Roe To Hoe which tells of the woe’s of a gold-digger. He morphs Johnny Cash with Hank Snow for the foot tappin’ Golden Girl. I love the mournful Too Much Walking, with it’s passing nod to Merle and Joe Nichols – this is timeless country music that you wouldn’t believe was cut in the 21st Century.

The album closes out in fine form with the beautiful You Call Me A Fool, Be Warned which sounds like Elvis’ take on Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues and the honky tonker My Last Ride. A great album that should appeal to broadminded rockabillies and will have country lovers frothing at the mouth. I’d love to think this was the future of country music, but we all know the reality.