Alan Jackson - Freight Train

I try not to get swayed by other people’s reviews of albums, but must admit that after reading Ninian Dunnett’s review on the BBC website, before I’d bought the album, I was a bit worried. The over-riding feeling from her review was that with his 20 year tenure at Arista coming to an end, Alan Jackson had left his best stuff in the locker, ready for the next chapter of his phenomenal career.

On first hearing I agreed with the review, there were maybe ahlf of the dozen tracks that sounded good, the rest being nothing more than filler. Three more listens over the last two days have changed all that. I really like this album and even though it might not have any career songs like Here In The Real World, Chattahoochie, and countless others, it had no duffers either.

AJ wrote eight of the dozen and hopefully there are better songs still in his pen, waiting for the label change before sparking back to life. It’s probably no coincidence that the best songs are the ones written by others.

His slow Georgia drawl shines throughout, this guy has a great voice and it’s perfectly complimented by the strong country of fiddles, steel and twangy guitar. The title track moves along nicely and will get repeated plays on my iPod over the coming years. Best track for me is the clever Jay Knowles and Adam Wright co-write, Taillights Blue.

The first single – It’s Just That Way

Hard Hat And A Hammer on the Late Show with David Letterman

Jerry Lee Lewis - Lonely Weekends - youTube

The blurb on the youTube page says "Jerry Lee performs an intense version of Charlie Rich's Sun Records hit "Lonely Weekends" on the Midnight Special in 1973".

What it doen't say is that the piano solo is as whacky as the suit. Whatever, it's a magical version with a brass section that says Memphis soul and a yodel at the end that says Nashville country. The Killer fused the two like his enemy/friend down the road.

Battle of the Song No.6 - Finger Poppin' Time

Hank Ballard & the Midnighters - King 5341
Stanley Brothers - King 5384
Flip 'n' Shaky - unreleased

Hey now, hey now, hey now. I love this song, it's one of that rare breed that works equally well as a rhythm and blues tune and a bluegrass number no doubt. Written by Hank Ballard, he and the Midnighters recorded the song 50 years ago today in Cincinnati, Ohio. As the title suggests it's finger poppin' rocker with a hypnotic, highly danceable beat and proved to be their first pop hit in 1960, reaching number 7. The sax solos are superb.

The Stanley Brothers cut it later that year on and theirs is an equally exciting high stepper. Their high lonesome vocal duet and acoustic backing are a mile from the uptown sound of Hank Ballard, but it works a treat. The sax is replaced by a banjo solo and if Syd Nathan had released these back to back it would have been one of the world's finest, most ingruiging singles of all time.

The Flip 'n' Shaky version hasn't seen the light of day but is performed once a year, every year on the Sunday following the Rockers Reunion. The only place to catch the gig is on the M4 between Reading and Neath. If you happen to see the duo finger poppin' and singing their heads off, be sure to give them and wave and a wide berth.

Rockin' Song of the Week No.94 - The Champs

Rockin' Song of the Week No.94 - The Champs
Challenge 59076

From what I can gather, The Champs cut the great Red Eye 50 years ago today. I've got the song on the Ace CD, The Early Singles, a quality thirty track compilation. The music is mighty fine but the notes from Dave Burke and Roy Simonds don't mention this track. According to my Dutch buddy Dik De Heer, the song was cut in Los Angeles on March 30th, 1960, along with "The Little Matador". The two songs resulted in the single, Challenge 59076 which was released just two weeks later on April 18th.

The song was written by Gene Vincent Blue Cap Johnny Meeks, a guy who many of us love more than the much heralded Cliff Gallup. I know that Flippar has regular dreams about Johnny Meeks and the beautiful Bob Timmers is in love with the guy and cites this song as one of the reasons he wanted to learn to play guitar.

Meeks only worked with the Champs for around six months and this was the highlight of his stay, before Uncle Sam called him away. Some web sites state his tenure as being in 1959 while others say 1960. Knowing what a stickler for accuracy Dik is, i'm going with the 1960 date.

Rare Cavan Grogan Videos

Wow! No idea about the background to these videos clips, but they're prime time Cavan and make great viewing. Even those poor sensitive souls who say Cavan is a bit too loud and gruff can enjoy these - you just gotta get past the prejudice first.

The first clip is just Cav on his lonesome, the second is with the Rhythm Rockers and a beard. A legend.

The video below is a nine minute documentary, looking at Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers appearance at The Magnet, Dublin in 1980. If you can't be arsed to watch it all at least watch it from the eighth minute on. Classic.

Rockin' Song of the Week No.93 - Sammy Kershaw

Sammy Kershaw - Louisiana Hot Sauce

I liked a lot of the early Sammy Kershaw stuff during the CMT Europe years, and thought that although he sounded a lot like George Jones, he did it in his own style and didn't just sound like an immitator. I wasn't really aware of Louisiana Hot Sauce until I watched last nights episode of the great True Blood. This swampy rocker sounded so great in such a steamy scene and was further proof of how good country music can here in the right film/tv scene.

The song was cut in late 1998 at The Tracking Room in Nashville and featured such stawlwarts of the Nashville scene as Brent Mason [electric guitar], Keith Stegall [gt], Paul Franklin [steel], Glenn Worf [bass], Eddie Bayers [drums], Stuart Duncan [fiddle] and good ol' Hargus "Pig" Robbins on piano.

Check out some of these earlier videos and see if you can spot the Sonny Curtis lookalike in Third rate Romance -that's if you can get yer eyes off the blond!

Johnny Maestro - RIP.

One of the greatest doo-wop singers, Johnny Maestro of the Crests has died of cancer. It's another sad day for rock 'n' roll fans, as this guy was one of the best. Personally, he was a guy that I hoped I would one day get to see in the UK.

His friend, the legendary Dion DiMucci wrote on Facebook: "My Dear Friend " JOHNNY MAESTRO" passed away today..... Last week we had wonderful & lovely conversations about our Lord. Johnny was a class act. He was truly a gentleman. :::...We will miss him. He sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" like an angel....
WE THANK YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL TRIP YOU TOOK US ON...LOVE & PEACE".

My Crests Top 5

1. Six Nights A Week
2. 16 Candles
3. Gee (But I'd Give The World)
4. What A Surprise
5. Isn't It Amazing

Jerry Lee Lewis in Melbourne Australia, 1989

In 1989 Jerry Lee played three nights in Melbourne in a Legends of Rock concert series. One of the concerts was televised at the time in Oz, but hasn't been released on video or DVD. It's great to get some unseen professionally shot footage with a white-hot band of Memphis Beats, including Kenny Lovelace, Joel Schumaker and Buck Hutchison. The overhead shots give a wonderful display of the Killer's deadly piano playing. The wild version of Great Balls of Fire will knock yer socks off.

Why You Be Gone So Long

High School Confidential

Whole Lotta Shakin'Going On

Great Balls Of Fire

Rockin' Song of the Week No. 92 - Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets

Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets – Lemonade
(Rack 'Em Up - 1989 - Black Top)

White Texas blues guitarist Anson Funderburgh played with a pile of blues bands in the 70s and 80s including the Fabulous Thunderbirds on their Butt Rockin' album, but it was when he teamed up the Delta bluesman Sam Myers that all hell broke loose.

Funderburgh’s hot guitar and song-writing ability were the perfect foil for Missippi born Myers’ great down home vocal style. I’ve got half a dozen of their albums but it’s the first one I bought, 1989’s Rack ‘Em Up that’s still my favourite.

Lemonade is a stand-out for me, being a mid tempo blues stroller that has Funderburgh on fire and drummer Marc Wilson banging the skins for all he’s worth. Myers delivers a wonderful vocal before giving us a heavily amplified, stonking harmonica solo that the boys in Chicago would have been proud of. Pianist Matt McCabe just about steals the show with a great solo and some fine twinkling throughout.

“I’m looking for a woman, that only drinks lemonade, I haven’t found one yet, but I know there’s a few that’s been made”.

Recommended downloads: I’m Your Professor (see youTube clip below), Tell Me What I Want To Hear and Tell Me What Have I Done Wrong.

The Mullett, The Wig and The Quiff

No one does Chuck Berry like Dave Edmunds and that includes ol' Chuckie boy himself. Here he shows the ol Ding a Linger how to do it with Carl perkins and Brian Setzer in tow.

Rockin' Song of the Week No. 91 - Carl Mann

Carl Mann - I'm Comin' Home
Phillips International 3555

Fifty years ago today, Carl Mann drove across state to from Jackson to Memphis to cut some tracks for a forthcoming album, to be called Like Mann! With his usual buddies Robert Oatsvall on bass and the superbly talented Eddie Bush on guitar, he was joined by Charlie Rich on piano and fellow Jacksonite, WS Holland on drums. The best number they cut that day was the Rich composition, I’m Comin’ Home.

The intro was used note for note when Elvis cut it for his Something For Everybody album twelve months later. Carl Mann was one of the last of the great Sun rockers and this hot little platter was one of his best.

Rockin' Song of the Week No. 90 - The Valentines.

The Valentines – The Woo Woo Train
Rama 196

Ted Dixon was one of the sweetest men you could ever meet. He was gentle and caring, a great husband and father and one hell of a good neighbour. I should know, he was mine while I grew up and was my mum and dad’s for over thirty years. Ted passed away today, without a fuss and not wanting to put anybody out of their way. That’s the way he lived, and that’s why we loved him. I've chosen this song as it was Ted's middle name, having been born on Valentines Day - always the sweetheart.

The Valentines were an East Coast doo-wop band whose reputation exceeded their sales figures. Whilst they never had a hit record, their stage performances and choreography acquired near legendary status. They formed in the Sugar Hill district of Harlem in 1952 as the Mistletoes, and consisted of Raymond "Pop" Briggs (first tenor), Carl Hogan (second tenor), Mickey Francis (baritone), and Ronnie Bright (bass), before changing their name to The Dreamers.

When a young Philadelphia singer-songwriter named Richard Barrett joined the group, they became The Valentines, taken from the title of Mickey Francis' favorite song, My Funny Valentine. Raoul Cita of The Harptones brought them to Monte Bruce’s Bruce Records, before they signed with Hy Weiss’ Old Town Records label. In December 1954, they released Barrett’s Tonight Kathleen, probably their best known number.

In mid-1955, they moved to Rama label where Lily Maebelle almost was, a common theme with all their releases. By now they’d developed their trademark look, white jackets with red cloth hearts ("valentines") on the pockets, red shirts and pink bowties.
The Woo Woo Train became their best selling single in April 1956, and when they worked with Alan Freed, he’d have them coming onstage in a chugging conga line. It also became the theme song for famed Boston DJ Arnie Ginsberg.

They disbanded in 1958, with Richard Barrett becoming manager of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and discovering The Chantels. Ronnie Bright joined The Cadillacs for a while, and was the bass voice on Johnny Cymbal’s "Mr. Bass Man".

Anyway, rest in peace Ted, and my thoughts are with Audrey and Dave.

Stop the World And Let Me Off

I love Waylon's Stop the World And Let Me Off and found a great recent version by the Dwightster on youTube. Check it out, from Dwight's gig at Houston's Arena Theater on 21st November, 2009.

Ricky Nelson did it in the mid 60's as well, and while it ain't as good as Waylon's it's well worth a listen.

The clip below shows James Intveld, from the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland on August 12th, 2008. It goes without saying that he nails it.

And lest we forget, here's ol' Waylon himself.

Ricky Nelson - Lonesome Town: The Complete Record Releases 1957-1959

Ricky Neslon - Lonesome Town: The Complete Record Releases 1957-1959
Fantastic Voyage Records - FVTD056

Tracklist: I'm Walkin'/A Teenager's Romance/You're My One And Only Love/Be-Bop Baby/Have I Told You Lately That I Love You/Honeycomb/Boppin' The Blues/Be-Bop Baby (album version)/Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (album version)/Teenage Doll/If You Can't Rock Me/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/Baby I'm Sorry/Am I Blue/I'm Confessin'/Your True Love/True Love/Stood Up/Waitin' In School/Shirley Lee/Someday/Good Rockin' Tonight/I'm Feelin' Sorry/Down The Line/Unchained Melody/I'm In Love Again/Don't Leave Me This Way/My Babe/I'll Walk Alone/There Goes My Baby/Poor Little Fool/Believe What You Say/My Bucket's Got A Hole In It/I Got A Feeling/It's Late/One Of These Mornings/Believe What You Say (album version)/Lonesome Town/Tryin' To Get To You/Be True To Me/Old Enough To Love/Never Be Anyone Else But You/I Can't Help It/You Tear Mr Up/It's All In The Game/Restless Kid/You'll Never Know What You're Missing/That's All/Just A Little Too Much/One Minute to One/That's All/Just A Little Too Much/One Minute To One/Half Breed/You're So Fine/Don't Leave Me/Sweeter Than You/A Long Vacation/o Long/Blood From A Stone/I've Been Thinkin'/I Wanna Be Loved/Mighty Good/My Rifle, My Pony And Me

The good folks at Fantastic Voyage go from strength to strength, with the latest release featuring all the 1950’s recordings of the great Ricky Nelson. With 61 tracks on two discs together with a previously unreleased 78 minute interview, this is an essential purchase, especially with an asking price of under a tenner. Even if you have the Bear Family box set you’ll need this for the interview.

I’m sure everyone reading this blog will know the Ricky Nelson, where he started his career as a member of his family’s “Ozzie and Harriet Show” before forging a career in rock ‘n’ roll in equal parts due to good looks, a good voice, some great songs from the Burnette’s and Baker Knight among others, and a crack band knicked from Bob Luman that starred the superb James Burton. As well known as the story is, there’s plenty of songs on show here that aren’t so famous. They come Verve and Imperial , courtesy of his singles and his first four albums, 'Ricky', Ricky Nelson', 'Ricky Sings Again' and 'Songs By Ricky'.

Items like Waitin’ In School, Poor Little Fool, Believe What You Say and Mighty Good hold up against the finest music of the era and need no introduction. But the less informed will get to hear such gems as There Goes My Baby, You Tear Me Up, Be True To Me and I’ve Been Thinking.

He worshipped Carl Perkins and the Sun artists, and it’s a mark of his talent is how well his covers stand up to such illustrious originals, such as Your True Love, I’m Feelin’ Sorry, Down the Line and Boppin’ The Blues.

If you’re after a something a bit softer, there’s Never Be Anyone Else But You and Sweeter Than You among others. From the country side you get two belters in Half Breed and Restless Kid. This is a brilliant release that you should snap up now. From rockabilly to teen rockaballads, this has it all. A great cover photo as well to round things off.

Rockin' Song of the Week No. 89 - Ramsey Kearney

Rockin' Song of the Week No. 89 - Ramsey Kearney
Rock The Bop (Jaxon 501)

This song is dedicated to the young Welsh star Aaron Ramsey who suffered a sickening injury yesterday. Being a Spurs fan, no one hates Arsenal more than me, but what happened yesterday goes beyond all that. I’ve been gutted by the injury ever since I saw it last night. We haven’t got the world’s biggest squad here in Wales and can ill afford to lose a player of Ramsey’s quality. I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.

So, what about Ramsey Kearney? Well, to be honest, it’s not the greatest rockabilly song you’ll ever here, but he gets the nod this week because he’s called Ramsey. Born in Boliver, Tennessee on October 30th, 1933, he was into music from an early age, performing a radio show on WDXI Radio in Jackson, TN at the age of fifteen. Known as the Dixie Farmboy, he secured this slot from 1948 to 1952.

On his official website, Keaney’s remembers that “after he had done several radio shows, he received a phone call from CARL PERKINS, and could he come up and pick guitar on radio with him? Carl appeared the following Saturday with his guitar and amp. Carl had a National acoustic guitar, with a silver plated pick-up mounted above the sound hole and under the strings. The strings were about one-half inch above the fingerboard on the neck, the amp was about as big as a cracker box.” He adds that to his surprise, Carl sounded pretty good, playing in a style resembling Merle Travis, but wanting to play like Chet Atkins.

After High School, Ramsey moved to Memphis where he became the lead singer of the Snearly Ranch Boys, a local band of high acclaim whose line-up over the years included Warren Smith and Stan Kesler.

Some unreleased recordings at Sun and a spell in the army came and went before he moved to Nashville where he made his name as a songwriter. His best known was Emotions which he co-wrote with Mel Tillis.

Best place to hear Rock The Bop is the brilliant Stompertime CD, The Last Great Rockabilly Saturday Night, which unfortunately gives no details other than the song was written by Kearney and Eddie Starr.

According to the Rockin’ Memphis box set on Proper Records, the song was recorded in December ’56 at a Jimmie Martin Combo session, with Martin and Kearney along with Junior Vestal on guitar and Ickie Havener on piano. The other side is listed as Red Bobby Sox.

Check out the photo below from 1949 with a young Carl Perkins.

Thats Love - Billy Fury. The Jean Caroll Show - 23 June 1960

Wow - this is astounding. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I'm sure I've never seen this before. Until now the only best primetime Billy Fury clip is the Don't Knock Upon My Door slice of magic from Oh Boy! This clip comes along and it blows my mind. Unfortunately the sound is overdubbed from record, but who gives damn, this is the dogs bollocks. It's nothing short of stunning. Hope you enjoy it - if you don't, I think you're on the wrong blog.

According to the guff, "An American freelance producer of film and video archive material, Ron Furmanek, who is based in New York, discovered this long-lost excerpt on ancient film stock.

Jean Carroll was an American comedienne, who had a short-lived sit-com on US television in the early 1950s.

Paul Rumbol tells me that the clip is from the ATV programme Val Parnell's Spectacular : The Jean Caroll Show. It was recorded on 23 June 1960, and probably broadcast that summer."

Marshall Grant - I Was There When It Happened: My Life with Johnny Cash

I’m reading Marshall Grant’s book, I Was There When It Happened: My Life with Johnny Cash, at the moment. Published by Cumberland House in 2006, I must own up to borrowing it from Phil, but having got half way through I recommend it to anyone with an interest in JC, Sun Records or country music in general.

Marshall Grant was with Johnny Cash from the very beginning, being a founder member of the Tennessee Two with Luther Perkins. What I love about the book is the stories of life on the road and the pranks they pulled to alleviate the boredom.

He tells of a time in West Texas when JC and the T2 where touring with Elvis and Warren Smith. At a truck stop in Amarillo in the early hours of the morning, Grant put a pile of shaving cream onto a pumpkin pie, leaving Elvis and Johnny doubled up with laughter. They waited in vain for ages for someone to order the pie. In the end they had to leave but Elvis stayed another couple of hours just waiting, dying to see the face of some unsuspecting trucker order the pie. I just love the thought of these two future icons of America, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, sat in this truck stop, two young guys, howling at such a childish prank. The innocence of youth.

Get the book and enjoy other fun stories, but beware. The picture he paints of the pill-popping papa isn't so golden. Depending on whether he was strungout or straight, JC was too very different men.

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.

Dale Hawkins - RIP

I can't believe Dale Hawkins has gone. I'm not sure how many heroes I've got left, but there's certainly one big one less. I only saw him once at the Tennessee Club in London, and although he'd lost his baggage and played in the clothes he travelled in, he was in great spirits and put on a superb show. I had my photo taken with him afterwards and it was in the men's toilet. He couldn't have been any more cheerful with the gathered crowd if he'd been back stage at the Albert Hall.

Everyone knows his story, if not there's loads of obits out there, and deservedly so. He had a shed load of crackers but here's my top 5.

1. Every Little Girl
From March 1960, the great Roy Buchanan picks behind a wonderful Dale vocal. It's on MCA's 1993 reissue of the Oh! Suzy-Q album as a bonus track. It's my favourite Dale hawkins numbers, I love it, and I can't believe that Ace didn't include it on their otherwise superb Rock 'n' Roll Tornado CD.

2. Lovin' Bug
I first heard this on the Chess Rockabillies lp many moons ago. Roy Buchanan launches this song into orbit from the get-go and it must be aone of the rockinest songs of 1961. A bit too boppin' for the Bobby era.

3. Superman
The summer of 1958 was one hell of a lot hotter the day he cut this at the KWKH Radio studio in Shereveport.


4. See You Soon Baboon
Are you sure Tarzan did it this way? It was good enough for Mark Lamarr to use the intro for his radio programme and it's good enough to make my top 5.

5. Little Pig
One of his classics, this winter '57 number first came my way courtesy of the Polecats. I'd bow my head in shame, but I like there version to.

There's a load of others that I love from the great ballad Heaven, to La-D-Dada, to Teenage Dolly, Mrs Merguitory's Daughter, to Wildcat Tamer. Oh yeah, then there's that one with the cowbell.

To sum him up, nearly in his own words - Four Letter Word (Dale).

Rest In Peace buddy, you were one of the greats.

The John Terry EP

Side A
Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Cheater's Waltz
Trent Tomlinson - Cheatin’ On My Honky Tonk

Side B
The Pearls - Your Cheatin' Heart
Dale Watson - Cheatin' Heart Attack

Since I've been having a break from the blog, the British press have been having a field day with John Terry, laughably awarded Father Of The Year around the same time he was poking team mate Wayne Bridges' misses. I know they say in football that when the left back leaves his position, the centre half covers the hole, but this was still a bit naughty. I hate John Terry, so I'm loathe to name an EP after him, but what the hell, he did provide the inspiration for an EP of cheating songs, so here goes.


I love Jerry Lee more than I love life itself, and when he sings a Sonny Throckmorton song, if jest don’t get any better. Their 1978 collaboration, Middle Aged Crazy is in my top 10 songs of all time, an absolute peach. From the same year came Last Cheater's Waltz. This was a period where Jerry Lee was singing country music better than anyone outside of George Jones’ house and Throckmorton starting a three year run as the Nashville Songwriters Association’s, Songwriter of the Year the song couldn’t help but be pure gold. Taken from the Killer’s final Mercury album, Keeps Rockin’, it’s one of the great cheatin’ songs. “She was going to pieces when he walked in the door, She had to see him she can't wait no more, Tonight she'll be with him no matter the cost, As the band plays The Last Cheater's Waltz”.

Trent Tomlinson is a modern country singer who won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. His debut album Country Is My Rock, from 2006 produced three Top 40 singles, Drunker Than Me, One Wing in the Fire and Just Might Have Her Radio On. A couple of them are pretty good but it’s the album track, Cheatin’ On My Honky Tonk that really appeals to me. Set to a modern day country rocker beat, the lyrics are great fun, with Tomlinson being embarrased to be going home when he should be tonkin’ with his buddies. “Hey, I'm cheatin' on my honky-tonk, 'Fraid my friends are gonna talk, Tryin' hide it best as I can, Well, I don't want no-one to know, What I'm doin', where I go: Think I'm any less of a man, I know they'll really kill me,
Try to pull me back if they only knew, I've been cheatin' on my honky-tonk, An' comin' home to you.” I look forward to his upcoming album, A Guy Like Me later this year. As Waylon said “Are you sure Hank done it this way”, well, no he didn’t, but then he never did it like Waylon either. Ignore the modern drums, and this is a honky tonk classic.


And if ol’ Hank didn’t do it Trent Tomlinson’s way, he sure didn’t do it like the Pearls. They were a doo-wop band on the Onyx label, a short lived affair from New York whose either prime-time woppers were the Velours. Their 1957 cover of the Hank Williams classic is a brilliant interpretation that leaves you wishing they’d stayed around long enough to do a full album of Hank covers. Check out the 1998 CD, Here Come The Pearls on Onyx 2003 to sample such delights as The Vow, Zippity Zippity Zoom and the fabulous, Ice Cream Baby.

It was a rave review in Country Music People that led me to buy Dale Watson,’s 1995 Highton debut, Cheatin’ Heart Attack. It was the same day I bought my first Anson Funderburgh album, Rack ‘Em Up, with my favourite track, Lemonade. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I still believe this is still Dale Watson’s finest album to date. Nashville Rash is a brilliant insight into the way Music City has done away with the old legends that’s as relevant today as it was 15 years ago. The whole album is hardcore honky tonk music, with Merle to the fore.