his Columbia debut and first new album in four years, the chameleon-like Stuart has come up with a great, eclectic set of tunes and performances. He kicks things off in high style with "A Satisfied Mind," a cover of Wagoner's biggest hit, here given a rolling, Waylon Jennings-style arrangement. Stuart includes a respectful but nonetheless dead-on impersonation of the Man in Black on the lesser-known Cash tune "Walls of a Prison." On "Farmer's Blues," a new classic he penned with wife Connie Smith, it is hard to tell where Stuart leaves off and guest vocalist Merle Haggard begins--not a bad thing. What is more distinctive is the "Marty Party" good spirits he brings to honky-tonkers like "By George" and "Too Mu...  (less)

airplay as their more popular counterparts. Listening to Country Roads , the finesse with which Denver balanced his folk rock tendencies with his country leanings emerges as testament to his talent. As a box set, the collection would be remiss if it didn't include "Leaving on a Jet Plane," "Annie's Song," "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," or "Rocky Mountain High"--and, of course, the box set's namesake is here. Later hits like "Calypso," with its sea-shanty yodeling, portray Denver's ability to ease himself into the role of balladeer, regardless of the genre. Novelty duets with Placido Domingo and Emmylou Harris were intended to rekindle what seemed to be lagging popularity, but Country Roads establishes John Denver's contri...  (less)

of country songs. Both rock n roll and country music are littered with the ghosts of broken promises, but this one was destined to become reality. Timeless sounds abound on Country Club, driven by Doe s gorgeously rough-hewn vocals, the dueling thousand pound chops of the guitar-wielding Good brothers and The Sadies world class rhythm section of Mike Belitsky and Sean Dean. Here, the Countrypolitan sound of late 1960s Nashville is filtered through the telecaster-based honky tonk of Bakersfield, CA and the results are simply stunning. Classic tunes by Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings stand alongside corkers by Tammy Wynette and Roger Miller, all of them getting unique treatments by Doe and The Sadies. The album also features four originals - three from The Sadies and one courtesy of...  (less)

Pride on his classic `Crystal Chandeliers and one of Daniel's all-time idol, Loretta Lynn, who was recently inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame. Demon.  (less)

fave "She Took A Lot Of Pills (And Died)."  (less)

fringe as a recording artist. Yet his indie status gives him the freedom to make the music he wants, such as this album of new originals steeped in the sound of classic country (released simultaneously with Bluegrass , an album that showcases a different dimension of Lauderdale's artistry). As with the country hits of the era he conjures, Lauderdale isn't concerned when clever slides toward corny, as it does in the "genie in the bottle" lyric of "Two Wishes," and he isn't afraid of sweet innocence ("If You Never Seen Her Smile") and disarming tenderness ("Are You Okay"). The balladry of "That's Why We're Here" represents Lauderdale at his open-hearted best. On the harder, honky-tonk side, there's plenty of Buck Owens twang in "Single ...  (less)

and Tom Gray, one of the greatest ensembles in bluegrass history. This reissue of the Gents' 1973 album catches the band in its prime. 28-page booklet, 16 tracks, 46 mins.  (less)

Wouldn't Be the Same Without You" made at Sun studios months before Sam Phillips began recording him in earnest for the Sun label. By and large, he invoked such classics as Eddy Arnold's "It's a Sin," Hank Williams's "Your Cheatin' Heart," and his boyhood favorite "Old Shep." His rocking 1958 cover of Hank Snow's hit "A Fool Such As I" made the song an Elvis standard as well. Not that he drew from the past alone. He recorded more contemporary fare like Porter Wagoner's "Green, Green Grass of Home," a 1967 hit version of Jerry Reed's then-new tune "Guitar Man," Eddie Rabbitt's "Kentucky Rain," and even the Pointer Sisters' "Fairytale." While everything here's been released before, it's a well-conceived overview of Elvis's best country excursions. --Rich Kie...  (less)