It’s impressed me so much that I’ll be playing four tracks instead of the normal three, and you have the chance of winning a copy of it.

I’ll be taking a look at the ups and downs of the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and playing the top three best selling singles.

Our Number One Take You Back Track takes us back to 1987 although the original version was a chart hit in 1958.

There’s a few country birthdays to celebrate and there’s a fairly healthy look at who’s where and when.

There’s also great music from George Strait, Clint Black, Lisa Hartman, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and I’ll be introducing you to some new names including the Kentucky Linemen, Rachael Holder, The Farm, David Bradley and a whole host more.

It’ll be great to have the pleasure of your company.

Cheers

Brian C

Click on the button (arrow) below to take a listen

This is the eighth studio album release by alternative Country Rock band “The Jayhawks” who have been producing quality self penned music and notable covers since the early eighties.

Big in Americana music circles across the pond they have still to make much an impact over here.

That said this handsome collection just might do it for them.

It features a return to the band after many years of former main man and songwriting talent Mark Olson.

Masters of harmony and talented in melody and memorable lyrics I am reminded of laid back Neil Young in their music’s plaintiveness’ and quiet harmony.

I was particularly taken with strong songs ‘Pouring Rain at Dawn’, and ‘Cinnamon Love’ as well as the stand out title track.

Well played and sung this is one of those albums to put on and chill with a generous libation to hand.

Quirky and memorable in a some what left field way, The Jayhawks are fun band with something to say.

So sit back and enjoy the joy of tracks

‘Tiny Arrows’ and ‘Her Mr Man’.

Listening to this outing has given me a taste for catching them live.

So roll on a tour on this side of the pond.

I anticipate being in experienced hands and enjoying the mood.

I call it the ‘tingle’ factor.

We’ve all probably experienced it at one time or another, it’s that moment when the world stops, the sun shines, and the hairs on the back of your neck reach for the sky in celebration of something.

It happened the first time I heard the music of Randy Travis and then with Suzy Bogguss and I’ve just experienced it again.

Until a couple of weeks ago I have to confess that I had not heard of an artist called Heather McCready nor had I heard any of her music until she kindly sent me some CD’s.

‘Give It A Day’ has tingle factor written right through it from the opening catchy ‘Sunshiny Day’ through to the fading notes of ‘Maybe’.

Of the ten tracks on the release Heather has written seven and co-written three and each individual track from me has the ‘hit’ hallmark.

Musically it is brilliant, production excellent and the vocals supberb.

Her voice is clean and believable, sympathetic and thoughtful with a gentle smokey, soft husky edge to it.

Her delivery impeccable.

Hailing from Arlington in Texas she would be the first to admit that things have not always been a bed of roses as shortly after having her children she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

However after treatment she has survived the anxious times to be able to continue her music and naturally bring awareness of the subject to encourage those who still suffer from it and educate those who don’t.

‘Give It A Day’ is her fourth album release and for me one of the best releases I have heard this year.

It is sheer musical and vocal magic and I would whole heartedly recommend it to any lover of music no matter what genre of it you appreciate.

Join me from Saturday on The American Connection on www.euvue.co.uk when I’ll be playing three tracks on the show as it takes up the Album Of The Week slot.

Join me and ‘Tingle’ with a True Texas Treasure…

Further information regarding her other albums can be found by logging on to her website at www.HeatherMcCready.com.

Heather McCready             Give It A Day        Travelling Girl Productions

Well known over the North East as a columnist for the Hartlepool Mail and broadcaster for the BBC he has entertained throughout the region with his wicked sense of humour and professionalism.

When Durham County’s Cricket Ground was built on the Riverside at Chester-le-Street Alan became Chief Executive and was instrumental in putting it on the map and helping  advance it to the status it now holds as an International English Test Match Cricket Ground.

Although now running his own business,his connection with cricket continues through Lord’s Taverners

A new book written by Alan and entitled ‘Wright Here’ contains a compilation of many of his observations on life first seen in his newspaper columns.

When it comes to introductions TV presenter Chris Tarrant writes of Alan…

“He is quietly but completely barking! We met in no less prestigious a setting than the Long Room at Lord’s Cricket Ground. It was a balloon debate on behalf of the Lord’s Taverners, with some of the best after dinner speakers in the land going head to head in a brutal verbal knock out competition. The anecdotes flowed, the wine flowed and, by a massive consensus, quietly but inarguably at the end of the whole gruelling side-splitting affair, Alan won”.

Much of the  zaniness is captured throughout the book with tales of ‘Odd shaped Balls’ and rolling on the rugby pitch, ‘Transporter of Delight’ which tells the hilarious story of Alan’s father’s friend Jack, a bike and the Transporter Bridge.

The Red Arrows,The Bachelors and Ricky Tomlinson feature in ‘Ukeleles and Red Arrows’ and ‘Duck Attack’ emphasises how ‘Quackers’ he can be and explains what a Pooly Dut is to those not aware of its existance.

In his forecast of the news for the following year he relates ‘The year ends with a Hartlepool resident being banned for life from B & Q. He explained:“As I was walking in, this bloke asked if I wanted decking, so I got my punch in first.”

These days his love of words, silly stories, people and live observations take him all over the UK including guest speaking on Cruise Ships.

For me the tongue in check humour is brilliant and the tales put a natural smile on your face. He is  a great humourist and it shows throughout the book which is one of those items that you ‘can’t put down’.

Not only is it available direct from Alan at www.wright-here.com but also on Amazon Kindle.

Our Take You Back Number One takes us back to 1989 from one of the best selling duo’s in country music history.

Album Of The Week comes from Jack Ingram and I’ll be taking the usual look at the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and playing todays top selling singles in Nashville.

There’s songs from Nanci Griffith, Ronnie Milsap, Don Williams and new artists Pistol Annies, Claudia Lee, Blue County and Kristen Kelly.

It’ll be good if you can join me for a trip in the country.

Cheers
Brian C

Click the button (arrow) below to take a listen

If you’re a cult film fan then you’ll be pleased to know that ‘The Return Of The Living Dead’ comes to DVD on June 4th.

Described as one of the best horror films of the eighties it is available from Second Sight in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, the latter will be in a limited edition Steelbook but both will contain five hours of special features and the inclusion of he original soundtrack by The Cramps as well as a remixed version.

In short the film tells of a blunder at a Medical Supplies warehouse where workers unknowingly set off a mysterious US military chemical that brings the dead back to life.

For the sake of convenience a graveyard is nearby, so enlisting the help of a local crematorium they set off a chain of events that could lead to the end of civilisation.

As the dead get a new lease of life they hunt for ‘Brains’ to eat which as we all know stops their pain, needless to say the race is on to stop the growing army of ravenous zombies.

Albeit that this film was made with the best intentions of being a horror classic it had to be made with ‘tongue in cheek humour’ as many of the scenes are tantamount to laughs created in ‘Airplane’ or The Naked Gun’ although perhaps at the time not intentional.

There are some great lines during the farce ‘How do you kill something that’s already dead?’…”it’s not a bad question Bert!’

The scene in which workers have been attacked and rigor mortis is setting in is an absolute hoot and to me overplayed to perfection (or was it just pure acting).

‘Brains’ is the obvious keyword and for me laughter is the second.

Be you a classic movie horror fan or you like a good chuckle then you can do no better that add it to your DVD collection.

‘Frighteningly Funny’.

DVD priced at £19.99   Cat No 2NDVD3228  whilst the Blu-Ray version is priced £22.99  Cat No 2NDBR4006

The Return Of The Living Dead  (DVD)              Second Sight.

“Winter reflections”

The Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian folk, rock and blues band formed in 1985  comprising three siblings from the Trimmings  entertainment family.

They first received attention and critical acclaim in 1988 with their “Trinity Session“ album.

They have a gentle and mellow melodic sound with distinctive vocals that greatly appeal both on record and in concert.

The band is well served by its name.

Dreamy and haunting the music has a magical way of seeping into your consciousness.

In a new departure for them the band over the last two years have released this “Nomad” series of albums.

Volume 1 was the experimental “Renmin Park”.

Volume 2 “Demons” an album of the songs of Vic Chestnut.

Volume 3 “Sing in my Meadow” the summer rocky fuzzy one.

In this, the culmination of their musical odyssey we get their “full on” dreamy atmospheric sound which started it all for them.

All forms of human life are here from a broken love affair “Damaged from the Start”, challenging religious doctrine in “Idle Tales” and that great human mystery suicide in “Unanswered Letter”.

I particularly liked the airy wistfulness of “Angels in the Wilderness”.

Proceedings are brought to a fine finale with “F… I hate the cold”.

Who doesn’t?

The Cowboy Junkies will warm your heart.

My fancy has been tickled by their style and elegance.

I’m off to order their back catalogue on the strength of this.

The Cowboy Junkies   The Wilderness  (The Nomad Series-Volume 4)   Proper Records

Darrell Scott has written proven hits songs for mainstream artists like Faith Hill (‘We’ve Got Nothing To Prove But Love’),Dixie Chicks (‘Long Time Gone’ and ‘Heartbreak Town’), Daryll Worleys ‘Family Tree’ and a whole host more recorded by Brad Paisley, Patty Loveless, Alan Jackson and Guy Clark to name a few.

He has just completed his ninth album entitled ‘Long Ride Home’ which is due to be released on June 18th prior to a tour here in Britain in July.

This new collection of sixteen self penned and co-written songs pays tribute to the music of his youth, two songs having been written with his father Wayne when he was sixteen year old.

In total it is an eclectic mix of light and shade with country roots shining through.

Musically it is brilliant and with the help of friends like Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins, Dennis Crouch, Kenny Malone, Guy Clark, Patty Griffin, Rodney Crowell, Lloyd Green, Charlie McCoy, Kathy Chiavola and many more it has ‘class’ stamped through every song.

It’s an album that you set the CD player to ‘Repeat’.

His tour starts in July and he is one of the guests at the forthcoming SummerTyne Americana Festival which takes place at The Sage Gateshead from 20th until 22nd where he appears on the 22nd.

On this album it seems that the country music that shaped his musical character has now blasted to the surface.

Treat yourself.

Darrell Scott            Long Ride Home              Full Light Records

The Deafening Silence is a play written and directed by Carra Jay Willis, Sarah Southern and Kirsty Young and is a Mint Banter production (Let Wa Go) that was performed at The Studio Theatre Royal .

Teenage siblings Maisy and Olly have left home, fed up with the house rules of their parents establishment.

Fuelled by aspiration but without funds dreams come crashing down about their ears when the rent falls due and “friends” are called upon to put them up.

Olly infatuated with himself and tipping his “handsome” profile at “any “passing female behaves like a fox in a chicken coop when he finds himself centre stage in a house with 4 girls!

Sister Maisy troubled with night terrors finds herself in a conflicted situation with Megan who together with sister Blake are the siblings reluctant hosts.

What is the source of that conflict?

Who is covering up for who and why?

The landladies’ father is dead adored by Megan  whom as his “princess” makes regular pilgrimages to his grave. Sister Blake feels no such devotion.

Gradually a story unfolds of family betrayals and sexual transgressions.

Thus the stage is set for conflict resolution or further confrontation.

Do the sins of the father go on?

In bravura performance of writing directing and acting these undergraduate performing students dazzled their enraptured audience at the play’s premiere .

Wise and subtle well beyond their years this young cast of players impressed in a gale force demonstration of talent which left me overwhelmed in admiration.

From the well-aimed digs at the medical profession with its fashionable treatments and breathtaking self-regard to young adult fumblings where sexual desire conflicts with emotional needs.

Humour and pathos found audience reaction in raucous laughter and nervous coughing when the play in the blinking of an eye switched from teenage high jinks to human home truths.

Telling an epic story in fast moving scenes delivered with great emotional economy this company of talented players and their performance will not be forgotten quickly by we the audience who were lucky to catch this pearl of a show on it’s first outing.

Great things beckon on this showing for all involved in this excellent play.

As the current economic situation seems to be hitting everyone’s pocket many folk are deciding to become more self sufficient.

With this in mind perhaps one of the best places to start would be to compliment your food intake by ‘growing your own’ produce.

A formidable thought perhaps for many who have never ever thought of the idea, however a publication called ‘Gardening – A Beginners Guide’ written by Angela Youngman could eleviate any worries you may have about where to start.

This 126 page softback published by Need-2-Know books is packed full of information for every type of gardening beginner.

Split into ten sections from ‘Where To Start’ through to ‘Gardening Indoors’ the book informs, Basic Design, Preparation, Choosing and Planting, Vegetables, Lawn Care, Propagation and Maintenance and Problem Solving in easy to understand terms.

Also included is a section called Gardeners Calendar which gives advice on what should be done in the garden during Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

If like some folk these days you do not possess a garden then the chapter on growing indoors will be invaluable as the author guides you through a section enabling you to harvest plants grown in pots and trays.

If you’re not sure what ‘bolting’,'chitting’,'pricking out’ and ‘propagating’ is all about then the author explains in the section entitled Gardening Dictionary.

There are also usefull tips to minimise your impact on the enviroment and use the ecology of your garden to reduce pests insead of using chemicals.

In total it’s a handy sized gem of gardening information that will guide you to great results.

Gardening – The Beginners Guide        Angela Youngman              Need-2-Know Books             ISBN 9781861 441003