Country Radio Classics

More Red Dirt Goodness – Cross Canadian Ragweed

Scott — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:37:44 +0000

I’m really loving these Oklahoma acts lately. Sure, they’re “new” country, but they’re GOOD! I mentioned Jason Boland a while back, and since then I’ve been listening to Cross Canadian Ragweed’s Live and Loud at Billy Bob’s Texas.

I’m a big fan of live albums, especially when it comes to bands who bring it like these guys do. My favorite cuts on this album are “Alright”, “42 Miles” and a cover of Reckless Kelly’s “Crazy Eddie’s Last Hurrah”.

Cross Canadian Ragweed played here just a few weeks ago, and I was very disappointed that I was out of town and didn’t get a chance to go to the show. Check them out if you’re into honest, unapologetic country rockers.

CROSS CANADIAN RAGWE- CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED:LIVE AND D
US $14.22
End Date: Thursday Jul-16-2009 3:26:45 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Cross Canadian Ragweed at Sam Houston Race Park
US $25.00
End Date: Friday Jul-17-2009 16:19:43 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED MISSION CALIFORNIA CD NEW
US $10.09
End Date: Sunday Jul-19-2009 16:20:17 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Similar Posts:

Chiseled in Stone – Vern Gosdin Dead at 74

Scott — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:09:15 +0000

The Tennessean brings us the bad news this morning. We’ve lost another true country legend.

I must say that “Set ‘em Up Joe is one of my all time favorite honkey tonkin’ songs. I never get tired of hearing it–”every night I run the needle through ‘Walkin’ the Floor’”

Condolences to his family, and thank you Vern for sharing your talents with us. You will be missed!

Similar Posts:

Somewhere Down In Texas

Scott — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:30:29 +0000

I don’t write about artists that are currently recording and touring here very often, but I feel obliged to mention Jason Boland and the Stragglers, whom I came across while listening to Pandora. These guys are from Stillwater Oklahoma, and are a part of the Red Dirt country movement. Lots of fiddle, lots of steel guitar, western swing, attitude in lyrics–you know, all the things that make music great.

I gave the sun a cussin’ as I drew the shades One thing that always seems true That’s when I’m hung over the sky is blue A rough night for me will make a hell of a day

I HIGHLY recommend Live and Lit at Billy Bob’s. It’s just about all I’ve been listening to lately and cured me from my addiction to the Billy Joe Shaver album I talked about previously. You can download the whole album at Amazon for $6.99 as of this writing. Click over there and check out some of the previews. My favorites are “Somewhere Down in Texas” and “Mexico or Crazy”. I love the new music I’ve been finding on Pandora lately, and will be letting you guys know about more soon!

JASON BOLAND - PEARL SNAPS - CD NEW
US $20.02
End Date: Tuesday Jul-14-2009 10:07:41 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Twisted Sister, Warrant, Jason Boland, Pat Green
US $500.00 (0 Bid)
End Date: Tuesday Jul-14-2009 23:30:34 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

Boland, Jason & The Stragglers- COMAL COUNTRY BLUE CD
US $15.02
End Date: Wednesday Jul-15-2009 6:55:50 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Similar Posts:

Stuck On Billy Joe Shaver

Scott — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:24:37 +0000

I recently downloaded Billy Joe Shaver’s Storyteller – Live at the Bluebird 1992, and I have to tell you–I’m complete stuck on this album. I made a CD from the downloads and it’s the only thing that’s played in my car since. You don’t realize how many great songs he’s written until you hear this. Of course, the first cut is “Georgia on a Fast Train”, and he follows it up with “Willie the Wanderin’ Gypsy” (I always thought that was a Tom T. Hall song), and “Honky Tonk Heroes”.

Which reminds me, Billy Joe Shaver wrote or co-wrote every song on Waylon Jennings’ “Honky Tonk Heroes” album but one. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

My favorite cut on the record is probably “Live Forever”, and I’m always impressed with the unbelievable guitar picking of Eddy Shaver who has passed away since this 1992 recording. The only disappointment for me is that it sounds like there was a pretty small crowd at the Bluebird for the recording. “Small” is probably implicit, because it’s a small place. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that the folks who were there don’t sound very enthusiastic.

BILLY JOE SHAVER - I'M JUST AN OLD LUMP OF COA - CD NEW
US $8.03
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 13:47:55 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

SHAVER,BILLY JOE- STORYTELLER:LIVE AT THE BLUEBIRD 1992
US $16.39
End Date: Tuesday Jul-14-2009 7:47:51 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

BILLY JOE SHAVER - OLD FIVE & DIMERS LIKE ME - CD NEW
US $13.54
End Date: Tuesday Jul-14-2009 10:38:44 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Similar Posts:

Merry Christmas From the Family – Song of the Day

Scott — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:43:17 +0000

Yee haw! I wrote about this Robert Earl Keen classic last year when I did a series of post called the Twelve Days of Classic Country Christmas. I was looking at my visitor stats last night, and people seem to be really interested in this song along with Dolly Parton’s Hard Candy Christmas, so I figured I’d write a post to pop up right up onto the front page with the video this time. Hopefully I’ll get around to doing a demo of how to play it within the next couple of days.

Similar Posts:

Great Classic Country Christmas Deals

Scott — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:03:56 +0000

I’m doing a little shopping from home here on Black Friday and was looking on Amazon for DVDs (great deals there by the way on some big titles). While I was there I browsed around the music section and found a couple of things for myself along with a couple of things I already own.

Buying:
The Conway Twitty Collection. This box set is half off at Amazon…$25 for 89 tracks on 4 discs!!! I probably have bought every one of Conway’s biggest hits at least twice, but this gets you a ton of Conway!

Chris LeDoux American Cowboy. Box set has 53 tracks on 3 discs for $19.49.

I’m getting the Creedence Clearwater Revival Box Set as a gift for a friend, but may actually end up getting this for myself as well.

Statler Brothers 30th Anniversary Celebration. Box set has 62 tracks on 3 discs for $22.99

I already have George Strait–Strait Out of the Box, but I’m throwing it up here because it’s on sale for $24.99 today, which is a heck of a deal.

I also noticed a few Christmas Albums on sale. I have a TON of Christmas music already, so I won’t be buying any, but there are some great deals out there…Oak Ridge Boys Christmas for under $6, Vince Gill Let There Be Peace on Earth for under $5, and Alabama Christmas for $6.

All of these (especially the Box Sets) make great gifts, and you can’t beat these prices!!!

Similar Posts:

Kern River – Song of the Day

Scott — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:08:41 +0000

This is one of my all time favorite Merle Haggard songs. I think he does an excellent job of painting a mental picture in this song, and I love how slow and deliberate it is in contrast to the swift and mean water the song describes. Hag is a real poet.

I’d all but forgotten about this song until one of my buddies was moving out to Seattle. He was driving cross country with his dad, and he gave me a call when they crossed Kern River. He left me a message of him singing the song. Totally unrelated, but he called me on his way back when he saw the stopped at the first Cracker Barrel he saw to eat. Apparently they don’t make biscuits right out West! Haha!

I remember reading somewhere that Merle got the idea from this song when he stopped for breakfast one morning at a cafe he used to eat at on his way to go fish Kern River, and he thought, “I’ll never fish Kern River again.” Of course, that doesn’t make nearly as good a story as one about his girlfriend dying while swimming, so he changed it up a little.

Roots Vol 1 Merle Haggard New CD EPITAPH 2001 COUNTRY
US $8.60
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 7:06:21 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Chicago Wind Merle Haggard New CD 2005 COUNTRY SEALED
US $14.19
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 7:07:23 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Live from Austin, TX, Merle Haggard, Good Live, Special
US $8.29
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 11:51:14 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Similar Posts:

Hillbilly Hell–Song of the Day

Scott — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:50:16 +0000

I saw the Bellamy Brothers play at an Earth Day festival in Nashville in 1989 or 1990–somewhere around that time. I could not believe how many hit songs they had. I don’t remember how long they played, but I know it was hit after hit, and I knew every word to every song. It’s cool when you go see someone play live and realize how big of a fan you are. I checked out the selection the next time I was a record store (remember record stores?) and was happy to see three Bellamy Brothers greatest hits albums. I bought all three and have enjoyed them ever since.

There were a couple of songs I hadn’t heard before buying the albums but grew to love anyway. My favorite is “Hillbilly Hell”, which is a response to Tex Ritter’s “Hillbilly Heaven”.

They had a band without a steel guitar
Not one good ol’ girl stood at the bar
No jukebox and no beer
Am I the only redneck here?
And the parking lot was full of foreign cars

He asks he devil why he ended up in Hillybilly Hell, and one of the reasons is that he hasn’t yet sung a duet with Willie Nelson. Now that’s funny! Check out this song, although I’d definitely recommend getting at least one of the Bellamy Brothers greatest hits albums.

The 25 Year Collection Vol 2 the Bellamy Brother New CD
US $12.84
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 7:15:57 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

BELLAMY BROTHERS GREATEST HITS VOL II 1989 LP 33 SEALED
US $34.98
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 8:48:38 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

BELLAMY BROTHERS COUNTRY RAP 1986 LP 33 RPM SEALED
US $34.98
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 8:50:22 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Similar Posts:

Tecumseh Valley-Song of the Day

Scott — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:41:00 +0000

The only version of this song I’ve ever heard is on Together at the Bluebird Cafe with Guy Clark and Steve Earle. Admittedly, that’s the only Townes Van Zandt album I have. This is a great story song about a poor girl who comes into town to get a job to help support her dad, who dies while she’s working and saving. After that, “she turned to whorin’” and, in classic country music style, is found dead beneath the stairs. If you didn’t listen to the words you’d think it’s a lullaby or something, but it’s actually a pretty rough story.

I don’t know a whole lot about Townes Van Zandt. I mean, I know that he wrote Pancho and Lefty, and If I Needed You, but I don’t know that much about him personally. I checked out the Wikipedia page about him, and it sounds like he had a pretty tumultuous life. Kind of tragic. Makes me feel a little bad for enjoying his songs that were written with so much pain at their source.

TOWNES VAN ZANDT - ST - SEALED 180G VINYL LP
US $19.00
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 7:39:49 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

TOWNES VAN ZANDT DELTA MOMMA BLUES SEALED 180G VINYL LP
US $19.00
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 7:40:12 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

TOWNES VAN ZANDT Late Great LP rare original Poppy OOP
US $46.00 (4 Bids)
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 10:53:05 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

Similar Posts:

The Bluegrass Widow-Song of the Day

Scott — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:02:37 +0000

I grin every time I hear Robert Earl Keen’s “The Bluegrass Widow”, mostly because I love the version he does on The Live Album where he talks about becoming a bluegrass expert while skipping school and riding around drinking beer with his friends. He himself calls this song, “quite possibly the worse bluegrass song ever written.”

Yeah, the story he tells about the song is way better than the song itself, but it’s a great story! And he does a pretty decent job of including a lot of great bluegrass song titles in the song. I don’t know of another singer/songwriter who can write a silly song just as easily as he can write a line of pure poetry.

ROBERT EARL KEEN JR. - WEST TEXTURES * - CD NEW
US $18.52
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 11:07:45 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

KEEN,ROBERT EARL- LIVE FROM AUSTIN TEXAS (RMST) (DIG)
US $14.70
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 12:15:50 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

KEEN,ROBERT EARL- PARTY NEVER ENDS CD -NEW
US $16.39
End Date: Monday Jul-13-2009 12:27:04 PDT
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Similar Posts: