Personal Top 10 Country Albums

I asked a friend to compile her list of top 10 books ever. In return, she asked for my top 10 country albums I thought she should have. Ten is all?! So hard. But here's what I came up with-


Without further ado,
10 (+) Country Albums You Must Have:

1. Deana Carter, The Chain.
A very cool album which consists completely of covers- all music her dad, who is/was a studio guitarist and producer, had a hand in in the original stages. Also includes much collaboration with many of the original artists. Fresh sound. SO COOL.

2. Lori McKenna, Unglamorous.
There's just something about this woman. She was "discovered" by Faith Hill and has tracks recorded by Faith, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans, among man others. Still, the songs are way better when she sings them herself. The last track on this album kills me every time.

3. Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors.
I'm always surprised at how much Tim McGraw music I actually own because I don't consider myself one of his biggest fans or anything, but this particular album has a really organic sound for such a commercial artist. The songs are good, and as a whole it feels timeless. I've owned this one for four or five years and it's a go-to when I don't know what else I want to listen to.

4. Phil Vassar, Shaken Not Stirred.
I DO consider myself a big Phil Vassar fan- he's a great songwriter, lyricist, pianist, and performer. This album is the most cohesive and I prefer the sound of this one to his others. Another to check out might be his Greatest Hits, though. He rerecorded some of the hits he's had as a songwriter for other artists (like Jo Dee Messina's "Bye Bye") and they're really simple, nice recordings.

5. Sugarland, Love on the Inside.
Their music just keeps getting better. I love this one because Kristian does a lot more singing and their arrangements don't feel like stuffy commercial country. Very vocal, very organic. The deluxe fan edition has some awesome stuff at the end like a live Matt Nathanson cover, and that track alone is worth the extra two dollars or whatever it is.

6. Nickel Creek, Reasons Why: The Very Best.
I saw these guys live and never expected any four people (counting the bass player) to be able to make THAT MUCH SOUND come out of those little acoustic instruments. They're perfect in nearly every way and the subject matter isn't so typical, which is refreshing.

7. Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
This girl does real country music up right. She's got attitude and songwriting chops and is not afraid of a good old-fashioned steel guitar.

8. Reba McEntire, It's Your Call.
You have no idea how hard it was for me to pick just ONE Reba album. Pretty much any of her '90s albums, especially the early '90s, are The Tops in my book. Even so, I own almost everything she's done since 1986. Maybe even since before that. No. I'm serious. It's Your Call is full of reasons I really fell in love with her, though. Take It Back, He Wants to Get Married... it's a good album.

9. Brad Paisley, 5th Gear.
Some people just don't get it, but I find Brad Paisley HILARIOUS. He's got a way with melody, too, and can play guitar like a dreeeeeeam. It's traditional with a twist, and I'm all about country sounding like country. Plus, "Online" is a little too appropriate, I think.

10. Sara Evans, Restless.
Girl can SING, and this is probably her best collection of songs as a whole. "Otis Redding" is still my favorite- just paints a lighthearted, romantic little picture.



Honorable mentions go to Dierks Bentley, only because I absolutely could not decide which of his albums you should have. I love them all equally, in different ways, and so just couldn't make the decision. I couldn't even give you a Dierks playlist and pick favorite tracks because I seriously love THEM ALL.

Also to Bethany Dick, whose latest is only 4 tracks long BUT you can download it for free (www.myspace.com/bethanydick)! She's originally a Montana girl like I am, and she and my friend Fiddler actually know each other, so it's kinda cool.




What do you think, country fans? What did I leave out? Anything you wouldn't have included? Which Dierks album would you have chosen?

Inside Joke

Sometimes you fall in love with a band, listen to the album over and over and over again, and therefore end up memorizing every note. The things that surprised your ears and fed the lyric geek in you don't perk you up anymore--you know they're coming. You know that those weird notes and that great tag line are waiting patiently for their turn. You never really forget that you love the music, but the element of surprise, the need to sit and listen and analyze this new, funky stuff we're still calling Bluegrass, it goes away. You put the album away, save it for a rainy day, and move on with your musical life.

But then, new music arrives.

It's more beautiful, more surprising, more witty than you remember. It makes you THIRST for the day you can hear the whole album, maybe get to see the band live, hear the musicians themselves talk about these songs and the reasons they play the way they do. You realize, again, exactly why you fell in love with this band in the first place.



And friends, Cadillac Sky is releasing a new album in August, and I've just heard a track from the album. The album is called Gravity's Our Enemy, the song is called "Inside Joke," and the music is Skaggs meets Thile. Bluegrass with attitude, with MAJOR musicianship, and so many outside influences, it's incredible. Check this song out.

Also, the lyrics are written about a dream mandolinist Bryan Simpson had-- Chris Thile sang a song written about a dream as well, though written by North Dakota native Tom Brousseau, called "How to Grow a Woman From the Ground." One time, I wrote a song about a dream too. They're the best, because they're basically already written for you, you just have to put them into permanent form. And apparently, Bluegrassers love them too. I'll have to remember that.

Overnite

I recently bought Trisha Yearwood's Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love. If you like Jasper County, which was her previous album, this one shouldn't be a disappointment. Her powerful vocals are showcased along with some wonderful songwriting, lyrics, and some cute stylistic songs like "Cowboys Are My Weakness" (my favorite is the lyrics "I wanna be the lady he..." sung in a yodel. So cute and clever). Recommended.

I've been listening to Chris Thile's Deceiver. Great album lyrically, and he definitely did some risk taking with his musical choices. Great when you're tired of the status quo.

At this very moment, it's The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, which I'm still wrapping my head around. I absolutely love it, and every time I listen I find something else to admire about this man.

I went looking for these lyrics, but couldn't find them since they're a bonus track, so I thought I'd do my best with them and post them here. The song sounds a bit like Frankie Valli's "Oh What a Night," probably intentionally.

It's called "Overnite."

i won't ask why
there ain't an answer that would satisfy
so i'll just lie beside you mystified
at things that happen overnite

oh woe was me
whatever you saw in me wasn't much to see
now whatever change it is in me must be
something that happened overnite

was it a change in the weather
was it a change in your scene
did you mistake what i meant
for what i didn't mean
is it not worth the questions
is it one of those things
how deep is the ocean
how long is the string

oh they talk away
tell me rome wasn't built in a day
i know better than whatever they say
i know it happened overnite
i know it happened overnite
i know it happened overnite