IndexCountryReleases02

1. Found *
2. We Weren't Crazy **
3. Invisible **
4. Let Me Fall **
5. I Don't Want To Live *
6. Favorite State Of Mind *
7. Telluride **
8. I Keep Coming Back *
9. Sweet September *
10. Livin' It Up **
11. Unbelievable (Ann Marie) **

1. Over You Again
2. Moment Of Forever
3. The Bob Song
4. Louisiana
5. Gravedigger
6. Keep Me From Blowin' Away
7. Takin' On Water
8. Always Now
9. I'm Alive
10. When I Was Young And Grandma Wasn't
Old
11. Worry B Gone
(Duet With Kenny Chesney)
12. You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore
13. Gotta Serve Somebody

1. Better Get To Livin'
2. Made Of Stone
3. Drives Me Crazy
4. Backwoods Barbie
5. Jesus & Gravity
6. Only Dreamin'
7. The Tracks Of My Tears
8. The Lonesomes
9. Cologne
10. Shinola
11. I Will Forever Hate Roses
12. Somebody's Everything

Many years ago, I stated that there
should be Country music and music
made in Nashville. Josh is a very
pleasant pop singer; Country singer he
is not. At least not on this showing. The
songs are "so what" songs and the
production is formulaic pop. Because
songwriters achieve success,
something tells them they are
producers. This CD needs balls.

I know what to expect when I see
Buddy Cannon's name as producer but
Kenny Chesney remained an unknown
quantity. Was I in for a pleasant
surprise. It is rare for Willie to release a
bad CD, but it does happen...but not
this time. "Gravedigger" is a song that
would not have been out of place
during Willie's Highwaymen days. Paul
Craft's "Keep Me From Blowing Away"
is turned into a classic while Buddy
Cannon's "When I Was Young And
Grandma Wasn't Old" is bound to be a
live show pleaser. However it is Dylan's
"Gotta Serve Somebody" and the duet
with Kenny, "Worry B Gone" that are
the stand out cuts with Willie sounding
bluesier than I have him in a long while.
Incidentally, Kenny is no slouch on the
duet. A great CD that should be a front
runner in all of the awards.

This CD is like an amalgam of Dolly's
career influences. From the early
crafted songs through her pop era and
her Bluegrass 90s. Yet all of her
original songs are new. This proves
that she has lost none of her writing or
singing skills. Every track stands up
from the Celtic influences of "Only
Dreamin'" to the gentle pop cover of
Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My
Tears" ad through the Jazz styling of
"The Lonesomes." The production by
Kent Wells and Dolly is impeccable
and should be compulsory listening for
wannabe producers. By the way, I love
the photographs. Come forward Kii
Arens and take a bow!! This is
definitely a career benchmark for
Dolly. Love it!!!!

TRENT WILLMON

"BROKEN IN"

COMPADRE/MUSIC WORLD NO CAT #

PRODUCED BY RODNEY CLAWSON, DAN
FRIZSELL AND TRENT WILLMON
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: MATTHEW KNOWLES

ALAN JACKSON

"GOOD TIME"

ARISTA 88697-19943-2

PRODUCED BY KEITH STEGALL

JEFF BATES

"JEFF BATES"

BLACK RIVER ARGA09

PRODUCED BY MICKEY JACK CONES for
Conderosa Productions, KENNY BEARD for Red
Beard Productions AND JIMMY NICHOLS for
Jimmy Nichols Productions

1. Broken In
2. Dry Country
3. Doesn't Mean I Don't Love You
4. Cold Beer And A Fishin' Pole
5. The Way I Remember It
6. The Good Ol' Days Are Gone
(With Kevin Fowler and Roger Creager)
7. How A Cowboy Lives
8. The Truth
9. Little Set Of Horns
10. Tumbleweed Town
11. I'll Love You Anyway
12. There Is A God

Includes Video for "There Is A God"

1. Good Time
2. Small Town Southern Man
3. I Wish I Could Back Up
4. Country Boy
5. Right Where I Want You
6. 1976
7. When The Love Factor's High
8. Long Long Way
9. Sissy's Song
10. I Still Like Bologna
11. Never Loved Before
(With Martina McBride)
12. Nothing Left To Do
13. Listen To Your Senses
14. This Time
15. Lad Back 'N Low Key (Cay)
16. If You Want To Make Me Happy
17. If Jesus Walked The World Today

1. I Can't Have Nothing Nice
2. Lonesome
3. One Thing
4. A Country Girl Can
5. Riverbank
6. Chevy Don't Let Me Down
7. Don't Hate Me For Loving You
8. My Wave
9. Some Days
10. He Wasn't Like Us
11. Dead Or Alive
12. Country Man
13. Somebody's Falling

Workman-like CD from Trent who
seems to hold onto his Country roots.
Trent deserves a break and this CD
could be the leg-up he needs.

After the so-so Alison Krauss CD, it is
good to see Alan reunited with Keith
Stegall as his producer. It is also good
to see that Alan hasn't lost any of his
writing skills. The CD has already
garnered its first #1 single with "Small
Town Southern Man" and I would
wager that Alan's duet with Martina
McBride, "Never Loved Before," finds
itself in contention when the awards
come around.

Jeff has moved from RLG to Black
River Music Group as their flagship
artist. I had the pleasure of being at
Black River's label launch party (visit
www.mccloudscrowd.com) and now
sport the T-Shirt. All of the songs but
three are co-written by Jeff and if you
are a Trace Adkins fan then you will
like this CD. There is no question that
Jeff has a Country voice but the
production fails to capture the quality
that Jeff has in his live show. The main
reason is failure to mix the drumming.
This is always a problem with Eddie
Bayers but on this CD Lonnie Wilson
and Wayne Killius are too far up in the
mix. The best cut by a Country mile is
"Somebody's Falling." That cut has
undisclosed female vocals but I
suspect they belong to Black River
signing Sarah Darling. I like Jeff Bates
but this is not Jeff at his best.

BUZZ CASON

"HATS OFF TO HANK"

PALO DURO PDR-1701

PRODUCED BY BUZZ CASON
* PRODUCED BY PARKER CASON

GEORGE STRAIT

"TROUBADOUR"

MCA B0010826-02

PRODUCED BY TONY BROWN FOR TBE AND
GEORGE STRAIT FOR GEORGE STRAIT
PRODUCTIONS

PHIL STACEY

"PHIL STACEY"

LYRIC STREET d000168002

PRODUCED BY WAYNE KIRKPATRICK FOR MAGIC
BEANS PRODUCTIONS

1. Hey Now
2. Ain't Nobody
3. You Baby
4. Get Out Of Town
5. Hooked Up With The Man
6. Somebody Told Me
7. Wondering
8. Barbeque
9. Texas Wildflower
10. Oddly Enough
11. I Love The South
12. Black Man In Mississippi
13. Can't Go Nowhere
14. Playin' Music
15. Hats Off To Hank

1. Troubadour
2. It Was Me
3. Brothers Of The Highway
4. River Of Love
5. House Of Cash
(Duet with Patty Loveless)
6. I Saw God Today
7. Give Me More Time
8. When You're In Love
9. Make Her Fall In Love With Me Song
10. West Texas Town
(Duet With Dean Dillon)
11. House With No Doors
12. If Heartaches Were Horses

1. It's Who You Know
2. Looking Like Love
3. If You Didn't Love Me
4. No Way Round A River
5. 'Round Here
6. Be Good To Each Other
7. Find You
8. You Are Mine
9. What I'm Fighting For
10. Still Going Through
11. Identity

If you visit www.mccloudscrowd.com
you will see my photographs from the
launch party of "Hats Off To Hank." I
have long liked Buzz Cason going back
to his Casuals' days and of course
anyone who wrote "Everlasting Love"
and can get cuts by the Beatles, U2
and Pearl Jam is alright with me. This
CD is Country, Americana,
Dylanesque, Lyle Lovett and Texas
Rock and Roll all wrapped up in one.
Buzz produced the Derailers (one of
my favorite bands) and so i guess you
can say this man can do no wrong in
my eyes (except for mixing the drums a
little better). Now I'm not saying Buzz
Cason is everybody's glass of Merlot
but all I can say to the nay sayers is
get with the program.

Well, this CD has hit the #1 spot on
both the Country and Pop album
charts and that alone should tell the
record labels something but of course
it won't. This is Country music, pure
and simple and George and Tony's
production keeps it simple. "I Saw God
Today" has been a #1 single and
shows that Country radio on occasions
has ears. The duets are diamonds and
this may be George's most meaningful
album for many a year. Now as to what
it should tell the other labels. It is no
accident that both George and Alan
Jackson's CDs fly to the top and keep
there. Please stop putting out the crap
that you call Country because it isn't,
it's rock and pop without a touch of
Country. This is Country music. There
endeth the lesson!! Love it! Love it!

There was a time that when you didn't
win a talent contest you vanished
never to be heard of again. American
Idol put an end to that. It seems like if
you get booted off the show, you were
guaranteed a record deal and that is
the sadness with this release. It isn't
Country, Phil isn't Country, the
production isn't Country and the
sooner Phil and Lyric Street come to
terms with that the sooner he may
have a career. Like his fellow Lyric
Street artists, Trent Tomlinson and
Josh Gracin he has not credentials to
be a Country artist. Call it made in
Nashville if you like but that's it. It may
have initially orders that could even
push it to #1 but it is a sure candidate
for the remainder bin.

PHIL VASSAR

"PRAYER OF A COMMON MAN"

UNIVERSAL SOUTH B0008907-02

PRODUCED BY MARK WRIGHT AND PHIL VASSAR

LADY ANTEBELLUM

"LADY ANTEBELLUM"

CAPITOL NASHVILLE 509985-03206-2-2

PRODUCED BY VICTORIA SHAW AND PAUL
WORLEY

AARON TIPPIN

"HE BELIEVED: A SON'S TRIBUTE"

NIPPIT/CRACKERBARRELNO CAT # YET

VARIOUS PRODUCERS

1. This Is My Life
2. Around Here Somewhere
3. My Chevrolet
4. Love Is A Beautiful Thing
5. Prayer Of A Common Man
6. I Would
7. Why Don't Ya
(Featuring Los Lonely Boys)
8. It's Only Love
9. Let Me Love You Tonight
10. Baby Rocks
11. The World Is A Mess
12. Crazy Life

1. Love Don't Live Here
2. Lookin' For A Good Time
3. All We'd Ever Need
4. Long Gone
5. I Run To You
6. Love's Lookin' Good On You
7. Home Is Where The Heart Is
8. Things People Say
9. Slow Down Sister
10. Can't Take My Eyes Off You
11. One Day You Will

1. He Believed *
2. I Got It Honest
3. Country Boy's Toolbox *
4. My Blue Angel
5. Working Man's Ph.D.
6. Bad Latitude
7. Ready To Rock (In A Country Kinda Way) *
8. Whole Love On The Line
9. I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
10. Honky-Tonk Superman
11. Could Not Stop Myself *
12. Trim Yourself To Fit The World *
* Recently Recorded Track

People who keep trying to write
Universal South's obituary should listen
to Phil's debut CD for the label and
realize that the label's demise is just
not going to happen. Phil is of course
one of the best entertainer's in popular
music (why is he never nominated for
Enter of the Year just mystifies me). He
is also a singer and writer for the
common man much as John Conlee
was and still is. This is a stellar CD and
should put Phil back on top where he
rightly belongs. There is not a filler
track on the CD. Welcome back
Brother Phil!!!!

I must own up to not particularly liking
Lady Antebellum when I first heard
them live and in fact listing to their
debut CD for the first time I was ready
to dismiss it. However, I have now had
the opportunity of "living with it" and it
has grown on me. Most certainly,
members Hillary Scott (she is Linda
Davis' daughter), Dave Haywood and
Charles Kelley write a good song and it
may be a matter of time before they
jump the Country ship for the Pop
world because their material stands up
in either genre. The production by
Victoria Shaw (who also contributed to
the songwriting) and Paul Worley is
tight. The CD debuted at #1 on the
Country album chart and is one that
should hang around the charts for a
while.

I own to being a big Aaron Tippin fan
and so this collaboration between his
label and Crackerbarrel is for me a joy.
It's a mix of older material and new
songs. Of particular note is that most
of the new material was written with his
wife Thea. Could they be the new
Boudleaux and Felice Bryant? My
favorite song of Aaron's "My Blue
Angel" is included but of particular note
is the title track which is dedicated to
Aaron's daddy. A must have CD!!!

ANDY GRIGGS

"THE GOOD LIFE"

MONTAGE MMG-K-300103

PRODUCED BY FRANK ROGERS

RIO ROCKO

"RIO ROCKO"

PHANTOM ROC

PRODUCED & ENGINEERED BY BRUCE KAPHAN

REBECCA OWEN

"REBECCA OWEN"

REBECCA OWEN

PRODUCED BY JOHNNY MULHAIR

1. Tattoo Rose
2. What If It's Me
3. It's All About The Money
4. Tears And Time
5. Long Way Down
6. Shadows
7. You Can't Drive My Cadillac
8. If You Had Called Yesterday
9. Long Stretch Of Lonesome
10. New Orleans Lady
11. Burning A Hole In My Head
12. Time Is A Gypsy

1. Airplane Home
2. Overnight Cowboy
3. Middle Of The Night
4. Shy Away
5. Chauffeur Driver
6. Dark Clouds
7. Reincarnated Cowboy
8. The Actor
9. Captain Of Your Ship
10. Gecko Tango
11. Pavement

1. Sidewinder
2. World Without You
3. What I Need
4. I Lost It
5. I Ain't Living Long Like This
6. Tenderly
7. Shiver
8. My Heart Would Know
9. Closer To Heaven
10. You Will Be Mine
11. A Man's Home Is His Castle
12. Unbreakable Heart

Montage is starting to name for itself
for picking up #1 acts. Andy should
have been a major star by now but his
previous label just didn't do it for him.
When I see Frank Rogers producing
then I know we about to listen to quality
and sure enough this CD doesn't
disappoint. Methinks that this could be
the CD that puts Andy back up there.
This is another CD that doesn't include
any fillers. Welcome back Andy!!

Built around the songs of band
members, Gregory John Patzner and
Sharlene Ayestaran, Rio Rocko is
squarely in that area of music occupied
by Jimmy Buffett, the Bellamy Brothers
and occasionally Kenny Chesney.
Their music is up and if their live
performance is as much fun as this CD
then they should be an act to see. We
used to call this "feel good" music.
There are some celeb pickers on here
including Dan Dugmore and Augie
Meyers but it is the songs and the
production that turns this unknown
group into stars in the making. I can
see the line dancers out there shaking
their tail bones to this delight of a CD. I
just LOVE the "Gecko Tango."

Every so often I get sent a little gem.
Such is this eponymous CD from
Rebecca Owen. Great voice, good
production and an intelligent selection
of songs although I would ask them to
delete the Sr. after Hank Williams'
name. The musicianship is of a high
quality and if Rebecca is handled well,
we could be hearing her name up
there with Martina, Carrie and Trisha.

TIM McGRAW

"GREATEST HITS: LIMITED EDITION"

CURB CAT NO. NOT AVAILABLE

PRODUCED BY TIM McGRAW, DARRAN SMITH &
BYRON GALLIMORE

JULIANNE HOUGH

"JULIANNE HOUGH"

MERCURY B0011052-02

PRODUCED BY DAVID MALLOY

Greatest Hits

Indian Outlaw
Don't Take the Girl
She Never Lets It Go To Her Heart
I Like It, I Love It
Just To See You Smile
It's Your Love
Where The Green Grass Grows
For A Little While
Please Remember Me
Something Like That
My Best Friend
Maybe We Should Just Sleep On It
Down On the Farm
My Next Thirty Years
Let's Make Love

Tim McGraw Reflected: Hits Vol 2

Live Like You Were Dying
My Old Friend
Like We Never Loved At All (with Faith Hill)
The Cowboy In Me
When The Stars Go Blue
Real Good Man
She's My Kind Of Rain
Grown Men Don't Cry
Not A Moment Too Soon
Watch The Wind Blow By
Over And Over (featuring Nelly)
Everywhere
Beautiful People
Red Ragtop
My Little Girl (from the motion picture "Flicka")
I've Got Friends That Do

1. The Song In My Head
2. You, You, You
3. Hide Your Matches
4. My Hallelujah Song
5. Jimmy Ray McGee
6. Dreaming Under The Same Moon
(Featuring Derek Hough)
7. About Life
8. Hello
9. Help Me, Help You
10. Love Yourself
11. I'd Just Be With You

This limited edition is only available at
Wal-Mart. It is a must have for those of
his fans that want all the hits in one
place and of course it is vital for new
fans to Tim and for that matter, Faith.
In these days of Pop Country, it is
surprising how Country Tim sounds
looking back on material from 13 years
ago. Tim is one of the few male
performers that can rock-it and also
pull the heartstrings on a ballad and is
also a first rate in-concert performer. In
addition, his songwriter skills which are
often overlooked come firmly into
focus. This CD flew to the top of the
Country album charts and is at #10 on
the Pop album charts.

Now I know that Julianne is a great
dancer but on the strength (or should I
say weakness) of this debut CD, I
haven't a clue whether she can sing.
Why you may ask. Because the
production is so bad. OK it isn't a
Country album but then Mr. Malloy's
Country production have always
leaned more to Pop. However, with this
album, he has swamped Julianne and
thrown in everything but the kitchen
sink and that may even be in there.
Certainly, Julianne's bottom register is
suspect. Just listen to "My Hallelujah
Song" and "Jimmy Ray McGee." Add to
that some pretty awful photographs
from Ondrea Barbe and I think you get
the message what I think of this CD.
David strip out this album and let's
hear the girl sing!!!