Modern country hits – pop, twang and country-rock

Singles – whether 7” vinyl or MP3s – have had a tumultuous history. They were the standard bearer in the juke box and top-40 eras, they shared the spotlight with long-playing albums that were purpose-built as “artistic statements,” were revitalized as soundtracks to MTV videos, lost ground with the demise of rock radio, and were renewed by per-song download services. Throughout the roller coaster ride of rock singles, the country single retained both its marketing and artistic clout. Country radio continues to be a major force in conveying new music to the commercial mainstream, and country music videos still appear regularly on cable channels. To that end, RCA’s second compilation of modern country hits will be quite familiar to listeners who’ve tuned to country radio the past couple of years.

The generous twenty-track set focuses on hits from the last half of 2008 and first half of 2009, extending all the way to recent hits by Dierks Bentley (“Sideways”) and Lady Antebellum (“I Run to You”). Nearly half the tracks are well-known #1s, but the lower-charting hits offer substantial charms. Jamie Johnson’s “In Color” (which peaked at #9) is as good as any of the chart-toppers, Trade Adkins’ “Marry for Money” (#14) is a catchy honky-tonker, Josh Turner’s “Everything is Fine” (#20) digs deeply into his lazy low notes, Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder & Lead” (#7) is firey, Gary Allen’s “Learning How to Bend” (#13) is an emotional tour de force, and George Strait’s “Troubadour” (#7) remains a terrific statement about age, experience and principle.

The bulk of these productions lean to the polished country-pop end of Nashville’s output, but there are a few twangy tracks and some powerful country-rockers. Many of the songs are loaded with radio-ready melodic hooks and sing-along choruses. The instantly recognizable voices of Turner, Johnson, Adkins and Strait and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland will remind you how thoroughly a country singer can stamp a song with the tone of their voice. Oddly, Carrie Underwood is featured singing her 2007 cover of Randy Travis’ “I Told You So” from her album Carnival Ride, rather than the recent hit duet with Travis himself. Perhaps there was a licensing problem, but this over-emotional rendition doesn’t measure up to the more recent remake.

Those who buy the physical CD gain web access to five recent tracks from young artists: David Nail’s “Turning Home,” Easton Corbin’s “A Little More Country That That,” Chris Young’s “Getting’ You Home,” Caitlin & Will’s “Address in the Stars,” and Emily West’s “Blue Sky.” That’s a nice bonus on top of the hit-packed disc and a clever way for the label group to expose new artists to modern country fans. Note that downloading the bonus tracks will require you to run a piece of Java code downloaded to your browser from Push Entertainment; this applet validates that the CD is present in your computer’s drive. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Solid single-disc overview of Davis’ country and pop hits

Skeeter Davis was one of Nashville’s early female crossover stars, producing twangy country sides, Brill Building pop productions, and several hits that straddled both worlds. Her recording career opened on the country charts as half of The Davis Sisters with the sad duet “I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know.” Though sung in forlorn harmony with a strong pedal steel, the 1953 country chart topper also found its way into the pop Top-20. Sadly, Davis’ partner (though not actually her sister), Betty Jack Davis, was killed in a car crash, leaving Skeeter Davis to partner with Betty Jack’s sister for a couple more years.

When the reformulated Davis Sisters failed to click, Skeeter Davis moved on as a solo, signing with RCA and coming under the care of guitarist/producer Chet Atkins. Atkins’ doubling of her voice on country hits “Set Him Free,” “Am I That Easy to Forget,” “My Last Date (With You)” and “Where I Ought to Be” suggested the harmonies of the Davis Sisters, with Skeeter stepping out solo on selected verses. Davis returned to the pop charts as a solo artist with 1960′s “(I Can’t Help You) I’m Falling Too,” this time employing a countrypolitan sound shorn of steel and fiddle. Her original lyrical version of Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date” (retitled “My Last Date (With You)”) continued the dual country/pop success, and in 1963 she scored her biggest crossover hit with “The End of the World.”

The violin chart and heartbroken lyric of “The End of the World” suggested superb pop productions on the horizon. She reached the pop Top 10 with Goffin & King’s “I Can’t Stay Mad at You,” featuring Neil Sedaka-styled “shoobee doobee” backing vocals, a full Brill Buildling production, and a chipper girl-group lead. She also picked up “Let Me Get Close to You” from the Goffin & King catalog, doubling her vocal with pop harmonies that suggest Carole King’s early sides. Davis sang Brenda Lee styled ballads, pop confections, and continued to mint hits throughout the 1960s, including the lovely pizzicato “What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied)” in 1967, and a ’50s styled cover of Dolly Parton’s “Fuel to the Flame.” This collection closes with Davis’ last two major hits, 1970′s Loretta Lynn flavored “I’m a Lover (Not a Fighter),” and 1971′s autobiographical “Bus Fare to Kentucky.”

Davis had too many hits to collect on a single disc, but the Essential set does an excellent job of balancing important tracks from both the country and pop sides of her career. Several lower charting country hits, including her Grammy® nominated cover of the Original Caste’s (and later Coven’s) “One Tin Soldier,” are omitted due to space constraints. Still, this is the most comprehensive single-disc collection issued so far, and makes a perfect starting point for enjoying Davis’ twenty year career as a hit maker. Those looking for a deeper helping of her country sides should check out the Country Legends collection, those craving more from the pop side should find the Pop Hits Collection (Vol. 1, Vol. 2). [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Eco-friendly expansion of stellar career overview

Several of Legacy’s two-disc Essential releases have been upgraded with a third-disc and plastic-free eco-friendly packaging. Such is the case for the original 42-track 2007 issue of this set, augmented here with eight additional tunes on a third disc. Although disc three clocks in at only 26 minutes, it adds several tracks that, in retrospect, should have been included in the original line-up. Highlights of the newly added tunes include a live version of Jimmie Rodgers “T For Texas,” Jennings’ superb cover of the Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See,” the autobiographical 1981 hit “Shine,” the chart-topping cover of Little Richard’s “Lucille (You Won’t Do Your Daddy’s Will),” and the title track from the Highwaymen’s first album. This isn’t collector’s bait intended to lure fans into repurchasing the Essential set – all of the newly added tracks are (or have been) available on CD – it’s sweetener to a set that’s already quite sweet. The original two-disc version of this title provided a superb overview of Jennings’ career, with a deep focus on his most productive years at RCA. The first two discs are reproduced here verbatim from the original release, as is the booklet’s excellent liner notes, recording details and chart info; the eight new additions are detailed on the inside of the four-panel cardboard slipcase, along with four full-panel vintage photographs. At the same list price as the original two-disc version, this is a terrific upgrade to a terrific set. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]