Posts Tagged Country
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April 6, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
A Few Stray Thoughts On Johnny Cash
The Man in Black seemed so dark, boasting of the line where he shoots a man just to watch him die. Johnny Cash had a darkness to his soul but there was kindness there as well. And good friends. When he was sad, he’d call Willie Nelson and ask for a joke. Willie knew a […]Archive
March 1, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Carly Pearce: 29 – Written in Stone
Carly Pearce 29: Written in Stone Big Machine It’s a classic trope, The Divorce Album. And translating the feelings of misery from a (public) breakup or a breakup now made public into a million seller…that might seem like a LOL but let’s not disregard the heartbreak that informs it all. This is real human emotion, […]Archive
May 7, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Mandy Barnett: Every Star Above
Mandy Barnett Every Star Above BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd Mandy Barnett is sometimes referred to as “the country Judy Garland”, a modern day torch singer – a Nashville chanteuse. She’s a country singer but her ability to carry the depth and breadth of a tune and sell the story of a song has always […]Archive
March 22, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Loretta Lynn: Still Woman Enough
Loretta Lynn Still Woman Enough Legacy Recordings Loretta Lynn, at 88, still sounds amazing. She still has grit and fight in her voice and her soulful, determined country music still burns. Here, in something of a victory lap, she goes back through the catalogue and re-ignites the fires. She features a few guests – and […]Archive
March 19, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Making American Recordings
Johnny Cash and his guitar in a room, with the ghosts of the men he used to be. That’s the way to make new history. Take the last quarter century and put it in the bin. Make the song the thing. Make it the only thing. Let the song ring out its truth. Let the […]Archive
February 2, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Hans Zimmer & David Fleming: Hillbilly Elegy (Music from the Netflix Film)
Hans Zimmer & David Fleming Hillbilly Elegy (Music from the Netflix Film) Milan Like everyone, I would hope, I struggled with the movie Hillbilly Elegy – I wanted to like it and in fact I could not flat out hate it. Because the lead performances are very strong. And there was something about it that […]Archive
January 28, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
It Was The Best Gig Ever # 21: Emmylou Harris, Wellington 2001
I’ve been revisiting the second-coming of Emmylou Harris lately – you know, everything from Wrecking Ball through the Spyboy years, the duet record with Linda Ronstadt and of course Red Dirt Girl. Though I knew about her before those records – and owned the two “Profile” Best Of compilations on vinyl (freebies that I took […]Archive
October 29, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Tami Neilson: CHICKABOOM!
Tami Neilson CHICKABOOM! Outside Music You don’t need me to tell you that it’s been a funny old year…still, I just have. I’m reminded of it daily, as we all are, but at this point in the year I’m doing my best to count blessings, to find highlights, to think of the good things that […]Archive
July 21, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 89
Mac Davis, It’s Hard To Be Humble (1980) Mac Davis – what a charmed run. Writing songs for Elvis Presley. Bloody good ones too! Having his own TV variety show – solo albums, a film career. The works. The Works. And though I’ve always been aware of him I never thought I’d want a Mac […]Archive
February 11, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 175
Tammy Wynette, The Best of Tammy Wynette (1978) There are many Tammy Wynette best-ofs – and this is the first that I’ve owned on vinyl; brand new to me ($1 op-shop find). I had a similar compilation on CD but oddly I’ve really never owned anything much by Wynette. I say oddly, because I am […]Archive
January 9, 2020 by Simon Sweetman