2011 – Page 6 – Country Universe

100 Greatest Men: #77. John Conlee

October 23, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 6

One of the greatest vocalists of his generation, John Conlee powered to stardom on the strength of a self-written hit that would provide both his musical and fashion signature for the rest of his career.

He’d been singing and playing guitar since early childhood, but his first career was as a mortician, followed by a stint as a radio deejay. He moved to Nashville in 1971, and five years later, he earned his first recording contract with ABC Records.

Retro Single Review: Dolly Parton, “Comin’ For to Carry Me Home”

October 23, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 2

1971 | Peak: #23

RCA’s bizarre mangling of Dolly Parton’s catalog kept this single from wide availability until the 2009 release of the box set Dolly.

Even more bizarre? It wasn’t included on her gospel album, The Golden Streets of Glory, which was released the same year as this single.

100 Greatest Men: #78. Brad Paisley

October 18, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 17

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

A musician since receiving his first guitar at age eight, Brad Paisley emerged in the late nineties and became the most consistently successful radio artist in the decade that followed.

Paisley’s career began in earnest when he penned his first song at age twelve, “Born On Christmas Day.” His junior high principal invited him to perform at a local function. He was spotted by a representative of Jamboree USA, and after one performance, he was invited to join the cast.

Retro Single Review: Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, “Better Move It On Home”

October 17, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 1

1971 | Peak: #7

A few too many elements in the mix here.

The arrangement is like “Joshua” with a horn section. It overwhelms the humorous dialogue.

Retro Single Review: George Strait, “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind”

October 16, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 3

Sometimes it’s a bit bewildering to differentiate the classic Strait singles from the forgotten ones.

What made this one so special? Well, it has a great opening line, for one thing. A more confident vocal and a Texas-centric focus certainly would’ve made it stand out back in 1984.

Retro Single Review: George Strait, “Let’s Fall to Pieces Together”

October 16, 2011 Dan Milliken 0

1984 | Peak: #1

One of those great country titles that says it all upfront.

Unfortunately, it’s also one of those country titles that carries an entire song. The melody here lands just shy of memorable, and ditto to the story, which never takes its characters deeper than their charming first encounter at the jukebox. (Instead it does that annoying second-verse thing where it just rephrases the chorus and spells out a few obvious inferences the listener has already made.)

Single Review: Lauren Alaina, “Georgia Peaches”

October 13, 2011 Ben Foster 15

In sharp contrast with the sensitive balladry of “Like My Mother Does,” American Idol graduate Lauren Alaina does a total 360 with her follow-up release “Georgia Peaches” – a spunky, loud, in-your-face uptempo that’s all about the southern beauties who hail from the state of Georgia.

For the Love of Holly: The CU Interview with Paul Burch

October 11, 2011 Sam Gazdziak 5

Though his career lasted about two years and ended tragically more than 50 years ago, Buddy Holly continues to impact and influence the music world. Part of it is his mystique: unlike many of his contemporaries, Holly never grew old, never had a scandal derail his career and never found himself wasting away on some oldies circuit. He’s the eternally young, energetic, slightly geeky-looking rock & roller with the hiccup in his voice and a Fender Stratocaster in his hands.

Mystique only goes so far, though. Holly left behind a strong collection of songs that have aged extremely well – mainly because they’re constantly being reinvented. His songs have been covered by hundreds of singers, across every music genre imaginable. Just this year alone, in commemoration of his 75^th birthday, Buddy Holly tribute albums have featured both of the surviving Beatles, Lyle Lovett, Florence + The Machine, My Morning Jacket, Cee Lo Green and Justin Townes Earle.

Add to that mix Words of Love: Songs of Buddy Holly by Nashville’s Paul Burch. Much like the way Holly’s music has a timeless quality, Burch’s combination of classic country, blues and rock & roll has its roots in the 1950s and ’60s but never sounds dated. Beginning with 1998’s Pan-American Flash through 2009’s Still Your Man, Burch has released a series of critically acclaimed albums and recorded with luminaries such as Ralph Stanley and Mark Knopfler.

Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, “Home Ain’t Where His Heart Is (Anymore)”

October 11, 2011 Ben Foster 4

1996 | #28

In the years after the release of Shania’s runaway success of an album The Woman In Me, she largely focused her creative efforts on relentlessly positive upbeat pop-country material, rarely delivering sorrowful country ballads.

But in listening to the ballads included on The Woman In Me, it’s easy to wish that Shania had offered a few more such efforts in following years. Country heartbreak was not a style that she did often, but it was definitely something that she could do well.

100 Greatest Men: #79. Hank Locklin

October 10, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 5

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

He’s best known for his handful of big hits for RCA in the late fifties and early sixties, but Hank Locklin’s career stretched more than a decade in both directions.

A leg injury at the age of eight was the first significant event in his musical career, as he picked up the guitar during his recovery and its lingering effects later exempted him from service in World War II. While he didn’t finish high school, he did win a talent contest at the age of eighteen, which led to a spot on local radio stations in panhandle Florida and the surrounding states.