It’s gotten to the point that I can’t listen to more than two country singles in a row without wanting to hurt somebody.
So here’s the daily top five. What are some songs that are your palate cleansers, that you can always go back to when you need to wipe out the aftertaste of some really bad music?
Here’s my list:
- Alison Krauss & Union Station, “The Lucky One”
- Rosanne Cash with Johnny Cash, “September When it Comes”
- Kathy Mattea, “Where’ve You Been”
- Jason Isbell, “Elephant”
- Carrie Underwood with Vince Gill, “How Great Thou Art”
Dierks Bentley- Wish It Would Break
Brandy Clark- Hold My Hand
Jamie Lyn Wilson-Just Some Things
Stoney LaRue-Aviator
American Aquarium-Wichata Falls
1. Patty Loveless, “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am”
2. George Strait, “Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye”
3. Blackhawk, “That’s Just About Right”
4. Jo Dee Messina, “Heads Carolina, Tails California”
5. Kacey Musgraves, “The Trailer Song”
Tracy Lawrence- If The World Had A Front Porch
Carrie Underwood- Don’t Forget To Remember Me
Jo Dee Messina- Heads Carolina, Tails California
Conway Twitty- Slow Hand
Brad Paisley/Dolly Parton- When I Get Where I’m Going
Moral of this segment: Buy stock in palate cleansers, because with all that’s getting played on mainstream country radio, you will need them (LOL).
1. WILLING–Linda Ronstadt
2. DALLAS–Caitlin Rose
3. MIDNIGHT FLYER–The Eagles
4. BORN TO RUN–Emmylou Harris
5. MY BABY THINKS HE’S A TRAIN–Rosanne Cash
Merle Haggard – It’s All In the Movies
Glen Campbell – Any Which Way You Can
Jack Greene – Statue of a Fool
Kenny Rogers – All My Life
Charly McClain – Surround Me With Love
and my Bonus cut:
Keith Whitley – I’m No Stranger To the Rain
To name a few I’ve used recently…
1. Lee Ann Womack, “Waitin’ for the Sun To Shine”
2. John Wesley Ryles, “Kay”
3. Stoney LaRue, “Idabel Blues”
4. Jason Boland and the Stragglers, “Thunderbird Wine”
5. Asleep at the Wheel, “Boogie Back to Texas”
1. The Steeldrivers – “Where Rainbows Never Die”
2. Don Williams – “Good Ole Boys Like Me”
3. Lee Ann Womack – “Send It On Down”
4. Restless Heart – “Dancy’s Dream”
5. Waylon Jennings – “Rose in Paradise”
And, heck…I’m cheating tonight….Bonus Cut.
6. Randy Travis – “Out of My Bones”
1. Long Trip Alone Dierks Bentley
2. Highwayman J. Cash W. Jennings W. Nelson K. Kristofferson
3. House Of Gold Dierks Bentley
4. American Pickers The Grascals feat. Dierks Bentley
Anything by Waylon, Jones, Conway Twitty, M. Chestnut, Tracy Byrd….old school country!
1. Kevin Sharp – Measure of a Man
2. Randy Travis – Three Wooden Crosses
3. Brandy Clark – Hold My Hand
4. David Bradley – Get a Hero Home
5. Suzy Bogguss – Rosie the Riveter
Almost anything by Buck Owens, Merle Haggard or Johnny Cash would serve as a decent palate cleanser.
Particular favorites
Kenny Dale “Bluest Heartache In The World ”
Randy Travis ” “On The Other Hand” or “1982”
Jeff Bates – “Long Slow Kisses”
Don Williams – “Amanda”
Tom T Hall – “I Can’t Dance” or “St Louis Named A Shoe After Me”
Connie Smith – “Where Is My Castle”
Bruce Robison: Angry All the Time
Jason Isbell: Cover Me Up (and the version of Dress Blues from Live in Alabama…and the version of Razor Town from Live in Alabama)
Johnny Cash: Hurt
The Dixie Chicks: Landslide
Amanda Shires: Detroit or Buffalo
Holly Williams: ‘Til It Runs Dry
Steve Earle: I Ain’t Ever Satisfied (and the first three songs of I Feel Alright)
1. Somewhere Down in Texas -Jason Boland & the Stragglers (for when I forget what a real kick drum and fiddle sound like and not the new country-EDM nonsense)
2. Vancouver -Reckless Kelly
3. Skyline Radio -Cody Canada & the Departed
4. Looking for a Good Time -David Nail/Sean McConnell
5. Me and My Kind -Cody Johnson
BONUS:
Telephone Romeo -Jason Boland & the Stragglers (for when I forget what a steel guitar sounds like)
1. Amarillo By Morning – George Strait
2. As She’s Walking Away – Zac Brown Band/Alan Jackson
3. My Maria – Brooks & Dunn
4. Just to See You Smile – Tim McGraw
5. Should’ve Been a Cowboy – Toby Keith
A group-heavy list, so I threw in an extra from my favorite solo artist:
Believe – Brooks & Dunn
One More Day – Diamond Rio
Sunday In The South – Shenandoah
My Home’s In Alabama – Alabama
Want To – Sugarland
Past The Point Of Rescue – Hal Ketchum
@Rob – re your favorite solo artist – you have great taste. I think he may be country music’s most underrated male vocalists.
John Conlee – “Rose Colored Glasses”
David Ball – “Thinkin’ Problem”
Diamond Rio – “Night is Fallin’ in My Heart”
Johnny Cash – “Sunday Morning Coming Down”
Randy Travis – “Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart”
Oh, and Randy Rogers Band – “This Time Around”
1. Johnny Cash – The Man Comes Around
2. John Michael Montgomery – Friends
3. BlackHawk – I’m Not Strong Enough to Say No
4. Steve Earle – I Ain’t Ever Satisfied
5. David Ball – When the Thought of You Catches Up with Me