Album Review: Marty Stuart, <i>Nashville, Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down</i>
Marty Stuart
Nashville, Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down
The casual listener may remember Marty Stuart for the string of country radio hits he enjoyed in the late eighties and early nineties. However, Stuart’s legacy was cemented by groundbreaking projects released after his commercial heyday had drawn to a close, particularly 1999’s landmark The Pilgrim as well as 2010’s career-best effort Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions. Through such critically lauded work Stuart has built up a reputation as an elder statesman of country music, acting to preserve country music’s heritage and traditions, while simultaneously working to move the genre forward.
1999 | #1
Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, "Come On Over"
1999 | #6
“Get a life, get a grip, get away somewhere, take a trip
Take a break, take control, take advice from someone you know
“Come on over, come on in
Pull up a seat, and take a load off your feet
Come on over, come on in
You can unwind, and take a load off your mind.”
Hmm. So the lyrics don’t seem to have a whole lot to say. The song is primarily simple series of feel-good platitudes.
Single Review: Edens Edge, "Too Good to Be True"
Emerging with the slow-blooming Top 20 debut single “Amen” last year, Arkansas trio Edens Edge introduced themselves to the country audience as one of the genre’s brightest and most refreshing new talents. Their follow-up release “Too Good to Be True” lacks the distinct lyrical freshness that made “Amen” a winner, but continues to showcase the group’s unique, left-of-center musical style.
100 Greatest Men: #56. Bobby Bare
100 Greatest Men: The Complete List
With a career that has spanned seven decades, Bobby Bare’s body of work has made him one of the genre’s most influential and critically acclaimed recording artists.
Single Review: Scotty McCreery, "Water Tower Town"
Reviewing mainstream country singles can be mighty depressing these days. It often seems like we’re hearing the same song over and over again. Conversely, I often feel as if I’m writing the same review over and over again.
So how can I find a fresh angle from which to approach this new Scotty McCreery single?