Country Universe

100 Greatest Men: #76. Keith Urban

November 1, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 14

Australia’s had its own country music scene for generations. With Keith Urban, they scored their biggest export to date.

Urban began singing and playing guitar from an early age. Though born in New Zealand, he moved to Australia as a small child. By age eight, he’d already won talent contests. As he got older, his exposure throughout the country increased. He appeared on various television programs and soon landed a recording contract.

Favorite Songs by Favorite Artists: Faith Hill

November 1, 2011 Ben Foster 32

Ben counts down his favorite songs by Faith Hill.

Retro Single Review: Tim McGraw, “She Never Lets it Go to Her Heart”

November 1, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 7

1996 | Peak: #1

There’s an old saying about cowboys who get the look down right but don’t have any actual cowboy abilities:

All Hat, No Cattle.

Retro Single Review: George Strait, “The Cowboy Rides Away”

October 30, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 3

1985 | Peak: #5

A classic single that embraces the traditional cowboy mythos while simultaneously reinventing it.

The title invokes memories of the cowboy archetype. A relationship is coming to an end, so the cowboy saddles up and rides out of town, into the sunset.

Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, “God Bless the Child”

October 30, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 1

1996 | #48

Gospel recordings were becoming all the rage in the nineties, particularly with female artists.

Sometimes it seemed like they just wanted a big showpiece for the CMA awards. Dolly Parton and Pam Tillis had performed with enormous choirs behind them in 1991 and 1994, respectively. These were, perhaps, the only times in CMA history that the demographics on stage accurately reflected greater metropolitan Nashville.

Single Review: Terri Clark, “The One”

October 28, 2011 Ben Foster 4

Terri Clark’s new release “The One” retains many of the familiar features that have made Clark’s music so enjoyable. It has a pleasant restrained production arrangement, and a nuanced, sincere vocal performance, along with an interesting lyrical scenario with some clever turns of phrase.

What it’s missing is a good hook.

Album Review: Scotty McCreery, Clear as Day

October 25, 2011 Ben Foster 14

Scotty McCreery

Clear as Day

In listening to American Idol winner Scotty McCreery’s debut album, it becomes all too clear that either McCreery is being carefully reared by the unabashedly commercial-minded execs of 19 Entertainment… or that he simply enjoys playing follow-the-leader. The former is most likely, but almost every track on Clear as Day sounds like an emulation of the style of one of country radio’s favorite hitmakers. We get to hear Scotty McCreery play Montgomery Gentry. We get to hear Scotty McCreery play Kenny Chesney. But there are precious few moments in which it sounds like Scotty McCreery is being Scotty McCreery.

Retro Single Review: Alan Jackson, “Love’s Got a Hold On You”

October 25, 2011 Ben Foster 0

1992 | #1

Man calls doctor. His ailment?

“My hands are sweaty and my knees are weak/ I can’t eat, and I can’t sleep/ It’s turning me every way but loose…”

Diagnosis: “Sounds like love’s got a hold on you.”

Retro Single Review: Alan Jackson, “Midnight in Montgomery”

October 23, 2011 Leeann Ward 3

If you’re looking for a genuinely spooky song for the Halloween season, look no further than Alan Jackson’s chilling “Midnight in Montgomery.”

From the very first strains of the downbeat acoustic guitar followed by the eerie steel intro, it’s evident that this is no typical country love song or drinking ditty. Instead, it’s set at Hank Williams’ grave at midnight whereupon the narrator, presumably Alan Jackson, sees Hank’s ghost.

100 Greatest Men: #77. John Conlee

October 23, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 6

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

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.