First, NO LINK INCLUDED. Sorry, just don't have one. I bought this one.




Been reading about this guy recently and decided to pull the trigger on it. Pretty much the best country album I've heard in years. Apparently the guy grew up in Alabama (GAR: The Gom, but born in Enterprise) and moved to Nashville at some point where he caught on as a songwriter for bigger artists before starting to put out his own stuff.

I was a bit wary because his last one apparently was Grammy-nominated and this one debuted at #1 on the Country charts. Normally that'd be enough for me to ignore due to my general feelings towards CMT and Top 40 country radio. This is one that is deserving of everything it gets IMO. Classic country songwriting in the vein of Kristofferson, Hank Williams, Waylon, Hank Cochran, Keith Whitley, Bobby Bare, George Jones, etc.

To top it off, it's a double album.

I know this isn't for everyone but I know there are some that enjoy this side of life. For those folks, highly recommended and worth seeking out.

Shit I just read about this last week and then blanked on the dudes name. Not surprising really. I'm sick enough that when I read "double album" I knew I had to hear it asap.

On the hunt.

Thanks Derris.

Edit - and you too DJ.

Man, "Poor Man's Blues" sounds like David Allan Coe circa '78.

Weird. I went out tonight and picked that up myself. I've been reading about it for what seems like a year. Got the new issue of Spin in the mail (they just keep sending it...), and there was an article in there about him. Great stuff. Can't wait to really delve in and soak this record up.

Read about this in Spin, myself. Grabbin

I'm really blown away that this guy was allowed/able to do this album. Looks like he had a hit single with his last record and it was a minor success. Normally, the Nashville machine would shine him up and he'd start cranking out hits. It either speaks to his total control over his output or the complete confidence his label has in him. I'd wager the former.

Still, to follow up a first hit single with a moody and traditional DOUBLE album with FIVE covers is pretty crazy in this day and age.

Or completely perfect.

Maybe Stu can drop some knowledge.

Also, I mean, this dude currently looks like Dimebag Darrell via Rob Zombie.

The guy has had an incredible run of things. First, I had no idea he was the guy who wrote "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", but he also pretty much put out his debut DIY style until it was picked up by a major. It just sounds like when "The Dollar" came out (also recorded by George Strait), he was living the life, but not happy. He was kinda being told what to wear, how to look, etc.

I suspect there is a little inflation to the fact that he rebelled against the system, seeing as this was released from the same label (Mercury Nashville) as his previous record. Derris, yr probably right on he having more carte blanche in the studio/on record.

Smartly, they've been marketing him to the audiences outside of the country genre. As they said in the Spin article, playing Bonnaroo was a big hit.

Anyone have his other records? I suspect that they're pretty polished. They have them for about $8 now at Best Buy so, I might pick them up for curiosities' sake.

It's the link between Hank, Jr and Cooley. Also: Montgomery Reprazent!!! Hometown boy that I slept on, but the new album is damned good. He's friends with some folks I know and apparently an ANIMAL.

Yeah I first heard this guy on World Cafe on NPR one night last year and thought he was really, really great. Then like a month later I heard a dude playing his hit in a bar and asked him who it was. Just the interview I heard alone was reason enough for me to pre-order this album, but my internet crapped out when I tried to do it the other day.

Anyway, really looking forward to hearing it. He's just what the doctor ordered lately. Yeah not sure how the hell he's getting away with it. It's funny because he's been on like 3 of the last country award shows I've seen lately and I keep waiting for him to get caught molesting Taylor Swift backstage or something. He just seems so out of place.

I'm on this one, in spite of dude having a "hit" in the mainstream.

I'm already 2 spins in--yes, the entire thing. I brought it to work, so I'm gonna indulge there as well.

Looking forward to this, thanks.








I always thought a lot of unknowns in Nashvegas write hits for the singing heads all the while putting out understated off main street material of their own. I consider Nashville's machine output much more complex than the CMT top 40.

He also co-wrote "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" that Trace Adkins had a big hit with.

Because he has this "outsider" image even though he's as inside Music Row as you can get, he was allowed to do something "creative" like a double album. I'm glad that someone in the Music Row system is putting out music that sounds like real COUNTRY music, but then again, there about 100 bands in TX/OK/MO region doing the same stuff, see Stoney LaRue, but since they're not embraced by the Music Row establishment, they are seen as regional bands.

thanks for the tip, derris. will check out.

Yep

Avoided this for awhile, but finally gave it a shot. Really quite good.

lotta folks been talking about him to me the past few weeks.

fuckballs, I jumped through the hoops and still cannot find the goddam download link... they bury that shit.