This Englishman got into country music via rockn’roll. Quite a few of my big 50’s heroes (Haley, Holly, Jerry Lee etc) had either come to rock via country or still dabbled in it and as I started to explore I began to enjoy what I heard. Most of the songs were about personal experiences or feelings and it was easy to find a song that matched a mood – sadness, joy, wistfulness, regret, anger.  Moreover they carried a good tune and easily remembered lyrics.

So here are some of the artists and songs that always hit the spot because, for me they are what country music is all about.

Buck Owens was big in the sixties and early seventies using a stripped down sound that was in direct contrast to the heavily orchestrated numbers that were coming out of Nashville at the time. Jaunty and simple because Owens was going back to basics…

Lyle Lovett is the thinking man’s singer. His music often contains a wry, left field take on familiar situations. But this one is a beautifully crafted hymn to wistfulness and unattainable dreams….

Blackhawk’s sound is a rolling wave where vocals and instruments combine to wash over the listener in an emotional flood. This number paints that magic moment when a man is finally confronted with the price of his own thoughtlessness….

In total contrast – Don Williams….quiet, gentle, a beautiful celebration of true love…..

We call them lorries, Americans call them trucks but, wherever you are these vehicles and their drivers are the lifeblood of any economy. For me whether driving in Britain, America or Europe this is a must play while eating up the miles on the tarmac….in my economy car imagining I was Dale Watson. I loved his Truckin Sessions album but was surprised to discover that, at one time, he was not a big seller in the US because, in the UK  he has always been very popular.  

Dale Watson is the real deal. What Dale does in keeping traditional country music alive can’t be matched. He writes & sings true to the roots and spirit of what made country music great. You can clearly hear influences of Merle Haggard & Johnny Cash in his songs, artists that Dale truly admires & respects.

Maybe the Blackhawk lady was thinking this as she wrote on the mirror with her lipstick…it is a song guaranteed to make most men feel just a little bit uncomfortable…..Deana Carter wishes she could turn back the years…..

In all my years as a teacher I always gave this piece of advice from Kenny Rogers to every class I took…..

….and, before I die, I would still love to go, one day, and stand on a corner in Winslow, Arizona….The Eagles – sheer perfection…

Thanks for your interest and, as Dale Watson would say…..may your bridges all be sixteen five……..