Ask any of his collaborators and they'll tell you, Ronnie Lane was special. Sure, he was an exceedingly talented singer, bassist, guitarist, and songwriter; he was also a uniquely open-minded and welcoming collaborator who was more than willing to nurture talent. But what really sets Ronnie Lane apart is the way he subverted what it meant to be a popular musician. Unlike the majority of his peers, Ronnie Lane didn't want to be a rock star. He wanted his music to reach people, sure, but he'd
Swinging Doors: Grateful Dead, Emmylou, Dolly, Dino, More Celebrate “The Merle Haggard Songbook”
Along with Buck Owens - with whom he shared a musical history and a wife - Merle Haggard (1937-2016) defined The Bakersfield Sound of country music: authentic, raw, rooted in honky-tonks. But unlike the Texas-born and Arizona-raised Owens, Haggard was actually born in Bakersfield and raised just across the river from that California town. "Hag," as he preferred to be known, rocketed to superstardom thanks to "Okie from Muskogee," his controversial 1969 song that was either a scathing
UPDATED: Different Drummer: Edsel Collects Michael Nesmith’s RCA and Pacific Arts Years on New Box Set
And the Hits Just Keep On Comin'. Michael Nesmith titled his 1972 RCA album ironically - when it "bubbled under" the Billboard 200 at No. 208, it actually bested its predecessor by three slots - but the LP did feature the once and future Monkee's rendition of one major favorite, "Different Drum." The 1965 tune became an enduring hit for the Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt in 1967, establishing Nesmith outside of The Monkees. Since 1968, he's released 16 studio albums. Recently, 12 of
In the Pocket: Ace Salutes Mickie Most, Reggie Young on New Anthologies
The names of Mickie Most and Reggie Young might not be among the most familiar except to diehard music aficionados, but the songs that benefited from their respective golden touches certainly are among the most well-known ever. Ace Records has recently paid tribute to both of these late talents with a pair of deluxe anthologies. The Pop Genius of Mickie Most may be the most lavish single-disc package yet released by Ace, housed in a heavy slipcase also containing a squarebound 74-page
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Lefty Frizzell, “An Article from Life: The Complete Recordings”
The music of William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (1928-1975), one of the most influential honky-tonk singers of all time, has long been a cornerstone of the Bear Family catalogue. The German reissue specialists first compiled the Frizzell oeuvre in 1984 as a 14-LP box set, updating that in 1992 on 12 CDs. Now, more than 25 years later, the Bears have returned to the country-and-western troubadour's career for the most definitive chronicle ever. An Article from Life: The Complete Recordings has
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Neil Diamond, “50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition”
I. I Got the Feelin' In his 1966 debut single for Bang Records, Neil Diamond famously declared himself a "Solitary Man." But the New York singer-songwriter wasn't to be solitary for very long, as he soon gained the worldwide audience that, over 50 years later, still follows each one of his musical endeavors. Diamond has just looked back on his remarkable career on a handsome new box set from Capitol Records and UMe. 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition expands upon the similarly-titled
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Eagles, “Legacy”
Just Find a Place to Make Your Stand On the list of the United States' five best-selling albums of all time, one name stands tall - the only artist to lay claim to two of those five titles. That artist is, of course, a band: Eagles. 1976's Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) sits atop the list at 38 million copies sold; Hotel California is third with 26 million. The ten tracks on the former are all modern-day standards, each and every one of them still a radio staple. Though the original
Review: Golden Smog, “Down By the Old Mainstream” from Run Out Groove
What do you get when you bring together members of Wilco, Soul Asylum, and The Jayhawks and throw them into a remote recording studio in Minnesota wilderness? Well, as the Run Out Groove label proved with its LP reissue earlier this year, the result is one mighty down-home, fun album of country-rock grooves: Down By the Old Mainstream by '90s supergroup Golden Smog. While their lineup has been mercurial since they first got together in the late-'80s, the core lineup included Kraig Johnson of
Review: Willie Nelson, “My Way”
Last week, Willie Nelson made headlines when he announced that he would be playing a concert in support of Texas' Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Beto O'Rourke. News outlets made much of the fact that some of the artist's conservative fans perceived a betrayal, but in truth, Nelson has always followed his heart and stayed true to his own convictions. He shared that in common with the late Frank Sinatra, his friend and onetime duet partner. The appropriately-titled My Way is a heartfelt
Review: Michael Nesmith and The First National Band Redux, “Live at The Troubadour”
Michael Nesmith always traveled to the beat of a different drum. While serving as one-fourth of The Monkees, Nesmith was expanding his musical horizons beyond the group's infectious Brill Building pop stylings. "I wanted beautiful music wherever I could find it," he writes in the liner notes to his new release on 7a Records. "But if I wanted to sing it myself and write it myself, I had to have an understanding of what that music was, and how to get to it. So, the first place I looked was in
The Second Disc’s 2018 Record Store Day Must-Haves
Welcome to our annual rundown of Must-Haves for this year's Record Store Day event! Once you're through reading, let us know what you're most looking forward to picking up tomorrow at your favorite local independent retailer! Our list features just a sampling of our favorites from our friends at Legacy Recordings, Varese Sarabande, Rhino Records, Real Gone Music, Demon Music Group, Walt Disney Records, Omnivore Recordings, and more! Joe's kicking things off with five essential picks (in
Like Someone in Love: Ace Collects Complete Charlie Rich at RCA
Charlie Rich (1932-1995) finally achieved superstardom when his laid-back readings of "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl" ascended in 1973 to the top spot of the Billboard Country chart and crossed over to Pop - the latter to Number One on that chart, too. Although those songs kicked off a new chapter in the career of the man known by that point as the Silver Fox (for his mane of gray hair and wizened appearance), Rich's repertoire could hardly be defined by their mellow sound.
Review: Chris Hillman, “The Asylum Years”
Chris Hillman is surely one of rock's largely unsung heroes. A veteran of groups including The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Desert Rose Band, and supergroup The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, Hillman last year released the acclaimed album Bidin' My Time - only his seventh solo album. Produced by Tom Petty (one of the late superstar's last projects) with one foot in the past and another in the present, the LP reaffirmed the artist's deserved place in the pantheon. Now, Omnivore
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Various Artists, “Stax Country”
We're continuing to look at the 60th anniversary releases from legendary R&B powerhouse label Stax Records with a single-CD or LP collection that just might make a perfect stocking stuffer! Stax Country (CR 00009), from Craft Recordings, takes a fresh look at some of the other, non-R&B music emanating from the corridors of Stax's studios on East McLemore Avenue - in particular some "Sweet Country Music." That's the title of the twangy ditty recorded in 1975 by Becki Bluefield which
No Time To Lose: Music Pioneer Ralph Peer Celebrated with Box Featuring Bing, Desi, Buddy, Ray, Elvis, Bob, Nat and Others
The history of commercial recorded music stretches back over 100 years and has encompasses the stories of many artists and talents. One of the biggest figures in this early history was Ralph S. Peer. The A&R (Artists and Repertoire) and publishing pioneer might not be a household name today, but he made major contributions to many varied musical genres including blues, country and Latin. Sony Music Latin has recently released a wide-ranging, eclectic 3-CD box set entitled The Roots of
Review: Elvis Presley, “A Boy From Tupelo: The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings”
It's hard to believe - impossible, even - but Elvis Aron Presley once was just A Boy from Tupelo. The once and future King's transformation from modest beginnings to international superstar has never been more vividly traced than on the new 3-CD box set from RCA and Legacy. A Boy from Tupelo: The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings is a trip back in time to the birth of rock-and-roll (destination: Memphis) featuring every one of Elvis' known Sun Records masters and outtakes, as well as his four
Review: The Flying Burrito Brothers, “The Gilded Palace of Sin” from Intervention Records
In 1969, The Flying Burrito Brothers welcomed listeners into their Gilded Palace of Sin. The album, released on Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss' A&M label, heralded a new style of music - one which co-founder Gram Parsons would famously dub "Cosmic American Music." Indeed, the sounds emanating from this Palace were, at the same time, surprisingly traditional and completely radical. For the Burritos melded the harmonies of the Everlys or the Louvins with the gutbucket soul of the deep south,
Holiday Gift Guide Review: A Vinyl Christmas From Presley, Cash and More
As the vinyl revolution continues, it's no surprise that numerous classic Christmas albums have been reissued in the format, while newer holiday recordings have gotten the 33-1/3 treatment as well. Legacy Recordings, rather than continuing its Classic Christmas Album series in CD form this year, has brought a number of titles to vinyl including new collections from Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, and a Classic Christmas volume dedicated to the big band sound. Of course, Elvis Presley has been
Acting Naturally: Omnivore Collects Buck Owens’ Capitol Singles, Anthologizes Don Rich
Buck Owens changed the face of country music, and all he had to do was "Act Naturally." With his back-to-basics, honky-tonk approach, Alvis Edgar Owens defined the Bakersfield Sound, an antidote to the slick, guitar-and-choir-laden style coming out of Nashville in the 1960s. Omnivore Recordings, the label home of a number of stellar Owens-related projects, is about to issue a definitive 2-CD collection from his prime era - The Complete Capitol Singles 1957-1966 - as well as a compilation
Above and Beyond: Varese Brings Papa John Phillips, Wynn Stewart to Vinyl
For his first solo album - and lone solo LP released during his lifetime - John Phillips was careful not to repeat himself. With The Mamas and the Papas in the rearview mirror at that moment in time, Papa John reinvented himself as John, The Wolfking of L.A. and surrounded himself with the day's top musicians to craft a beguiling, mellow portrait of Los Angeles circa 1970. Varese Vintage expanded this one-of-a-kind record on CD in 2006, and has recently issued it on a new 180-gram vinyl
Cash, Robbins, Jones, Arnold Feature On Ace’s “More Country Hits”
Ace Records has recently continued its Golden Age of American Popular Music Series with another volume dedicated to the sounds of country-and-western. More Country Hits follows The Country Hits, released in 2008, and like that volume, presents a collection of country classics that crossed over to the pop side on the Billboard Hot 100. Many familiar names from the first collection show up here, too, including Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, Faron Young, Ray Price, George Jones, Skeeter Davis, Marty
Some Velvet Morning: Ace Salutes Lee Hazlewood on “Shazam!”
The title of Ace's new entry in its Songwriter Series - Shazam! - doesn't refer to Captain Marvel's magic word or Gomer Pyle's favorite expression. Rather, the new compilation CD is titled after Duane Eddy's (naturally) twangy western gallop "Shazam!" penned by Eddy and maverick producer Lee Hazlewood and released in 1960. (Okay, Duane and Lee likely did take its name from C.C. Beck and Bill Parker's popular comic book superhero!) Shazam! and Other Instrumentals Written by Lee Hazlewood is
Review: Tennessee Ernie Ford, “Portrait of an American Singer”
With three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and inductions into the Country Music and Gospel Music Halls of Fame to his name, there were few heights that Ernest Jennings Ford - a.k.a. Tennessee Ernie Ford - didn't scale. A mainstay of radio and television, Ford's decades-long association with Capitol Records yielded a rich catalogue filled with country, proto rock-and-roll boogie-woogie, western swing, pop and folk ballads, gospel, novelty records, blues and
Review: Glen Campbell, “Rhinestone Cowboy: 40th Anniversary Edition”
On April 22, Glen Campbell will turn 79 years old. The past years haven’t been easy for the artist; his ongoing battle with Alzheimer’s was boldly chronicled in the acclaimed 2014 documentary I’ll Be Me for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. Though the disease has reportedly robbed Campbell of his ability to communicate verbally, it’s understood that he still finds solace and comfort in the music of his guitar. It’s a small but important reward for Campbell considering the joy he’s
Rosemary Clooney, Jim Reeves Rarities Arrive From Mint Audio
Newly-launched label Mint Audio recently made a splash with Operation Santa Claus: Live from Hong Kong 1962, a previously unreleased concert from vocal great Matt Monro. The label’s two other premiere releases salute two other titans of song – Rosemary Clooney and Jim Reeves. Rare and Unreleased features 30 radio performances from Maysville, Kentucky’s favorite daughter, Rosemary Clooney (1928-2002). Most are from the period of 1955-1961, with the earliest tracks dating to a few years