Buck Owens – Act Naturally

Buck will always be known as the architect of the “Bakersfield Sound”. Don Rich was Owens’ sidekick who provided the nasty guitar and harmonies you hear on this song. Unfortunately Don was killed in a motorcycle wreck in 1974 and Owens, in my opinion, never sounded the same.

Dwight Yoakam – Guitars, Cadillacs

It would make sense that Dwight Yoakam would make this list considering he was and is a disciple of Buck Owens. This was pretty much the song that Yoakam on the map and he defitinely has that distinctive sound on this song.

Mystery Train – Elvis Presley

Elvis had two of the greatest guitar players of all time play for him. Scotty Moore and later James Burton. This song features Moore and his distinctive guitar playing and is one of my favorite Elvis songs of all time.

Merle Haggard – Working Man Blues

If Buck Owens is known for creating the Bakersfield Sound Haggard might be known for perfecting it. The guitar work on this song is fantastic and might be the perfect example of what I am talking about. Do youself a favor and go buy a Merle Haggard record.

George Jones – The Race is On

It is a fact that George Jones has the greatest voice in the history of country music. I am free to debate that anytime you would like. I first heard of this song when I heard Sawyer Brown butcher it years ago. The original version is one of my favorite George Jones songs. Not only does his voice sound incredible but the guitar work is pretty good as well.

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Elvis Presley – In The Ghetto

After being in Nashville and hearing some great Elvis stories I have been listening to some Elvis and this is one of my favorite Elvis songs. If you are looking to buy an Elvis Presley album I suggest getting “From Elvis in Memphis”. It is worth it for this song and “Suspicious Minds” alone.

Eric Clapton – No Alibis

“Journeyman” is not the best album Clapton ever made but it is the first Clapton album I ever bought so I have special place in my heart for it. This album led me to buying several more Clapton albums down the road. I always loved this song because of the nasty back up vocals from Daryl Hall. I sill thought Daryl Hall was cool in 1989.

The Firm – Satisfaction Guaranteed

After Led Zeppelin broke up Jimmy Page formed a band with the great Paul Rodgers from Free/Bad Company. The band only made one album but I loved it. I bought the cassette in middle school. They had a hit video on MTV with the song “Radioactive” but I always liked this song better. The song sounded like it could have been on Zeppelin’s “In Through the Out Door” album to me.

The Black Keys – She Said, She Said

This is the song that started my love affair with the Black Keys. My brother played this album for me in my parents garage. I could not believe the way this band made a Beatles song sound. I immediately went out an bought “The Big Come Up” and the rest is history.

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Buck Owens-Act Naturally

Buck Owens was a country music pioneer and was the godfather of the “Bakersfield Sound”. If you do not know about the Bakersfield Sound you are quite possibly an asshole. If you don’t think Buck Owens is cool you are wrong. Dwight Yoakam and the Beatles both do great versions of this song but Buck’s version is the best.

Dwight Yoakam-Miner’s Prayer(Live)

Speaking of Dwight Yoakam he is a disciple of Buck Owens and is one of the best live acts I have ever seen. The “Dwight Live” is one of the better live albums ever recorded and Dwight doing “Miners Prayer” acoustic is one of the finer moments on the album.

Elton John-Country Comfort

I know Elton John is hardly country but “Country Comfort” is one of my favorite Elton John songs. It was originally released on the brilliant album “Tumbleweed Connection”. It was later re recorded with bluegrass legend Earle Scruggs but I prefer the original version. This is a great country song with some mighty fine pedal steel guitar and fiddle.

The Byrds- You Don’t Miss Your Water

Gram Parsons joins the Byrds and they make a flat out classic country record “Sweetheart of the Rodeo”. They even played the Opry after releasing the album. This is my favorite song from the album. You might be more familiar with the soulful Otis RFedding version. I listen to both versions quite often depending on my mood.

Willie Nelson-Red Headed Stranger

“Red Headed Stranger” is the greatest country album of all time. That is a fact not an opinion. The album tells a story of a preacher who goes on a killing spree after he finds out his wife was cheating on him. It is a very sparse album with pretty much no bells and whistles. It is basically the exact opposite of what Nashville was cranking out at the time. Every song is great on the album but I picked the title track. I encourage you to get this album and listen to it from start to finish.

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John Mellencamp – Hot Dogs and Hamburgers

Side two of “The Lonesome Jubilee” is Mellencamp at his finest and might be my all time favorite album side from anyone. Lyrically and musically Mellencamp and the band were firing on all cylinders. I could have picked any song from side 2 of this album but as of today this is the one I like the best. Check back with me tomorrow and it will probably be a different song.

John Prine/Bonnie Raitt – Angel From Montgomery

In a career filled with outstanding songs this is for me the best song John Prine ever wrote. This live version with Bonnie Raitt is outstanding. A lot of people have covered this song but none have matched this version.

Little Richard – Ready Teddy

I think it is easy to overlook Little Richard’s influence because he has become a cartoon version of himself but make no mistake in the 1950′s he was as good as it got. His influence is incredible and his music was wild for that time. Unfortunately a lot of it got ripped off by white artists like Pat Boone(see Tutti Frutti). “Ready Teddy” is a great example of what Little Richard was doing in the 1950′s.

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George Harrison – What is Life

George Harrison is my favorite of the Beatles. I contend he was completely underutilized in the band. I think he proved that was the case when he released the masterpiece “All Things Must Pass”. “What is Life” is my favorite song from the album. Great opening guitar riff and Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” is in full effect on this track. Just a great song that makes you feel good when you listen to it.

Jamey Johnson – Place Out on the Ocean

If you like real country music and not the crap on the radio then I think you will like Jamey Johnson. This guy is the real deal and is a throwback to the days of Waylon Jennings, George Jones, and Johnny Paycheck. The guy writes a great song and is inceribly authentic. His first album “That Lonesome Song” is one of the better country albums I have heard in years and this is my favorite song.

Will Hoge – When I Can Afford To Lose

One of my favorite “new” artists. If you mixed Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen with a lot more soul you would have Will Hoge. This guy can do no wrong in my eyes. I never get to far from this guy’s music. I always find myself coming back to him and I look forward to hearing what he does next. I am currently listening to the album “Draw the Curtains” which is fantastic. “Dirty Little War” highlights his soulful voice and country/roots leanings all at the same . It never gets old.

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Endiana – Little Blue Dress

www.myspace.com/endianamusic
This band is another band you have probably never heard of unless you are from Indiana. I recently saw them open up for the Truth & Salvage Co. live and thought they were really good. I liked them enough to purchase their EP and thought the EP was excellent. This is my favorite song from the EP.

Tad Armstrong- Start All Over Again

I think there might be a theme developing here. Tad Armstrong has been a fixture on the Indiana music scene for awhile. He fronted the fantastic band Middletown years ago. His solo work is just as good. This is my favorite song from the album of the same name.

Jason Wilber – The Great Twenty Eight

Jason Wilber is from Bloomington,Indiana. His full time gig is playing guitar for John Prine but he has released a couple of solo albums that are really good. He is a great guitar player as well as songwriter. If you can tell me what this song is referring to you will win a free autographed picture of Dave.

Middletown – Middletown

I talked about them earlier and now they make my all Indiana list. Great band with a real roots feel. Tad Armstrong’s soulful voice played over country arrangements. A really great album that more people should give a listen to. This is my favorite song from the album it is a song that people from Indiana can really relate to.

Hopefully this list will inspire you to support local music no matter where you live. If you don’t want to support music where you live then you should support some of these artists.

Later,

Nick

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Highway Star – Deep Purple

This song was way beyond its time sonically. It’s a mix of punk, metal, and flower power. It’s really a great song with so many aspects and angles. Richie Blackmore’s guitar is nasty, and the gruff vocals and screaming makes the blood boil. The 16th note chord progression makes the song feel like a roller coaster ride…after listening to this song, the blood pressure will be elevated.

Lay it on the Line – Triumph

I could have picked many songs to fill this groups spot on this week’s random shuffle. I mean, I love so many of Triumph’s songs. But I choose this one for the rocking rhythm of this tune. It is a straight forward rock song about a straight forward issue…telling the truth. And let me tell you the truth, this song freaking rock.

All the Young Dudes – Mott the Hoople

Some (many) of you may know this song, but I bet a lot of you don’t have it in your collection. Change that today. This is such a great classic that everyone should have it in their collection. The song was written by David Bowie when David Bowie was writing really good music, not the crap he wrote in the mid to late 80’s. It has the Ziggy Stardust quality tone and spacey guitar feel of Space Oddity. This is one of those songs no matter how many times you listen to it, it never gets old, and there are few songs with that kind of magic power.

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Martin Briley – Salt in My Tears

I know absolutely nothing about this guy but I love this obscure 80′s rocker to this day. It has some really big cheesy guitar riffs along with some typical 80′s drums. You are welcome for me turning you onto this beauty.

Donnie Iris – Ah! Leah!

Once again I would not know Donnie Iris if he was sitting next to me but this song is nasty. I have heard it on my local classic rock station over the years and always wondered who sang it. Once iTunes came around I did my due diligence and when I found this song I gladly forked over $.99 for it.

Bryan Adams – Cuts Like a Knife

Once upon a time before he made that god awful song for the Robin Hood movie I thought Bryan Adams was pretty cool. To this day I still think this is a great rock song and wish he would have made more songs like this.

Asia – Heat of the Moment

I was actually turned on to this band by my mom. She had an Asia cassette back in the day and I used to play it on my dad’s stereo extra loud. I also thought the album cover was pretty cool.

Genesis – Misunderstanding

By the end of the 80′s and early 90′s Genesis had worn out their welcome but I thought when Phil Collins first took over for Peter Gabriel Genesis was actually pretty good. I remember hearing this song when I was very young and knew nothing about music but I knew I liked this song. I still like it and play it a lot to this day.

Later,

Nick

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Court Yard Hounds – The Coast

Some people who will remain nameless think the Dixie Chicks are a really good lead singer with a couple of disposable sisters backing her up. This album will prove that theory wrong. Check out the first single from 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks. If you did not know any better you would think you are listening to Sheryl Crow.

Carrie Rodriguez – Big Love

One of my favorite artists from Texas or really anywhere just released a new album and her voice and fiddle have never sounded better. In a better world she would be a superstar.

The Black Keys – Tighten Up

One of the nastiest bands around has a new album coming out next month and this is the first single. I am anxious to see what the album sounds like. I own and love everything they have made. This song is a little different than you might be used to but it will grow on you.

There is some great music on the verge of being released this summer. This hopefully gives you a small taste of what is out there. Buy some of this music when it comes out and check these bands out live. Live music will make you live a longer happier life.

Later,

Nick

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Lawyers, Guns and Money – Warren Zevon

This is probably my favorite song from Warren Zevon. I had just started getting into Zevon when he died in 2003. He made a ton of great music and I feel like he is overlooked by most people. He was a great songwriter with a very distinctive voice. You always knew who you were listening to when you heard a Warren Zevon song for the first time.

Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way – Waylon Jennings

Waylon was one of the biggest bad asses in country music. He did things on his own terms and it came through in all of his music. This has always been one of my favorite Jennings’ songs. John Mellencamp also does a nasty version of this song and the last time I saw Son Volt live they closed their show with this tune. Waylon obviously influenced a lot of people.

Monday – Wilco

You might wonder why I have a Wilco song on this list. Jay Bennett was a huge part of Wilco during their transformation from an alt-country band to one of America’s greatest rock bands. Monday is my favorite song from the album “Being There”. If you listen to the lyrics Jeff Tweedy says “get me out of TLA”. He was referring to the band Bennett played in before Wilco, Titanic Love Affair. Wilco made some great music while he was in the band but after he was kicked out during the making of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” he never seemed to recover. Bennett died last year of a drug overdose.

Crossfire – Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

This was the song that made me like SRV. I loved this song the minute I heard it. I have always thought SRV made playing the guitar look so easy. It seemed effortless when he played. Just as I was starting to get into his music he was killed in a helicopter crash. His backing band Double Trouble was the shit as well. This group had no weaknesses.

Friend of the Devil – The Grateful Dead

I have never been a huge Dead fan but I do think “American Beauty” and “Workingman’s Dead” are really good albums and Jerry Garcia influenced a lot of musicians that I really respect. This song has always been one of my favorites and I listen to it all of the time. I also figured I should include a guy from the Grateful Dead since this shuffle is all about dead people.

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