Maurice Hope – June 6, 2016 at 01:00PM
Tags:_AMERICANA
Now here is a superb collection of work as you have covers of soul material by country acts ranging from Johnny Cash to Tanya Tucker, Jeanie C. Riley and David Allan Coe plus a couple of timeless classics from Conway Twitty – Loretta Lynn and father and daughter duo, Royce and Jeannie (The Kendalls). Well put together, the 24-track collection comes complete with typically informative liner notes from journalist Tony Rounce.
Throughout the 24-tracks the listener can’t help but be impressed and entertained by the artists involved, and in some cases surprised how good it works, and with sufficient big country names featured you are never far from a song or performance of real merit. The compilation it opens with a little know recording by Daaron Lee (“Who’s Making Love”) and ends with Johnny Cash getting back to his Arkansas roots; as he sings with authenticity and conviction as he speaks of growing beans in the song “Look At Them Beans”. The song was used for the title of an album of the mid-1970s which was awash in eclectic material. There’s so much good music to check out; “Out Of Left Field” itself is a song from famed Muscle Shoals’ songwriting team of Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn, and it isn’t the only song by them featured. For other than Hank Williams Jr recording the title track Jerry Reed covers “It Tears Me Up”, there are two co-writes from Penn but with Chips Moman. “Dark End Of The Street” and “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” covered here by The Kendalls and Billie Jo Spears, respectively have both seen many covers, some I hasten to add better than those featured within. Then again who could or ever will match the likes of the late Gram Parsons!
Among the outstanding pieces Sonny James does a fine job of “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby”, and with him joined by Johnny Paycheck and his biggie “She’s All I Got”, is arguably the performance of the compilation from Nashville rebel David Allan Coe “He Will Break Your Heart”. You also have Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson’s take of Steve Cropper and hit act Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” and piano playing country R&b vocalist Ronnie Milsap plus Mel Street and Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty’s superb uplifting version of “Pickin’ Wild Mountain Berries”. Enjoy, both the music and read!
Maurice Hope
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