Posted by: Troy Lee Ann Womack (who is married to Frank Liddell, who is Miranda Lambert's longtime producer) has gone to the opposite ends of country music in her career, either putting out Faith Hill-inspired pop country ("I Hope You Dance") or hard-leaning traditional country ("Prelude: Fly"). This 2005 masterpiece, produced by Bryon Gallimore, is country done RIGHT & I consider this one of the the high points in her career, along with 2014's "The Way I'm Livin'". This album's inspiration came from 70s country, which is extremely refreshing. It brings back memories of Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Crystal Gayle and Lynn Anderson. The album's first single "I May Hate Myself In The Morning" is a slow burner: filled with regret, sorrow, sadness, resignation and you can hear the emotion & the ache in her voice. Other standouts include "Twenty Years And Two Husbands Ago", "He Oughta Know That By Now" and "What I Miss About Heaven", among other gems. What made this record stand out in 2005 & stands out even more 9 years later is how understated the musical arrangement is. There aren't any songs about trucks, chicks & getting high or drunk on beer. There are no loud flashy guitars or shredding solos. You hear acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo & an incredible amount of pedal steel in the songs These are classic traditional country songs from a traditional country album where the themes deal with cheating, one-night stands, broken homes, broken marriages, divorce, painful relationships...things that everyday people like you & I can fully relate to. Womack has never sounded better. Her follow-up albums are really solid as well, however I consider this to be the starting point of her putting out well-crafted albums with substance and tasteful arrangements. She claims that she's not interested in having her songs played on country radio. I beg to differ. We NEED more artists like her played on country radio. She has an incredible gift & one can only hope that she continues to put forth albums of this quality.
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LINKS
Here are some links to other pop culture websites and blogs worth checking out:
- Saving Country Music - Country Perspective - Farce the Music - Country Exclusive - This Is Country Music - Country Music Minds - Matt Lynn Digital Pop Culture Potpourri Writers
Cobra is a Human Resources professional from the Greater Cleveland Area with a love of good country music and a disdain for pop, rock, and rap mislabeled as country music. His favorite artists include (but are not limited to) Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers Band, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Turnpike Troubadours, Hayes Carll, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Trisha Yearwood, Dwight Yoakam, and Johnny Cash Archives
December 2017
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