Album Review: Margo Price - Hard Headed Woman

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here:

It is of Margo Price's newest album, Hard Headed Woman. 

Live Review: Outlaw Festival (Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Wilco etc) 8/1/25 Jones Beach, NY

Outlaw Festival 

Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Lucinda Williams

8/1/25 Jones Beach, NY

On a gorgeous summer evening, after a crushing heatwave finally broke in the NYC area, the 10th Anniversary of the Outlaw Festival pulled into Jones Beach. The show played the on the water amphitheater for a second year in a row, as a sold out crowd slowly made their way into the venue to see to see a host of excellent musicians. 

Album Review: Lukas Nelson - American Romance

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here:

It is of Lukas Nelson's American Romance. 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

Album Review: Amy Irving and the Goolis Orchestra - Always Will Be

Amy Irving and the Goolis Orchestra

Always Will Be

*** out of *****

Oscar-Nominated Actress Amy Irving has been friends with the great Willie Nelson for decades, since they worked together on the 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose. Irving also happens to be a fantastic vocalist and Nelson convinced Irving to sing a few of his tunes stating, “I knew she’d probably do a lot of my songs and I knew they’d be good. You know, I’m just an old hustler”. What blossomed was this full album tribute to Nelson titled Always Will Be as Irving sings her legendary friends tunes with grace and charm. 

Album Review: Kinky Friedman - Poet of Motel 6

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here:

It is of Kinky Friedman's last album, Poet of Motel 6. Friedman passed away last year and this solid offering is a fitting send off.

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peeps some video below:

Album Review: Loose Cattle - Someone's Monster

Loose Cattle 

Someone's Monster

***and1/2 out of *****

The newest offering from the New Orleans based Loose Cattle is a ringing collection of theatrically influenced alt-country and Americana. Some top notch friends also drop by to help out the vibrant band throughout Someone's Monster.

Album Review: JP Harris - JP Harris Is A Trash Fire

JP Harris

JP Harris Is A Trash Fire

***and1/2 out of *****

The Nashville, TN based troubadour JP Harris' new collection of 10 honky-tonkers run the gamut from emotionally heart touching to whacky. The title gives you a hint of the artists sense of humor as JP Harris Is A Trash Fire isn't nearly as bad as Harris lets on.   

Live Stream: Concert for Carolina - Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor, Billy Strings and more

There will be a benefit live stream tonight, Concert for Carolina with Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor, Billy Strings and more.

From the press release: 

Saturday, October 26 - 2pm PT / 4pm CT / 5pm ET Tune in from anywhere in the world for a powerful evening of music, hosted by a lineup of talented country artists who are coming together to support the communities affected by the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene in the Southeast. 100% of ticket sales will be donated to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the Carolina Region.

Grab tickets here. 

To get in the mood here is some video from the artists performing. 

Full Show Friday: Dolly Parton - Live and Well, Complete Concert 2002

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Dolly Parton!

This week we head back to 2002 in Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN for Dolly Parton's Live and Well Concert. Ever think you would hear Dolly cover Led Zep? I didn't...

This is a good one, pro shot, pro sound, full setlist and info below. Enjoy!

1 Orange Blossom Special-Written by E.T. Rouce 1a Train, Train (1:42) Shorty Medlocke 2 The Grass Is Blue (4:17) Dolly Parton 3 Mountain Angel (6:49) Dolly Parton 4 Shine (15:12) Ed Roland 5 Little Sparrow (20:29) Dolly Parton 6 Rocky Top (25:13) Boudleaux & Felice Bryant 7 My Tennessee Mountain Home () Dolly Parton 8 Coat Of Many Colors (31:34) Dolly Parton 9 Smokey Mountain Memories (36:52) Dolly Parton 10 Applejack (42:27) Dolly Parton 11 Marry Me (47:00) Dolly Parton 12 Halos And Horns (50:25) Dolly Parton 13 I'm Gone (55:31) Dolly Parton 14 Dagger Through The Heart (59:49) Dolly Parton 15 If (1:03:46) Bread's David Gates 16 After The Gold Rush (1:07:54) Neil Young 17 9 To 5 (1:11:33) Dolly Parton 18 Jolene (1:14:54) Dolly Parton A Cappella Medley (1:18:44) 19a Islands In The Stream-Barry, Maurice & Robin Gibb 19b Here You Come Again-Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil 19c Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That-Bob Carlisle, Randy Thomas 19d Two Doors Down-Dolly Parton 20 We Irish (1:24:53) Dolly Parton 21 Stairway To Heaven (1:29:38) Led Zeppelin cover Jimmy Page, Robert Plant 22 I Will Always Love You (1:37:15) 

Dolly Parton Dolly's backing band is The Blueniques. Personnel is Gary Davis - banjo, acoustic guitar; Richard Dennison - acoustic guitar, keyboards, vocals; Randy Kohrs - resonator guitar, vocals; Jimmy Mattingly - fiddle; Brent Truitt - mandolin; Steve Turner - drums; Jay Weaver - acoustic bass guitar; Kent Wells - acoustic guitar, vocals. 

Dolly Parton Live and Well was recorded live at the Celebrity Theater in Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN on December 12 & 13, 2002. The INgrooves #DollyParton CD/DVD 3-disc combo was mixed at Southern Sound Studios, Knoxville, TN, mastered at Soundcurrent Mastering and released in 2003.

Album Review: Johnny Blue Skies - Passage du Desir

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right Chere!!!

It is of Johnny Blue Skies (aka Sturgill Simpson's) newest offering Passage du Desir. 

Metacritic thinks I gave this album an 80. I thought the review was a bit more reserved, I would say it is closer to a 75-70, but Metacritic doesn't ask me and I am not sure how they calculate their numbers from my words? 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

Dylan Cover #627 Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue playing "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"

All April (and the first week of May) RtBE focuses our Monday Dylan Cover Series on artists who are playing this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Today is Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue who plays the festival this Saturday April 27th

Thought's on Original:

From the first time we reviewed a cover of this tune:

This song is so iconic and flat out awesome, even people who dislike Dylan have to enjoy this tune right? Biting and yet not bitter, a toss off of the grandest proportions, "Don' Think Twice, It's All Right" is epic and yet so straight forwardly simple. It easily ranks as one of the bard's best works, truly a classic and has been covered by so many people in so many ways.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist

We have caught snippets of Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue on past NOLA trips. Perhaps on this one we will take in a full set.

Thoughts on Cover

A gorgeous, crisp, country twanging version of this Dylan classic from Holiday and the Revue. Definitely worth a listen to the breezy and strong version. 

Dylan Cover #626 Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton & Lee Ann Womack - "Gotta Serve Somebody"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton & Lee Ann Womack - "Gotta Serve Somebody"

All April (and the first week of May) RtBE focuses our Monday Dylan Cover Series on artists who are playing this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Today is Chris Stapleton who plays the festival this Saturday April 27th

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
This powerful call of hell-fire and brimstone rained down from the mountaintop as Dylan proclaimed his faith proudly, and this was the first song that most of the public heard confirming the fact that Bob did indeed "Go Jesus". It is point and fact with its belief and message. You gotta serve somebody... can't be simpler then that when it comes to faith can it? The original has a driving beat and a propulsion to it that sounds urgent, but not as urgent as Bob sings, reinforcing the proclamation through his powerful lyrics and leaving no man or woman on the sidelines...he brings everyone into this spiritual battle, and whatever your beliefs it is impossible not to feel Bob is committed as he runs through the verses and chorus.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

Some heavyweights of country music on this one with Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton & Lee Ann Womack. RtBE dig on Willie the most of this crew, but all are solid. 

Thoughts on Cover:

Super slow intro, adds a haunting 'end of days' feeling to the song that is usually a fire and brimstone rocker. The track picks up with a blues groove, as each singer takes a swing around B3, harmonica and gospel background vocals. The track just keeps on rolling on with a laid back energy that isn't as freighting as the intro lead the listener to believe.   

New Video/Single from Scoot Teasley "This Truck Still Misses You"

Scoot Teasley has a new video/single out, "This Truck Misses You"

Check out the poppy country tune below:

Full Show Friday: Morgan Wallen - iHeartRadio Festival Full Performance 2022

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing). This week...Morgan Wallen! 

Each January RtBE does a Jazz showcase and judging by the clicks, people just aren't as into it as we are. To make up for that, in February we go pop during our Full Show Friday series to blatantly attract page views.

It is chart topping heartthrob Morgan Wallen and his pop country sound this week.  

Album Review: Brent Amaker and the Rodeo - Philaphobia

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here:

It is of Brent Amaker and the Rodeo's newest offering, Philaphobia. 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

Album Review: Willie Nelson - Bluegrass

Willie Nelson 

Bluegrass

*** out of *****

The second album released in 2023 from the 90 year old Willie Nelson is a reinterpretation of his back catalog in the vein of the title, Bluegrass. While not vital, it contains some sweet twists on classics, a few surprises, and overall is an easy rolling breeze of a listen with twang and soulfulness.   

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Bluegrass is that this is the first album Nelson has not played his trademark guitar Trigger on since he bought the acoustic warhorse. Nelson sticks to singing (and his 90 year old voice sounds fine), while the instrumentation was captured mostly live in Nashville by a crack band. They include, Barry Bales – upright bass, Wyatt Beard – background vocals, Ron Block – banjo, Buddy Cannon – background vocals, Melonie Cannon – background vocals, Aubrey Haynie – fiddle, Rob Ickes – dobro, Josh Martin – acoustic guitar, Mickey Raphael – harmonica, Seth Taylor – mandolin, Bobby Terry – acoustic guitar, gut string guitar, Dan Tyminski – mandolin. 

Opening with the smooth "No Love Around" the tone is set, twangy playing mixed with restrained singing of some of Nelson's classics. The swaying "Somebody Pick Up My Pieces" features nice picking around Nelsons great lyrics and softer vocals while "Good Hearted Woman" is a relaxed hoedown that proves to be an album highlight.  

Less successful is the slow, weepy fiddle and guitars of "Sad Songs and Waltzes" while "Bloody Mary Morning" is upbeat and pretty much the same, just with a touch more twang. It must also be said that this just may be the cheesiest album cover of Nelson's long career. The band does get bluesy with their grass for both "You Left Me a Long, Long Time Ago" which highlights the backup signing in almost duet fashion and "Home Motel" which features the most emotional singing from Nelson on this release. 

The pace picks up towards the end of the album as the players cut loose for the fast "Still Is Still Moving to Me" and the excellently quick take on "Slow Down Old World". The group picks a good one for the classic "On The Road Again" while "Man With The Blues" wraps things up on this pleasant jaunt (with a twist) through some of Nelson's tunes as the artist just keeps putting out good to great albums when most other artists are either dead or gone, cowboy hat's off to him.  

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Support the legend, buy the album and peep some video below:

Album Review: Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan 

S/T

***and1/2 out of *****

The fourth full-length studio release from singer-songwriter Zach Bryan is a self titled effort that looks to focus his career with a strong set of narrative tunes that touch on a range of Americana sounds rooted in the country music tradition, but not confined to the genres rigid rules.

There is a lot here to digest, as if Bryan had a flood of ideas and put them all out there to sort through as the sixteen tracks discuss relationships from all angles, lots of late nights in bars, too much booze and not enough love; throughout Bryan plays with melodramatic moods, restrained vocals and honest thoughts. 

The whole thing begins via a very Woody Guthrie sounding poem as Bryan rambles and tries to set the mood before the fuzzy, rocky, Drive-By Truckers influenced "Overtime". While there are quiet a few direct influences here, perhaps none is larger than Jason Isbell who Bryan seems to be using as a muse throughout the self-titled record as he evolves as a songwriter. "Summertime's Close" complete with odd last line, the auto biographical sounding "Ticking" and the unique bass and fuzzed up guitar work of "Tourniquet" are all reminiscent of phases of Isbell and the 400 Unit; all also happen to be excellent tracks on their own.

Other highlights are "East Side of Sorrow" which blends twangy Americana and rock with galloping banjo, horns, and drums while "El Dorado" seems to be towing between genre lines excellently before wrapping up right when it might get truly going. That sense of just missing something truly special is here often as well though, "Jake's Piano - Long Island" is a tune that reaches for epic heights only to be let down by sparse lyrics while "Tradesman" feels on the cusp of a breakthrough mixing classic picking with modern sounds, but is overdone with echoing vocals. Both efforts show Bryan's desire and range, but also the need to keep pumping away. 

One area he doesn't need much help from is choosing of guests as all who show up here support the main artist well. The easy swelling duet of "Holy Roller" with Sierra Ferrell is the best of the bunch but they are all solid, with the fluid, rolling "Spotless (feat. The Lumineers)", the down and out heart wrenching duet with Kacey Musgraves on "I Remember Everything" and the slightly poppy "Hey Driver (feat The War and Treaty)" all work well.      

Bryan wraps this album up with an instant theme song from the Oologah, OK native, as he delivers an honest accounting with the straight ahead ballad "Oklahoma Son". When an artist already into their career releases a self titled album it usually acts as a reset, and Zach Bryan is doing that now, moving onward and upward from his more traditional country roots. This mostly successful transitional record is at times moving, affecting, and spiritually satisfying.     

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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:

Year In Review 2023 - Favorite Albums Part 2 (#10-6)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2023's Favorite Albums Part 2 (Numbers 10-6):

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify or singles for us.

This begins our top ten and we will wrap it up tomorrow. You can find our list of Honorable Mentions and let downs here. 

Like all of our lists or 'best of' roundups, these are meant to start conversations, not end them...

Year In Review 2023 - Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions & Let Downs)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2023's Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions and Let Downs):

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE also worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify, AI curated playlists, or streaming for us.

These are the albums that just missed out on being included in our top ten favorite for the year (coming soon). After some very excellent albums, we have a few releases from artists we dig, which we were let down by. 

Like all of our lists or 'best of'' these are meant to start conversations, not end them...

Album Review: Willie Nelson - I Don't Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard

Willie Nelson

I Don't Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard

**** out of *****

The seventy third (!) solo album from the American country legend Willie Nelson is I Don't Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard. This focus on Howard's songs is apt as Howard gave Nelson his first job as a songwriter for the publishing company Pamper Music.

The rich sounding record was produced by Nelson's longtime partner Buddy Cannon and the backing band consists of Wyatt Beard – background vocals, Melonie Cannon – background vocals, Jim "Moose" Brown – piano, synthesizer, B-3 organ, Wurlitzer, Mike Johnson – steel guitar, James Mitchell – electric guitar, Larry Paxton – bass, tic tac bass, Mickey Raphael – harmonica, Bobby Terry – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Lonnie Wilson – drums. Nelson's voice is more restrained, but still in amazing fashion for a 90 year old habitual smoker of multiple substances. 

Also of note is Nelson's guitar playing as many songs on the album, including the weepy ballad "The Chokin' Kind" and "Beautiful Annabel Lee", deploy some excellent, jazz like solos from Nelson's unmistakable sounding acoustic guitar, Trigger.  

Paxton's bass and Wilson's drums push along both "Excuse Me (I've Think I've Got A Heartache)" and "She Called Me Baby" with energy, making the exit before the tears flow directly into the beer, while the piano, straight ahead strums, and Raphael's evocative harmonica colors the sad "Life Turned Her That Way". These old tunes and even older singer come alive with emotion throughout the album, traits country artists 70 years younger than Nelson would kill for. 

The title tune is a beautiful mix of musical styles as Americana, waltzes around with flamenco flair and lyrical beauty. Less successful is the opening "Tiger By The Tail" which finds Nelson's voice being flanked by background vocals and overshadowed, sounding odd, but the rest of the album finds the braided one in fine form, especially on the stout "Streets of Baltimore" and sorrowful "Too Many Rivers". All the players come together beautifully, ending the album on a highpoint with their down and out take, with deep bluesy influences running throughout the classic "Busted".    

Just over a half hour of timeless country tunes, played with supreme confidence and relaxed professionalism, Willie Nelson's late career top notch output continues with his tribute album to an old colleague and friend, I Don't Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard

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Support the legendary artist, buy the album, peep some video below: