Randy Travis - Passing Through CD

Passing Through songs Randy Travis emerged in the 1980s at the forefront of country's New Traditionalist movement, with a sound that recalled classic country balladeers George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Lefty Frizzell. His pure, honest approach to heart-wrenching saloon songs resonated with country audiences in a major way, making him a star. This 20-song collection is a single-disc distillation of Travis's long, fruitful career, and is the perfect place to start exploring his work. While there are some up-tempo honky-tonk numbers here, it's the slow-burn ballad that is Travis's stock in trade, and there's no shortage of those. From the tormented would-be philanderer of "On the Other Hand" (his first big hit) to the jilted lover of the heartbroken lament "It's Just a Matter of Time," Travis inhabits every song completely, with a voice deeper than anything this side of Tennessee Ernie Ford and full of unadorned emotion. The fact that Travis's career weathered the changes in the country scene long enough to merit an anthology such as this is a mark of both his enduring appeal and his substantive, unpretentious artistry. The emergence of North Carolinian Randy Travis heralded a sea change in contemporary country. The true pioneer of the hugely popular new traditionalist movement, Travis helped reconnect the genre with its roots. His 1986 debut, Storms Of Life, delivered two #1 singles & became country's first-ever multiplatinum album. Getting back to basics never felt so good, & Travis remained countryb s dominant voice for years- "Forever & Ever, Amen," from '87's Always & Forever , launched a run of seven consecutive country chart-toppers. He hit #1 most recently in '03 with the award-winning "Three Wooden Crosses," & he remains indisputably, one of country's all-time superstars. Audio Remasterer: Pat Kraus . Liner Note Author: Robert K. Oermann. Recording information: Emerald sound Studio, Nashville, TN; Groundstar Lab, Nashville, TN; Morningstar Sound Studio, Hendersonville, TN. Personnel: Randy Travis (vocals); Richard Perry (bass voice); Dean Parks (guitar); Larry Byrom (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar); Mac McAnally, Russ Barenberg, Larry Beaird (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar, 6-string bass); Billy Joe Walker, Jr. (electric guitar); Doyle Grisham (steel guitar); Béla Fleck (banjo); Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson (harmonica); Dennis Burnside (piano, electric piano, keyboards); John Barlow Jarvis, John Jarvis (piano); Shane Keister (organ); Kyle Lehning (Wurlitzer organ); Gordon Mote, Bobby Wood (keyboards); Steve Lindsey (synthesizer); Michael Rhodes (bass instrument); Eddie Bayers, Paul Leim (drums); Eric Darken, Tom Roady (percussion); Cindy Richardson Walker, Curtis Young, Darrell Scott, Fred White , Greg Walker , Cherry Sisters, John Wesley Ryles, Lisa Silver, Roy Galloway, Suzy Ragsdale, Take 6, Tennessee, Verlon Thompson, Wes Hightower, Dennis Wilson , Carol Chase (background vocals); Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar); Steve Gibson (electric guitar, 12-string guitar, dobro, mandolin); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Mark O'Connor ...

Passing Through CD music Randy Travis was a charter member of the coterie of country artists that earned the term "New Traditionalists" in the 1980s, and he's remained true to that appellation ever since. Consequently, an album full of religious material, which might have turned into an overproduced affair in lesser hands, turns out to be a tasteful, pleasingly economical outing, based around simple, organically acoustic arrangements and plainspoken-but-heartfelt vocal performances. It's clear from the outset--with a jazzed-up, Western-swing-style version of "He's My Rock, My Sword, My Shield"--that the listener is in for a pleasant ride. And from the bluegrass feel on the old chestnut "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" to the lazy stroll of the redemptive "Peace in the Valley," Travis proves that he's able to invest spiritual standards with new life, while remaining respectful of their collective weight. Acoustic Coll.Of Worship Stan- Dards. Incl.Duet W/Neal Mccoy. Audio Mixer: Kyle Lehning. Liner Note Author: Randy Travis. Recording information: Stepbridge Studios, Santa Fe, NM; The Compound, Nashville, TN. Photographer: Eric Swanson . Arranger: Randy Travis. Personnel includes: Randy Travis (vocals, acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (acoustic & gut string guitar); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin); Larry Beaird (acoustic guitar); Jerry Douglas, Paul Franklin (dobro); Larry Franklin (fiddle); John Mock (tin whistle, concertina, bodhran); Eric Darken (percussion); Wes Hightower (background vocals). Personnel: Mac Powell (vocals, background vocals); John Anderson (vocals); Krystle Ochsner, Paige Lackey Martin, Nirva Dorsaint (soprano); Craig Watkins, Jason Eskridge, Shannon Sanders (tenor); Brent Mason (acoustic guitar, gut-string guitar); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin); Mark Lusk, Larry Beaird (acoustic guitar); Jerry Douglas , Paul Franklin (dobro); Craig Duncan and the Smoky Mountain Band (hammer dulcimer); David Davidson , David Angell (violin); Larry Franklin (fiddle); Kristin Wilkinson (viola); Anthony LaMarchina (cello); John Mock (tin whistle, concertina, bodhran); Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson (harmonica); Tony Harrel (accordion, harmonium); Dennis Crouch (acoustic bass); Eric Darken (hand claps, percussion); Casey Wood (hand claps); Chip Davis, Pastor Matthew Hagee, Christina Ketterling, Billy Davis, Sandra Hagee, Joy Lynn White, Wes Hightower, Liana Manis (background vocals).

Passing Through buy CD music On SOMEWHERE DOWN IN TEXAS, the ever-reliable George Strait stays the course he'd charted for years prior, which is to say that he once again manages to combine mainstream appeal with a classy, understated country style that makes no secret of his roots in George Jones, Merle Haggard, and the like. Unlike nearly every other country star of his era, Strait never comes anywhere near the rock trappings or power ballads that are de rigeur in so much contemporary country. There may be the occasional extraneous orchestration here and there, but any album that opens with "If the Whole World Was a Honky Tonk" and lives up to the title must have its heart in the right place. Along the way, there are echoes of Roger Miller's slightly jazzy sound ("The Seashores of Old Mexico") and Dwight Yoakam's neo-Bakersfield boogie ("High Tone Woman"), some strikingly inventive harmonic twists ("Good News Bad News"), and a broken-hearted ballad that's arguably the album's highlight ("Ready For the End of the World"). Ultimately, what truly amazes is the way Strait makes putting together such a sophisticated, pleasure-giving album seem so easy. Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; Emerald Studios, Nashville, TN; Loud Studios, Nashville, TN; OceanWay, Nashville, TN; Starstruck, Nashville, TN; The Tracking Room, Nashville, TN. Photographers: Peter Nash ; Tony Baker & His Orchestra; Terry Calonge; Mark Tucker . Personnel: George Strait (background vocals); George Strait (vocals); Steve Nathan (Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ); Glenn Worf (bass guitar); Casey Wood (percussion); Chris Rodriguez, Jaime Babbitt, Lisa Cochran, Vicki Hampton, Bob Bailey (background vocals); Bryan Sutton (guitar, acoustic guitar); Steve Gibson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar, nylon-string guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Stuart Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); The Nashville String Machine (strings); Matt Rollings (piano, synthesizer); Eddie Bayers (drums); Wes Hightower, Marty Slayton (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Kyle Lehning.

Passing Through album for sale Lisa Silver, Cindy Walker, Vicki Hampton, Wes Hightower (background vocals). RISE AND SHINE won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album. "Three Wooden Crosses" was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. When Randy Travis first emerged on the country scene in the '80s he was hailed as a "new traditionalist" whose obvious reverence for the sound of classic country artists like George Jones was a breath of fresh air amid the diluted country-pop sounds that had become so prevalent. It's an interesting comment on the state of mainstream country that more than 15 years later, he performs pretty much the same function as an alternative to a whole new crop of hat-wearers. What's all the more remarkable is that this time around he does so with a Christian-themed album. In 2002, many think of Christian music as the domain of Bill & Gloria Gaither et al, but vintage country artists like Jones, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard have catalogs filled with spiritual albums. Now Travis joins them with RISE & SHINE. While a few tunes get slow and sentimental (never a minus on the country scorecard anyway), Travis spend much of the album delivering house-rocking honky-tonk paeans to faith such as "Everywhere We Go," "I'm Ready," and the title song." All these year's later, it's as obvious as ever that the man's got style. Initial pressings include a bonus DVD. Recorded at Seventeen Grand, East Iris, Sound Emporium, The Compound, Nashville, Tennessee; Stepbridge Studios, Sante Fe, New Mexico. Personnel: Randy Travis (vocals); Pat Flynn, Larry Beaird, Billy Joe Walker, Jr. (acoustic guitar); Steve Gibson (electric guitar, mandolin); Brent Mason, John Jorgensen (electric guitar); Dan Dugmore, Paul Franklin, Doyle Grisham (steel guitar); Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin, Larrison Lee, David Davidson (violin); Aubrey Haynie (fiddle); Kris Wilkinson, Gary Vonasdale (viola); Robert Mason (cello); John Barlow Jarvis (piano); Gordon Mote (keyboards); David Hungate, Paul Leim (drums); Eric Darken, Nina Rodriguez (percussion); Personnel: Pastor Matthew Hagee, Christina Ketterling, Sandra Hagee (vocals, background vocals); Billy Joe Walker, Jr., Pat Flynn , Larry Beaird (acoustic guitar); Steve Gibson (electric guitar, mandolin); Jakob Jorgensen, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Dan Dugmore, Doyle Grisham, Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Connie Ellisor, Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin, David Davidson , Lee Larrison (violin); Aubrey Haynie (fiddle); Kris Wilkinson, Gary VanOsdale (viola); Robert Mason (cello); John Barlow Jarvis (piano); Gordon Mote (keyboards); David Hungate (bass guitar); Paul Leim (drums); Eric Darken, Nina Rodríguez (percussion); Cindy Walker, Lisa Silver, Vicki Hampton, Wes Hightower (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Kyle Lehning. Liner Note Author: Randy Travis. Recording information: Seventeen Grand, Nashville, TN; Stepbridge Studios, Santa Fe, NM; The Compound, Nashville, TN; The Sound Emporium, Nashville, TN. Photographer: John Dolan.

Passing Through CD music Though Lee Ann Womack's voice has always betrayed the influence of 1960s and '70s country music, prior to THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM, her albums often concentrated on sophisticated Nashville pop-country. The vintage-style soft-focus cover photo and faux record dust jacket here, however, immediately signal a change of direction. From the opening honky-tonk fiddle notes of the title track, it's clear that this disc is a conscious nod to the spirit of classics by Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn. Throughout the album, Womack's expressive vocals are backed by careening steel guitars and sweet piano licks, which seem to flow straight from the spirit hands of the late Nashville great Floyd Cramer. Though many of these songs deal with contemporary subject matter, they are treated with a gravity that is purely old-fashioned. "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" and "Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago" take stark and honest looks at life's less glamorous moments in an unflinching manner that lesser artists might avoid. "Happiness" is a gritty, archetypal song of the sort favored by Randy Travis, and the tune compares the search for its elusive subject to a never-ending road trip. With its charming retro vibe and strong songs, THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM stands as one of Womack's finest albums. Recording information: Black Bird Studios, Nashville, TN; Essential Sound; House Of Gain, Nashville, TN; Oceanway Nashville; The Sound Kitchen, Nashville, TN. Photographer: James Minchin. Arranger: Bergen White. Personnel: Lee Ann Womack (background vocals); Lee Ann Womack (vocals); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, banjo); Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar, gut-string guitar); David Grissom, Troy Lancaster (electric guitar); Rusty Danmyer, Robert Turner (steel guitar); The Nashville String Machine (strings); Steve Nathan (piano, Wurlitzer piano, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer); Jimmy Nichols (piano); Glenn Worf, Michael Rhodes (bass guitar); Lonnie Wilson, Shannon Forest (drums, percussion); Shannon Forrest (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); Luke Laird, Jason Sellers, Andrea Zonn (background vocals); Randy Scruggs, B. James Lowry (acoustic guitar); Tom Bukovac (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); Larry Franklin, Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); Stuart Duncan (mandolin); Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson (harmonica); Chris Rodriguez, Harry Stinson, Lisa Cochran, Wes Hightower, Bill Luther (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Greg Droman; Chuck Ainlay.

Passing Through buy CD music In a country music scene filled with crossover artists and "hat acts," Randy Travis's roots-conscious music and smooth, beautiful baritone have always been a saving grace. In 2005's GLORY TRAIN, a collection of familiar worship songs, that saving grace is elevated to a celestial order. In the hands of another artist, an album of old religious songs might seem like a throwaway release, an idea lacking originality or room for freshness. Nothing could be further from the truth here, though. The all-acoustic and often minimal accompaniment frames Travis's performances beautifully, and well-worn chestnuts like "This Train," "Down By the Riverside," and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" seem almost tailor-made for the singer's voice. Inventive arrangements and help from the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Crabb Family make this a must-have for both country fans and Christian-music enthusiasts. Recording information: Clinton Recording Studios, New York, NY; John Hagee Ministries, San Antonio, TX; Stepbridge Studios, Santa Fe, NM; The Compound, Nashville, TN; The Home Place, Cotton Valley, LA. Photographer: Eric Swanson . Personnel: Randy Travis; Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, resonator guitar, arch guitar, banjo, mandolin); Brent Mason (acoustic guitar, gut-string guitar); Al Anderson, Larry Beaird (acoustic guitar); Randy Kohrs (dobro); Craig Duncan and the Smoky Mountain Band (hammer dulcimer); Larry Franklin (mandolin, fiddle); Connie Ellisor, Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin (violin); Jim Grosjean, Kris Wilkinson (viola); Anthony LaMarchina (cello); Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson (harmonica); Tony Harrell (accordion, harmonium); Eric Darken (vibraphone, bass drum, snare drum, clay drum, cymbals, djembe, Jew's harp, shaker, tambourine, timpani, bells, chimes); Casey Wood (snare drum, hi-hat, tambourine, bells); Chip Davis, Cindy Walker, Pastor Matthew Hagee, Christina Ketterling, Billy Davis, Sidney Cox, Lisa Silver, Suzanne Cox, Vicki Hampton, Wes Hightower (background vocals); The Crabb Family, The Blind Boys of Alabama. Audio Mixer: Kyle Lehning.