Merle Haggard / George Jones - Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again CD

Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again songs Not since Prince released the three-hour, three-CD set EMANCIPATION in 1996 or the Magnetic Fields took a similar number of discs for the sprawling 69 LOVE SONGS in 1999 has an artist attempted something as expansive as Vince Gill's THESE DAYS. A four-disc box set of all new material, nearly all of it Gill originals, THESE DAYS is possibly the widest-ranging country album of the modern era. The four discs are thematically and stylistically arranged. Disc one, WORKIN' ON A BIG CHILL, is a 1960s-flavored rock-and-roll album that recalls Bob Dylan's late '60s work with the Band and features Bonnie Bramlett's vocals on several songs. Disc two, THE REASON WHY, is a modern pop record in the style of Shania Twain's international releases, with several duet partners including Sheryl Crow and Leann Rimes. Disc three, SOME THINGS NEVER GET OLD, is straight honky-tonk in the Ray Price and Lefty Frizzell tradition. Finally, disc four, LITTLE BROTHER, is a strictly acoustic bluegrass and folk album that cuts Gill's writing and singing to its most elemental. Taken together, the four albums reveal Vince Gill to be one of modern country's most impressive performers. Liner Note Author: Jay Orr. Recording information: Blackbird "F", Nashville, TN; Blackbird Studio, Nashville, TN; Emerald Sound Studios, Nashville, TN; Masterfonics, Nashville, TN; OceanWay, Nashville, TN; Sound Kitchen, Nashville, TN. Photographer: Señor McGuire. Personnel: Vince Gill (baritone, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, resonator guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Vince Gill (vocals); Diana Krall (vocals, piano); Guy Clark, John Anderson, Rodney Crowell (vocals); Jeff White (tenor, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Sonya Issacs (tenor); Tom Britt (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, gut-string guitar); Billy Joe Walker, Jr., Steuart Smith (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); John Hughey, Buddy Emmons (steel guitar); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Rob McCoury, Charlie Cushman (banjo); Ronnie McCoury (mandolin); Stuart Duncan (fiddle); The Nashville String Machine (strings); Jim Hoke (harmonica); Mark Douthit (tenor saxophone); Doug Moffet (baritone saxophone); Mike Haynes (trumpet); Barry Green (trombone); Jim Horn (horns); Pete Wasner (piano, electric piano, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer); Eric Darken (vibraphone, tambourine, percussion, bells, chimes); Michael Rhodes (bass instrument, upright bass); Mike Bub (upright bass); Eddie Bayers, Billy Thomas (drums); William Owsley III, Gene Miller, Lisa Cochran (background vocals); Del McCoury (vocals, tenor, acoustic guitar); Bekka Bramlett (vocals, background vocals); Dan Tyminski, Emmylou Harris, Gretchen Wilson, Jenny Gill, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack, Alison Krauss, Michael McDonald , Amy Grant, Patty Loveless, Phil Everly, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Trisha Yearwood, Sheryl Crow, Katrina Elam, Bonnie Raitt (vocals); Tom Bukovac (electric guitar); John Hobbs (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer organ); Chad Cromwell (drums, tambourine); The Del McCoury Band. Audio Mixers: Justin Niebank; Neal Cappellino.

Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again CD music Around the time of his 71st birthday, rock-&-roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis unveiled LAST MAN STANDING, a celebratory outing that features a stunning cast of guest musicians, ranging from B.B. King and Little Richard to Merle Haggard and Neil Young. Among the many highlights of this album are Lewis's lively collaboration with guitarist Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin's "Rock N' Roll," a rendition that wonderfully plays up the tune's 1950s leanings, and the Killer's honky-tonk spin on Hank Williams's "Lost Highway," which points to his often-overlooked country recordings and features Delaney Bramlett's searing six-string work. Like the latter-day recordings of his old Sun labelmate Johnny Cash, this Lewis collection points to a remarkable legacy, while also displaying his still-formidable talents, resulting in a musical testament to aging impressively well. Personnel: Jerry Lee Lewis (vocals, piano); Keith Richards, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy (vocals, guitar); Delaney Bramlett, Don Henley, George Jones, John Fogerty, Kid Rock, Little Richard, Merle Haggard, Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Toby Keith, Bruce Springsteen (vocals); Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jimmy Rip, Kenny Lovelace, Robbie Robertson (guitar); Ron Wood (pedal steel guitar); Ivan Neville (organ); Butch Hutchinson (bass guitar); Jim Keltner (drums).

Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again buy CD music Even the title of the three-disc George Jones collection 50 YEARS OF HITS should be enough to tell you that the man being anthologized is one of the all-time giants of country music. A towering influence on all that followed him, not only in country but in rock and pop as well, Jones started out in the 1950s as a Hank Williams-influenced honky-tonk man who wasn't afraid of a little rockabilly either (the Hank influence is clearly audible on such early tracks as "Just One More"). By the '60s, he'd refined his approach, taking a bit from the jazz-inflected style of Lefty Frizzell and becoming a striking balladeer. "She Thinks I Still Care" and "Color of the Blues" stand as templates for how to sing a country ballad. For most performers, that would have been enough, but Jones never stopped turning out heart-stopping performances. This is underscored by the presence of the mid-period mind-blower "He Stopped Loving Her Today," which reaches a superhuman level of pathos, and latter-day tracks such as the unstintingly bleak "The Cold Hard Truth," as well as the high-spirited, good-humored "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)." In case future generations want to know what country music was all about back in the 20th century, there should be a copy of 50 YEARS OF HITS placed in a time capsule. Personnel: George Jones (vocals, guitar); Melba Montgomery (vocals); Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Randy Travis, Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings. Liner Note Author: George Jones.

Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again album for sale LAST OF THE BREED partners Willie Nelson with two other legends of maverick country, Merle Haggard and Ray Price. With a collection of talent this archetypal, the title sounds less like a boast and more like a statement of fact. Price is an old-school country gentlemen hip enough to hang with the Outlaws, while Haggard and Nelson are probably the only pot-smoking hippies universally accepted by the red states. LAST OF THE BREED is an easy-on-the-ears honky-tonk shuffle of a record. The trio ambles through many of the classics that made them famous and, surprisingly, the weather of age suits them well--particularly Price, always the best singer of the bunch, whose robust tenor has lost a step or two over the years. The lack of power gives frail yet touching readings to, among others, his own "Heartaches By The Number," and Hank Williams's classic "Lost Highway." The latter song features the angelic Jordanaires, and is probably the least ravaged and thereby most tragic version of this oft-covered song. The listener is led to think: If these guys can get lost, then we're all in trouble. Not to be outdone by Price, Haggard brings the only new original composition to this session, the easily mournful "If I Ever Get Lucky," while ol' Willie offers his gingerly jazzy vocal phrasing and light picking touch, which hasn't sounded this assured with frontier music since THE RED-HEADED STRANGER. Recording information: Blue Room Studios, Nashville, TN; Soundkitchen, Franklin, TN. Personnel: Willie Nelson (gut-string guitar); Willie Nelson (vocals); Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Vince Gill (vocals); D. Bergen White (chant); Don Potter (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Johnny Gimble (mandolin, fiddle); Elana James (fiddle); Charlie McCoy (harmonica, vibraphone); Boots Randolph (saxophone); Gordon Mote (piano); John Hobbs (Wurlitzer organ, keyboards); Eddie Bayers (drums); Kris Kristofferson (vocals); Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); The Jordanaires (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Fred Foster; Brent Maher.

Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again CD music True to its title, HITS I MISSED...AND ONE I DIDN'T consists mainly of songs George Jones initially declined to record that became big hits for other country singers. This 2005 release finds the older, wiser Jones finally getting around to putting his unmistakable mark on these already-classic tunes. The opening cut, "Funny How Time Slips Away," for example, will forever be associated with Willie Nelson, but Jones manages to find previously unexplored nooks and crannies within the song. This approach serves him in good stead as he takes on tunes made famous by everyone from Randy Travis (the admittedly Jones-indebted "On the Other Hand") to Ray Charles (Harlan Howard's hard-times lament "Busted"). The husky gravitas that Jones's voice had gained by 2005 adds even more emotive power to what was already a formidable instrument, and backed by the usual gang of Nashville heavyweights, he digs into every track like a man with a mission. The titular "one I didn't" refers to a re-recording of Jones's smash ballad "He Stopped Loving Her Today," a hard one to top, but the new version is utterly convincing, providing a powerful finale for a disc of expertly rendered country gems. Live Recording Recording information: Sound Station, Nashville, TN; Starstruck, Nashville, TN; Wedgewood Studio, Nashville, TN. Photographer: Dennis Carney. Personnel: George Jones (vocals); Rhonda Vincent (vocals, background vocals); Dolly Parton (vocals); Hargus "Pig" Robbins (piano); Glenn Worf (bass guitar); Sheri Copeland (background vocals); Bruce Watkins (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); Larry Franklin (mandolin, fiddle); Eddie Bayers (drums); John Wesley Ryles, Liana Manis, Marty Slayton (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Hank Williams ; John Kelton.

Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again buy CD music Recorded live at Dallas's Texas Stadium in 2004, this long-delayed release is worth the wait. Over 15 tracks, the three superstars sing together, separately, and in pairs for what turns out to be both a musical treat and a long draw of fun. Strait, who normally stands stock still in concert, loosens up and--surprise!--talks between songs ("That's country right there now"), and if my ears heard right, may actually say the word "ass." His is the strongest section musically, as he uses the western-swing classic "Milk Cow Blues" to stretch out with a fine showcase of his Ace in the Hole Band, and brings Jackson out for a masterful version of their hit "Murder on Music Row." But Jackson's set offers a personality-rich rendition of "Where I Come From," as well as a bluegrass version of Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road" and a sturdy cover of "Texas Women," Hank Williams Jr.'s exercise in Lone Star braggadocio. Buffett gets a little too cute on "Margaritaville," on which over-the-top chorines shout, "Salt! Salt! Salt!" But when Jackson and Strait join him for a rousing romp through "Hey, Good Lookin'," you can almost see the ghost of Hank Sr. dancing in the aisles.