CD-Charts Position 111
Average Rating:

Long Walk Back

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Junior Brown

Release Date September 01, 1998
Junior Brown, easily the most creative guitarist around, put out his most consistently great album here. The playing is just mind-blowing; all his albums should be this great. The playing throughout Freedom Machine is particuarly mind-boggling; the lead on Rock-A-Hula Baby is likewise magnificent, likely to make anybody who never heard Junior Brown before have their jaws drop open in wide-eyed amazement. Jesus, I can't believe that lead! This guy's a rocker! This blows away Elvis's original, for sure. Peelin' Tators is a showcase for his insane style. Stupid Blues sounds like Stevie Ray Vaughan, maybe a bit like Hendrix. NICE Blues! The twang on The Better Half, where Junior does his untuning-the-keys-and-then-back-up-again, should please anybody ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 112
Average Rating:

The Best of Roger Miller: His Greatest Songs

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Roger Miller

Release Date September 10, 1991
Dad has this CD, and it didn't take me long to realize that I wanted it in my collection too. This is good, fun music.

CD-Charts Position 113
Average Rating:

Honkytonk University

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Toby Keith

Release Date May 17, 2005
Honkytonk University has some of the best Toby Keith songs ever written. There is just something about Honkytonk U that hits the heart. Each and every song makes a connection, whether it be a tearful goodbye or a cheerful boot out the back door, and each time I listen to it the familiar emotions it stirs are always there.

I became a Toby Keith fan because I've felt like he writes from the soul on so many of his songs, and this CD is just another testament to that truth.

CD-Charts Position 114
Average Rating:

In a Perfect World

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Gene Watson

Release Date September 25, 2007
Honkytonk balladeer Gene Watson is one of the growing legion of great country performers who had big hits not that long ago, but can't get their calls returned anymore by the newbie Nashville execs who are too busy planning Tim McGraw's next TV appearance. No matter: years ago Watson went indie and ever since then, even though he's off the radar, he's been putting out some of the finest hard-country albums around, pretty much like he did when he was hitting the charts.

Watson is a country singer's country singer, as evidenced by a testimonial from George Jones that's stuck onto the outside of this album, and by the calibre of talent that accompanies him on this guest-star extravaganza. Mark Chesnutt, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack and Connie Smith ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 115
Average Rating:

Best of the Best

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Eddy Arnold

Release Date March 24, 1998
Wonderful memories following the passing of Eddy Arnold.
Vintage path back to a more gentle time. Lovely.

CD-Charts Position 116
Average Rating:

King Of The Road: The Genius Of Roger Miller

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Roger Miller

Release Date August 22, 1995
True, Roger Miller wrote some GREAT manic/comic country songs, but his depth as a writer (e.g.: the sadness and truth of a song like "Dang Me")is often overlooked and this is the best existing collection to allow listeners to more fully appreciate the many facets of a truly underestimated talent.

His back catalog is in a sad state of disrepair and has been for years. Buyer beware: numerous widely available budget "Best ofs" are actually re-recordings done in the 80s of classic Miller material. Still Roger Miller, just not the recordings done when his star was shining the brightest.

If you seek prime Miller in single disc form, you'd best seek out Smash Hits on Smash Records and the harder to find Country Tunesmith, a CD reissue ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 117
Average Rating:

American Roots Music

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Various Artists

Release Date October 30, 2001
My wife and I had been eyeing this boxset for a few years now and she finally broke down and got it for me this past holiday season. It's a nice mix of country, blues, gospel, cajun/zydeco, tejano and native American. Overall, the box set is excellent. I don't think there is a bad tune on there, but I do feel it felt short on gospel, folk, cajun, zydeco, tejano and native American styles. There's only about 6 or 7 tracks for each of those styles where an entire 16-19 track disc is dedicated to both country and blues. The set should have been 6 discs instead or it should have been limited to just country and blues. Likewise, I felt it strange that an American Roots boxset included no jazz, for jazz is the only true first American born music, which is based on ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 118
Average Rating:

I'm a Lonesome Fugitive/Branded Man

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Merle Haggard

Release Date February 21, 2006
FINALLY,Capitol released these early recordings of Merle Haggard and the Strangers.This is the real Bakersfield sound,the type of country music I love and listen to. The best way to describe this distinctive sound which stands aside from the rest is the lead guitar played by none other than Roy Nichols(they call it chicken pickin'.)also don't forget the gut-wrenching winding steel from Norm Hamlet.In the sixties,Merle haggard and Buck Owens(can't forget Buck.)were always head to head competing with each other,Haggard eventually married Owen's wife Bonnie Owens.(a little trivia.)Branded man/Lonesome fugitive two of the Hag's early records make up a pretty good compilation, the best of the four I own in my collection.The others titled,Bonnie and Clyde/Sing Me Back Home,Pride in ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 119
Average Rating:

Honky Tonk Amnesia: The Hard Country Sound of Moe Bandy

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Moe Bandy

Release Date February 20, 1996
When I was a kid, my dad went through a serious Moe Bandy phase. That's basically my only connection. But I kept a havin' a yearnin' for certain songs (Amnesia, Last Bottle and Nobody make love at Home Anymore). Be aware that this music is almost a CHARICATURE of the "Honky Tonk" sound. It's about as classic for that certain era as it gets. You could play it for hipster, urban friends to make fun of Country & Western but I don't; I stand by it--and I am not what you'd call from-country-roots. All said and done, Mr. Bandy sounds like he means it, even though no one could have actually experiened that much cheatin'.

CD-Charts Position 120
Average Rating:

The Very Best of Confederate Railroad

CD-Charts > Music > Roadhouse Country
by: Confederate Railroad

Release Date May 06, 2008
When I was a kid, my dad went through a serious Moe Bandy phase. That's basically my only connection. But I kept a havin' a yearnin' for certain songs (Amnesia, Last Bottle and Nobody make love at Home Anymore). Be aware that this music is almost a CHARICATURE of the "Honky Tonk" sound. It's about as classic for that certain era as it gets. You could play it for hipster, urban friends to make fun of Country & Western but I don't; I stand by it--and I am not what you'd call from-country-roots. All said and done, Mr. Bandy sounds like he means it, even though no one could have actually experiened that much cheatin'.