I don't know about anyone else, but I can't believe that it's February. There's been some new albums already released by country acts this year and I'm probably going to be writing about a few of them in the next couple of weeks. But first, I want to revisit 2013. I do have a top 13 albums of 2013 post coming. Better late than never, eh? I must say that I didn't realize how hard it would be to narrow it down to 13. I got a lot of albums last year and loved a bunch of them. I had to make some tough choices. So who made the cut? Well, you're going to have to wait for that. For now I want to take some time to highlight some other albums from 2013. Three to be exact.
Now, hold on, you might be thinking. Why would I take the time to write about these albums when they didn't make the top 13? Here's the thing: I loved all three of these albums. Enough to want to give them a little love. But it didn't seem fair to include them in my top 13. Why? Because all three of these albums are full of songs that have previously been recorded. You know how many albums I bought last year? 69. Most of them country, some bluegrass and a couple of Americana albums thrown in there. And more to this point, most of the songs on those albums were original songs. Save for a few remakes here and there. I decided that it was only right to keep my top 13 reserved for albums featuring original songs. But it also seemed right to take the time to highlight these three albums. Because they were all fantastic and deserve some attention.
What are they? Well, keep reading to find out.
Album #1.
I'm going to kick things off with a man who has a new album coming out next Tuesday. I'm of course talking about Mr. Eric Church and the album is The Outsiders. To say that I'm looking forward to this album would be a huge understatement. There's a good chance I'll be reviewing that one, but first let's talk about the live album he released in April of 2013: Caught in the Act: Live. It is my belief that Eric Church is one of the best entertainers in music today. Not just country, but in all music. Eric Church was born to perform. It's that simple. I also must take a moment to recognize his band as well. They are seriously ones of the best live bands I've ever seen. The sounds they get our of their instruments, their musicality, their versatility and their showmanship are hard to beat. I've decided that an Eric Church concert is not just something you go to. It's not just a show to see. It's an experience. He and his band give everything that they have night after night and if I had to describe the crowd atmosphere during one of their concerts in one word that word would be electric. His concerts are pure electricity. I go to a lot of concerts and there's very few country acts I haven't seen. I've seen all of the acts headlining arena tours and just about all of them put on great shows. But Eric Church is kind of in a league of his own when it comes to the atmosphere. The concerts are never long enough. Can never be long enough.
When I found out that Eric was putting out a live album, I was wondering if they'd be able to capture the magic that is the Eric Church concert experience. Live albums can be tricky. Some of better than others and oftentimes they can fall flat. It's hard to say why that happens. Maybe the act wasn't on the night, or nights, that they recorded. Maybe it wasn't them so much as the person recording it. I don't know. Whatever the reason, they don't always work. But this one? This one works. I listen to this album and it's almost like I'm there. I can feel that electricity. I listen to his album and I remember what it's like to experience these songs in person. I'm not talking like a vague remembrance either. I mean, I listen to this and it's almost like being there. Almost. Is it as good as the real thing? No. But it's the best it can be. It's the closest a recording could possibly be. And so it deserves a spot on this list.
Album #2.
Time to completely change gears. The next album I'm going to talk about is I Can't Stop Loving You: The Songs of Don Gibson by Mandy Barnett. If you are not familiar with Mandy Barnett, oh boy have you been missing out. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform on the Grand Ole Opry last year and she blew me away. I didn't know anything about her other than knowing that she had starred as Patsy Cline in the Ryman's production of "Always…Patsy Cline". Now surely you know Patsy Cline? If you don't, I may need to ask you to turn in your country music fan card. Seriously if you're going to listen to country music you should at least know a few Patsy Cline songs. They just don't make them like Patsy anymore, though Mandy Barnett comes close. Leann Rimes is another. But getting back to Mandy and night at the Opry where she came on stage and proceeded to to blow the entire audience away.
You know, in this day and age people generally show their appreciation for a performance by screaming their heads off. We cheer as loudly as we can and somehow we've collectively determined that showing appreciation means standing up for the entire length of the concert. It's like the more we enjoy something, the louder and often more obnoxious we become. We've taken to making spectacles of ourselves to show our appreciation. We do this and act like we're doing it for the performer, but that's not the truth is it? If you think about it, we've found a way to make it more about us than about them. Because the fact of the matter is that if it was all about the performer than we would sit down and shut up and make the effort to really watch and listen to what's happening. Here's something some might not like to hear: if we were truly blown away by a performance, we wouldn't be able to cheer at all. At least not while it's happening. You know what happened that night at the Opry? Mandy Barnett came out and started singing and it was like you could hear a pin drop. Her performance was that good. Mandy Barnett is one of the greatest vocalists in the genre and most country fans have no idea who she is. Do yourself a favor and change that. This album is a great place to start. Her talent aside, the songs that make up this album are pure country. This is a collection of great songs sung by great singer. Can't beat that.
Album #3.
So we've had a album featuring some rocking country and an album featuring classic country. And now it's time for an album that is not in any way country. Wait…what? Yeah, this last one ain't country. But while the album may not be country, the artist certainly is. Who is it? Well, that would be Mr. Trace Adkins. Trace actually released two albums in 2013: The King's Gift and Love Will…. The first is a Christmas album and the latter is a country album comprised of love songs and only love songs. Both are worth checking out, but I'm going to focus strictly on The King's Gift. This isn't just a Christmas album; it's a Celtic Christmas album. Now, I don't know if it's because I'm a quarter Scottish or what, but I love me some Celtic music. There's just something about it. So when I found out that Trace was going to be a Celtic Christmas album, I was intrigued. I believe I can sum up this album in one word. Masterpiece. There's a word I never use. But a masterpiece this is. I'm going to take it a step further and make a big statement: it is my opinion that this was the best album put out by a country artist in 2013. By far.
I got the opportunity to attend the final dress rehearsal for The King's Gift tour and I can tell you that as beautiful as the songs sound on the album, they sound just as beautiful live. If not a bit more. I only wish that everyone had gotten the chance to experience these songs live. But if not, the album is worth every penny and then some. The arrangements are so lovely and I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to talk about the producers and arrangers, Jon Coleman and Michael Spriggs. These gentlemen are why this album is so wonderful. The arrangements are so lovely and the production is spot on. There is some gorgeous playing on The King's Gift, not to mention the vocals. Seriously, I really don't think I can praise this project enough. It's been kind funny to see people marveling over how great Trace sounds. And he does. I just don't understand why this seemed to be a surprise to so many people. I guess it goes to show that Trace is vastly underrated as a vocalist. This was an album that he'd wanted to make for about a decade and I'm so happy that it all finally came together. I believe this album is timeless.
And there it is. Three fantastic albums that belong in every music lover's collection. I really hope this post has, if nothing else, inspired you to go check them out if you haven't already. Thank you as always for reading and be on the lookout for my top 13 albums of 2013. It's coming. I promise.
Now, hold on, you might be thinking. Why would I take the time to write about these albums when they didn't make the top 13? Here's the thing: I loved all three of these albums. Enough to want to give them a little love. But it didn't seem fair to include them in my top 13. Why? Because all three of these albums are full of songs that have previously been recorded. You know how many albums I bought last year? 69. Most of them country, some bluegrass and a couple of Americana albums thrown in there. And more to this point, most of the songs on those albums were original songs. Save for a few remakes here and there. I decided that it was only right to keep my top 13 reserved for albums featuring original songs. But it also seemed right to take the time to highlight these three albums. Because they were all fantastic and deserve some attention.
What are they? Well, keep reading to find out.
Album #1.
I'm going to kick things off with a man who has a new album coming out next Tuesday. I'm of course talking about Mr. Eric Church and the album is The Outsiders. To say that I'm looking forward to this album would be a huge understatement. There's a good chance I'll be reviewing that one, but first let's talk about the live album he released in April of 2013: Caught in the Act: Live. It is my belief that Eric Church is one of the best entertainers in music today. Not just country, but in all music. Eric Church was born to perform. It's that simple. I also must take a moment to recognize his band as well. They are seriously ones of the best live bands I've ever seen. The sounds they get our of their instruments, their musicality, their versatility and their showmanship are hard to beat. I've decided that an Eric Church concert is not just something you go to. It's not just a show to see. It's an experience. He and his band give everything that they have night after night and if I had to describe the crowd atmosphere during one of their concerts in one word that word would be electric. His concerts are pure electricity. I go to a lot of concerts and there's very few country acts I haven't seen. I've seen all of the acts headlining arena tours and just about all of them put on great shows. But Eric Church is kind of in a league of his own when it comes to the atmosphere. The concerts are never long enough. Can never be long enough.
When I found out that Eric was putting out a live album, I was wondering if they'd be able to capture the magic that is the Eric Church concert experience. Live albums can be tricky. Some of better than others and oftentimes they can fall flat. It's hard to say why that happens. Maybe the act wasn't on the night, or nights, that they recorded. Maybe it wasn't them so much as the person recording it. I don't know. Whatever the reason, they don't always work. But this one? This one works. I listen to this album and it's almost like I'm there. I can feel that electricity. I listen to his album and I remember what it's like to experience these songs in person. I'm not talking like a vague remembrance either. I mean, I listen to this and it's almost like being there. Almost. Is it as good as the real thing? No. But it's the best it can be. It's the closest a recording could possibly be. And so it deserves a spot on this list.
Album #2.
Time to completely change gears. The next album I'm going to talk about is I Can't Stop Loving You: The Songs of Don Gibson by Mandy Barnett. If you are not familiar with Mandy Barnett, oh boy have you been missing out. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform on the Grand Ole Opry last year and she blew me away. I didn't know anything about her other than knowing that she had starred as Patsy Cline in the Ryman's production of "Always…Patsy Cline". Now surely you know Patsy Cline? If you don't, I may need to ask you to turn in your country music fan card. Seriously if you're going to listen to country music you should at least know a few Patsy Cline songs. They just don't make them like Patsy anymore, though Mandy Barnett comes close. Leann Rimes is another. But getting back to Mandy and night at the Opry where she came on stage and proceeded to to blow the entire audience away.
You know, in this day and age people generally show their appreciation for a performance by screaming their heads off. We cheer as loudly as we can and somehow we've collectively determined that showing appreciation means standing up for the entire length of the concert. It's like the more we enjoy something, the louder and often more obnoxious we become. We've taken to making spectacles of ourselves to show our appreciation. We do this and act like we're doing it for the performer, but that's not the truth is it? If you think about it, we've found a way to make it more about us than about them. Because the fact of the matter is that if it was all about the performer than we would sit down and shut up and make the effort to really watch and listen to what's happening. Here's something some might not like to hear: if we were truly blown away by a performance, we wouldn't be able to cheer at all. At least not while it's happening. You know what happened that night at the Opry? Mandy Barnett came out and started singing and it was like you could hear a pin drop. Her performance was that good. Mandy Barnett is one of the greatest vocalists in the genre and most country fans have no idea who she is. Do yourself a favor and change that. This album is a great place to start. Her talent aside, the songs that make up this album are pure country. This is a collection of great songs sung by great singer. Can't beat that.
Album #3.
So we've had a album featuring some rocking country and an album featuring classic country. And now it's time for an album that is not in any way country. Wait…what? Yeah, this last one ain't country. But while the album may not be country, the artist certainly is. Who is it? Well, that would be Mr. Trace Adkins. Trace actually released two albums in 2013: The King's Gift and Love Will…. The first is a Christmas album and the latter is a country album comprised of love songs and only love songs. Both are worth checking out, but I'm going to focus strictly on The King's Gift. This isn't just a Christmas album; it's a Celtic Christmas album. Now, I don't know if it's because I'm a quarter Scottish or what, but I love me some Celtic music. There's just something about it. So when I found out that Trace was going to be a Celtic Christmas album, I was intrigued. I believe I can sum up this album in one word. Masterpiece. There's a word I never use. But a masterpiece this is. I'm going to take it a step further and make a big statement: it is my opinion that this was the best album put out by a country artist in 2013. By far.
I got the opportunity to attend the final dress rehearsal for The King's Gift tour and I can tell you that as beautiful as the songs sound on the album, they sound just as beautiful live. If not a bit more. I only wish that everyone had gotten the chance to experience these songs live. But if not, the album is worth every penny and then some. The arrangements are so lovely and I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to talk about the producers and arrangers, Jon Coleman and Michael Spriggs. These gentlemen are why this album is so wonderful. The arrangements are so lovely and the production is spot on. There is some gorgeous playing on The King's Gift, not to mention the vocals. Seriously, I really don't think I can praise this project enough. It's been kind funny to see people marveling over how great Trace sounds. And he does. I just don't understand why this seemed to be a surprise to so many people. I guess it goes to show that Trace is vastly underrated as a vocalist. This was an album that he'd wanted to make for about a decade and I'm so happy that it all finally came together. I believe this album is timeless.
And there it is. Three fantastic albums that belong in every music lover's collection. I really hope this post has, if nothing else, inspired you to go check them out if you haven't already. Thank you as always for reading and be on the lookout for my top 13 albums of 2013. It's coming. I promise.
Comments
Post a Comment