Country Singles Jubilee 8.24.09: The Please Don't Hurt Me, Mama Edition

Posted by Jasper Jones on 08.24.2009

This week's Jubilee features the latest from Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, and Steel Magnolia. A country song about Mike Tyson and a hot chick in a cowboy hat are included as well. You know you're intrigued!

Welcome back, Jubileers!

Country Music Tidbits

All Hail King George!



George Strait's Twang was the best selling album in the country last week. Twang is Strait's 26th album and contains three songs that he co-wrote with his son George "Bubba" Strait, Jr. The album has received tons of praise, to no one's surprise. I don't think there is a person on Earth who doesn't enjoy George Strait. Twang also topped the country charts, knocking Sugarland's Live on The Inside from the top spot. Take that, Jennifer Nettles!

You Don't Know Her



The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum paid tribute to the late Cindy Walker last week. Walker was a revered country songwriter who's songs include "Cherokee Maiden", "You Don't Know Me", "Bubbles In My Beer", "Jim, I Wore a Tie Today", and many others. Her music was originally recorded by Texas swing bands and the legendary Bob Wills. Other artists who recorded Walker songs includes Eddy Arnold, Willie Nelson, The Byrds, Hank Snow, Roy Orbison, and many others. When she passed away back in 2006, Cindy Walker bequeathed her 500 song catalog to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. This included notebooks, sheet music, photographs, and a number of other things related to her songs. If you aren't familiar with Miss Walker's music, I suggest picking up Willie Nelson's You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker.

MUSIC TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Country Singles Reviews

Steel Magnolia - "Keep On Loving You"



Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey comprise the duo known as Steel Magnolia, no relation to the movie. They won the second season of CMT's Can You Duet. The duo was quickly signed to Big Machine Records, home of Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood, and Jack Ingram. Before winning the competition, Linsey worked as a karaoke host at a Nashville bar, which is where she met Jones. The two have been together romantically for three years.

"Keep On Loving You" is the first single from Steel Magnolia. Jones and Linsey preformed the song on the season finale of Can You Duet. It's the lead off single to their upcoming untitled album that also has no release date as of yet. Way to get a jump on things, guys. "Keep on Loving You" is not an REO Speedwagon cover. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. The song is about a couple who proclaim that they will keep on loving each other their whole lives through. It's a pretty mundane subject, but there is enough other things going on to help keep it fresh. "Keep On Loving You" has a very, very catchy guitar hook and an under-lying banjo line. Jones and Linsey take turns singing the verses and duet on the chorus. Linsey has a soulful, husky voice that sounds like a young Bonnie Raitt or Patti Scialfa. Jones has a voice reminiscent of Delbert McClinton and T. Graham Brown. When they duet their voices compliment each other quite nicely. However, the song is poorly written and vague. There's only so much bells and whistles you can add to a bad song.

Favorite Lyric: None, the lyrics are pretty bland.



Rating: 2.5/5

Miranda Lambert - "White Liar"



Miranda Lambert is the most successful contestant from Nashville Star, and she didn't even win the competition. She came in third. Season 1 winner, Buddy Jewell, had a couple of hits from his debut album, but has since faded into obscurity. Brad Cotter, Erika Jo, Melissa Lawson, and Angela Hacker, all former winners, have had no hit singles. Chris Young, the 2006 winner, has had one hit single, but it only peaked at Number 46. No wonder the show has been canceled. Lambert on the other hand has had two Number 1 country albums and eight Top 40 country hits to date.

"White Liar" is Miranda Lambert's latest single. It's the second one released from her upcoming album, Revolution, set to be released on September 29th, 2009. Despite it's critical acclaim, the first single from the album, "Dead Flowers", only peaked at Number 37 on the country chart. "White Liar" is a fast paced song featuring banjo, slide guitar, and acoustic guitar. I could definitely see it working a bluegrass song. Apparently, Miranda Lambert caught someone telling some white lies, and she isn't happy. The song is a blast and extremely catchy. The way she sings "white liar" and "fire" is so cute. It's probably her best song to date. Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift might be catching all the attention, but Miranda Lambert is the real talent.

Favorite Lyric: "Here´s a bombshell just for you/ turns out I've been lying too"



Rating: 4/5

Jamey Johnson - "My Way To You"



Jamey Johnson made a name for himself as a songwriter in Nashville before his recording career took off. He's co-written a number of hits including "Give It Away" for George Strait and "Another Side of You" for Joe Nichols. He's written three big hits for Trace Adkins as well, "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", "I Got My Game On", and "Ladies Love Country Boys". Johnson was dropped by his first label after failing to have another successful single after 2006's "The Dollar". A couple of years later, Johnson released a self-made album online that drew the attention of Mercury Nashville Records. The label eventually signed him up and released a hard copy of That Lonesome Song. Thanks to his self-made success, his unconventional, deep country voice, and his songs about personal demons, many people have label Jamey Johnson a modern day outlaw.

"My Way To You" is the lead-off single to Jamey Johnson's upcoming second album with Mercury Nashville Records. The song has it's pros and cons. It's got a lonesome whine and haunting vibe, much like Hank William, Sr. classics, that intrigues you from the beginning. However, the lyrics are very, very vague. Johnson says his hard-living days have been spent trying to find his way to someone but never reveals who. Sometimes he makes you think God is his destination and other times he makes you think it's a certain woman he's been searching for. The bottom line is clear though. Whoever he's looking for is going to give him salvation from his demons. Once the second verse kicks in the song seems to drag a bit and loses focus, but it comes roaring back in the big finish. Good things come to those who wait.

Favorite Lyric: "When I didn't have a care to/ when I didn't have a prayer/ I never once thought I was lost/ somehow I knew I'd find my way to you"



Rating: 3.5/5

Retro Country Single

Terri Clark - "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me"



Terri Clark is a name you don't hear or read about too often anymore. It's a shame. She's released some really great country songs. However, she hasn't had a significant hit in the US since 2004's "Girls Lie Too". Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. She's been ripping stuff up in her native country though. She's had five Top 10 hits in Canada since her last big US hit. Some Terri Clark hits you might remember include: "Better Things To Do", "Now That I Found You", "Easy On The Eyes", and "I Just Wanna Be Mad". Guys might remember her as that tall, sexy dark haired female country singer in the jeans and cowboy hat.

"Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" was a Number 1 hit in Canada and a Number 5 hit in the US for Terri Clark in 1996. It can be found on her album entitled Just The Same. It's one of my favorite Terri Clark songs, but I'm being pretty biased. "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" is a cover. The writer and original singer was Warren Zevon, one of all-time favorite musicians. Since Zevon is one of my absolute favorites, I am very protective of his work. The fact that I really like Terri Clark's version of the song speaks volumes. She really didn't change much except reverse the sexes in the song and country it up a little. If you love cowbell, you'll love this song.

Favorite Lyric: "Well, I met a boy in the Vieux-Carres/ Down in Yokahoma/ He picked me up and he threw me down/ Sayin', 'please don't hurt me, mama'"



I Bet You've Never Heard This Song

Todd Snider - "Iron Mike's Main Man's Last Request"



Todd Snider is another one of my all-time favorite musicians. He and I share the same brand of humor and the same taste in music. He sort of sounds and looks like a homeless Tom Petty. You could probably consider him an underground artist. He's released thirteen albums since 1994 and the highest any of them have gotten on the US chart is Number 144. He's officially only released two singles to radio, "Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues" and "Alright Guy". Neither of them even charted. However, through his clever lyrics and superb story-telling ability, Todd Snider has amassed a loyal following.

I was going to include a song from Todd Snider's latest album, The Excitement Plan, but I couldn't find a video of him performing my favorite track, "Doll Face". Instead, I chose "Iron Mike's Main Man's Last Request". It can be found on Snider's 2004 album, East Nashville Skyline. It's a story song from the perspective of one of Mike Tyson's "buddies". This buddy spends 3/4ths of the song buttering up Iron Mike. He tells him to forget about his first wife because she was a gold-digging bitch and so was her mom. He says that he'll help him get back the money that Don King owes him. He calls him "champ" and suggests that he needs to take his Porsche to the titty bar to feel better. After boosting Mike Tyson's self-esteem, this "buddy" asks to borrow 300 bucks from him. As the song title suggests, I don't think Iron Mike's main man is going to be asking anyone for anything ever again.

Favorite Lyric: "Who washed every car in this 10 car garage?/ Who caries the boombox in the entourage?/ Me, Mike, God damn it... me!"



That's all for this week, folks! Come on back next Monday for more good times! Until then, remember that you can't keep a good man down and always let your love flow!