| A Country West of Nashville - Various Artists | |
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Reviewed by Kathy Coleman
For nearly two decades, Pete Anderson has been making a name for himself as a producer of superior music, largely in the country and blues field. Best known for his work with Dwight Yoakam (as both producer and lead guitarist), Pete has also produced albums from Danni Leigh, Sara Evans, and Lucinda Williams. His commitment to excellent music remains stalwart today, as he gathers together some of the finest newcomers to music and, as he did in the mid-80's, brings their music to a wide audience with the compilation A Country West Of Nashville.
Beginning with the beautiful "Nashville Rain," written by Anderson and longtime collaborator Cisco and sung with the honey vocals of the incomparable B.J. Thomas, the compilation is an eclectic and deliciously diverse collection of sounds and styles that skirt the borders from country to blues and back again. "Nashville Rain" has a distinctive feeling of late Elvis, but with a modern sound and melancholy lyrics that speak to the soul.
"Virginia" is a sweet country tune from the pen and "high lonesome" throat of Mike Stinson, who delivers with the heart of a Hank Williams, sweet steel guitar (provided by Skip Edwards) lacing the sound perfectly.
The Souvenirs provide "Blue Valentine," a light melody with deceptively delicate orchestration lending a richness and depth to a bittersweet heartache song. The always-incredible Reckless Kelly contribute with their steady beat on "I Saw It Coming," their signature alt-country licks and harmonies setting their normal high standard of quality.
"Bobby Kennedy" is a Dylanesque-style of folksy-protest song, almost spoken by Miek Martt, his rough-toned voice growling out the poignant lyrics over only a few instruments (guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums and harmonica). Brandon Jenkins provides a gritty alt-country tune with "My Feet Don't Touch The Ground," a rich country ballad with a steady beat and a strong melody that is immediately arresting.
The disc closes with the lush, almost tropical "big band" sound of "Lazy Balloon" by Sherri Stanlyn, her sweet torchsong voice soaring beautifully over a throaty trumpet (Lee Thornberg) and brush-on-snare drum (Don Heffington).
The last time Pete Anderson produced a collection such as this (in the mid-80's, with A Town South Of Bakersfield, Vol. 1 and 2), he "discovered" such later greats and future partners as Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale, and James Intveld. Perhaps in a few decades, the names on this collection will join these legends, and Pete will give us another collection of up-and-coming greats. If nothing else, Anderson will continue producing fantastic music, and it only gets better and better.
Song List:
- Nashville Rain - BJ Thomas (Dallas, TX)
- Virginia Mike Stinson (N. Hollywood, CA)
- Chances - Jody Evans (Arkadelphia, Arkansas)
- Blue Valentine - The Souvenirs (Seattle, WA)
- Say A Prayer - Cisco (Glendale, CA)
- I'll Be True Someday - Eugene Edwards (Yuma, AZ)
- I Saw It Coming - Reckless Kelly (Austin, TX)
- Bobby Kennedy - Mike Martt (Long Beach, CA)
- My Feet Don't Touch The Ground - Brandon Jenkins (Norman, OK)
- Lazy Balloon - Sherri Stanlyn (Toluca Lake, CA)
Album cover courtesy of Little Dog Records