Apr 17, 201211:06 AMThe Telegraph
The Premier Blog of the West
New Tunes: April 17, 2012
alanjackson.com
The Essential Alan Jackson – May be a repackaged version of a previously released greatest hits collection (34 Number Ones), but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your attention. With a brand new album coming from one of country’s greatest artists, it might be a good idea to revisit his classics. Our personal favorites here include early troubadour’s anthem “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” the endlessly infectious “She’s Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues),” and the haunting Hank tribute “Midnight in Montgomery.” … And for the fans of greatest-hits albums in general, The Essential Brooks & Dunn also came out today. Thirty tracks of duo delight.
Hank Williams III, Long Gone Daddy – Speaking of Hank tributes, the late legend’s grandson and namesake sounds dangerously close to the original on a cover of “I’m a Long Gone Daddy.” It’s on an album put out by Curb Records, made up of unreleased tracks and alternate versions from Hank III’s tumultuous time on the label’s roster. Aside from the title track, there are nice covers of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard. Worth checking out, even if it’s not necessarily artist-approved.
RaeLynn, “She’s Country” – One of Blake Shelton’s more unique and adorable team members on The Voice hams it up on this unexpected Jason Aldean cover. We’ll see if it’s enough to help her advance in the competition.
Skylar Laine, “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” – The current Idol covers a song by former finalist Kellie Pickler. We’re thinking Skylar’s enough of a pro at this point to go a little further in the competition than Pickler did. Whatever happens, her pipes alone will land her a country deal, no doubt about it.
Janis Joplin, The Pearl Sessions – For the collectors, this re-rereleased edition of the late Texan singer’s posthumous album has a lot of extra goodies. Think mono mixes, acoustic demos, and live takes. We’re diggin’ the demo version of “Me and Bobby McGee.”
Horse Feathers, Cynic’s New Year – The Portland, Oregon, folk act releases its fourth full-length album in six years.
Train, California 37 – The veteran pop band has been flirting with the country world of late. Its singer took the stage at the ACM awards with Martina McBride, and now Pistol Annies member Ashley Monroe joins the band on its new track, “Bruises.”
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