The Texas troubadours have released a revised 20th anniversary edition of their breakthrough album.
The Randy Rogers Band has hitched another ride on their Rollercoaster.
Specifically, country artist Randy Rogers and his merry band of Texas troubadours have released a special 20th anniversary edition of their career-catapulting 2004 LP that helped launch the New Braunfels-based group to new levels of success and acclaim. This version of Rollercoaster is completely remastered and re-sequenced, updating the classic 11-track album for longtime fans and brand-new converts.
“Twenty years!” Rogers marveled when asked about the reconstituted Rollercoaster. “They say, ‘Don’t blink.’ Yet, that’s exactly how this feels. We all feel so lucky to still be standing up on that stage playing these songs. What a ride. Cheers to you Rollercoaster!”
We recently spoke with Randy Rogers about Rollercoaster. Here are some highlights from our conversation, edited for length and clarity.
Cowboys & Indians: While listening to Rollercoaster again for this reissue, what sort of memories floated back into your head?
Randy Rogers: I think I remember the excitement. There was some fear. It’s the first album that the five band members that are still on stage made together. It was exciting. We knew we had something as a band. We knew that we were kind of blood brothers at the time. We were ready to tackle whatever challenges were up ahead. We needed songs, we needed material. We had been playing those songs live before we went into the studio. Because if you think about it, back then, there weren't digital outlets for releasing songs. And so the only way people would hear the songs is if you played them live. Right? So you had to take the music to the people and to the shows. And so, we felt comfortable with the arrangements and we knew the songs. I think an interesting tidbit is we made that album in about four days.
C&I: Four days?
Randy: The whole thing, yeah. We didn’t have any money, so that’s the only way we could do it. Going back and listening, obviously, there are things that aren’t perfect about the album. But I think that’s also what makes it real. I think it’s also what makes it resonate with people. I know this is what it did back then. We had found our sound already before we got into the studio. And Radney Foster, he really helped us push that along. And he taught me how to co-write, and we had some songs on there that he and I co-wrote together. Looking back, though, I admit, there was anxiety. We didn't know what the hell we were doing. We were young, we were just babies.
C&I: When you listen to Rollercoaster now, do you have a favorite cut?
Randy: Yeah, I believe “Somebody Take Me Home” is definitely my favorite song on the album. It was the first song that Radney Foster and I wrote together. I think there’s some significance there, because it really began a friendship, a lifelong friendship. He became a mentor to me and we wrote lots and lots more songs together after that one. So I would have to go with that. And Kenny Chesney recorded it soon after this album came out, which was a huge deal for me. Obviously, as a songwriter, it gave me a lot of confidence.
C&I: After all these years, do you ever get stage fright?
Randy: [Laughs] Of course. Yeah, I’m not perfect. I have insecurities just like anybody else. On a nightly basis, no. But if I get in front of George Strait’s 85,000-people crowd, yes. If someone who I really admire or look up to in the industry is in the audience, whether that be a guitar player or another vocalist or lead singer, I might have butterflies or nerves. But what I’ve learned through the years and through lots of coaching is that nerves are actually a good thing. You channel those anxious moments, and it actually helps you. It helps you perform better. Obviously, it makes you care a lot. So, through maturity, I’ve learned that just being nervous is not a bad thing at all.
C&I: Are there nights when you and the boys just look around at each other on stage and think, or even say or whisper to each other, “Hey, they’re still coming! They’re still coming to hear us!”?
Randy: Yeah. And it’s interesting, I think, that as time has progressed, obviously, our fans have also grown up as well. But younger artists like Parker McCollum, for instance, are talking about me on stage and recording songs that I’ve written with him. I actually just had this conversation with my buddy Wade Bowen about how young certain crowds of late have been. I think a lot of that can be attested to the fact that country music is very popular again, maybe more popular than it’s ever been. And I also think that a lot of these younger folk that are attending our shows, they may have grown up listening to Rollercoaster. Thank you, parents.
Photography: Annie Loughead.
