CMT Blog: History

In honor of Neil Armstrong becoming the first man to walk on the moon 41 years ago today, I thought I would recognize some of country music's more cosmic tunes. There's more than a plethora of songs regarding stars, planets and Earth, so I thought I'd share a few that were top of mind for me. Though I realize some of these may be a bit out there, please feel free to add your own below.

Joe Diffie, "Third Rock From the Sun" -- Here's a blast from the past as Diffie sings of the strange occurrences of our planet, like a waitress calling the cops saying she saw an alien at the mall.

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If you love Jesus and Jimmy Martin, track down a brand new bluegrass gospel album called Old Friends Get Together. Released by Crossroads Music, the heavenly project unites bluegrass stalwarts J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams for a harmonious tribute to their former boss, who died in 2005, thus leaving behind hundreds of colorful stories. For their first recording together, the three longtime friends focused on Martin's favorite gospel numbers, including a few he wrote. The praise-singing is just marvelous, and with Ron Stewart on fiddle and Cia Cherryholmes and Sonya Isaacs on high harmony, I just want to shout "Amen!" Part of the reason I like this album so much is because the tempo doesn't drag. You can almost "feel the spirit," as some might say, when the singers race through "Prayer Bells of Heaven" and "The Little White Church." The project has been in the works for a while, as Lawson writes in the liner notes that Martin was able to hear some of the tracks before his death. And I have to believe he's now somewhere on the sunny side of the mountain, smiling down on the final results.

This week is very special to me because exactly 20 years ago, Garth Brooks landed a No. 1 song with "The Dance." God, I loved that song. Still do. It's the one with the soft piano intro and outro, about how you could've missed the pain but you'd have had to miss the dance. At the time, I probably thought he was singing literally about a dance. Now, though, I see that there's a much bigger picture.

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When the band Alabama was just getting started in the early 1980s, I remember a lot of the older kids (and their parents) in my small town raving about their concerts at the Nebraska State Fair. I didn't know much about country music back then and I wasn't even old enough to drive up to the shows, but that memory has always stuck with me -- maybe because they were my first encounters with hardcore country music fans. Over the last few days, I've been listening to Alabama's Setlist, a brand new compilation largely recorded in the early 1980s, and it's obvious to me now why the band caught on with country fans -- a driving beat, relatable songs and the distinctive baritone that belongs to Randy Owen. He's still one of my favorite country singers. I chose "Love in the First Degree" to lead this playlist of new music, but the whole Setlist album will feel so right to their longtime fans. The Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson tracks below come from the same series, launched Tuesday (July 13). Here's hoping there will be an encore.

"Love in the First Degree (live)," Alabama
Recorded live at Winston-Salem, N.C. -- April 1983
"What Is Truth (live)," Johnny Cash
Recorded live at the White House, Washington D.C. -- April 17, 1970
"Medley: The Last Letter/Half a Man (live)," Willie Nelson
Recorded live at Panther Hall, Fort Worth, Texas -- July 9, 1966

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Paste magazine managed to create a 10-best list of Willie Nelson songs. I don’t know what method they used to arrive at this way-too-concise list. And they admit that some of his great ones didn’t make the list and that this might be one of those cases where one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So see what you think of their “timeless gems” and see which ones you think are missing. Of the ones on the Paste list, I have to wholeheartedly agree with “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” “Always on My Mind,” “Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning” and “City of New Orleans.” However, I’m sad to see my very favorite one, Nelson’s joyous take on the Rev. J. Alwood’s hymn, “Uncloudy Day,” isn’t on everyone’s list.

Fontanel Mansion, the former home of Barbara Mandrell, could be the most inviting tourist attraction in Nashville. Designed in the late 1980s by Mandrell's husband, Ken Dudney, the enormous log cabin is an fascinating feat of architecture. Meanwhile, the interior is decorated with loads of unique photos and a generous amount of original furnishings. If you want to pull up a chair in the formal dining room as you listen to the tour guide, that's totally fine. Or maybe grab Buck Owens' signature red, white and blue guitar from the wall and play it? No problem. You get the feeling that they'd even let you eat crackers in her bed anytime.

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As I've mentioned in a few recent blog entries, I'm trying to listen to everything in my CD cabinet. I'm about two-thirds of the way through the neatly alphabetized assortment, squarely in "R" section (as in record rediscovery). Here are some that you might dig, too.

Charlie Rich, Pictures and Paintings (1992)
More jazz than country, this elegant album relies on spirituality as much as sensuality. His light touch on piano envelops the classic "You Don't Know Me" with a late-night vibe while a gospel-tinged "Feel Like Going Home" sounds perfect on Sunday morning.

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When Gibson.com asked legendary Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen if he ever imagined himself writing country songs, he said, "It's trippy, really." I don't even know what that means, but it sounds cool, doesn't it? He also raved on and on about his love for Nashville. "I've never been anywhere else in the world that is so all about music as Nashville. It reminds me of when I first came to America. There was music everywhere -- all over the radio, TV, in clubs," he said. "Plus, you encounter really good musicians everywhere you go in Nashville." Then he talks about working with Shania Twain's ex-husband and producer "Mutt" Lange, Taylor Swift (the band's CMT Crossroads partner) and Tim McGraw, and how the Eagles were headed in the modern country direction years ago. "I think what's happened is that country music has evolved to embrace the kind of pop and rock that's always been our mainstay. So our guitar sound is now something Nashville's caught up with," he said. I don't necessarily agree that Def Leppard's guitar paved the way for country, but I still like his trippy way of thinking.

In a wide-ranging interview appearing in Sunday's (June 27) Parade magazine, Willie Nelson covers topics all the way from his childhood in Texas to his beliefs on tolerance and heaven and hell. I've always admired Nelson's openness because it seems like you could ask him anything and get a straight answer, and the Parade reporter must have felt the same way. Not much is held back. Like when Nelson' is asked about his son, Billy, who tragically committed suicide in 1991. Or how he has had four marriages. Or his thoughts on legalizing marijuana. (He's in favor of it, in case you were wondering.) He's so humble and content with that relentlessly positive outlook, he doesn't think twice about being honest. The article fittingly describes him as "tranquil" at one point. After discussing his newest album, Country Music, Nelson is asked if he will ever retire. His response: "Retire? Why? I don't do anything now."

Joe Nichols' album, Man With a Memory, popped up in my music shuffle at home a few days ago. And as soon as I heard the opening notes of "The Impossible," I decided to stop what I was doing and just chill out and listen to the whole thing. His easygoing major label debut was released in 2002, right around the time I got this job. Our first interview was kind of awkward -- there wasn't much to talk about, except that we both liked traditional country music and that he once sold steaks door-to-door prior to getting his record deal. Since then, he's loosened up a lot and turned out to be one of the funniest guys in the business. To me, his quick wit ranks right up there with Vince Gill and Brad Paisley.

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