CMT Blog: Gene Watson

I remember the first time I ate at Cracker Barrel. It was Thanksgiving 1994, about three months after moving to Nashville to attend Belmont University. One of my friends invited me to join her and I ordered your typical Thanksgiving dinner -- and I remember calling home, saying it was one of the most delicious holiday meals I'd ever eaten. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have told that to my mother, who is an excellent cook, by the way. (Please send cookies.) That memory crossed my mind today while I was listening to Alan Jackson's new album, Songs of Love and Heartache, part of the extensive Cracker Barrel collection. Casual fans will know several tunes ("Here in the Real World," "Remember When") while longtime admirers will be pleased to find outstanding album cuts such as "Tropical Depression" and "Rainy Day in June." For the final track, Jackson brilliantly covers Gene Watson's "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You," about a guy who made it through the poor times with his ex before she moved on to a wealthier man. That's love and heartache for you.

Toby Keith and the tag team match of Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins head up a batch of seven videos that were screened by the CMT New Music Video Evaluation Team. Joe Nichols says goodbye to a dear old friend of his. Bucky Covington takes a rock song live. Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent look at a sad family situation. John Fogerty remembers the Everly Brothers. And you can meet the new sister group, the McClymonts.

Artist: Toby Keith
Video: "Cryin' for Me"
Director: Michael Salamon

Toby Keith has written a song and a video tribute to his late friend, basketball great and jazz bassist Wayman Tisdale. He says goodbye to his friend in a very personal way.

Panelists' comments: "Damn, that was sad." "But so sweet." "Amen ... what can you say." "I think he did a great job with it."

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Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent's duet, "Staying Together," lets you eavesdrop on a tender moment between these two loveless lovers. Their reasons for staying together are not for their own hearts but rather for the family. Consequently they're left to wrestle heavy hearts weighed down by the baggage, sorrow and pain of a love that's long expired. You can see the sadness in Watson's eyes and hear it in his seamless vocals. Vincent, too, thrills with her powerful voice as she proves mighty convincing with each evocative note. Even the steel guitar weeps for these two unfortunate souls. I suppose when it comes to a true heartbreaker of a country song, in their own words, "There ain't nothin' sadder, there ain't nothin' colder."

I'm kind of a big deal for my '80s country playlists. OK, not really. Just among my friends who can name the lead singer of Highway 101 and just how many Forester Sisters there were. Two decades later, it seems a little strange to listen to these tunes on an iPod -- or even a CD for that matter. However, I've managed to get 45 of my favorite songs to fit on two discs. Perfect for parties! (Depending on the party, it might clear a room at the end of the night, too.) Here's the first half. I'll post Volume 2 on Monday. And yes, you can have this dance for this rest of your life.

"Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)," Alabama
"Could I Have This Dance," Anne Murray
"I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool," Barbara Mandrell with George Jones
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Reba McEntire is enjoying the top perch of the Billboard 200 this week, with her newest album, Keep On Loving You, outselling everything else in the stores. "Over You" reminds me of a classic Reba song, the dramatic sort where she stabs you in the heart, then twists the knife around. (See also: "And Still.") In addition, I've added some new tunes from George Strait, Love and Theft, Jack Ingram and a bunch of cool tunes on various indie labels to this playlist.

"Over You," Reba McEntire
"Living for the Night," George Strait
"It's Up to You," Love and Theft
"Free," Jack Ingram
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If you've never heard Gene Watson sing, you are missing out on one of country music's most expressive singers. He released 21 Top 10 hits starting in the late 1970s, such "Farewell Party," "Fourteen Carat Mind" and "Should I Come Home (Or Should I Go Crazy)." Yet he's still out there playing shows and making superb records. The latest one is A Taste of the Truth, released this week on the Shanachie label. There are a few fun tunes, but I always skip through those to get to the gut-wrenching ballads, like the gloriously remorseful "Till a Better Memory Comes Along" or the magnificently desperate "Use Me Again," which features Alison Krauss on harmony. In addition, Trace Adkins sings on "We've Got a Pulse," but I prefer "Staying Together" with Rhonda Vincent. Don't let the title fool you, though, because the lyrics pull no punches: "Staying together don't mean it ain't over." If you're miserable in your marriage, here's your song. I saw Watson perform for the first time earlier this year when he opened a concert for Brad Paisley near Memphis. I was surrounded by puzzled fans, but Paisley's endorsement goes a long way in my book. George Jones, Joe Nichols and Lee Ann Womack have all praised Watson as one of their favorite country singers, too. I agree completely.

Each time I hear a new country song that falls flat—not a rare occurrence these days—I think about all the tunes I loved the first time I encountered them but which may never surface again, simply because they didn’t chart or else charted so low and so briefly that they won’t ever be included in a greatest hits album. 

Here are a few neglected titles that leaped to mind, prefaced by the names of the artists who recorded them:  Randy Travis’ “Reasons I Cheat,” a somber self-assessment by a man on the edge; Charlie Moore’s “Best Female Actress Of The Year,” a withering blast at a faithless girlfriend (and a distractingly redundant title as well); the Stanley Brothers’ “The Fields Have Turned Brown,” bluegrass poetry and homesickness at its most eloquent; Gus Hardin’s “I’m Dancing As Fast As I Can,” a glimpse of a woman overwhelmed; the Country Gentlemen’s “Bringing Mary Home,” the gentlest ghost song ever written.

Also John Conlee’s “I’d Rather Have What We Had,” a celebration of “sneaking around” that was also cut by Loretta Lynn and Lee Ann Womack but which is more convincing as a man’s song; Marlow Tackett’s “I Know The Way To You By Heart,” a vivid, albeit forlorn presentation of love as a lifeline; Donna Ulisse’s “Trouble At The Door,” understated, unexpected and unparalleled; Dr. Hook’s “A Couple More Years,” the weary voice of amorous experience; Black Tie’s “Learning the Game,” blissful harmonies elevating an old, old subject; Gene Watson’s “Down Here On My Knees,” a plea only the hardest heart could resist.

And Pam Gadd’s image-rich tribute to a passing generation, “All The Old Men Are Gone”; Bruce Hauser & the Sawmill Creek Band’s “Let’s Do Something Old Fashioned,” which softly suggests that restraint might actually enhance love; Willie Rainsford’s torrid “No Relief In Sight”; and, finally, Ralph Stanley’s majestic masterpiece of wishful thinking, “Gloryland.”

Now what buried treasures have I overlooked?  And, by the way, don’t you really miss Randy Travis?

All year long, I listen to every CD that comes my way – so you don’t have to! Anyway, here’s a list of songs I couldn’t get enough of in 2007, and the reasons why.

1. “Missing You,” Alison Krauss & John Waite – Something about the way he sings the line “You don’t know how desperate I’ve become...”

2. “The Story,” Brandi Carlile – You know that part where she kind of screams? I love that.

3. “Hard Edges,” Chris Knight – A little girl’s dreams of becoming a dancer come true, sort of.

4. “Talking in Your Sleep,” Crystal Gayle – I was late to find this classic. Even when he’s asleep, he can’t say the right thing.

5. “In a Perfect World,” Gene Watson – With so many things going wrong for him, you’ll feel better about your own life.

6. “Falling Slowly,” Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – My favorite song from my favorite scene in my favorite movie, Once.

7. “Love is a Battlefield,” Jann Arden – I was always too busy finger-snapping on Pat Benatar’s version to realize what a heavy, intense lyric this has.

8. “Pistol Packin’ Mama,” John Prine & Mac Wiseman – Cracks me up every time, and I get a kick out of whoever’s wailing in the background.

9. “Right Moves,” Josh Ritter – I was giving a friend a ride home one night and she said, “Who is this? I like it!” Me too. A great groove.

10. “Your Next Lover,” Lori McKenna – “She puts her pocketbook down and smiles at you” … and you know this isn’t going to turn out well.

11. “Let the Music Get Down in Your Soul,” Marc Broussard – It’s a remake but advice like this never goes out of style.

12. “The Calling,” Mary Chapin Carpenter – Some things you just don’t have control over. It’s OK to embrace those things.

13. “People Change,” Nick Lowe – He’s right, of course, but only a randy chap like Nick can tell a story like this.

14. “Someone Somewhere Tonight”, Pam Tillis – She’s still got it. A fine reminder that the great circle of life goes on.

15. “Heavenly Day,” Patty Griffin – An upbeat love song about her dog!

16. “Because of You,” Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson – My friend cries every time she hears this because it reminds her of her dad.

17. “Follow the Lights,” Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Such words of encouragement are always welcome.

18. “Fallen,” Storyhill – They sing, “This year the winter will not break me,” and I always think, “Me neither, I hope.”

19. “If You Leave Me Now,” Suzy Bogguss – With her pristine voice, this Chicago oldie sounds like a whole new song.

20. “Don’t Ask Me to Be Friends” (bonus track), Teddy Thompson – If you really don’t want to be friends after a breakup, please don’t pretend otherwise.

21. “This is Me You’re Talking To,” Trisha Yearwood – It’s inevitable that you’ll run into old flames in Nashville. What can I say? This song gets it just right.

I recently came across a new CD called The Greatest Country Love Songs – now that’s a brave title. I rarely listen to love songs so I’m rather surprised to be telling you that it’s a pretty cool compilation of covers, sung by country artists who don’t get played on the radio anymore. Most of the selections are familiar but a few artists dig deeper, like Daryle Singletary’s fine rendition of Keith Whitley’s “That’s Where I Want to Take Our Love.” (George Strait recently recorded the song too.) Tammy Cochran succeeds greatly with “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and there’s a real sparkle to Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent’s “Together Again.” My favorite track is Neal McCoy’s lively take on Charley Pride’s “Mountain of Love.” You can tell he’s having a blast bringing it back to life.

Usually I am reluctant to give props to covers but I’ve had to relax my standards lately. My favorite CD this year is bound to be Teddy Thompson’s understated Up Front and Down Low, which almost entirely consists of classic country songs. (I am obsessed with the hidden track, “Don’t Ask Me to Be Friends,” from the Everly Brothers' vault.) Close behind is John Prine and Mac Wiseman’s Standard Songs for Average People, a carefree collection of other people’s songs that they both like, including Tom T. Hall’s insightful “Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine.”

On the R&B side, just wait until you hear Bettye Lavette’s scorching interpretation of George Jones’ “Choices.” Also, try out Marc Broussard’s “Let the Music Get Down in Your Soul” (originally by Rance Allen) and Joan Osborne’s “Break Up to Make Up” (by the Stylistics). Sometimes a melody provides enough inspiration – for example, James Alan Shelton’s instrumental, acoustic take on Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” By the way, I recommend the full albums by all these artists.

Do you know Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield”? Of course. But have you ever considered what it’s really about? You will when you hear Jann Arden sing it on her new CD, Uncover Me. Her version slows down the melody just enough to get you wrapped up in the words. I’ve heard this song a hundred times before, but now I can see myself in it – a lot. The pulsating introduction is definitely killer, but when it comes to the inevitable contradictions and unexpected turns in relationships, this song’s got it covered.

On my way home from Chattanooga this weekend, I was switching out CDs and I suddenly heard one of those classic George Strait songs on the radio, something from the 80s. Of course my friend and I had to listen to it. She had borrowed the car while I was doing a triathlon earlier that day and had discovered the station, 98.1 FM. You know, it’s almost impossible to hear anything from the 1980s on country radio anymore, unless it’s “Forever and Ever Amen.” We listened till the signal ran out, enjoying the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Modern Day Romance,” Gene Watson’s “Love in the Hot Afternoon,” Paul Overstreet and Tanya Tucker’s “I Won’t Take Less Than Your Love,” Roger Miller’s “Dang Me” (what a crazy irresistible song!), the Statler Brothers’ “I’ll Go to My Grave Loving You” and Reba McEntire’s “The Last One to Know.” They were about to play an Eddie Rabbitt song but by then all we heard was a lot of crackling.

After a little research, I learned that 98.1 switched to the classic country format last month and that it’s owned by Clear Channel. I never would have guessed it since this station’s playlist seems to be exceptionally broad. Hopefully they’ll hang onto it. We are driving to Atlanta in a few weeks for a Wynonna concert and I’d love to listen in for an hour. Maybe they’ll play “Mama He’s Crazy” as we’re passing through.

I’m a big fan of country music from the 1980s and I have numerous friends who just love the stuff. Occasionally it comes up when I’m interviewing a singer – Terri Clark and Blake Shelton are equally enthusiastic about it. I do wish I knew more songs from that era. If I lived in Chattanooga, I’d listen to this station around the clock. There’s another terrific country station out of Lebanon, Tenn., at 98.9 FM, that I can usually pick up in the mornings. They play a lot of Willie Nelson, which is OK by me. I need to scan the dial more often on road trips because these smaller country stations across America still play the music from the 1970s and 1980s that I can’t get enough of.