CMT Blog: Gene Watson

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.