Well over a year ago, my friend John and I began a lively discussion about country music. And well over a year ago, I promised him that I’d make a mix of the country music of my childhood. I was completely tuned out to pop music in the 80s; as a result, I have an excellent knowledge of Kathy Mattea and Patty Loveless lyrics but only recently discovered Michael Jackson. Part of the reason it’s taken me so long to start the Country Gold mixes is that the task was completely overwhelming. Where to start? With Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings? With the cheesy country pop ballads of the early and mid-1980s? With the “new country” sound of the early and mid-1990s? Between my collection and my dad’s, there are thousands and thousands of songs to choose from. I figured I’d have to do a series of mixes, but even that didn’t help me narrow it down.
So now, in the midst of a snowstorm as I procrastinate the work I have to do, I decided I’d throw something together. The 300+ country songs my dad burned for me ages ago are haphazardly filed in iTunes—not all of them are labeled, so I had a hard time finding some of the songs I wanted to include. So before you leave a comment saying, “I can’t believe you didn’t include ___,” I know. I decided on a broad range of songs mostly between the mid-80s and mid-90s, which automatically excludes Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn, because I wanted John to hear the stuff I was listening to when much cooler people were learning the Thriller dance. There are a hundred other songs I wanted to include, and just had to make some hasty decisions (I couldn’t find Kathy Mattea’s “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses,” even though I know it’s probably in iTunes under “Track 17″ or something, so look for that on Vol. 2). I chose most of these songs because they evoked a specific memory, and I broke my mix rule of not putting two songs on by the same artist. No way could I choose just one Reba McEntire song.
Comments welcome, and copies available upon request. Sloppy liner notes below, since I refuse to use the phrase “pop sensibilities” or do any research on how old LeAnn Rimes was when she started performing. And really, you should just listen to the mix, anyways. Country music is all about the stories, and you’ll find a lot of love found, stolen, and lost in these songs. And a whole lotta Texas.
Track List and Liner Notes for Country Gold, Vol. 1
1. Blue :: LeAnn Rimes (Blue, 1996)
I think most people who know LeAnn Rimes know this song. If I remember correctly, it was originally written for Patsy Cline, and LeAnn Rimes is probably one of the few people who could have pulled this off. She was 13 when the single was released and was well-known in some musical circles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area—she’d sung the national anthem at rodeos and other events, and the papers had done stories on the little kid with the big voice. I saw LeAnn Rimes twice at Billy Bob’s Texas when I was in college—it was after “Blue” was released, but before she became a national star. The first time I saw her she seemed so sweet on stage, saying “thank yew” after every song. The second time, she had a much more commanding on-stage presence.
2. Mama He’s Crazy :: The Judds (Wynonna & Naomi, 1983)
I had a really hard time choosing a Judds song, but this one is a classic. They were all over country radio in the early and mid-80s. Naomi’s the mom; Wynonna’s her daughter. Wynonna had a solo career in the early 90s, but I think she was always bigger and better with her mom.
3. A Better Man :: Clint Black (Killin’ Time, 1989)
I love Clint Black. He has the perfect twangy country voice. This was always my favorite album of his. Kind of in the vein of George Strait.
4. How Blue :: Reba McEntire (My Kind of Country, 1984)
I probably could have put any Reba song on here, so I just had to make a decision. This one has some more traditionalist country elements; much of her work is poppier, with a lot of power ballads and bluesy influences. If you haven’t seen Reba McEntire live, you really should. She goes through half a dozen sequined Bob Mackie dresses. It’s awesome.
5. All My Exes Live in Texas :: George Strait (Ocean Front Property, 1987)
George Strait really is the King of Country. I think most people know this song and I would have actually preferred “Ocean Front Property,” but it seems to be lost somewhere in the iTunes abyss. And you really can’t go wrong with George Strait. He continued to wear cowboy hats and boots when all the young country singers were starting to try to appeal to a broader audience.
6. If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band) :: Alabama (Roll On, 1984)
Alabama is the quintessential country group. They’ve been around forever and produced God knows how many albums. They were all over country radio in the 80s and 90s. Also, I went to high school with the niece of one of the singers.
7. Texas (When I Die) :: Tanya Tucker (Delta Dawn, 1972)
Technically a decade too old for this mix, I had to choose it because I loved Tanya Tucker when I was a kid (that’s Taanya, not Tahnya). She was another child phenom like LeAnn Rimes, and I believe she was also about 13 when she first recorded this.
8. She’s in Love with the Boy :: Trisha Yearwood (Trisha Yearwood, 1991)
The early 90s had, for the most part, a less traditionalist country sound. There was even a new country station in Dallas that advertised itself as “new” country, leaving all the Randy Travis and The Judds off the playlists.
9. Blame It On Your Heart :: Patty Loveless (Only What I Feel, 1993)
I was actually never a huge Patty Loveless fan, but this song is incredible. And a ton of fun to sing along to: blame it on your lyin’, cheatin’, cold, dead beatin’, two-timin’, double dealin’, mean, mistreatin’, lovin’ heart.
10. Tennessee Flat Top Box :: Roseanne Cash (King’s Record Shop, 1987)
When I was around 9 or so, I used to spend hours in the laundry room with the country station cranked up while I ironed everybody’s clothes. I loved it. Every time “Tennessee Flat Top Box” came on, I’d have to stop ironing so I could dance and sing along. I liked the Johnny Cash version too, but it was Roseanne’s version that really got through to me. Although I thought for years that the line, “and then one day / on the Hit Parade,” was actually, “and then one day / on the hidden ray.” You know, like he’d died and appeared on the horizon or something.
11. The Dance :: Garth Brooks (Garth Brooks, 1989)
I think I’ve seen Garth Brooks in concert 5 or 6 times. This is the song where everybody pulls out their lighters. It was so huge when it came out—there were quite a few singles on his debut album, I think—and it helped launch Garth Brooks into one of the biggest entertainers of the 90s. For my part, I bought the piano music for it and played it constantly.
12. Cattle Call :: LeAnn Rimes with Eddy Arnold (Blue, 1996)
This is where I had to break my rule of no artist appearing twice on the same mix. Because although most people know the song “Blue,” you probably haven’t heard this, and it’s just as good, with lots of twangy old-fashioned country sounds. And yodeling. She yodels!
13. Forever and Ever, Amen :: Randy Travis (Always & Forever, 1987)
I actually think I may have had this single on a 45. Randy Travis was big in the 80s but lost popularity during the new country movement a few years later. This was one of his biggest hits.
14. Guitars, Cadillacs :: Dwight Yoakum (Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc, 1986)
I had a love-hate relationship with this song for awhile. Since I listened to so much country-pop, this initially sounded really twangy. But I came around.
15. Except for Monday :: Lorrie Morgan (Something in Red, 1991)
I think this was really Lorrie Morgan’s version of “Blame It On Your Heart.” Lorrie Morgan was another artist who was big for a few years but then died away.
16. Midnight Girl Sunset Town :: Sweethearts of the Rodeo (Sweethearts of the Rodeo, 1986)
When I looked up the date of this album, I was surprised that it came out in 1986—I remember it being several years older than that. This was a family favorite, and notable because it was one of the few albums that my mom actually liked. Gossip: one of the Sweethearts was married to Vince Gill before Amy Grant snatched him away.
17. I’m Alright :: Jo Dee Messina (I’m Alright, 1998)
Jo Dee Messina is from Framingham, Massachusetts, and probably had to work real hard on that twang! She’s very typical of the country pop artists. This song came out the summer before I moved to England and got a ton of airplay. It reminds me of driving to north Dallas to get sno-cones with Laura after a hard day of waiting tables. I listened to it a couple months ago for the first time in years, and it made me weep a little bit.
18. Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares) :: Travis Tritt (It’s All About to Change, 1991)
Country music has a particular way of telling somebody to shove it. Travis Tritt and his mullet do an outstanding job here.
19. Fancy :: Reba McEntire (Rumor Has It, 1990)
Best Reba song of all time? Quite possibly. I love the bluesy influence, I love her voice, I love the story arc, I freak out if I ever hear it on the radio. This is the song you stay in the car for, even if it means sitting alone in your parking place with the speakers blaring and everybody staring at you.
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