Rugged Stuff

Garth is back.  Can you swing a second mortgage?

Garth is back.

Last month, Garth Brooks announced that he was coming out of retirement.  When I initially heard the news, I was pleased.  Garth is the biggest country music act that I haven’t caught in a live performance.  So I figured I was going to get another chance at him.

Rugged Stuff

Debut Track is Among Strait’s Best

“Living for the Night.”

I know, it came out onto the airwaves last spring, and George Strait is already on to his next release from his current album, the title track, “Twang.” But every time I hear “Living for the Night” on the radio, I’m struck again by what a great song it is.

In fact, I’ll rank it right up there among the best of Strait, such as the early stuff-- “Amarillo by Morning,” and “Marina Del Rey,”-- and the later, but perhaps not as acclaimed, “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” “Run,” and “Desperately.”

Rugged Stuff

Being Taken for an American Ride

You all know I’m a big Toby Keith fan- maybe it’s that name that draws my admiration (the Keith, not the Toby…) From his debut work that got dissed at the awards, through his war-mongering-Dixie-Chicks-squabbling period, right up to modern times, I’ve maintained that he’s one of the best acts in contemporary country music.  And the unwashed masses have agreed with me, to the tune of millions and millions of dollars.

That’s why I hope ol’ Toby will take this comment with all due respect- His latest single, “American Ride,” sucks.

Rugged Stuff

Good-bye, Grasshopper

While not a country music artist, David Carradine carved out his spot in country-Western arts and culture with his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s ABC television series “Kung-Fu,” in which the orphaned son of an American man and a Chinese woman, trained in the martial arts of the Shaolin monks, wanders the Old West in search of his half-brother. I can remember watching the show on the T.V. in my parents’ bedroom… because that’s the only place we could get Channel 11 from Missoula. NBC on Channel 9 from Kalispell came in on our living room set. (Other channels? We didn’t get no other stinking channels…)

Rugged Stuff

I Like Beer.  And so does Tom T. Hall

Speaking of country music songs that pay tribute to alcohol, as I often do, I’d be remiss not to mention Tom T. Hall’s “I Like Beer.”

This entire song is an ode to ale, so I won’t even bother quoting any of the lines. If you’ve heard it, you’ll know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, then look it up… it’s worth the effort.

Rugged Stuff

Dan Seals Underneath that Big Montana Sky

Back in the spring, I posted about the passing of Dan Seals, and it was the beginning of a nice correspondence with Bernie from over at Garrison, Montana, who had some memories of Dan that he shared with me, and I’d like to pass a few of his comments on to you.

Rugged Stuff

Some Give All

I've spent several July 4th evenings over the past few years watching the Lake Tahoe South Shore fireworks, which are synchronized to a musical program broadcast on the community's local radio station. Toby Keith is the main country music contributor to the musical line-up, which is fine with me. But the radio program that I listened to this past Sunday was a great reminder of so many of the other patriotic songs in the Country and Western repertoire.

Rugged Stuff

My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad

This is a Father’s Day piece, but I didn’t want to post it on the actual date, because I was afraid that if my father saw me actually pay attention to the calendar, it might give him (another) heart attack. (He’s just about to get his Christmas present when I visit him at the ranch next week, if that gives you an idea of what kind of a schedule I keep…).

Rugged Stuff

The Return of Pickin’ and Grinnin’

Now, in this country music blog, I often pop off about how I don’t watch the country music videos or read the country music fan magazines or watch the country music award shows. But to be totally honest, there was a time when I did watch a couple of country music television shows… one was called Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters and the other was called Hee-Haw.