Willie Nelson's Country Music Album - If You Owned A Bar, This Would Be The Soundtrack

Judy Core, one of our Senior Music Reviewers, who recently reviewed Merle Haggard's new album titled I Am What I Am on our sister site Today's Country Music Videos, recently reviewed Willie Nelson's new album Country Music for us.  As you'll read in the review, Judy says that if she owned a bar, this album would be the soundtrack!

Well, it is definitely aptly titled. The CD is straight up country music. When I first started listening to country music, it was way back in the early ‘90’s. My main attraction to the music was that it was a genre that satisfied my age group but also, was suitable to play in the car with your parents. It was not appropriate to play Prince’s Darling Nikki in the car with my mother. Not good. However, country music was perfect! Plus I liked it and I liked the fact that in the country bars, there were people of all ages line dancing, two steppin’ and drinking beer. I felt very much at home.

So, what does that have to do with this CD? Well – it is the perfect soundtrack that would be played in my country bar, if I owned one. My favorite is Freight Train Boogie! Get your butt on the dance floor with your partner and get to one-steppin’! (Just drag one leg like you got shot, that’s how I was taught). It was written by Doc Watson who just happens to be from North Carolina. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Wilkesboro where Merlefest is held annually. If you aren’t familiar with him or the annual festival – check it out…Dierks played there this year if that helps you connect it.

Back to Willie, all the songs are perfect for kicking back on a front porch rocking chair with all your kin-folk sipping lemonade. It is a pleasurable journey and of course being produced by T Bone Burnett, well….I can close my eyes and I am sitting in a small dive bar with only a few characters in the house. Willie and the band are playing Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down and we are all just mesmerized. Kick it up a notch with Pistol Packing Mama and twirl around the dance floor a couple of times.

Not like my opinion matters in the world of Willie Nelson, but I’m digging the whole CD except for maybe one or two tracks. Nobody’s Fault But Mine seems better suited for a more ‘tortured’ soul and voice, like Johnny Cash on Hurt. I just don’t really feel it with Willie’s voice. But that’s just me….All in all – a good pick for the family reunion. It’s got it all, moments of reflection to moments of joy.

If you'd like to pick up a copy of Country Music, head on over to Amazon.com today.

And, if you do own the album, let us know what you think about it. Thanks!

Judy Core is the author of Good Music Is Better Than Good Sex - My Search For The Old Blue Chair. For more information about Judy and her book, go to GoodMusicIsBetterThanSex.com.

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