Bill Anderson "Christmas" (Decca, 1969)

Liz Anderson -- see artist discography

Shawn Camp -- see artist discography

Guy Clark - see artist discography.

Melvin Endsley "I Like Your Kind Of Love" (Bear Family, 1992)
Endsley wrote the super-bouncy singalong classic "Singin' The Blues," a big 1950s hit for both Marty Robbins and Guy Mitchell. Sadly, his own version of his signature tune isn't included on this disc, though plenty of similar recordings are. Following the success of "Singin' The Blues," Endsley had an all-too-brief whirl on Nashville's wheel of fame, but after a wild couple of years, interest in his songs completely evaporated. These demo-y tracks on this album aren't the best country records ever, but they are charming, and some are quite good. Endsley wasn't really much of a performer, and as a composer was perhaps a bit formulaic, but it's always nice to hear songwriters cover their own material.

Dallas Frazier "Elvira" (Capitol, 1966)
When this disc came out, Dallas Frazier had hit the bigtime as one of Nashville's star songwriters, with George Jones, among others, a devoted follower. So when you look at this album, naturally you might think, waitaminute -- why's he doing all this rock'n'soul cover tunes. "Mohair Sam," "She's A Yum-Yum," "Alley Oop..." What's up with that? Well, for one thing, he wrote all these songs, making his name as a pop-rock songwriter as well as a country songsmith. And this album is completely devoted to his love of R&B, with a tight, funky backup that sounds pretty darn Wrecking Crew, if you ask me. If you were hoping for a country sound, this ain't the record for you, but while the perky soul grooves do get monotonous after a while, you have to admit, the boy had soul... Really -- he stacks up pretty well compared to numerous other blue-eyed soul types of the time. You might be surprised. And, of course, the title track -- a minor pop hit for Frazier in '66, was revived as a huge hit for the Oak Ridge Boys fifteen years later, and was the very first chart entry for fellow songwriter Rodney Crowell in '78... Now there's a song with staying power!

Dallas Frazier "Tell It Like It Is" (Capitol, 1967)
Holy crap! You mean he wrote "Tell It Like It Is," too?? No way! The rhythm'n'blues lovefest continues on this disc, with Frazier still pumping away on the sould grooves. This disc is a little more varied than the first, but mostly still mining the same territory. Again, from a country perspective, this may not be very satisfying, but he does hold his own as a bluesy pop-soul singer. This album has a couple of songs not written by Frazier, but the rest of it's all his show.

Dallas Frazier "Singing My Songs" (RCA, 1970)
Now, here's where Dallas lays down some real country roots. This is an excellent country record -- sophisticated, with a hint of the countrypolitan vibe of the time, but also with a soulful edge that kinda sets it apart. Frazier really did have a nice voice -- funny how he never really did that well as a performer as well. At any rate, this disc has several gems on it, including the clever-yet-depressing "Son Of The Hickory Holler's Tramp," and a pair of likeminded poor-folks anthems, "I Just Got Tired Of Being Poor" and "California Cottonfields," a song that Merle Haggard recorded the next year... Frazier's version is every bit as searching and heartfelt. Nice album... worth tracking down!

Dallas Frazier "My Baby Packed Up My Mind And Left Me" (RCA, 1971)

Harlan Howard "All-Time Favorite Country Songwriter" (Monument, 1965)
A much-welcome reissue of the fourth solo album recorded by master songwriter Harlan Howard, whose late-'50s ascendancy into Nashville's inner circle took the country world by storm. Here Howard gets to take a crack at a dozen of his best early songs, tunes that were first recorded by the likes of Ray Price, Buck Owens, Charlie Walker and Patsy Cline. Howard's modest voice gets a robust, Buck-like backup, jaunty, upbeat arrangements and he matches it with a pretty punchy performance himself. It's fun stuff!

Dave Kirby "Singer, Picker, Writer" (Dot, 1973)
The lone solo album by the late Dave Kirby (1939-2004), who was one of Nashville's most sought-after session guitarists in the 1960s and '70s, and had written several extraordinarily successful songs as well. It turns out he wasn't half bad at singing a tune, either. Oh, sure, he had the same sort of rough-edged dorkiness as, say, Roger Miller or Harlan Howard, but he wore it well, and a whole lot of personality comes through on these sessions, which were produced by Pete Drake. This album starts off with a folkie rendition of one of his best-known songs, "Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone," and slides into other songs from his repertoire, more off the beaten track, but no less engaging. Many of Kirby's songs are more like rough outlines, deft, evocative phrases lined up with catchy choruses -- like many songwriters of his era, he mined his own particular turf, mainly songs about drifters who were nostalgic for the comforts of their backwoods Southern homes. The sentiments of "San Antone" are repeated in "Streets Of Chicago" and "Alabama Sundown," while other songs like "I Wish I Didn't Have To Miss You" take a more interpersonal tack. Kirby didn't score any chart hits off this album, but for fans of 'Seventies country, this one's a gem.

Kris Kristofferson -- see artist discography

John D. Loudermilk "Blue Train" (Bear Family, 1989)
One of Nashville's biggest hit songwriters of the late 1950s and early '60s, John D. Loudermilk wasn't really that electrifying as a performer, although he had several low-key albums and singles come out on RCA in the Kennedy era. By that time, he was deeply mining the post-rockabilly teenpop genre he'd helped pioneer in songs like "A Rose And A Baby Ruth," a big hit for George Hamilton IV, back in '56. Although various Nashville artists took his songs into the charts, Loudermilk's own versions are pretty tepid and folk oriented, lacking the brisk bounce of his Brill Building competitors. His albums also included a fair number of subpar tunes, and feel like extended demo tapes, rather than full-fledged pop records. There are some cute tunes on here, and a few time capsules like "He's Just A Scientist" and the theme to the "Dr. Casey" TV show, as well as verifiable hits like "Road Hog" and "Blue Train," which became '60s rock standards. But on the whole, this seems like a for-fans-only kinda collection, not much vigor to attract the casual listener. (By the way, he was a close relative of the Louvin Brothers... A cousin, I think.)

John D. Loudermilk "Volume One: Eloree" (Warner Brothers, 1971)
A nice, informal album, in which Loudermilk revisits several of his biggest hits -- "Abilene," "Google Eye," "Tobacco Road" -- in a stripped-down acoustic setting. Loudermilk generally plays solo on this one, framing his songs in a simple, jaunty blues-based folkie style; On some songs he is joined by a few other musicians, notably Norman Blake, who adds some fine, restrained dobro and mandolin work. In some ways it's tempting to dismiss this album as a relic; even at the time -- in 1971 -- the mild folkie social critiques of songs like "Cherokee Reservation Lament" and "The Habit," or the anti-consumerism of "The Joneses" must have seemed a little dated. But, hey, if Loudermilk wanted to make up for lost time, having spent the early '60s folk revival safely ensconced in the arms of nashville... Well, what the heck. More power to him! Actually, this has a pleasantly intimate, personal feel to it. Maybe it's not as hummable as his full-blown pop tunes. Worth tracking down and checking out.

Dolly Parton - see artist discography

Leon Payne "I Love You Because" (Bear Family, 1999)
Payne was one of the more mysterious songwriters from the '50s honkytonk scene... But if George Jones recorded a whole album full of his material, well, there's probably a reason. As a singer, Payne wasn't exactly top-flight, but like Harlan Howard, he had his charms. The earliest material on here, at the disc's start, has some unfortunate fake-black shuckin'-and-jivin', along the lines of Red Foley's "Tennessee Saturday Night"... Not quite outright blackface minstrel material, but in the same neighborhood. If you can get over the rough start, though, this CD has a nice payoff, with some fairly straightforward honkytonk singing. Not stellar, but compelling, particularly since the songs are pretty well-written.

John Prine - see artist discography

Cindy Walker "The Swingin' Cowgirl From Texas" (Bronco Buster, 1998)
Walker has gone down in country history as one of the great songwriters of yesteryear, yet even with several hits in the 1940s, her efforts as a recording artist have long been forgotten. This disc should go a long ways to correct that imbalance -- 26 tracks worth fabulous mid-to-late '40s pop/country with modest backing and consistently fine, bluesy vocals. There is a strong rural edge to her voice, with rough edges left in that clearly show Walker's country roots, even when she was firmly ensconced in the Hollywood showbiz scene. This was back in the days when the trumpet was an acceptable lead instrument in country music and, like Merle Travis, she used it well -- there's also some great pickin' and steel playing, along with the occasional sleepy arrangement. What makes this especially great, though, is the material, mostly Walker originals, including several outstanding bitter, blame-filled breakup songs. This is a precious historic resource for country music lovers -- not to be missed!

Hank Williams - see artist profile

Lucinda Williams - see artist discography

Jimmy Work "Making Believe" (Bear Family, 1993)
Like many Southerners, songwriter Jimmy Work headed up to Detroit looking for work during the Second World War, and was lucky enough to land a gig singing on a local radio station. A prolific compser, Work made his mark both as a hillbilly singer and as a songsmith, eventually racking up a couple of Top Ten hits and penning several songs that became some of the biggest hits of a generation. His biggest success was "Making Believe," which was recorded by Kitty Wells at the height of her fame (and revived by Emmylou Harris in the 1970s); he also wrote "That's What Makes The Jukebox Play" (a hit for himself, and later for Jimmie Skinner) and "Tennessee Border," which was recorded by several top stars in the early '50s. This 2-CD set, which reprises two LPs that came out in the '80s, gathers nearly fifty of his recordings from 1945-59, nearly all of them songs written by Work himself. Compared to the rollicking honkytonk and hillbilly boogie artists of the time, Work's style is smooth and subdued, but it's undeniably real hillbilly music (not countrypolitan) and the softer approach fits his modest vocal talents. If you're on the right wavelength, this is pretty sweet stuff, and a rare chance to hear the entire career of a country craftsman, pretty much from start to finish. Recommended!

Hick Music Index