Are you a George Jones guy in a Garth Brooks world? A Loretta Lynn gal trying to understand why people still call Shania Twain a "country" artist?

Well, then this website is for you! Here's your chance to read all about Nashville pop, from the late-'50s "Nashville Sound" and the countrypolitan scene of the '70s to today's chart-toppers and pretty-boy hat acts, seen through the lens of DJ Joe Sixpack, a hick music know-it-all with a heart of gold...

Your comments and suggestions are welcome, particularly suggestions for artists or albums I might have missed. Other types of twang are reviewed elsewhere in my Hick Music Guide.

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The Hagers "The Hagers" (Capitol Records, 1970) (LP)
The Hager brothers -- identical twins Jim and John -- were proteges of Buck Owens and regulars on his Hee Haw TV show. Owens found them working on the Southern California folk circuit in the late 1960s, and recruited them for the show, as well as landing them a contract with Capitol Records, where he produced their early albums; Owens' band, The Buckaroos, provided backup as well. I was never much of a fan. The Hagers always struck me as unreasonably bland and strictly from Squaresville, kind of like country clones of Pat Boone, and I never liked it when they'd appear on Hee Haw -- I was just waiting for Minnie Pearl to come back on. The Hagers had a handful of moderate hits between 1969-71, but faded from the charts after that, releasing a few non-Capitol albums over the next couple of decades. This debut album includes their biggest single, "Gotta Get To Oklahoma ('Cause California's Gettin' To Me)", a novelty number written by Rodney Lay and Buck Owens that almost cracked into the Top 40.


The Hagers "Two Hagers Are Better Than One" (Capitol Records, 1970) (LP)


The Hagers "Motherhood, Apple Pie And The Flag" (Capitol, 1971) (LP)


The Hagers "Music On The Country Side" (Barnaby, 1972) (LP)


The Hagers "The Hagers" (Elektra, 1974) (LP)


The Hagers "Jim And John Hager" (Book Shop Records, 1986)


The Hagers "Stranger In My Mirror" (Courage Records, 1993)



Merle Haggard - see artist discography


Noel Haggard "One Lifetime" (Atlantic Records, 1997)
(Produced by Barry Beckett)

Merle Haggard has several sons who have tried their hands at music; Noel Haggard was the first one to really go for a commercial career and the only one to hit the charts. Unfortunately, this album didn't do all that well -- two singles pegged out at #75, and that was pretty much that. But the good news is that this is a pretty good record -- it's glossy and formulaic (look who produced it) but given the times also relatively rootsy. Noel has a good voice and is a versatile singer... The biggest surprise is that he sounds so little like his father: he has a much lighter tone and for the most part he keeps dad's Okie drawl out of his voice. (One exception is the album's final track, "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa," one of the album's two ill-fated singles, a song that was revived a few years later by George Strait.) He can sing both country and 'politan, and what he most shares with his dad is the ability to project feeling and emotion into the lyrics, even on slick, prefab stuff, such as the melodramatic power ballad, "I've Learned To Live." It's possible he might have done better without the Haggard name: he's a good singer and this was a strong album, but it's hard not to project certain expectations onto the guy, what with the family connection and all. There are also some aspects of this album that may have been out of line with what was happening in Nashville at the time -- not in an "outlaw" kind of way, more like a few years behind the times -- Noel was more Randy Travis than Shooter Jennings. But if you like solidly produced commercial country, this disc is certainly worth tracking down. One highlight is the '70s-ish novelty number, "Left, Leavin, Goin' Or Gone," which is something Alabama or the Oak Ridge Boys could have had a hit with, back in the day. Too bad Noel didn't get more opportunities like this one: I think he did well, but maybe the deck was just stacked against him.


Marty Haggard "Borders And Boundaries" (Critique Records, 1996)
Merle's oldest son followed him into the music business, first as a member of dad's band and -- starting in the late 1980s -- as a solo artist. Marty Haggard released several singles in the decade or so before this first full LP; they were all pretty strictly Back 40 material, and by the time he put out this album, Haggard had tried a career in acting, had been kicked around by life quite a bit, and had a religious conversion. His '90s albums are mostly religiously oriented, and by choice he refused to record songs about drinking or cheating, which kind of limited his mainstream appeal. No chart action here, but it still might be of interest to Haggard fans.


Marty Haggard "Ready Or Not... Here He Comes" (Mansion Entertainment)


Marty Haggard "The Bridge" (Mansion Entertainment, 2010)


Halfway To Hazard "Halfway To Hazard" (Mercury Nashville, 2007)
(Produced by Byron Gallimore & Tim McGraw)

The Kentucky-born duo of David Tolliver and Chad Warrix dig deep into Southern rock styles for the uptempo tracks on this album, but show surprising emotional heft on the slower songs. They also cuss a bit, to a surprising degree for a mainstream Nashville album, and also take aim at the Music City establishment itself, on "Welcome To Nashville," a stomper that closes out the album. But these rough edges didn't prevent them from doing well in the charts -- the single "Daisy" did okay, and they generated some buzz. Still, Nashville has a way of chewing 'em up and spitting them out, and their second album came out on an indie and never got any traction. Like many before them, they concentrated on songwriting rather than stardom, successfully pitching some songs to Tim McGraw, who co-produced this album. It's not all rockin' material, but if you're looking for some of that new Nashville-style Southern rock, this is a good album to check out.


Halfway To Hazard "Come On Time" (Picnic Hill Records, 2009)


Hillman Hall "One Pitcher Is Worth A Thousand Words" (Warner Brothers, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Marijohn Wilkin)

This is the lone album by Tom T. Hall's younger brother, Hillman Hall, a modestly talented but entirely likeable country singer as well as a fairly successful songwriter, mainly known for the early '70s hit, "Pass Me By," which was a big hit for Johnny Rodriguez. This album is packed with original material, including the misery-laden title track, and novelty numbers like "Celluloid Cowboy," "You Can't Fool A Country Music Fan," "Fair To Middlin' Lower Middle Class Plain Hard Working Man" and "The Good News She Loves Me (The Bad News She's Gone)," as well as his own version of "Pass Me By." The arrangements are slick but rock-solid studio stuff, earthy though understated mid-1970s hard-country, with plenty of fiddle, dobro and pedal steel... This one's a real hidden gem from an artist who (obviously) lived in his brother's shadow, but did good -- real good -- when he got his chance.



Tom T. Hall - see artist discography



Stuart Hamblen - see artist discography



George Hamilton IV - see artist discography


Hank Flamingo "Hank Flamingo" (Warner Brothers, 1994)
(Produced by James Stroud & Byron Gallimore)

Trent Summar's old band... Hard-edged, super-twangy, slightly manic stuff with electric guitars and a slashing country fiddle prominent in the mix, and an exaggerated nasal drawl in Summar's vocals that has a strong hint of Southern Rock and bar-band roots. It's a little too forceful and rock'n'roll for me, but it's nice that the Nashville establishment put some weight behind 2W3a record as rugged as this one. (Amazing, too, that it took so many years for Summar to get his second shot...!) The one song I really liked was the mellowest one, "Promised Land," and there's also a nice cover of the old George Jones hit, "White Lightning," although despite a promising title, the novelty song "Redneck Martians Stole My Baby" was disappointing. Folks who like rowdy, guitar-heavy good ole country might wanna check this out -- and if you're a fan of Trent Summar's New Row Mob records, then definitely give this a spin.


O. J. Hanssen "What's It Gonna Take" (Row Music, 2001)
A likeable Nashville also-ran, aspiring to hit the charts with this sleekly-produced, big-sounding album. Hanssen has an unusual voice which is used to great effect on the uptempo title song, and which can sometimes make him sound adrift inside the studio, particularly on slower, sappier numbers... Still, for fans of quirky-sounding country singers (think: Don Williams, Roger Miller, Hank Locklin...) Hanssen has a nice not-perfectness to offer, an everymannish quality that doesn't seem too strained or false. This record's not great, but it's better than a lot of what Nashville had to offer at the time...


O. J. Hanssen "Blessed" (IMI Records, 2007)


O. J. Hanssen "Just The Thought Of You" (IMI Records, 2007)


Jennifer Hanson "Jennifer Hanson" (Capitol Records, 2003)
Densely-produced, but fairly rootsy, rock-flavored Nashville country, with more than a nod or two towards roots-rock foremothers Rosanne Cash and Sheryl Crowe. Hanson's best on the upbeat numbers, and she's got several catchy tunes here that might get her into the Top Country stratosphere. I like "Half A Heart Tattoo," myself, though the ballads just don't fly. Her dad, by the way, played guitar in the Top Country supergroup, Alabama. Oh, and she was also voted Miss California, in 1994.... Who knew??


Jennifer Hanson "Thankful" (Universal South Records, 2008)



Arlene Harden - see artist discography



The Harden Trio - see artist discography



Gus Hardin - see artist discography



Linda Hargrove - see artist discography


Keith Harling "Write It In Stone" (MCA Records, 1998)
Okay commercial country -- smooth, croony tunes with an undercurrent of growly hard-country vocals. Harling is a so-so singer: he sounds warm and sincere, but he doesn't seem able to bring the lyrics to an emotional crescendo, and sometimes he flubs his phrasing. The production is classic punch-in studio work -- occasionally you can even hear the edits. Overall, though, this ain't bad... He sure isn't George Jones or Randy Travis, but it's kinda nice that he wants to be. Highlight: "There Goes The Neighborhood," in which our long-married hero dreads the coming of the perfect, cutesy young couple across the street, 'cuz the attentive, ardent boyfriend makes him and his beer belly look bad by comparison. Nice cover of the old Lefty Frizzell hit, "I Never Go Around Mirrors," too. Good for him.


Keith Harling "Bring It On" (MCA Records, 1999)
He may have jumped the gun on the wimping-down of his true country sound... Sure, that's what all the hat-act country dudes do: hard-country debut, followed by an album packed with sappy power ballads, tinkly keyboards and insufferably formulaic, overblown, cloying lyrics. That's all very well and fine if it sells, but it helps if you've established yourself as a big star first, though: here Harling just sounds like a big old cheeseball. Bummer: his debut showed some real promise.



Joni Harms - see artist discography



Emmylou Harris - see artist discography



Freddie Hart - see artist discography


J. Michael Harter "Unexpected Change" (Broken Bow Records, 2003)
A pretty weak release. All the production tricks and songwriting muscle that Nashville can muster aren't enough to overcome Harter's lackluster showing as a vocalist... The father-son nostalgia tune, "Hard Call To Make," is a standout, and is enough to merit lower-rung status in the Billboard charts, but on the whole this disc strikes me as a dud.


Hunter Hayes "Hunter Hayes" (Atlantic Records, 2011)
(Produced by Dann Huff & Hunter Hayes)

A child star who reemerged as a teen star, Hunter Hayes offers pure boy-bandish pop with a teensy bit of twang, just enough to questionably qualify as "country" although this blaring, shimmery, generic production could just as easily fill up airspace on pop channels. Pretty insipid, really. Irritating voice, too. It might not surprise you to learn that he was also in the Emerson Drive orbit, having written one of their hits, "Play," before landing a contract with Atlantic. Apparently he wrote all the songs and played all the instruments on this album, if that's the sort of thing that impresses you -- I find that it just increases the feeling of stylistic homogeneity and amplifies his own blandness and lack of originality. But maybe that's just me?


Wade Hayes "Old Enough To Know Better" (Columbia Records, 1994)
Oklahoma native Wade Hayes debuts with one of the most impressive neotrad albums of the 1990s... Even the songs that sound like they're gonna suck ("Kentucky Bluebird," for example) wind up more soulful and involving that we've any right to expect. There's some prefabby production, but for the most part, producer Don Cook (known for his work with the Mavericks and Brooks & Dunn) lets Hayes carry the tunes home, crooning in a low, growl that makes me wonder what Dale Watson would sound like if Nashville opened its doors and let him in. Merle Haggard comes to mind, too, and not just in a wishful-thinking kinda way either... Some of the poppier songs are pretty bogus ("What I Meant To Say...") but Hayes certainly appears as a versatile singer with a lot of promise... Only time will tell if he'll throw it away, the same way all those Nashville cats seem to... In the meantime, this one's worth picking up...


Wade Hayes "On A Good Night" (Columbia Records, 1996)
Another nice one! The opening strains, with slightly too-perfect production, make it seem like this album is going to be over-commercialized and icky, but Hayes wins you over right away... Mostly it's pretty catchy, hard country stuff, tempered with just enough of the Nashville pop formula to help things go down a little easier. Love that growly voice... He's not quite Alan Jackson, but the lad comes close!


Wade Hayes "When The Wrong One Loves You Right" (Columbia Records, 1998)
(Produced by Don Cook & Chick Raines)

He's still a superior vocalist, but the songs are starting to strain at the edges a bit, under the weight of encroaching Nashville-isms. There are a couple of okay uptempo numbers, like "Are We Having Fun Yet?" and "Tore Up From The Floor Up" and even some fairly effective power ballad weepers, like "This Is My Heart Talking Now" (which should have been a single, but wasn't). Still, it kinda feels like Hayes was in a rut; he's a good singer, but this album never really takes off or catches fire. An okay album, not great, but also not dismal.


Wade Hayes "Highways & Heartaches" (Sony/Monument Records, 2000)
Hmm. Sigh, even. Ronnie Dunn and Terry McBride step in to split the knob-twiddling chores with Hayes's longtime producer Don Cook, and the results are mixed. The opening tracks are way too by-the-numbers, on "Life After Loving You," Hayes seems to be struggling to be heard over the dense pop-tinged production; it's so tightly crafted that it's kinda hard to tell it apart from a Brooks & Dunn album. He takes back the album though, on a couple of more intimate numbers, Shawn Camp's "Goodbye Is The Wrong Way To Go" and a nice cover of Jim Lauderdale's "She Used To Say That To Me," and on some uptempo tunes that kinda remind me of Dwight Yoakam. Things fall apart on the glitzier pop-country numbers, but the old boy still seems to have life in him... This album tanked out on the charts, but I hope he bounces back with a good true-country album sometime soon.


Wade Hayes "Place To Turn Around" (Self-Released, 2010)


The Heartbeats "Freddie Hart Presents..." (Capitol Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by George Richey, Bob Morris & Steve Stone)

A "solo" album from the backing band of countrypolitan star Freddie Hart, who was still a force to be reckoned with on the Top Forty scene when this was made. The set is mostly instrumentals, packed with mellow versions of Hart's already-mellow hits; the band is predictably soft-edged, though for fans of the style, this could be nice, and easy on the ears. Bassist Glen Brodeur sings lead on "Missing You's A Hurtin' Thing," a song he co-wrote with lead guitarist B. Church. Similarly, rhythm guitarist Marc Chase gets a moment in the spotlight on a song he composed, the mopey "A Self-Portrait." The album also features three tunes composed by Bob Morris, one of the album's three producers... Nothing electrifying, really, but a good example of how these band albums really could reflect the overall sound of the stars they backed.


Heartland "I Loved Her First" (Lofton Creek Records, 2006)
(Produced by Walt Aldridge)

Not to be confused with the metal band of the same name, this Alabama-based country act is a slightly redneck-y version of popular ensemble groups such as Diamond Rio, Lonestar and Shenandoah... Their songs, many of which were provided by producer Walt Aldridge, trot through a variety of generic country-pop themes -- some are rompy-stompy rowdy tunes about small towns, dirt roads and back porches, scampish lads in "Boys Like Us," and snurfly love ballads such as "You" and "Play Hurt." Highlights include the Southern Rock nostalgia of "Freebird In A Firebird" and, to a lesser degree, "Judge A Man By The Woman." Nothing on here really catches fire, but I could see this band being chiseled on a bit more and crafted into a hitmaking machine... They have the formulaic content part down; now they need to take it up a notch or two. Worth checking out if you like the style.


Eric Heatherly "Swimming In Champagne" (Mercury Records-Nashville, 2000)
(Produced by Keith Stegall)


Eric Heatherly "Lower East Side Of Life" (Koch Records, 2005)
(Produced by Eric Heatherly)

Well, Heatherly seems to have pretty much given up on the country thing, in favor of a more mature, low-key, easygoing (yet world-weary) acoustic-based soft rock sound... Too bad: I kinda liked his remake of "Flowers On The Wall." But for those looking for sensitive singer-songwriter types, this disc might fill a certain void. Not catchy or rowdy enough for me, but don't let my personal limitations hold you back. A certain swath of Top Country fans will probably love this disc, for its soft, sensitive presentation.



Bobby Helms -- see artist profile


Ray Herndon "Livin' The Dream" (Rayman Records, 2004)
(Produced by Matt Hollings & Ray Herndon)

Guitarist-songwriter Ray Herndon has a swell-looking resume -- he worked for a bazillion years as the guitar picker in Lyle Lovett's band, then was in the semi-successful Nashville band, McBride & The Ride band... Here, on a solo outing packed with guest artists (Lovett, Clint Black, Sonya Isaacs and Jesse Colter are among his duet partners), he proves himself an amiable second-stringer. This disc didn't really catch fire as far as I was concerned, but it has its moments, as well as a sort of a down-home, underdog appeal.


Ty Herndon "What Mattered Most" (Epic Records, 1995)
(Produced by Doug Johnson)

Fairly generic neotraditional Nashville fare... He's okay: the arrangements are fairly vigorous, and his voice is nice and deep, the songs a little too perfectly crafted, but not horrendously so. This album is nothing super-special, though, and his cover of Jim Croce's "Don't Mess Around With Jim" is kinda pointless. But for one of those pretty boys, this ain't a bad debut.


Ty Herndon "Living In A Moment" (Sony Music, 1996)
(Produced by Doug Johnson)

This follow-up album, however, is super-bland and formulaic. Lifeless, even. That sure didn't take long.


Ty Herndon "Big Hopes" (Epic Records, 1998)
(Produced by Byron Gallimore & Doug Johnson)

A strong, solid release, at least for the slick pop-country field. Actually, some of these songs are really good; the lyrics to "A Man Holdin' On (To A Woman Lettin' Go)" are pretty striking, the sort of material George Jones or Waylon Jennings would have been proud to sing, back in the day. A couple of tracks drag on a little too long, but for the most part this is well-crafted, canny country-pop with a pleasant honkytonk vibe. Worth checking out, if you're looking for modern Nashville material that doesn't go totally overboard on the pop production.


Ty Herndon "Steam" (Epic Records, 1999)
(Produced by Joe Scaife & Jim Cotton)

It's really weird how variable this guy's records are. Here, working with producer Joe Scaife, Herndon teeters back into unlistenably ornate, glossed-out pop, and oversings almost every line. I guess he was in keeping with the too-slick style of the time, but it's a pity since he just sounds corny and overblown, whereas when he sticks to a true country vibe (as on albums 1 and 3), he sounds great. If you prefer traditional-sounding country, avoid this disc like the plague.


Ty Herndon "This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits" (Epic Records, 2002)
(Various producers)

Apparently, this was Herndon's swan song for the Sony label. They couldn't really figure out how to package him, and having buried his modest talents under an avalanche of high-tech studio silliness on the Steam album, cut him loose when it didn't quite fly. This set leans towards the glossier end of his work, but also includes "A Man Holdin' On (To A Woman Lettin' Go)," which is probably the best, most country, song he ever recorded. It also includes his tepid, pointless cover of "You Can Leave Your Hat On," and a bunch of other songs best left forgotten. Probably about as much of Herdon's work as any casual listener would need to hear...


Ty Herndon "Lies I Told Myself" (FUNL, 2013)
No big surprises on this indie release from '90s Top Forty singer Ty Herndon -- the songs are still bombastic, the production still generic and emotionally artificial. Sounds like he's getting a little long in the tooth, but he can still pull this stuff off. His fans'll be happy to hear him back in a saddle.


Highway 101 "Highway 101" (Warner Records, 1987)


Highway 101 "Highway 101, Volume Two" (Warner Records, 1988)


Highway 101 "Greatest Hits" (Warner Records, 1990)
This too-brief, 10 song best-of may be stingily programmed, but other than being kinda on the short side, it sure is good! Singer Paulette Carlson is the real deal, a rural, heartfelt honkytonker who really gets into her lyrics and who writes and picks some mighty fine material. Her song, "The Bed You Made For Me" is an old-fashioned weeper in the first degree, and the rest of this disc meets the high standard set by that early hit. She's joined by Cliffie Stone's son Curtis, and an able band with a real feel for country twang... The band plays with crispness and conviction, and cheerfully revels in revisiting the bouncy formulae of the past, particularly the low, ringing trucker-ific bass lines and doubled guitar lines of the early '70s. This is what "poppy" country oughta sound like... and it's definitely a keeper as far as I'm concerned!


Highway 101 "Bing Bang Boom" (Warner Records, 1991)
This was the first post-Paulette album, and they thank her in the liner notes for "her contribution" to the band... Unfortunately, they weren't able to replace her with a singer of equal caliber... Oh sure, on the romping, upbeat title track, which kicks the album off, it seems like it might just work... The new gal, Nikki Nelson, sounds like a slightly rowdy version of Rosanne Cash, and she plows through the song with gusto, riding on top of the wall 'o' sound production like a pro... But it soon becomes clear that neither she nor the guys in the band are completely on top of their game. Nelson can belt it out, but her phrasing is weak, and often she lets songs fall flat. The by-rote songwriting and musicianship don't help her much, either... The Highway crew may still be playing with plenty of twang, but not with much inspiration. This is okay, but it's also a little sad. some songs stand out, like "River Of Tears" and "Bing Bang Boom," but others are duds.


Highway 101 & Paulette Carlson "Reunited" (Willow Tree Records, 1996)
Hwy101's original singer, Paulette Carlson, left the band early on, and they started to coast off the charts after that... She rejoined them for this album, six years after they called it splits in 1990. It's a pretty good record, even if it didn't dent the charts. Carlson has an, um... odd voice, but she really carries most of these songs, and the band is right there behind her, playing a reasonably rootsy mix that recalls the Billy Sherrill countrypolitan formula at times, and at others just sounds like a plain old, pedal-steel happy country combo. It's definitely worth checking out, especially (but not only) if you were a fan of the band's original lineup.


Highway 101 "Big Sky" (Keytone Records, 2000)
Kinda rootsy, but also not entirely up to snuff. It's interesting to hear how once-big bands can slide sideways when the spotlight's no longer on them... Hwy101 got rootsier, but they didn't have a big budget, to the music sounds kinda thin. It's okay -- fans will want to check this out, but for non-fans, I'm not sure this would be a keeper. Lead singer Chrislynn Lee is okay; fans of Paulette Carson may find something to object about, but the formula hasn't really changed much...


Highwaymen "Highwayman" (Columbia Records, 1985)
(Produced by Chips Moman)

The first Highwaymen album, an outlaw-legends collaboration between Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, has the sluggishness of a celebrity vanity project, yet several songs stand out, approaching, if not fully attaining, the epic scale implied by such an all-star lineup. "Jim, I Wore A Tie Today" has a nice soulfulness to it; the revamped arrangement on Cash's chestnut, "Big River," is also kinda nice, while "Last Cowboy Song" and "The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over" ably capitalize on the mythic status of the august quartet. It's nice to see that the repertoire also includes material by Guy Clark ("Desperados Waiting For A Train") and Woody Guthrie ("Deportee"), although these are not superior versions of either song. Not a stunning album, but certainly worth checking out.


Highwaymen "Highwaymen II" (Columbia Records, 1990)


The Highwaymen "The Road Goes On Forever" (Capitol/Liberty, 1995/2005)
(Produced by Don Was)


The Highwaymen "The Road Goes On Forever (Tenth Year Anniversary)" (CD & DVD) (Capitol/Liberty Records, 1995/2005)
(Produced by Don Was)

Even though Don Was sat behind the console to produce this one, I gotta admit it's pretty darn good, and a punchier, more compelling work than the first two Highwaymen albums on Columbia. This kicks off with a good version of Steve Earle's "The Devil's Right Hand," then cruises into songs by Billy Joe Shaver, Dallas Frazier and a few tunes by the various fellers in the band. It's a pretty strong record, certainly worth checking out, even with a few clunky nods towards modern, Top-40 country production. The expanded 10th Anniversary edition includes a half-dozen outtakes from the original sessions. Most of these bonus tracks are, frankly, a little sketchy, but the first -- an acoustic demo of Cash singing "Live Forever" -- is positively electrifying, and Waylon's "I Ain't Song" is a fun shaggy-dog story about life behind-the-scenes in Nashville, a rollicking campfire song, complete with chortles and guffaws from his appreciative Highwaymen pals... While the other extras are kind of marginal, they also give a good sense of the cheerful, behind-the-scenes informality and collegiality the foursome shared... The expanded version also includes a new DVD that shows more of the making-of process, which will be thrilling to fans of any of these alt-country old-timers.


Highwaymen "Super Hits" (Columbia Records, 1999)
This best-of compacts the first two Highwaymen albums, doing a pretty good job of weeding out the weaker songs, although with only ten tracks, it does seem a bit stingy. Still, if you just wanna quick introduction to check this supergroup out, this disc will probably do the trick.


The Highwaymen "The Essential Highwaymen" (Columbia Legacy, 2010)
This 2-CD set not only collects songs from the official Highwaymen albums, but also key tracks from various solo works from Mssrs. Cash, Jennings, Kristofferson and Nelson, including a cut from the long-neglected soundtrack for The Songwriter, a low-rent feature film which featured Willie and Kris as rival country stars; it had several good songs on it that still haven't seen the digital light of day... until now. There are also solo tracks and fascinating duets from records dating back to the 1970s "outlaw" era, tracks that show the evolution of their professional and personal collaborations. These bonuses add an unexpected layer of depth to this extensive collection, making it a true retrospective of one of country music's great legendary supergroups. Recommended!



Faith Hill -- see artist profile



Goldie Hill -- see artist profile


Kim Hill "So Far So Good" (BNA Records, 1994)
(Produced by Wayne Kirkpatrick)

The country debut album of a singer who is better known for her work as a Christian pop singer... She has a very husky, unusual voice; she almost sounds like Lyle Lovett(!) This features ten songs written by producer Wayne Kirkpatrick; includes the song "Janie's Gone Fishin'," which hit #68 on the Country charts... The music is overproduced Nashville stuff, not really my cup of tea.



Chris Hillman - see artist discography


Russell Hitchcock "Tennessee: The Nashville Sessions" (Sony Music/Better Angels, 2011)
(Produced by Rob Rappaport)

If you want to see just how much common ground there really is between modern country ballads and 1970's AOR, check out these weepy, countrified sessions by the former lead singer of Air Supply: without changing too much of his tinkly, synthy keyboard-backed sound, Russell Hitchcock fits in perfectly with the more mellow, saccharine side of the current Nashville Top Forty. Another thing that hasn't changed that much is Hitchcock's voice, which is still robust and anguished, although his gray hair and a few crows feet around his eyes betray his age, the guy can still sing. This 2-CD set allows him to fully indulge his country side: if you like the style, no reason not to love this record.



Stan Hitchcock -- see artist profile



Becky Hobbs -- see artist profile


Kenny Holcomb "Blue Texas Sky" (Back Road Records, 2002)
(Produced by Kenny Holcomb & Mike Griffith)

Independently-produced country with would-be Top 40 leanings. Holcomb's vocals aren't very strong, but his heart seems in the right place. Sort of Jimmie Dale Gilmore-ish, although not quite as rootsy.


Greg Holland "Let Me Drive" (Warner Brothers, 1994)
(Produced by Mark Wright)

An interesting Nashville second-stringer who almost could've been another Mark Chesnutt or Joe Diffie, a honkytonker with a softened sound and an ability to amiably coast along on top of generic arrangements. The opening track, an uptempo neotrad honkytonker cowritten by Shawn Camp and Wayne Kemp, is a gleeful throwback to the days of simple-themed novelty songs ("Not Up To Feeling Down"), and while it's a little dopey, it's also pretty fun. Fairly quickly, though, things start to slide sideways as Holland bangs out some misguided slow, romantic numbers, stuff that he might not have the vocal chops to pulls off. He's good on the upbeat stuff, though, and the album's closer, "When I Come Back (I Wanna Be My Dog)" is a winner. This album didn't go anywhere, but that song is worth remembering.


Greg Holland "Exception To The Rule" (Elektra/Asylum Records, 1997)
(Produced by Don Cook)

This is a pretty weak follow-up to his first album. The songs alternate between clunky, brainless, guitar-heavy Southern rock and clumsy ballads, where Holland's limits as a singer become painfully apparent. Most of the songs are pretty lame, too, of a low calibre worthy of Billy Ray Cyrus; the exceptions being the soulful standard, "Old Weakness (Coming On Strong)," which Holland performs passably on, and "Only A Woman Knows," a sensitive-guy song about how it's the little things that count. "Only A Woman Knows" is the only song on here that Holland is credited as writing, and it's definitely an album highlight, although that still ain't saying much...


Ken Holloway "The Ordinary" (Brentwood Records, 1997)
Sort of a square peggish album, a rugged, Southern rock-tinged country gospel offering, sort of like if Travis Tritt had gotten all born again on us, but kept the rough edges in his guitars. Without overplaying the Jesus thing, Holloway's songs hearken back to simpler times, pining for the days when common sense and common decency were commonplace (or, as in the title track, "the ordinary"). He sneaks a few secular tunes in as well, and though this is an independently produced release, Holloway has a pretty big, professional sound. An interesting option for folks of the faith who don't necessarily enjoy having to listen to sappy-sounding, churchy gospel tunes.



Doyle Holly - see artist discography


Steve Holy "Blue Moon" (Curb Records, 2000)
(Produced by Wilbur C. Rimes)

This guy's okay, I guess... He's got a light, Roy Orbison-y voice, draped in often tinkly, sometimes rootsy arrangements. He tries to coast into Chris Isaak territory, and while he doesn't quite have the chops to pull it off, he comes close. As this sort of slick stuff goes, this ain't bad. Not my cup of tea, but I think that with a more vigorous sound behind him, Holy could stir things up a bit. The single, "Good Morning Beautiful," is sooper-sappy, though.


Steve Holy "Brand New Girlfriend" (Curb Records, 2007)


Steve Holy "Love Don't Run" (Curb Records, 2011)


Julianne Hough "Julianne Hough" (Mercury Nashville, 2008)
Actress and reality-show dance competitor Julianne Hough takes a stab at commercial country... Hey, why not? What harm could it do...? Oh, wait: you haven't actually heard this yet, have you? Typical cheesy, bombastic Nashville stuff. Nice voice, though.


Julianne Hough "Sounds Of The Season" (Mercury Nashville, 2008)


James House "James House" (MCA Records, 1989)


James House "Hard Times For An Honest Man" (MCA Records, 1990)


James House "Days Gone By" (Epic Records, 1995)


Randy Houser "Anything Goes" (Universal Records, 2008)
(Produced by Cliff Audretch III & Mark Wright)

Pretty generic stuff, with pop-tinged production typical of the era, and a mix of uptempo anthems and slower ballads, none of it too gooey or too gritty. The album's opener. "Boots On," is a disarming portrait of a just-plain folks kinda guy on the make at his local country bar; Houser plays the religion card on "Back To God," which translates a sort of generalized uneasiness about life into a call to "give this world back to God..." In general, I found this album too glossy and prefab; amid all the big production, Houser tends to over-sing and amp-up his vocals, when his strengths are better found in understatement. To be honest, a lot of it's pretty painful. He kinda chilled out on his next album and sounded more relaxed... be interesting to see where he takes things from there.


Randy Houser "They Call Me Cadillac" (Show Dog Records, 2010)
(Produced by Cliff Audretch III & Mark Wright)

A nice, unpretentious set of rough-edged, high-tech honky-tonk, with stylistic debts to folks like Hank Williams, Jr., Travis Tritt and John Anderson. Houser's music is miraculously clear of the current overproduction plaguing Nashville today... I mean, yeah, it's modern and has hints of what 21st Century neo-trad sounds like, but as far as the arrangements go, there's plenty of twang and steel, big thumping drums that sound like a real, live person in hitting the skins, a dash of roadhouse piano, but none of the grandiose orchestrations you'd hear on, say, a Tim McGraw album. It's a nice, believable, back-to-basics set that you might like if you're one of those folks who every now and then pulls out those old George Jones albums; like Jamey Johnson, Houser seems to be one of the few young guys in Nashville these days who's figured out how to do "old-school" and make it sound real. Worth checking out!


Randy Houser "How Country Feels" (Stoney Creek Records, 2013)
(Produced by Derek George)

Geez. I was willing to give this guy the benefit of the doubt on his last record -- not a great voice, but an amiable presence, and he sounded okay on twangy tunes. He's another victim of the Nashville Syndrome, though: after any initial success, it's mandatory to "go pop" and sing a bunch of ballads with big, lavish pop production, which really doesn't work for a guy like this. Houser's vulnerabilities as a singer are brought out in extreme focus, and it's kind of embarrassing, to be honest. I think if they'd stuck with the more simple honky-tonk stuff, he would have been fine. But this is kind of disastrous. Oh, well.



David Houston -- see artist profile



Harlan Howard -- see artist profile



Jan Howard -- see artist profile



Randy Howard - see artist discography


Rebecca Lynn Howard "Rocking The Country" (Addington Productions, 19--?)
I'm not sure about the provenance, but this appears to be a CD demo from a gal who took a whirl at the Top Forty during a particularly iffy time in the industry (see below.) I haven't heard this disc, but I am very curious.


Rebecca Lynn Howard "Rebecca Lynn Howard" (MCA Records, 2000)
(Produced by Mark Wright & Greg Droman)

An impressive debut, particularly considering that all but two of these songs were written or co-written by Howard herself, and that one of these songs, "I Don't Paint Myself Into Corners," went on to be a big hit for Trisha Yearwood a couple of years later. Rebecca Lynn's got kind of a chirpy tone that takes you back to old Tanya Tucker or Tammy Wynette records... She hasn't really arrived as a singer, but considering that she came into the public eye during one of the most outlandishly overproduced eras in country music history, she seems to have kept things relatively low-key. Not entirely my cup of tea, but it's not as garish or out-of-control pop as many of her contemporaries. At least her voice has a lot of twang to it.


Rebecca Lynn Howard "Forgive" (MCA Records, 2002)
(Produced by Trey Bruce, Steve Fishell & Mark Wright)

Super popped-out modern Nashville silliness. It's cool that Howard writes so many of the songs herself (about half the album), and that she seems to have some real roots under all the fluff, but the glitzy drum machines and synthetic string arrangements really get in the way of the rest of the record. This disc is just too cluttered and high on hi-tech production, so much so that when she sings it simple country, it sounds like she's making fun of the style. I'll pass.


Rebecca Lynn Howard "No Rules" (Saguaro Road Records, 2008)
(Produced by Michael Curtis)

Ms. Howard has had an interesting career -- she hit Nashville with a big splash, scoring two Grammy awards right off the bat, but she never seemed to make much traction against other high-tech divas of the Y2K era. After that she... just kind of fell off the radar. Every once in a while she'd appear singing harmony on someone's album, or contributing a track here and there on tribute albums and the like. These tracks were often rootsier and more restrained than her own solo albums, which had been caught up in the super-overproduced pop leanings of the late 1990s/early 2000s era. Now she's part of the contemporary flood of chewed-up-and-spat-out former Nashville chart-toppers who have given up on the Music City machine and decided to record for an indie label instead. Presumably this album, her first in six years, is more of a personal statement than her major label offerings, and it certainly presents a different side of her work. This disc opens on a surprising note, with several old-school R&B roots-blues tunes, with Howard belting it out like she was Tracy Nelson or Lou Ann Barton. When she slows it down and goes into a contemporary soul-pop mode, the first slow song was a gospel-tinged cover of Dan Penn's "Do Right Woman," and she slowly starts to sound a bit like Tina Turner, in her '80s pop incarnation. I wasn't into how most of this album sounds -- her song about open mic singalongs, "Sing 'Cause I Love To," is the most interesting piece for me -- but I think this is the kind of for-my-real-fans kind of album that will sincerely be cherished when the right group of folks get ahold of it. And, hey, if you're going indie, what more could you want?


Jedd Hughes "Transcontinental" (MCA Nashville, 2004)
(Produced by Terry McBride)

Well, I dunno. This guy, an Australian emigre who's been playing guitar for Patty Loveless, seems like an example of the "see what sticks" undercurrent that always runs under the Nashville mainstream... He's way too slick to shoot for the Americana audience, but he's not really twangy (or formulaic) enough to pass as a commercial country hat-act dude. Hughes has a fairly wimpy voice, and his songs are a little meandering, in a distinctly "adult contemporary" kinda way; in fact, on several sounds he sounds almost exactly like Jackson Browne. Not that I necessarily have anything against Jackson Browne, but since the Powers-That-Be are pushing Hughes as a Nashville chart artist, I guess I gotta give him the thumbs-down, as a neither-fish-nor-fowl poseur. It's not that I feel impelled to defend the Nashville-style musical assembly line -- indeed, a little innovation can do a lot of good -- but I'm also a little turned off by his songs themselves... they just don't seem very well structured, and lack any significant musical oompf to back it all up. His stuff just leaves me cold. Next.


Marcus Hummon "All In Good Time" (Columbia Records, 1995)
(Produced by Monroe Jones)

Blechh. A cloying, too-cutesy, too perky pop-country mix, with dips into saccharine, Bryan White-ish ballads and prefab pop hooks that audibly strain towards glory, and the occasional "rootsy" track that sounds like it was constructed from a kit. It's yucky and fake on just about every level and (amazingly!) it tanked in the charts, with just one track, "God's Country," cracking into the Top 100. Coulda just been a matter of timing: if this had come out a few years later, when bands like Rascal Flatts and Emerson Drive were riding high on the charts, it might have fit right in. As a songwriter, though Hummon has been quite successful, placing hits with folks such as Tim McGraw, the Dixie Chicks, ad Wynonna Judd. Still, this is an album you can probably live without.


Con Hunley "No Limit" (Warner Brothers, 1979)
(Produced by Norro Wilson)

Yawn. A marginal vocalist who apparently thought he was a country-soul love god... Between the flat delivery and the occasional disco arrangement here or there, this ain't much to write home about. Still, he landed a few mid-range hits with this one, falling just shy of the Top Ten. And I never knew that the R&B firebrand Buddy Johnson wrote "Since I Fell For You..." So you learn something new every day!


Con Hunley "I Don't Want To Lose You" (Warner Brothers, 1980)
(Produced by Norro Wilson)

A crooner with a cowboy hat, pianist Con Hunley is one of those hitmakers of yesteryear whose work has long since lapsed out of print, despite his having scored numerous Top Ten hits in the late 1970s and early '80s. He's also an artist that you have to question, "just how 'country' is he, really??" His swank romantic vocal style seems to have more in common with -- oh, I dunno -- Jerry Vale, or Robert Goulet, or maybe Ronnie Milsap than with just about any twangster you can think of. In technical terms, he does have a good voice and very warm, professional phrasing, but it ain't really all that rural. And it's not my kinda music, either... But fans of Kenny Rogers who are looking to expand their libraries might want to track down some of Hunley's old stuff; you might find a kindred spirit here... Otherwise, this is pretty scary.


Con Hunley "Don't It Break Your Heart" (Warner Brothers, 1980)
(Produced by Tom Collins)

This record was Hunley's commercial peak, containing the song, "What's New With You," which hit #11 on the charts, although he follows much the same formula as his other albums. Plenty more of his slow, sleepy, soul-ish ballads... However, on a couple of tracks he sings in a more plainspoken style and comes off as a decent country crooner... One of those songs, "They Never Lost You," squeaked into the Top 20, which was kinda nice. When Hunley gets all worked up about it, though, and tries to emote and get all bluesy, it sounds kinda silly. And cheesy. This is skippable, although there are a few tracks that are alright, in a Charlie Rich-ish way...


Con Hunley "Ask Any Woman" (Warner Brothers, 1981)


Con Hunley "Oh Girl" (Warner Brothers, 1982)


Con Hunley "Sweet Memories" (IMMI Records, 2004)


Con Hunley "The First Time: From Studio B" (IMMI Records, 2005)


Con Hunley "Shoot From The Heart" (IMMI Records, 2006)



Ferlin Husky - see artist discography


The Hutchens "Knock, Knock" (Atlantic Records, 1995)
(Produced by James Stroud)

Lightweight, but likable. Novelty-oriented, no-brainer "young country" that reminds me of old Moe Bandy, or maybe Sawyer Brown. They do best on the uptempo tunes, like the goofy title track; their ballads are a bit more iffy. Some nice harmonies, too.





Commercial Country Albums - Letter "I"



Hick Music Index



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