Eagles - see artist discography

Steve Earle - see artist discography

Mundo Earwood "Chapter One" (True Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jay Collier & Jack Logan)
Lone Star songsmith Mundo Earwood (1952-2014) was a Del Rio, Texas native who flirted with national fame for two decades, releasing his first single, "Behind Blue Eyes," in Nashville, way back in 1972. The song was a modest success, but became a huge hit back home in Houston. From 1972-89, Earwood placed almost two dozen songs on the Billboard Top 100, but even though he stuck to a more mainstream, non-outlaw sound, he never quite made it over the top and remained a local legend. Many of his songs that charted were only released as singles, with some such as "Behind Blue Eyes" being re-recorded for inclusion on his LPs.

Mundo Earwood "Heartspun" (GMC Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Jay Collier, Jack Logan & Mark Miller)
Rough going here. In fact, I'd go as far as to say Mundo Earwood was a little bit out in the wilderness on this one, hungry for a hit, but outside looking in. This album was recorded in several separate sessions, in Houston, Nashville and some small town in Louisiana, with a mix of studio musicians, though mostly identifiable Nashville pros. The problem is, it's just a big, gooey, sappy soft-pop mess -- one saccharine, slow vocal ballads after another, all with swelling, overwrought arrangements that make it all so much worse. The album includes Earwood's own "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" a #25 Country single which weirdly enough is not the same song as the 1975 Elvin Bishop mega-hit, as well as "Things I'd Do For You," which peaked at #18 and was his biggest Billboard entry. He also had a sissy-sounding song on here called "Philodendron," and even though it's terrible and he mis-pronounces the flower's name, I'm still tempted to forgive him, since Larry Hosford had already recorded a tune called "Ode To A Broken Coleus" (Guys were so sensitive back then!) Anyway, Earwood was clearly hoping to break into the wimpier side of the pop/country market and hit some sort of Don Williams-y sweet spot... but it was a truly terrible move to make. I mean, I guess it kind of worked on a career level, but he was so much better when he sang real country. Oh, well. Live and learn.

Mundo Earwood "Mundo Earwood" (Excelsior Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Jay Collier & Jim Wilson)
A solid set of commercial country music, early 'Eighties style, slick production but soulful singing. Naturally, the uptempo numbers are best, but even the goopy tunes are well-crafted and sometimes surprisingly satisfying, such as "Softer Place To Fall," a downtempo ballad with a pretty nice chorus. Clearly, Mundo Earwood was a veteran performer who knew hoe this stuff worked, and he had plenty of heavy-duty help backing him up: this was recorded at the Glaser Brothers studio in Nashville, with Tompall, Jim and Chuck Glaser all chiming in, as well as a jaw-dropping roster of guest harmonizers in the "Spur Of The Moment Singers," a fraternity that included Buddy Cannon, Larry Gatlin, Buzz Rabin, Mel Tillis and Larry John Wilson(!!) all in pretty circumspect, behind-the-scenes roles. The rest of the session crew is a mix of A-listers like Sonny Garrish, Hoot Hester and Fred Newell, alongside some lesser-known studio musicians... This definitely isn't an indiebilly set, but there are echoes of the breezy 'Seventies country-rock/AOR scene is several of the songs, and an overall sense of competence and confidence about this album. Not bad!

Sheena Easton "Singles Collection" (Capitol Records, 1993)
I am forced here to mention Scotland's Sheena Easton because her duet with Kenny (Sauron) Rogers, "We've Got Tonight" -- one of the most horrible songs ever recorded -- went to #1 on the Country charts in 1983. Other than that one aural abomination, this highlands lassie ain't much of a country phenomenon.

Connie Eaton - see artist discography

Skip Eaton "Free And Easy" (Tomorrow's Stars Records, 1991)
This was, I think, the lone solo album from songwriter Skip Eaton, who had a long journey to Nashville, starting out is a series of obscure rock groups, including the hippie-era band Northwall, which put out a live album in 1972 that featured "Skippy" Eaton on bass, guitar, keyboards and horns. He also led a late 'Seventies indie-twang/funky rock band with his brother Marc (strangely called The Eaton Brothers) which cut an album in 1977 that mostly featured original material credited to Skip Eaton. A few years later he was trying his luck in Nashville and recorded a string of early 'Eighties singles in duo called Skip & Linda, along with singer Linda Davis, who later became a solo star in her own right, recording several major-label artists as Linda Davis. This album came much later, delivering a set of glossy, tinkly-keyboard country-pop power ballads and mildly twanged-up rock numbers. Although clearly a hyper-commercial, top forty-oriented set, this has an under-polished feel, and was probably meant as a songwriter's demo more than a bid for actual chart action. Not sure what happened to Skip Eaton afterwards, but this appears to have been his only full-on top forty-style country record, and doesn't seem to worked as a calling card in Nashville. He appears to have been from Florida, and moved back there after his fling in Music City; Skip Eaton continued working as a weddings-anything musician, and was still posting info on Facebook about live gigs well into 2024.

John Eddie "Who The Hell Is John Eddie?" (Lost Highway Records, 2003)
(Produced by Jim Dickinson & John Hampton)
Although some of his roots-rockin' tunes are a little too slick and (would-be) commercial for me, this still-under-the radar John Haitt-like songwriter has some good tunes, stuff that'll draw you in, no matter how indier-than-thou you are. Some of these songs (including some of the fun ones) are clearly alt-y bait, like the scathing, scabrous, NSFW novelty numbers, "Sh*thole Bar" and "F**king Forty," which while they're fun the first time around, might outstay their welcome on repeat listens. Other songs, like "Lowlife" and "Play Some Skynyrd" are perhaps more durable. It's not all novelty material, either: there are some serious songs on here as well, though they tend to be really downcast and a little overproduced. Worth checking out, though. For sure.

(Hannah Blaylock &) Eden's Edge "Lights Of Home" (Boston Mountain Music, 2006)
(Produced by Dave Barton)
Before signing a major label deal in Nashville, the Arkansas-based band Eden's Edge was something of a southern gospel (or Christian country) group. Lead singer Hannah Blaylock initially released a solo set in 2005 which mixed secular and religious material, though this album -- which was the first to feature the Eden's Edge band name -- was almost entirely a gospel record. Included is a version of the song, "Christ Alone," which was also included on both their debut EP and the full album that followed. The group emerged from their regional roots after winning a talent contest sponsored by the CMT cable channel. They moved to Nashville and plugged away for years, landing a contract with Universal's country imprint, Big Machine Records, and even though they pursued more secular-minded themes, they also regularly inserted religious songs into their repertoire.

Eden's Edge "Eden's Edge" (EP) (Big Machine Records, 2011)
(Produced by Mark Bright)
An impressive debut -- even if it was just an EP -- by this talented trio from Arkansas. Lead singer Hannah Blaylock had a beautiful voice, not just technically strong, but expressive as well. She reminds me a bit of the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines: it sounds like there's someone at home in there, not just another country-pop singer going through the motions. Their repertoire was good, too... This EP closes with a beautiful a capella gospel number, "Christ Alone," which reflected their Christian music roots -- indeed, it's a little surprising they didn't pursue that as a post-Nashville career path. This disc produced a Top Twenty hit, "Amen," and the album that followed was an expansion of this EP, with four of the five songs migrating onto the full-length, although one track, "Swingin' Door" (co-written by Brent James and Ashley Monroe) only came out here.

Eden's Edge "Eden's Edge" (Full length) (Big Machine Records, 2012)
(Produced by Mark Bright & Dan Huff)
Sadly, Eden's Edge didn't make much traction in Nashville. Despite scoring a Top Twenty hit with their first single, "Amen," and landing a Top Thirty followup in "Too Good To Be True," they were dropped by their label and split up in 2013. Hannah Blaylock pursued a solo career, recording two albums, Bandit Queen and The Rise And Fall, several years later. Not sure what became of her erstwhile bandmates, Dean Berner and Cherrill Green.

Meredith Edwards "Reach" (Mercury Nashville, 2001)
(Produced by Richard Marx, Robin Wiley & Keith Stegall)
Bland, generic, Britney Spears-ish pop half-heartedly masquerading as Nashville 'mersh... Originally from Mississippi, the teenaged Edwards was apparently a protege of Lance Bass, of the pop band 'NSync, and this record shows how the apple doesn't fall far from the tree... Other than a little bit of tacked-on pedal steel, there isn't much that's "country" about this album... Nor is there much that's interesting. Edwards is a pretty weak singer -- she could do alright on one of those TV talent shows, but her clunky phrasing sinks her every time. Apparently the Nashville establishment agreed: despite the studio work of producers Keith Stegall, et al, this disc went nowhere on the charts. Good thing, too.

Stoney Edwards - see artist discography

Katrina Elam "Katrina Elam" (Universal South Records, 2004)
(Produced by Tony Brown & Jimmie Lee Sloas)
At the tender age of sixteen, Oklahoman Katrina Elam got her entry into Nashville as a published songwriter, and here on her full-length debut, the 22-year old wrote or co-wrote all but two of the songs; pretty impressive for a newcomer. I can't say I care much for her vocals -- too much soul-ish swooping and sexy cooing -- but she sure does have the current Nashville rock-pop formula down pat, complete with the bombastic, swelling orchestrations and wave after wave of electric guitars... I'm not into it, but it has the feel of something over-the-top enough that it might just go over really, really big. I'm sure Elam will go places, soon enough. (Postscript: I wrote that review when Elam was new on the scene... Turns out Music City politics mucked up her career as a performer... She's been very successful as a songwriter, but a second album, Turn It Up was shelved by her label, and she was dropped a couple of years later. Geez. Harsh.)

Katrina Elam "Turn Me Up" (Universal South Records, 2007)
(Produced by Tony Brown & Jimmie Lee Sloas)

Brett Eldredge "Bring You Back" (Atlantic Records, 2013)
(Produced by Brett Eldredge, Ross Copperman, Byron Gallimore & Scott Hendricks)
Illinois country crooner Brett Eldrege is, frankly, a little after my time, though I dutifully list him here since, after all, he has scored at least five #1 hits... and recorded a ton of Christmas songs! Apparently his first singles came out several years before this debut album, but that's not so unusual for someone working their way up the ladder.

Brett Eldredge "Illinois" (Atlantic Records, 2015)
(Produced by Brett Eldredge, Ross Copperman & Brad Crisler)

Brett Eldredge "Glow" (Atlantic Records, 2016)
(Produced by Rob Mounsel & Jay Newland)
A Christmas album...

Brett Eldredge "Brett Eldredge" (Atlantic Records, 2017)
(Produced by Brett Eldredge, Ross Copperman, Justin Niebank & Andy Skib)

Brett Eldredge "Sunday Drive" (Warner Records, 2020)
(Produced by Ian Fitchuk & Daniel Tashian)

Brett Eldredge "Mr. Christmas" (Atlantic Records, 2021)
(Produced by Rob Mounsey & Jay Newland)

Brett Eldredge "Songs About You" (Warner Music Nashville, 2022)
(Produced by Nathan Chapman, Dave Cobb, Jordan Reynolds & Mark Trussell)

The Eli Young Band "Eli Young Band" (Carnival Records, 2002)
(Produced by Ryan Rees & The Eli Young Band)
Just to clear things up at the start: there isn't some guy in this band named Eli Young, but rather two dudes, guitarist/singers Mike Eli and James Young, whose last names are portmanteau-ed together to come up with the band name. They met in college in Texas and started performing together as a duo before forming a full band. The opening tracks on this debut record -- "I'm In Love" and "When We Were Innocent" -- have plenty of roadhouse twang, and show why this band is considered an alt-country/red dirt outfit... Eli and Young grind away with energy and drive, and earnest bar-band intensity. But right away, they start to change course, and you hear hints of the Journey/Tommy Tutone/Dave Matthews rock-isms to come. If you want to check out the Eli Young Band's "country" roots, this is the album to shoot for... But if you're a twangfan, don't get your hopes up too high.

The Eli Young Band "Level" (Universal South/Carnival Records, 2005)
(Produced by Erik Herbst & J.J. Lester)
Although they have a home in the Country charts and a reputation on the jam-band circuit, the Eli Young Band seem pretty solidly soft-rock/pop to me, with more than a whiff of Dave Matthews, John Cougar Mellencamp and Journey in the mix. Lots of anthemic tunes tailor-made for waving lighters around in smoke-filled stadiums, peppered lightly with Panhandle/rural references, but basically not all that twangy and -- if you ask me -- not all that country. I don't get it. I mean, sure, whatever floats one's boat, but this just seems like bland, prefab rock to me, with a retro feel that hearkens back to the '80s and early '90s, which I guess now qualifies as "classic" rock sound, for what it's worth. Nothing on here that I'd ever need to go back to.

The Eli Young Band "Live At The Jolly Fox" (Carnival Records, 2006)
Do people really go for these guys? Guess so: you can hear plenty of 'em cheering and whooping and singing along on this concert album, which was recorded at the Jolly Fox nightclub in Huntsville, Texas. The live experience makes 'em seem even more Dave Matthews-y, which isn't high praise in my book. Mostly, it's WTF? for me, hearing fans sing along to the facile philosophizing on songs like "That's The Way," and also the way al the songs start to sound the same. Not a big bag of tricks here, but I guess that's not the point. This is one of those bands I'm probably better off not saying anything about, because it will only irritate their fans, and no one else really cares. I know I don't.

The Eli Young Band "Jet Black And Jealous" (Republic Records, 2008)
(Produced by Erik Herbst & Mike Wrucke)

The Eli Young Band "Life At Best" (Republic Records, 2011)
(Produced by Frank Liddell & Mike Wrucke)

The Eli Young Band "10,000 Towns" (Republic Records, 2014)
(Produced by Frank Liddell & Justin Niebank)

The Eli Young Band "Fingerprints" (Valory Music, 2017)
(Produced by Ross Copperman & Jeremy Stover)

The Eli Young Band "Love Talking" (Valory Music, 2022)
(Produced by Eric Arjes, Dann Huff & Jimmy Robbins)

Alecia Elliott "I'm Diggin' It" (MCA Records, 2000)
(Produced by Tony Brown & Jeff Teague)
An inoffensive but insubstantial mix of modern teen-pop and glossy contemporary country. Alabama-born Alecia Elliott doesn't have a great voice, and her penchant for untwangy, mid-tempo power ballads only serves to underline her shortcomings. The songs mostly seem like wordy, B-list material, with a few exceptions, such as Matraca Berg's "Some People Fall, Some People Fly," which has a strong thematic hook, and the bluesy title track, which allows Elliott to explore her superficial similarities to the young Tanya Tucker. Her mild snarl is undercut, though, by her nice-girl image, particularly on abstinence anthems such as her self-penned "You Wanna What?," which has the album's most vigorous guitar work, but is lyrically a little over-obvious and speaks to a limited audience. Overall, she strikes me as an artist who has potential, but still is pretty callow and too young to really bring much emotional resonance to her songs. Similarly, her phrasing needs time to grow, she seems pretty limited, and in particular she seems unable to transcend the confines of the stock country-pop arrangements that surround her. Here on her debut, Elliott doesn't even qualify as a second-stringer, and though I was interested to hear what she did later on, this proved to be her only album. Nashville. Tough town.

Darryl Ellis & Don Ellis "No Sir" (Epic Records, 1992)
(Produced by James Stroud)
Hailing from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, these brothers seem to have been pushed mainly as dreamy pretty boys -- jutting jaws, long, curly hair, dewy eyes, etc. -- tailormade for CMT videos, I'm sure. Unfortunately, they couldn't sing very well, and the arrangements behind them seem pretty flaccid and lax. It's not hard to understand why: if I were one of the studio players booked for these sessions, I wouldn't knock myself out, either. Why bother? (I mean, not to sound too harsh, or anything, but these guys were definitely no Everly Brothers... ) The title track, "No Sir," proved to be their highest-charting single, peaking at #58 on Billboard.

Darryl Ellis & Don Ellis "Day In The Sun" (Epic Records, 1993)
(Produced by Doug Johnson & Ed Seay)

Elmo & Patsy "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" (Epic Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Peter Brown & Gary Potterton)
Okay, so maybe they didn't actually have huge success on the Country charts, but who of us who were alive in the 'Eighties hasn't heard "Grandma Got Run Over" a time or two before? Longtime members of the California bluegrass scene, Elmo and Patsy Shropshire struck gold with this novelty number, which was everywhere for a while when it first came out. Apparently, the 1983 single was a different version than the one on this album... This is one weird Christmas record; Jack Morgan and Misty Morgan would be proud. (Note: Elmo & Patsy recorded several other albums, but they were pretty strictly folk/bluegrass outings. For more country Christmas music, check out my Hillbilly Holiday section.)

Scotty Emerick "The Coast Is Clear" (Dreamworks Records, 2003)
(Produced by Toby Keith & James Stroud)
The debut album from a Nashville songwriter most closely associated with Toby Keith, having penned several of Keith's #1 hits, as well as numerous other songs over several chart-topping albums. Apparently, they had a falling out: Emerick was signed to Keith's semi-indie Show Dog label, but never got a full album out, just a couple of singles. Amazingly, this was Emerick's only full album(!)

Scotty Emerick "Love Me Like My Dog" (2007)

Emerson Drive - see artist discography

Ralph Emery & Shotgun Red "Christmas Together" (Blossom Gap Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Ansley Fleetwood)
Radio DJ and television host Ralph Emery (1933-2022) was one of the most influential figures in the 1960s and '70s country landscape, building careers and boosting artists as a key cog in the Nashville machinery. He recorded a few singles himself, though only one, 1961's "Hello Fool," (an answer song to "Hello Walls") generated any real chart action. This holiday record features Emery singing a bunch of Christmas duets with his television "co-host," the cantankerous, whiskery puppet known as Shotgun Red... perhaps more of a keepsake album than a fireside singalong. The Shotgun Red puppet was later featured on a revival of the Hee Haw TV show, but you can hear him here in his full glory with his buddy Ralph... A romance for the ages. [Note: I suppose it's also worth mentioning that there are a also bazillion old radio transcription discs out there, with Ralph Emery interviewing various country stars -- Emery's syndicated radio show used to be distributed on 12-inch vinyl LPs, which were mailed directly to the radio stations, and many copies of these albums are still floating around today. I'm not going to list them all, or even try. Though Discogs catalogs a bunch of them.]

Ralph Emery & Shotgun Red "...Sing Songs For Children Of All Ages" (Ralph & Red Records, 1988)

Ralph Emery & Shotgun Red "Christmas With Ralph And Red" (RCA Records, 1989)
(Produced by Jerry Whitehurst)
There's a lot of overlap between the songs on this album and the holiday album Emery released five years earlier... I'm not sure if these are recycled tracks, or re-recordings. (PS - for more country Christmas music, check out my Hillbilly Holiday section.)

Emilio - see artist discography

Buddy Emmons - see artist discography

Ty England "Ty England" (RCA Records, 1995)
(Produced by Garth Fundis)
Oklahoma City native Ty England was a college buddy of future superstar Garth Brooks and played local shows with him down in Texahoma, back in the day. When Brooks made it to Nashville, he hired England to be his guitar player, a job he filled for over a half-dozen years before England set out to build a solo career. This album includes his biggest hit, "Should've Asked Her Faster," which peaked at #3 on the country charts, as well as a couple of followup singles which more or less tanked. Now, I've got nothing against Ty England, although his music strikes me as slick and generic in the extreme -- all tinkly pianos and overly-crafted, formulaic, factory-built lyrics, etc. Of course, this doesn't make him any better or any worse than any other other bland, basic "hat act" singers of the era, and there's no reason to think he should have done any better or any worse than the rest of his contemporaries... It's just there were an awful lot of those guys running around at the time. Still are. But, if country-pop's your thing and you enjoy Garth Brooks, you might also want to check out these records by his pal... England had a pleasant voice, and the music is exactly what you'd expect.

Ty England "Two Ways To Fall" (RCA Records, 1996)
(Produced by Byron Gallimore & James Stroud)
Alas, this album tanked, hard. There was one modest hit, "Irresistible You," which peaked at #22, but that was about it, and RCA dropped him. Tough. Town.

Tyler England "Highways And Dance Halls" (Capitol Records, 1999)
(Produced by Garth Brooks)
Oooh, so now he's "Tyler!" Fancy! (And actually, still not his real name, which was Gary Tyrone England...) Anyway, like so many Top Forty country singer before him, England picked himself up and dusted off his Stetson, then found a new label when things didn't work out the first time 'round. He signed with Capitol Records, which was the home of his old pal Garth Brooks, who produced these sessions. The album included a new version of "Should Have Asked Her Faster," as well as an early version of Bruce Robison's "Travelin' Soldier" (which I'd always thought of as a Gulf War song, though this version came out years earlier...) The album's main single, "I Drove Her to Dallas," was a dud by Nashville standards, and peaked at #53 on the Billboard charts, so you can guess how the rest of the story goes...

Ty England "Alive And Well And Livin' The Dream" (Triple T Records, 2007)
(Produced by Ty England, Craig Alvin, Tim Condict & Tim Russell)
When in doubt, go indie.

Robin English "Sampler" (Columbia Records, 2001)
(Produced by Robin English, Kyle Lehning, George Massenburg, Kim Patton-Johnson & Paul Worley)
A five-song EP capping off Texas songwriter Robin English's brief stint on Columbia Records. One track, "Girl In Love," was a Top Ten hit, but for whatever reasons, the label dropped her and probably put this disc out as a contractual obligation. Mean. [Nore: Discogs also lists a preview disc ("Mixes") with more tracks from these same sessions, which was probably an internal reference record for the label's producers, but apparently escaped into the wild.]

Robin English "Hello Me" (Global Row Records, 2004)
(Produced by Robin English)
'Way back in 2001, Texas gal Robin English had an flash-in-the-pan hit single, "Girl In Love," which hit #10 on the charts though she then apparently she parted ways with her label at the time (Columbia), reemerging a few years later with this indie album, which she has since re-jiggered a couple of times to try and hit the right formula... Not sure what the whole story is, but folks who like rootsier-than-usual mainstream twang might want to check her out... All but two of the songs are her own originals.

Robin English "Robin English" (Aspirion Records, 2006)
Five of the songs on here originally appeared on 2004's Hello Me, including the song that seems to be her anthem, "Cotton Field Girl." In turn, all of the tracks on this album are reprised on the indie-again Velvet-Covered Brick album, below. There's some nice stuff, but be careful not to get the same material over and over again if you liked what you heard the first time around. Anyhoo, either version of this record would probably be fine. (Though I think if it was me, I would have made new album art for this "new" album. Just sayin'.)

Robin English "Velvet-Covered Brick" (2007)
An intriguing mixed bag. This disc opens with a bluesy, rootsy number called "Cotton Field Girl" that has a swampy feel worthy of old, classic Tony Joe White. After that, she leaps into some perky, generic pop-country fluff, and then into a few anguished ballads. She gets back to twang with a cheeky spoof of Willie and Waylon, "Mamas Don't Let Your Cowboys Grow Up To Be Babies," and closes with an aggressively popped-up radio remix of "Cotton Field Girl." There's an interesting mix of roots and Nashville savvy here, hinting at a Lee Ann Womack-like approach... Worth checking out if you go for both mainstream and indie-ish material.

Ethel & The Shameless Hussies "Born To Burn" (MCA Records, 1988)
(Produced by Jimmy Bowen)
Rollicking, rowdy country novelty songs, often expressing a female viewpoint... Lead singer Kacey Jones went on to make a career out of this sort of thing, carving out a comedy niche that's kept her going for years.

Evangeline "Evangeline" (MCA/Margaritaville Records, 1992)
(Produced by Justin Niebank)
An all-gal band from Louisiana, with a somewhat simplistic musical sound, tending towards perky, upbeat material with group harmonies, or slower songs with individual bandmembers taking lead on different songs. One has a voice kind of like Linda Ronstadt; another has a bluesier approach, and delivers a clunky cover of Jesse Winchester's "Rumba Man." Odder still is an almost-liturgical rendition of the roots reggae oldie, "Rivers Of Babylon." Some songs have a cajun flavor to 'em, but mostly this is fairly bland, commercially-oriented material that never really found an audience. Apparently Jimmy Buffett was their patron, and is listed in the liner notes as the album's executive producer.

Evangeline "French Quarter Moon" (MCA/Margaritaville Records, 1993)
(Produced by Justin Niebank & Michael Utley)
An exceedingly dreary album. This includes their lone chart single, the cajun-flavored "Let's Go Spend Your Money Honey," an uptempo tune that's okay, but underwhelming, and peaked at #70. The rest of the record is pretty terrible... Some of it has a slightly alt-y, Lucinda Williams-ish feel, but the production is so generic it's hard to connect with any of it.

Sara Evans - see artist discography

Leon Everette - see artist discography

The Everly Brothers - see artist discography

EWB "We Could Go On Forever" (Paid Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Gerald Bennett, Jerrell Elliott & Richard Wesley)
The Texas trio of Jerrell Elliott, Richard Wesley, Gerald Bennett had a very odd career path, and a pretty quirky sound... Best known for an early 'Seventies novelty song about a notorious alien abduction/UFO story ("Zeta Reticuli") they were really more of a "locals only" indie band, although this album's title track actually did scrape into the Top 100... though just barely, peaking at #96. All the songs on this album were composed by Jerrell Elliott.

Skip Ewing - see artist discography

Exile "Greatest Hits" (Epic Records, 1986)
(Produced by Buddy Killen)
Well, yes, they actually are the same band from Richmond, Kentucky who had a huge pop hit in 1978 with "Kiss You All Over," a synth-heavy, whispered ditty that had kind of a mysterious, alluring, super-creepy air about it... But then they went country and landed a slew of #1 hits in the early '80s, none of which are particularly interesting, looking back at it now. Ostensibly, they were a vocal harmony band, along the lines of Alabama or the Bellamy Brothers, except that the harmonies don't really provide much contrast to lead singer J.P. Pennington's throaty vocals. It's radio friendly, but insubstantial. The farther they went along, the more willing they were to indulge in tacky pop modernizations, and on songs like "Hang On To Your Heart" or the reggae-tinged "I Could Get Used To You," discerning country fans will find themselves suffering immensely. This is a handy 10-song look back at their biggest hits, but it's not a record that I, personally, ever need to revisit. Worth noting, I suppose, that singer Mark Gray was one of the band's lead singers while they were still considered a pop band, though he left in 1982 to establish his own solo career as a top forty (insert air quotes) country (end air quotes) singer.

Exile "Exile" (Epic Records, 1983) (LP)

Exile "Kentucky Hearts" (Epic Records, 1984)

Exile "Hang On To Your Heart" (Epic Records, 1985)

Exile "Shelter From The Night" (Epic Records, 1987)

Exile "Still Standing" (Arista Records, 1990)

Exile "Justice" (Arista Records, 1991)

Exile "Latest & Greatest" (Intersound, 1995)

Exile "Exile/Hang On To Your Heart" (Collectables Records, 1999)

Exile "Kentucky Hearts/Shelter From The Night" (Collectables Records, 1999)

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Hick Music Index

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