The Hagers "The Hagers" (Capitol Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Nelson)
Identical twins Jim Hagers (1941-2008) and John Hagers (1941-2009) were proteges of Buck Owens and regulars on his Hee Haw TV show. Born in Chicago, they were working on the Southern California folk circuit in the late 1960s when Owens recruited them for the show. He also landed 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 modest 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/Various Artists "Live In Scandanavia" (Capitol Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Earl Ball, Erik Botolfsen & Rolf Syversen)
Originally only released in Norway, this live set resurfaced decades later as a reissue on Sundazed Records. It's the Buck Owens road show -- including the Hager twins -- performing in Oslo back in April, 1970, as part of a tour in Scandinavia. The set includes Buck Owens and Don Rich at the helm, along with the Buddy Alan, The Buckaroos and the Hagers, in various configurations.

The Hagers "Two Hagers Are Better Than One" (Capitol Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Nelson & Lee Furr)

The Hagers "Motherhood, Apple Pie And The Flag" (Capitol Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Earl Ball)
Despite the evocative album title, this is not all patriotic material, mostly more cover songs, though the title track (written by Dennis Knutson) does have patriotic themes... Otherwise, it's all standard country stuff, including their versions of oldies such as "Break My Mind, "Four Strong Winds," "Silver Threads And Golden Needles," Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever," and whatnot. The set also includes a Lee Dresser song, "Back Out On The Road Again."

The Hagers "Music On The Country Side" (Barnaby Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Ken Mansfield)

The Hagers "The Hagers" (Elektra Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Mike Curb & Michael Lloyd)

The Hagers "The Hagers" (Mumford Music, 1986)
(Produced by Pete Bordonali, Giles Godard, Glen Rose & Lynn Peterzell)

The Hagers "Hagers" (Mumford Music, 1986)

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

The Hagers "The Complete Capitol Albums" (Omnivore Recordings, 2022)
I suppose it would be churlish of me to call this one of the more unnecessary digital-era reissues ever... Mean spirited, even. This 30-song set gathers all the tracks from three(!) of their early 'Seventies Capitol albums: The Hagers (1970), Two Hagers Are Better Than One (1970), and 1971's Motherhood, Apple Pie, And The Flag. Don't say I didn't warn you!

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, his lone solo 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 solid record -- it's glossy and formulaic (look who produced it) but given the times also relatively rootsy. Noel has a rich 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, 2000)

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

Marty Haggard "Driftwood" (2009)

Marty Haggard "A Tribute To Merle Haggard, My Dad" (2010)

Marty Haggard "A Tribute To Merle Haggard, My Dad, v.2" (2011)

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. And, yes, they were actually from Hazard, Kentucky.

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, Gene Rice & Mark Tulbert)
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. [By the way, Tom T.'s other brother, Jack Hall, also recorded at least one album, and though it didn't break into the country charts, it was produced by Hillman Hall!]

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 everyman-ish 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)
(Produced by Jennifer Hanson, Greg Droman, Denise Jarvis & Todd Gunnerson)
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)
(Produced by Jennifer Hanson & Nick Brophy)

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. Apparently these were his only two albums....

Joni Harms - see artist discography

Emmylou Harris - see artist discography

Stewart Harris "Sing Me A Rainbow" (Mercury Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Kennedy & Tom Sparkman)
Florid, elegant countrypolitan/AOR ballads, much of it with a distinctly John Denver-ish feel, as well as a Glen Campbell-"Rhinestone Cowboy" vibe. All the songs were penned by Stewart Harris, who I guess was making a go of it as a songwriter in Nashville. Jerry Reed contributes a short blurb on the back cover and I imagine he had recorded some of Harris' material around this time. This disc sounds uniformly gooey and sugary, with plenty of soft-rock keyboards and lilting string arrangements. If you like that kinda stuff, this is probably a real find. Rough-edged twangfans need not track this one down, though. Well produced and very much of its time, although apparently nothing charted.

Freddie Hart - see artist discography

James Michael Harter "Chances" (Self-Released, 1998)
(Produced by Billy Williams)
Originally from Tempe, Arizona, singer James Michael Harter self-released this debut album using his full first name, but shorted it from "James" to the hipper, more mysterious-sounding "J" after he hit Nashville. This was recorded with a bunch of local Arizona musicians -- mostly folks whose names I don't recognize -- although his major-label debut (of course) featured a bunch of Music City usual suspects. Feel free to compare and contrast.

J. Michael Harter "Unexpected Change" (Broken Bow Records, 2003)
(Produced by J. Michael Harter, John Guess & Blake Mevis)
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 was enough to merit lower-rung status in the Billboard charts, but on the whole this disc strikes me as a dud.

J. Michael Harter "Rise On" (Anozira Records, 2014)
(Produced by Scott Harter & Matt McClure)

J. Michael Harter "Arizona" (Anozira Records, 2017)
(Produced by Scott Harter & Bobby Holland)

The Harters "Family. Love. Harmony." (Bigger Picture Records, 2009)
(Produced by Keith Stegall)
At some point in his post-Nashville career, J. Michael Harter went back to Nashville and cut an album with a family band, along with Leslie and Scott Harter, recorded at producer Keith Stegall's semi-indie Bigger Picture label. I'm not sure how well this did commercially, but I like the company they were keeping!

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)
(Produced by Don Cook & Chick Rains)
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)
(Produced by Don Cook & Chick Rains)
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, Scott Johnson & 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 And Heartaches" (Sony/Monument Records, 2000)
(Produced by Don Cook, Ronnie Dunn & Terry McBride)
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)
(Produced by Mike Bradley, Bart Busch & Luke Wooten)

Wade Hayes "Go Live Your Life" (Conabor Records, 2015)

Wade Hayes "Old Country Song" (Conabor Records, 2017)
(Produced by Wade Hayes & Dave McAfee)

Wade Hayes "Old Country Still Rocks" (Conabor Records, 2023)
(Produced by Wade Hayes & Lonnie Wilson)

Roy Head "In Our Room" (Elektra Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Bowen & Ron Treat)
An absolutely dreadful pop-country set from ex-rocker Roy Head. This schmaltzy, overproduced, goopy set is emblematic of the worst, most clueless elements of the Top Forty country scene in the height of the disco era... Like, how did thy think that any of this stuff was going to be commercially appealing at all? There are some interesting songwriters who were on board -- Dennis Linde contributes a few tunes, as does Dennis William Wilson -- but the musical backing is just so dispassionate and monotonous, and Roy Head's vocals are so desperately and overly emphatic, that nothing connects on a emotional level. Were they trying to have him sound like Kenny Rogers? Like Merle Haggard? Like Neil Diamond? Well, yes, maybe they were.

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. This was the band's only full album.

Eric Heatherly "Swimming In Champagne" (Mercury Records-Nashville, 2000)
(Produced by Keith Stegall)
There is some sheen of neo-trad twang cast upon Chattanooga native Eric Heatherly, especially with Keith Stegall helming the sessions. The effect is sort of like an ersatz Tony Brown sound -- bright and punchy, though in Heatherly's case, more than a little pre-fab. When I first heard this one, I thought it was "pretty good for Top Country" though years later I revisited it and decided it was entirely vapid and hollow. The album's lone hit was a cover of the great old Statler Brothers classic, "Flowers On The Wall," which also seems like a good idea at the time, but like the entire album, it wilts upon reexamination. Especially when compared to the original. The song peaked at #6 on the charts, followed by a couple of other singles that did less well. He apparently recorded another album for Mercury, though it was shelved during a corporate restructure and Heatherly was dropped by the label. His next major label contract was similarly disappointing, and when Heatherly resurfaced as an indie artist, he seems to have shifted away from country material towards more of a rock persona, though he remained seen as a "country" artist.

Eric Heatherly "Sometimes It's Just Your Time" (Dreamworks Records, 2002)
(Produced by Eric Heatherly & James Stroud)
And, I guess, sometimes it's not. This album, on a new label, was apparently shelved as well, despite some high-level talent being lined up, including producer James Stroud. No idea why. Like many of these canceled albums, though, promo copies do exist in the wild. (Not so sure this is true of his second Mercury album, which seems to have evaporated into the corporate void...)

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.

Eric Heatherly "2 High 2 Cry" (AGR Television Records, 2010)
This one was apparently only released in Europe, on a German sub-label of Universal Music. No idea what's going on there. Definitely more of a rocker vibe on this one as well.

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... Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, 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 (Lyle 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. A shame it was his only big solo outing.

Ty Herndon "What Mattered Most" (Epic Records, 1995)
(Produced by Doug Johnson)
Fairly generic neo-traditional Nashville fare... Not bad, but not great. Ty Herndon grew up in Mississippi, but had been orbiting around Nashville for a while before this debut disc came out. In the 1980s was in an early version of the band that became Diamond Rio, but went solo before they broke through, and made his name as a contestant on the TV talent contest, Star Search. Anyway, he sounds okay and the arrangements are fairly vigorous, though while Herndon's 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)
(Produced by Paul Worley)
One of the most successful of the 1980s "young country" neo-trad bands to make it out of LA, and one of my favorite pop-twang bands of the era, Highway 101 was named after California's fabled coastal highway, and they were equally steeped in the West Coast vibe. The band was started by three LA studio musicians, lead guitarist Jack Daniels, drummer/lead singer Cactus Moser and bass player Curtis Stone, who was himself sort of Southern California country music royalty, being one of the sons of legendary hillbilly bandleader, music publisher and producer Cliffie Stone. Moser and Stone had been working together for a while, and the band's original lineup gelled in 1986 with the addition of gal singer Paulette Carlson, who had released a few modest singles a couple of years before. The group's first album -- this gem -- was a hotbed of hits, with two chart-toppers, "Cry, Cry, Cry" and the Rodney Crowell-penned "Somewhere Tonight," as well as a couple of other Top Five hits. Most importantly, though, the album itself was a much-welcome infusion of bright, uncomplicated, unpretentious, joyful twang, with a punchy directness not unlike the opening salvos being offered by Dwight Yoakam around the same time. Sure, it's kinda prefab, but it a good way. Recommended!

Highway 101 "Highway 101, Volume Two" (Warner Records, 1988)
(Produced by Ed Seay & Paul Worley)

Highway 101 "Paint The Town" (Warner Records, 1989)
(Produced by Ed Seay & Paul Worley)

Highway 101 "Greatest Hits" (Warner Records, 1990)
(Produced by Ed Seay & Paul Worley)
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)
(Produced by Ed Seay & Paul Worley)
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 quite 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 "The New Frontier" (Liberty Records, 1993)
(Produced by Chuck Howard, Cactus Moser & Curtis Stone)

Highway 101 & Paulette Carlson "Reunited" (Willow Tree Records, 1996)
(Produced by Larry Butler, Ed Seay & Paul Worley)
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" (Navarre/Keytone Records, 2000)
(Produced by Cactus Moser, Curtis Stone & Charlie White)
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. The new 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. By the way, he has a couple fo other solo albums; they are not country.

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 Georgia-born honkytonker with a softened sound and an ability to amiably coast along on top of generic arrangements. The opening track is an uptempo neotrad honkytonker cowritten by Shawn Camp and Wayne Kemp, 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 (and was a minor, back forty, success as a single). 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... Nothing charted off here, and this proved to be his last major label release.

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)
(Produced by Mike Curb, Doug Johnson, Michael Lloyd & Lee Miller)

Steve Holy "Love Don't Run" (Curb Records, 2011)
Don't it, though...?

Steve Holy "A Christmas To Remember" (Thrill Hill Records, 2021)

Julianne Hough "Julianne Hough" (Mercury Nashville, 2008)
(Produced by David Malloy & Jeff Balding)
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)
An eight-song Christmas set, including an instrumental track called "Sounds Of Christmas," and a spoken word bit of "Christmas Memories (Julianne Shares Her Christmas Memories)." On the other hand, you can also hear her singing standards like "Santa Baby," "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," as well as a medley track that's a duet with country-pop crooner Phil Vassar.

James House "James House" (Atlantic Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by James House, Gary Katz & George Tutko)
A rock album, though worth keeping track of given his later work as a country neotradder... In the late 1970s, James House fronted a pop band from Sacramento, California called Prisoner, which was signed to Warner Brothers and cut a few singles before they fizzled out... He regrouped and tried a solo career, still in the pop/rock arena, and still not that successful. So, back to the drawing board. He managed a third act at decade's end, successfully refashioning himself as a neotrad country popster, as heard on the albums below...

James House "James House" (MCA Records, 1989)
(Produced by Tony Brown)
His (country) debut disc found James House benefiting from solid neotrad production by Tony Brown, with a backing band that included Richard Bennett, Glen D. Hardin on piano, and steel guitar courtesy of Paul Franklin. There were better dudes doing the same stuff -- Lionel Cartwright, Rodney Crowell, Marty Stuart, et. al. -- but this is a decent disc for the style. He certainly hits a lot of familiar notes: loping, uptempo soft-honkytonk dance numbers, 'Fifties-retro pop ballads, ala Chris Isaak, and goopy Nashville crooning. The power ballads are almost uniformly dreadful, but the more rootsy stuff sounds fine. This album seems largely aimed at presenting House as a songwriter -- everything on Side One was his own original material -- but he wound up doing fairly well as a performer during the early 'Nineties scene, even scoring a Top Ten hit towards the end of his run. After a while, his limitations as a singer start coming through (a little low energy) but this is still worth a spin

James House "Hard Times For An Honest Man" (MCA Records, 1990)
(Produced by Tony Brown)

James House "Days Gone By" (Epic Records, 1995)
(Produced by Don Cook)
This album yielded James House's biggest chart hit, "This Is Me Missing You," which peaked at #6 in Billboard, though apparently that wasn't enough to keep him going. Though dropped as a chart artist, House continued along with a successful songwriting career, penning material for folks like Steve Azar, Steve Holy, The Mavericks, and Martina McBride: her version of his song, "A Broken Wing" topped the charts in the fall of 1997.

James House "On This Christmas Night" (Friday Records, 2008)

James House "Broken Glass Twisted Steel" (Victor House Records, 2014)

James House "Songwriters Serenade" (Victor House Records, 2015)

James House "Berwick Street" (Victor House Records, 2017)
(Produced by James House)

James House "James House And The Blues Cowboys" (Victor House Records, 2018)
(Produced by James House)

Randy Houser "Anything Goes" (Universal Records, 2008)
(Produced by Cliff Audretch III & Mark Wright)
Pretty generic stuff from this Mississippi lad, packed 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.

Randy Houser "Fired Up" (Stoney Creek Records, 2016)
(Produced by Derek George)

Randy Houser "Magnolia" (Stoney Creek Records, 2019)
(Produced by Randy Houser & Keith Gattis)

Randy Houser "Note To Self" (Empire Records, 2022)

David Houston -- see artist profile

Chuck Howard "Chuck Howard" (Cream Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Barnes & Hal Winn)
Debuting as a rock'n'roll producer in the Kennedy era, Kentucky-born Edward Charles ("Chuck") Howard took a tilt towards country music in his later years, recording this album of his own original material, recorded in LA with kind of a random, hodge-podgy studio crew. It's actually more of a would-be white-funk record, with echoes of Tony Joe White and, perhaps more embarrassingly, Barry White, although there are also traces of country and roadhouse rock... He really goes whole-hog into blues-soul territory on "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right," a wailing duet with Lamita Johnson, an otherwise mysterious and unknown backup singer, and overall he seems to have been aiming for a Muscle Shoals roots-soul vibe. Perhaps the most notable sideman was SoCal session guitarist Jerry Cole, as well as some guy who played with Captain Beefheart, etc. Some of it's kind of florid and poppy, though as noted on the back cover, Howard had some of his stuff recorded by Merle Haggard -- several songs, actually, most notably including "I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall," as well as "Walk On The Outside," and (posthumously) "The Show's Almost Over." Chuck Howard died quite young -- not sure why -- though his son, Chuck Howard, Jr., also went into the music business and was a fairly prolific record producer himself... As far a I know this was Mr. Howard's only full album.

Harlan Howard -- see artist profile

Jan Howard -- see artist profile

Randy Howard - see artist discography

Rebecca Lynn Howard "Rocking The Country" (Addington Productions, 1994)
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. This was recorded at Addington Productions, a local, indie studio in her home state of Kentucky... Not sure who the backing musicians were, though there are some intriguing composer credits. Rebecca Lynn Howard wrote or co-wrote only two of these songs, though there are a couple of songs credited to John Jarrad and most intriguing, two from Linda Buell, a country gal who self-released a couple of private press albums in the late 'seventies/early 'Eighties, and at some point seems to have reemerged as a Nashville staff writer. Small world!

Rebecca Lynn Howard "RLH" (Rising Tide Records, 1998)
(Produced by Steve Fishell)
An unreleased album which escaped into the wild as a promo CD, though it was ultimately shelved by the label. Four of these songs (all co-written by Howard) popped up elsewhere -- three tracks appeared on her official, self-titled debut album in 2000, while one other, "Dancin' In God's Country," was sequenced in the initial version of that album (another promo-only release) but stayed in the can until 2002, when it was included on the Forgive album. Nashville went a little nutty for a while there, when they realized they could pump out CDs and CDRs at will, and let the while "official release" concept slip a bit, hence all these random, no-art promotional discs. If you're a big Rebecca Lynn Howard fan, I suppose it could worth tracking this one down -- there are a bunch of other songs on here that got left by the wayside.

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?

Tyler Hubbard "Tyler Hubbard" (EMI Records Nashville, 2023)
(Produced by Tyler Hubbard, Drew Bollman, Jesse Frasure & Jordan Schmidt)
A solo set by one half of the Florida Georgia Line duo, which broke up in 2022. His erstwhile partner Brian Kelley also started recording solo... just FYI.

Tyler Hubbard "Strong" (EMI Records Nashville, 2024)
(Produced by Tyler Hubbard & Jordan Schmidt)

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) (LP)
(Produced by Norro Wilson)
Yawn. The debut album from 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! [Note: Although listed under the title No Limit, that phrase only appears on the inner label, not on the outer jacket, or in any of the song titles.

Con Hunley "I Don't Want To Lose You" (Warner Brothers, 1980) (LP)
(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) (LP)
(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) (LP)

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

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 & Julian King)
Lightweight, but likable. Novelty-oriented, no-brainer "young country" that reminds me of old Moe Bandy, or maybe Sawyer Brown. Brothers Barry, Bill and Bryan Hutchens do best on the uptempo tunes, like the goofy title track, though their ballads are a bit more iffy. Some nice harmonies, too. As far as I know, this was their only album, although all three also recorded with the southern gospel group The Dominions for at least one album, before this fling at Top Forty fame.

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Hick Music Index

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