Frank Ifield "The Best Of Frank Ifield" (Curb Records, 1991)
British pop-country crooner Frank Ifield (1937-2024) was born in England though he started his musical career while living in Australia. He landed a big Stateside hit in 1962 with "I Remember You," but in the final analysis there wasn't much to differentiate him from the legions of clean-cut vocalists who crowded the American charts in the early 'Sixties, when the music industry was doing its best to pretend that rock'n'roll ('50s style) was dead and gone. Which is to say, this is cornball material, emulating goopy pseudo-billy from the likes of Marty Robbins, Sonny James and Eddy Arnold... and while those guys had their moments, Ifield offered the palest imitation of their work. This is schmaltzy and nostalgia-drenched, but it ain't nothing to write home about.

Frank Ifield "The Yodelling Cowboy Years" (Jasmine Records, 2006)
An intriguing archival release, gathering Frank Ifield's earliest recordings, made while he was building his career in the relatively small Australian market. Ifield's parents were Aussies who moved to the UK for work in the 1930s, but returned home in 1948, eventually settling down near Sydney. A child prodigy, Ifield broke into the regional radio and TV scenes, appearing on various programs and releasing a string of singles dating back to 1953. He moved back to Great Britain at decade's end, and established himself as an English pop and country singer during the pre-Beatles era and remained a modest presence on the Australian and UK charts throughout the 1960s. He also enjoyed limited success in the United States, landing a distribution deal based on the success of his 1962 single, "I Remember You," which hit #5 on the American pop charts, though he never quite broke through otherwise.

Don Imus "1200 Hamburgers To Go" (RCA Victor, 1972)
Southern California talk show host Don Imus (1940-2019) was a pioneering "shock jock" humorist and successful comedy artist, most notably hosting the nationally syndicated Imus In The Morning show and releasing several comedy albums over the years. Towards the start of his radio career, Imus recorded several country-ish comedy records which I imagine you could file somewhere between your Archie Campbell and Cletus Maggard albums and your George Carlin and Richard Pryor collection. Imus's interest in country music continued on for decades, with him frequently hosting country stars on his show, and releasing commemorative albums collecting some of the best live performances. This early stuff I can't vouch for, though.

Don Imus "One Sacred Chicken To Go With Anthrax" (RCA Victor, 1973) (LP)

Don Imus "This Honky's Nuts" (Bang Records, 1973) (LP)

Jack Ingram - see artist discography

Jerry Inman "Lennon-McCartney: Country Style" (Columbia Records, 1968) (LP)

Jerry Inman "You Betchum!" (Elektra-Asylum Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Snuff Garrett)
An odd but alluring album by a guy who was part of the Southern California country scene, apparently playing in the house band at the fabled Palomino nightclub around the time this album was released. He sings with a gruff, old-man voice and gives off a grizzled, rodeo-rider vibe. There are a couple of scary, bombastic pop vocal ballads that interrupt Side One, but the rest of the record has some sly, slick country stuff with curiously rough edges. A bunch of well-observed cheating songs, including Bill Haney's steamy, sleazy "She's Lying Next To Me" and equally seedy entries such as "When It Rains, Don't It Pour" and "Scotch And Soda," as well as the more novelty-oriented "Woman With A Gun" (about a wife who tracks her unfaithful hubby down at his favorite bar, and she comes packing heat...) and "She Loves To Hear The Music" (a somewhat depressing story-song about a middle-aged secretary at a Nashville music publishing company who likes to sleep with the clients... A little too backlash-y for me, I'm afraid.) Anyway, Inman was an interesting character -- this record might not leap out at you right away, but there are some subtle, effective performances that are definitely worth checking out.

Mike Ireland & Holler "Try Again" (Ashmont Records, 2002)
Waitaminnit... Now... why, exactly, do I have this album, issued on a microscopic indie label that no one in Nashville has ever heard of, listed as part of my Top 40 section? Well, 'cause this is, quite simply, one of the best countrypolitan albums recorded in the last twenty years. While rock refugee Mike Ireland's first album was compelling, this one's a dazzler. He's tightened up his hillbilly sound, retrenching to the golden days of early '70s country radio, where twangsters like Merle Haggard still mingled the countrypolitan crowd. Cover tunes like a version of the Charlie Rich classic, "Life Has Its Little Ups And Downs," tip you off that this guy has been doing his homework. But it's Ireland's originals that are most impressive -- he overwrites his lyrics to just the right degree -- almost too high-concept, but with strong hooks and a cohesive songcrafting style firmly in place. Tunes like "Love's The Hardest Thing You'll Ever Do," "Sweet Sweetheart" and "Close Enough To Break Each Other's Hearts" show a dedication to the form that is all too rare today -- and a real joy to hear. I can easily imagine some of these songs being played on the air in 1973; hopefully they'll find some bandwidth in the new millennium as well. Trust me: you owe it to yourself to pick this album up. It's really, really good. (Check out Ireland's website for more info...)

Jason Isbell "Sirens Of The Ditch" (New West Records, 2007)
(Produced by Rodney Hall & Jimmy Nutt)

Jason Isbell "Southeastern" (Southeastern Records, 2013)
(Produced by Dave Cobb)
Although he started out as part of the unruly, uber-indie Drive-By Truckers band, Alabama-born Jason Isbell's solo career brought him wider fame and modest commercial success as a Top Forty country artist. This was his breakthrough record, widely lauded by rock critics as a magnum opus. While it failed to break into the Country charts, it laid the groundwork for Isbell's next few albums, all of which did. Isbell's career followed an intriguing path, in which his albums topped the Country (and rock) album charts, despite the lack of radio airplay or charting singles.

Jason Isbell "Something More Than Free" (Southeastern Records, 2015) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Cobb)
Critically acclaimed, this was Isbell's first chart-topping album, pegging out at #1 on both the Country and Rock album charts (although as far as I know, Isbell hasn't had any hit singles...) His next few albums fared equally well, and Isbell became a fixture on the rock scene, having more or less already maxed out the limits of fame found within the Americana charts.

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit "The Nashville Sound" (Southeastern Records, 2013) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Cobb)

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit "Reunions" (Southeastern Records, 2020) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Cobb)

Jason Isbell "Georgia Blue" (Southeastern Records, 2021) (LP)

Jason Isbell "Weathervanes" (Southeastern Records, 2023) (LP)

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Hick Music Index

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