Eddie Rabbitt - see artist discography

The Ranch - see Keith Urban

Leon Raines "Leon Raines" (Atlantic America, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Dorff & Travis Turk)
A terrible album, really, spotlighting country crooner Leon Raines, a former college football star who according to the liner notes had been singing in bars for several years before pursuing a Top Forty career. This disc is mostly a showcase for the songwriting team of Milton L. Brown and Steve Dorff, with Brown contributing liner notes that somewhat bizarrely laud the sweaty, rough-and-tumble environment of the working-class honkytonk bars that Raines supposedly sang in, although this glossy, florid set of high-tech, sappy ballads couldn't be further from genuine hard-country honkytonk. Ironically, the one track where I thought, "Oh, this guy's not bad," was the opening song, "Biloxi Lady," which was co-composed by Stewart Harris and Nashville newcomer Keith Stegall, and is one of only three songs not written by Dorff and Brown. In general, I'd say I have to question the taste level on this one: it starts out okay, in a Don Williams-ish kinda way, but steadily settles into a torturous grind of bland, negligible pop-country excess. This appears to have been Leon Raines's only album, though he also released a short string of singles. I suppose it's possible he actually was a rootsy singer who got trapped in the Music City machine, or that he made some more vigorous stuff at some other point, but in all honesty, this album doesn't have much to offer most twangfans. Pass.

Jon Randall "What You Don't Know" (RCA, 1995)
A pleasant, rootsy debut by an alumnus of the Emmylou Harris band. This sentimental, acoustic-edged album is strongly reminiscent of old LA '70s country-rock scenesters such as J.D. Souther and Richie Furay: I like the general musical direction here, but when all is said and done, it's all a little too sugary and ornate. Notable song selection, though -- folks like Carl Jackson, Bobby Charles and Russell Smith don't often make it onto the radar in the Top Country scene. Of course, Randall, didn't really make it as a Nashville star, either -- his records, though on major labels, never exactly raced up the Billboard charts, and he's really more of an Americana-ish cult favorite. But if you like the sweet stuff, then this is an album worth tracking down.

Jon Randall "Cold Coffee Morning" (Elektra Records, 1998) (Unreleased)
Apparently the folks at WEA shelved this disc before it came out, but a few copies squeaked out and hits the streets, much to the mixed delight and anguish of his fans... I haven't heard it, though.

Jon Randall "Willin' " (Eminent Records, 1999)
Easygoing, perky country rock with a persistent, nudging backbeat and soft melodic core, with sort of a David Lindley-esque sensibility to the steel guitar work, and a soft modern croon worthy of Vince Gill or the Mavericks' Raul Malo... This disc doesn't really capture my imagination, but it did make my toe tap a little, and it's much easier to listen to than the more over-the-top varieties of Nashville pop. Includes a nice cover of Lowell George's "Willin', " and several evocative originals. Kim Richey sings harmony on a couple of tunes; Randall's then-wife Lorrie Morgan sings a duet at the album's end, and various bluegrass-affiliated musicians pluck away in the background. If you're looking for an intelligent, soulful alternative to the typical Music City cookie cutter approach, then this album is a fine option. Fans of Rodney Crowell, for example, may find this quite nice.

Jon Randall "Walking Among The Living" (Epic Records, 2005)
(Produced by George Massenburg & Jon Randall)
A beautiful, wonderfully crafted album that recalls the best work of Linda Ronstadt and Peter Asher's LA-based country-rock crowd of the 1970s... and I mean that as a high compliment. In particular, this sounds a lot like J.D. Souther's flowery, folky country-pop albums, but as an album it's stronger and more consistent than any of Souther's solo works. Vocally, there's also a strong resemblance to Lyle Lovett, although Randall avoids the clowning and theatrics which color many of Lovett's best performances... Riding high on his recent success as the composer of Brad Paisley's 2004 hit, "Whiskey Lullaby," Randall makes the most of his latest moment in the spotlight, delivering one of the best country albums of the year. He includes a reprise of "Lullaby," as well as solid gems such as the album's opener, the heartrending "Baby Won't You Come Home." Without chart success of his own, Randall may remain a back-bencher, but for his fans (and anyone lucky enough to stumble onto this album, or some of his older ones), this is a fine album that will hold up to -- and invite -- many happy listenings. Recommended!

Rascal Flatts "Rascal Flatts" (Lyric Street Records, 2000)
(Produced by Mark Bright & Marty Williams)
Here's the start of a preposterously, undeservedly popular band. Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Rascal Flatts took the bland, heartlessly prefab "boy band" pop style of Backstreet Boys and New Kids On The Block (which was already way too tired for the Pop world) and brought it to Nashville. True twang? Not much. Sold a kajillion records? You bet. These guys don't do much for me, but they were one of the most popular bands of the early '00s. Go figure.

Rascal Flatts "Melt" (Lyric Street Records, 2002)
(Produced by Mark Bright & Marty Williams)
I also own this album. I refuse to review it, though. It's just awful.

Rascal Flatts "Feels Like Today" (Lyric Street Records, 2004)

Rascal Flatts "Me And My Gang" (Lyric Street Records, 2006)
(Produced by Dann Huff & Rascal Flatts)
Bah, humbug. These guys are so blatantly, nakedly a mainstream pop band I marvel at their ability to continue to market themselves as a "country" act at all. And, yet, they continue to dominate awards shows and wow the fans. Still, this ain't for me, and I'm willing to forgive a lot for anyone who can toss me a little twang now and then. These guys don't, so they don't quite cut it with me.

Rascal Flatts "Still Feels Good" (Lyric Street Records, 2007)

Rascal Flatts "Greatest Hits, v.1" (Lyric Street Records, 2008)

Rascal Flatts "Unstoppable" (Lyric Street Records, 2009)

Rascal Flatts "Nothing Like This" (Big Machine Records, 2010)

Rascal Flatts "The Best Of Rascal Flatts Live" (Big Machine Records, 2011)

Rascal Flatts "Changed" (Big Machine Records, 2012)
Changed? Nah, not really. Same old super-produced pop and a little bit of twang, with inspirational lyrics mixed in with sappy lovesongs and such. Fans'll be happy.

Rascal Flatts "Rewind" (Big Machine Records, 2014)

Rascal Flatts "The Greatest Gift Of All" (Big Machine Records, 2016)
(Produced by Jay DeMarcus)
A Christmas/Christian album. What took 'em so long?

Rascal Flatts "Back To Us" (Big Machine Records, 2017)
(Produced by Jay DeMarcus)

Eddy Raven - see artist discography

The Raybon Brothers "The Raybon Brothers" (MCA Records, 1997)
(Produced by Tony Brown & Don Cook)
The former lead singer of the vocal band Shenandoah, Marty Raybon, along with his brother Tim, on an album that veers between the supper-sappy (the gospel-tinged "Butterfly Kisses") and ineffective, overproduced upbeat material like the almost-but-not-quite "The Way She's Lookin'." Those were the album's only two chart entries, and there's kind of a reason for it. I mean, look: it's nice Marty was able to keep his hat in the ring and if you're a big Shenandoah fan, you'll love this album, even though it sounds pretty forced overall. It's not bad, though it didn't really grab me; not until the second half, with the album's slowest song, "Every Fire," which is kinda nice, followed by the uptempo, Buck Owens-ish "Hello Love," and, to a lesser degree, "Just Tryin' To Keep The Woman I Got," songs which hold out promise that the rest of the album doesn't quite meet.

Marty Raybon - see artist discography

Collin Raye - see artist discography

Susan Raye - see artist discography

Jerry Reed - see artist discography

Del Reeves - see artist discography

Jim Reeves - see artist discography

Julie Reeves "It's About Time" (Virgin-Nashville, 1999)
(Produced by Scott Hendricks & Trey Bruce)
Looking at the flashy album art, I thought, "oh jeez -- it's another Shania Twain wannabee..." but was pleasantly surprised to hear the disc's opening salvo of upbeat, semi-rowdy, rompy-stompy tunes like "Trouble Is A Woman" and "Party Down," songs that stand out like chunks of Kentucky coal amid the increasingly glossy pop fare that was passing for "country" in Nashville at the time. She's got a Tanya Tucker/Trick Pony rocker-gal thing going on, and for the most part it works pretty well. I mean, this isn't my kinda music -- I wouldn't put it on for fun at home -- but I'd still rather hear twangy stuff like this on the radio than pretty much anything Martina McBride or Garth Brooks has to offer. Midway through, Reeves changes focus and slows down to croon a few ballads, and again, while it's not completely perfect honkytonk heaven, it's still way better than average. Pity Reeves hasn't made an album since this one: she was clearly one of the most promising new artists of her day. (And, no, as far as I can tell, she was not related to Jim Reeves...)

The Remingtons "Blue Frontier" (BNA Records, 1992)

The Remingtons "Aim For The Heart" (BNA Records, 1993)
Nice, smooth, uncomplicated country-pop, with a fine group vocal sound reminiscent of the Eagles, Firefall and other '70s country-rockers. Actually, that's no surprise since the band's founder, Jimmy Griffin, used to be in the soft-rock band, Bread, and wound up doing a country stint after several post-Bread projects. If you like groups such as Diamond Rio, Restless Heart or Shenandoah, then these two records by the Remingtons are worth checking out; these guys probably should have been more popular and more successful than they were -- they had really sleek, pretty-sounding group harmonies, and the material is pretty decent. Much stronger than overrated vocal bands like Alabama, who sometimes just couldn't stay in key. This is the second (and final) album by the Remingtons, and features a slightly different lineup than the first, with newcomer Denny Henson replacing one outgoing member. Worth a spin!

Jack Reno - see artist discography

Ronnie Reno "For The First Time" (MCA-Tally Records, 1975)
(Produced by Bill Compton & Jim Williamson)
In the mid-1970s, country superstar Merle Haggard presided over a corporate echo of Fuzzy Owens' old Tally label, using the imprint to put out a couple of albums featuring Haggard pals and proteges. In this case, it was the solo debut of bluegrass prodigy Ronnie Reno, who became a member of Haggard's band in '73 and stayed with him for the better part of a decade. Ronnie was the son of '50s truegrass legend Don Reno, and worked in his dad's band as a kid, then did a stint with the Osborne Brothers before giving Nashville a shot. At this point in his career, he was writing and pitching songs, some of which Haggard recorded, and here he crafts a pleasant if not totally amazing set of soft-toned '70s country, including three of his own originals and a couple of Hag's lesser-known numbers, as well as a countrypolitan cover of the Beatles' "Hard Day's Night." There's surprisingly little bluegrass influence here (none, really) which makes this album a curious footnote to a long career: Reno went back to the high lonesome sound, forming the Reno Brothers band with his younger siblings many years later.

Restless Heart "RCA Country Legends" (BMG Records, 2003)
These guys owed their ballad-heavy, soft-rock vocal harmony style in large part to softcore pop-country forerunners such as Poco and Kenny Rogers... or even Kenny Loggins, whose "Wheels" was one of their biggest '80s hits, as well as one of their most vigorous performances. Of course, "vigor" isn't really a word that applies that well to Restless Heart -- they were wimpy all the way, and darn proud of it! Doesn't do much for me, but I can see how, if maybe the Eagles were in between reunion tours, Restless Heart might fill the gap.

Restless Heart "Restless Heart" (RCA Records, 1985)
(Produced by Tim DuBois & Scott Hendricks)
An inauspicious start for these future big leaguers... Sure, three of the album's four singles cracked the Top Ten, but the album still really sucks. It's basically super-tacky, '80s-style synth-pop, with only the slightest hint of country to be heard anywhere... I bet they were originally shooting for the Pop market, and settled for Country. This short, eight-song album seems to have been a vehicle for the songwriting aspirations of producer Tim DuBois, who provided several songs, along with Van Stephenson, who contributed most of the other tracks. Good god, is it horrible. Bleahh.

Restless Heart "Wheels" (RCA Records, 1986)

Restless Heart "Big Dreams In A Small Town" (RCA Records, 1988)

Restless Heart "Fast Movin' Train" (RCA Records, 1990)
(Produced by Tim DuBois & Scott Hendricks)
Hey, how about them snazzy harmony vocals? It's like having five Kenny Rogers clones singing at once! Wow! Super-cheesy music, too -- ultra-formulaic and way too pop/AOR for me. Half the time it's like listening to a Toto album. Nothing on here for me, I'm afraid.

Restless Heart "Big Iron Horses" (RCA Records, 1992)
(Produced by Josh Leo & Restless Heart)
This is a rather unexciting record, though it's not unpleasant, really. And that may be the trouble: this is a generically perky, optimistic, consciously inoffensive set, with song after song full of the same upbeat melodies and tightly crafted pop licks. There's not a lot of variety of tempo or tone and, well, it just seems pretty by-the-numbers. No real moments of inspiration, just smooth professionalism from a band that goes from Point A to Point B without bumping over any of the furniture.

Restless Heart "Matters Of The Heart" (RCA Records, 1994)
(Produced by Josh Leo, Greg Jennings & Restless Heart)
More smooth, Eagles-y country-rock... this album comes pretty late in the game for these guys, but it's still pretty good. Unchallenging melodic material that's easy on the ears... It's more listenable that a lot of the stuff that rose higher in the charts, and sure to please fans. Worth checking out.

Restless Heart "Still Restless" (Audium Records, 2004)

Restless Heart "The Bluest Eyes In Texas - Live" (Goldenlane Records, 2009)

Restless Heart "Restless Heart -- Live" (EP) (K-Tel, 2009)

Sandy & Donna Rhodes "The Lonesome Rhodes" (RCA Victor, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Felton Jarvis)
A completely charming folk-country outing, sort of like the Kimberlys or Gale Garnett, but better. Great backstory on this one, as well: hailing from Memphis, the Rhodes sisters were daughters of regional celebrities Dusty Rhodes and Dot Rhodes, singers who recorded for Sun Records in the old days, and who hosted a local TV show that the whole family performed on. Skeeter Davis caught wind of them and championed the gals at RCA, recording some of their original material and urging Chet Atkins to sign off on this album. It's a great record, simple, charming, with the gals singing sassy pop-country crossovers that mix light go-go stylings with a mod-country vibe that reminds me of Waylon Jennings. You can sense that the RCA studio crew weren't quite as hip or as funky as they wanted to be, but if you like the girl-group tinged '60s stuff by Skeeter David and Connie Smith, you'll want to check this out. Sandy and Donna went on to forge a truly remarkable career as backup singers singing with some of the best Southern soul and pop artists of the 70s, notably Al Green and O.V. Wright. They sang backup and recorded their own material as the Rhodes Chalmers Rhodes trio (with Sandra's husband Charlie Chalmers) and both Sandra and Donna recorded their own solo albums, though more solidly in a soul and pop style. This early Nashville folk-pop album, at the beginning of their careers, is also a winner... Give it a spin, if you get a chance!

Bobby G. Rice - see artist discography

Chase Rice "Country As Me" (EP) (Artist Revolution, 2011)

Chase Rice "Dirt Road Communion" (Dack Janiel's Music, 2012)

Charlie Rich - see artist discography

Don Rich - see artist discography

John Rich "Underneath The Same Moon" (BNA Records, 2006)
(Produced by John Rich & Kenny Alphin)
A sorta-kinda reissue from a few years back, this disc is the transition between Rich's tenure in the country-pop vocal group Lonestar, and his later incarnation as half of the creative team of Big & Rich, Nashville's mid-2000's reigning bad-boy production gods. This album, which was shelved by the label when it was first recorded in 1999, tilts heavily towards his previous work, filled with safe, stable formulae, mainly woeful sentimental ballads and softer-edged songs. There are a couple of blues-tinged bar-bandish tunes, but the wild-child rambunctiousness of the Big & Rich sound is only barely hinted at... Still, this will be of interest to fans -- if you want to hear him ply himself towards more conventional, hat-act material, this may be a lost treasure for you to delve into.

John Rich "Son Of A Preacher Man" (Warner Brothers, 2009)
(Produced by John Rich & Sharon Vaughn)
This album still ain't quite my cup of tea, but he clearly demonstrates which of the Big & Rich duo has the talent (Big Kenny's solo album of the same time is a total trainwreck...) Rich, at least, can sing and craft a tight pop hook. Lots of what you'd expect: patriotic working-man anthems (including a good one about the perilous state of the American car industry ("Shuttin' Detroit Down") some gooey ballads, some rompy-stompy rednecky dance tunes and a few lame rocker tunes. Overall, a pretty solid mainstream modern Nashville album, some songs better than others.

John Rich "Rich Rocks!" (Warner Brothers, 2011)
(Produced by John Rich)
Another solo set by John Rich of the Big & Rich duo. I'm still not a big fan of his work, with its mix of big-pop production and completely phony "country" posturing. I actually think his music is contemptuous of his audience and the musical traditions he claims to be modernizing. I'm not necessarily an anti-crossover/anti-fusion traditionalist, I just think that this particular path is really unpleasant and irritating. Rich has done semi-rootsy stuff in the past, but you won't hear that side of him here: this is full of the same big, blaring rock'n'rap riffs that are on all the Big & Rich albums. Some people dig it, but I do not.

Kim Richey -- see artist profile

Lionel Richie "Tuskegee" (Mercury Nashville, 2012)
(Produced by Lionel Richie, Tony Brown, Buddy Cannon, Nathan Chapman, Kenny Chesney & Dann Huff)
Could Lionel Richie's duets-filled dip into Nashville country be as soul-rendingly horrible as his pop music of the '70s? Well, what do you think? Dude, of course it sucks! It's still better than Kenny (Sauron) Rogers, but that ain't saying much. Richie remakes several of his '70s/'80s "classics," with the help of a passle of modern-day country stars -- Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Jennifer Nettles of Sugartown, et. al. -- and while the steel guitar helps some, the slick production and Richie's vocals are as bland and insincere as you'd expect, and the similarity between these remakes and the originals only underscores how much Nashville has subsumed itself to the ideal of a prefab soul/pop crossover. You can add a harmonica to "Easy," but it's still a horrible song. Oh, and Sauron is on here too, singing "Lady." Of course. Richie fans are naturally ecstatic -- just look at the consumer ratings online -- but I lived through Richie's original reign of terror, and I know better. I know what happens when you put people like this in charge. Ugh. The best that can be said here is that Richie's voice still sounds... well, "strong," if not exactly "nice..." He's sounding pretty good for an old geezer. Also, I guess he gets taste points for not resurrecting "Brick House" and having someone like Trace Adams or Toby Keith sing it with him... Be thankful for small favors.

Ricochet "Ricochet" (Columbia Records, 1996)
(Produced by Ron Chancey & Ed Seay)
These Texas-based also-rans joined the rush of like-minded yuppie young'uns like Diamond Rio, Lonestar and Restless Heart, who were trying to craft a rock-friendly sound that they could take to the top of the charts. These guys did pretty well on their debut: the song "Daddy's Money" made it to #1, but the sound may have still needed a little work. Funny thing about these newfangled harmony acts: a bunch of them just aren't that good of singers. Ricochet's lead singer Heath Wright was particularly poorly suited as a frontman -- he stays in tune, but his tone is terrible and not that inviting or seductive.

Ricochet "Blink Of An Eye" (Columbia Records, 1997)
(Produced by Ron Chancey & Ed Seay)
I'd say, weighed against some of their glossier and more successful contemporaries, Ricochet at least made an effort to keep it country, at last around the margins. But when you stake yourself out on the margins between bubbadelic and bubblegum, it's hard to know where to stop with the pop stuff. This album suffers from a few insurmountable problems, mainly the band's inability to transcend their self-imposed sugary stylistic limitations -- many of the most promising songs just lose steam midway though, and slide back downhill -- and, again, the iffier end of Heath Wright's vocal range. He just can't project enough power or personal charm to get past his flatness of tone and phrasing. Plus, most of the songs are pretty simplistic and shoddily constructed. Not outright awful, but of limited interest.

Ricochet "What You Leave Behind" (Columbia Records, 2000)
(Produced by Ron Chancey & Blake Chancey)
When in doubt, screw things up even further. Their previous album saw the band faltering on the charts, so on this one they turned the cheesy soft-pop production up to "11" and simply slid into oblivion. The single, "She's Gone," is just plain embarrassing -- a frothy pop toss-off, about as "country" as the Trump Towers in New York City. The rest of the album lingers on icky romantic ballads, and a couple of iffy cover tunes. They do "Seven Bridges Road" as a way to show off their harmony vocals... that's all very well and fine, but didn't the Eagles already record that song twenty years earlier? There are a couple of other tunes that try to rally the troops -- a cover of "Why You Been Gone So Long" and the cutesy "Love Is A Serious Thing," but nothing to write home about, really.

Ricochet "The Live Album" (Cowtown Records, 2004)

Ricochet "Reloaded" (Ricochet Records, 2008)

Ricochet "My Christmas List" (Mi Records, 2009)

Jeannie C. Riley - see artist discography

LeAnn Rimes - see artist discography

Tex Ritter - see artist discography

Dennis Robbins "The First Of Me" (MCA Records, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Eddie Kilroy & Dennis Robbins)
The debut album of latter-day roadhouse songsmith Dennis Robbins, who had previously been in the rock band, The Rockets and later co-founded the band Billy Hill. Though glossy, this album shares some underlying similarities with bluesy hard-country artists such as Gary Stewart and Delbert McClinton, though here it's buried in fairly bland commercial country arrangements. Still, you can feel the affinity: you might have to work a little to like this one, but there is some grit underneath the shiny surface. A few years later he recorded the Billy Hill debut album, 1989's I Am Just A Rebel.

Dennis Robbins "Man With A Plan" (Warner/Giant Records, 1992)
(Produced by Richard Landis & James Stroud)
Twangy, bluesy roadhouse honkytonk-pop from one of the fellers from the band called Billy Hill, with contributions from his old bandmates Bob Dipiero and John Scott Sherrill. Like many of the records on the Giant label, this is pretty rootsy and rough, at least by Nashville standards, and there are a few tunes on here that'll get your toes tapping if you're an old-school honkytonk fan. There's also some less exciting material, but generally nothing that'll make you cringe that way oh, so many modern country albums do. "Good News, Bad News" and "Hi O Silver" are both pretty fun, and the gospel-y "Chapel Of The Friendly Bells" has a nice, sweet tune. Worth checking out!

Dennis Robbins "Born Ready" (Warner/Giant Records, 1994)

Hargus "Pig" Robbins - see artist discography

Marty Robbins - see artist discography

Marty Robbins, Jr. "Columbia Records Presents..." (Columbia Records, 1969) (LP)
The first solo album from Marty Robbins' son, Ronny Robbins, who many years later recorded another record under his real first name...

Ronny Robbins "Reach For All You Can" Thunder Record Corporation, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Drake, Eddy Fox & Bobby Dyson)

Julie Roberts "Break Down Here" (Mercury Records, 2004)
A sweet set that bridges between folkish Americana and Sheryl Crow-y commercial country. Roberts excels on romantic acoustic numbers such as "Unlove Me" and "I Can't Get Over You," although the album stretches into more upbeat country material as well. Some songs are turnoff, such as the too-perky "Just 'Cause We Can" and the drippy, confessional "The Chance," but these missteps are more than balanced by stronger, more resonant material throughout the length of the album. There are snarly wisps of Tanya Tucker and Lucinda Williams in her voice, counterbalanced with a mellowness that makes Roberts seem an unlikely candidate for the Top Country radio... Yet she has a strong, distinctive presence that may bode well for a longer career; only time will tell. In the meantime, folks who are looking for a pleasant, listenable and intelligently produced rootsy record, this disc may fill the bill. Worth checking out!

Julie Roberts "Men & Mascara" (Mercury Records, 2006)

Julie Roberts "Good Wine And Bad Decisions" (Tres Pescadores Records, 2013)
Richly textured country-soul, ala Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry, with Roberts following her own muse amid a fickle music industry... It's a classy, ballad-oriented sound that doesn't succumb to the same rock'n'roll temptations as, say Shelby Lynne... Worth a spin!

Jack Robertson "Honky Tonk Daze" (Step One Records, 1994)

Johnny Rodriguez - see artist profile

David Rogers -- see artist profile

Kenny Rogers - see artist profile

Randy Rogers Band "Roller Coaster" (Smith Music Group, 2004)

Randy Rogers Band "Like It Used To Be" (Smith Music Group, 2005)

Randy Rogers Band "Live At Billy Bob's Texas" (Smith Music Group, 2005)

Randy Rogers Band "Just A Matter Of Time" (Mercury Nashville, 2006)

Randy Rogers Band "Randy Rogers Band" (Mercury Nashville, 2008)

Randy Rogers Band "Burning The Day" (MCA Nashville, 2010)

Randy Rogers Band "Trouble" (MCA Nashville, 2013)

Roy Rogers - see artist profile

Linda Ronstadt - see artist discography

Maggie Rose "Cut To Impress" (RPM Records, 2013)
(Produced by Blake Chancey, James Stroud & Stephony Smith)
Hmmm. Sorry, but I'm not convinced. With sassy but prefab songs framed by big, chunky guitars and Southern rock slide, Maggie Rose seems to be aiming for a Gretchen Wilson/Pistol Annies tough-chick sound, and in some moments she sounds like she's pulling it off, but more often than not she sounds too pop, and too contrived, like someone who's really just posing as country. The main problem is that as a vocalist she just doesn't have the same level of chops as Wilson, and frequently sounds like a generic pop singer trying her luck in the wrong genre - -it just sounds a little bit off. Anyway, it's not my kind of country to begin with, too slick and without a real emotional core. You can skip this one.

Charlie Ross "High Cost of Loving" (Accord Records, 1982)

Charlie Ross "The High Cost Of Loving" (Accord/Town House Records, 1982) (LP)
In the late 1960s, Mississippi-born Charlie Ross was a rock-pop musician, scoring a few minor hits with the band Eternity's Children, and he continued to record as a solo artist in the early '70s. He finally "went country" mid-decade, and had similar success on the Country charts, with a 1976 remake of one of his pop songs, "Without Your Love" proving to be his biggest hit, peaking at #13, after the original version was in the Pop charts earlier that same year. This album followed, though he wasn't able to match his earlier successes, and Ross went back into broadcasting, with this album being his swan song as a performer.

Jeris Ross "Jeris Ross" (ABC-Dot Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Chancey)
A great album by an almost entirely unknown Top Forty hopeful... Originally from Alton, Illinois, singer Jeris Ross had a brief country career, spanning the 1970s, from early indie sessions produced by Scotty Moore to a promising fling on major label and then a quick slide back into the indies, with her last singles coming out in 1979. This album -- the only full length she released -- includes her biggest hit, "Pictures On Paper" (a Gary S. Paxton song which cracked into the Top 20) as well as the followup single, "Moontan," a cutesy novelty song that pretty much went nowhere. The material on this album is fairly uneven, ranging from some killer honkytonk tunes to some rather fluffy pop numbers, including a cover of the girl-group oldie, "Chapel Of Love," and the florid soft-pop of "I Know The Feelin'," which sounds like a Carpenters outtake. The strongest songs include a version of Paul Craft's "Midnight Flyer" and the deliciously provocative "I'd Rather Be Picked Up Here (Than Be Put Down At Home)" a feminist anthem that nicely fits into the early 70's country swinger genre. On "Pictures On Paper," Ross adopts a more traditional emotional-doormat role, ala Tammy Wynette, proclaiming that the unsatisfied women with husbands who flirt with other gals and stay out all night that "as long as he keeps coming home, you've got no reason to cry...") She splits the difference with "What'll I Tell The Kids," a "D-I-V-O-R-C-E"-worthy novelty number about a marriage that's all but ended. Ross toured with several major artists, notably Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, but she seems to have given up her solo career by the decade's end. Later, as Jeris Ford, she headlined an Oklahoma rock-pop oldies band called the Bop Cats... Judging from this album, I'd say she was an artist who could have gone much farther if she'd been given stronger material and been handled better by her label. Coulda, woulda, shoulda: it's the same old sad song from Nashville, I guess.

Dave Rowland -- see artist profile

Bobbie Roy "I'm Your Woman" (Capitol Records, 1972) (LP)
Yeah... I'd never heard of her either, despite the high-profile, major-label release. It turns out there's a reason: she wasn't that a stellar singer -- technically adept, but way too prissy for country music. Barbara Elaine Roy was born in Germany back in 1953, an Army brat, apparently, and she cut this album along with a handful singles for Capitol, all of which met with middling success. "One Woman's Trash (Is Another Woman's Treasure)" eked its way into the Top 40 while a couple of other singles came along afterwards, but didn't get much further. This disc is a fairly typical early '70s soft-country outing: some cover tunes, a few emotional doormat songs, big fluffy arrangements all around and a few almost-but-not-quite twang-tunes sprinkled on each side of the album.

Billy Joe Royal "Down In The Boondocks/Cherry Hill Park" (Collectables Records, 1997)
This disc pairs up two old Columbia albums, Royal's 1965 debut, with the hit version of Joe South's "Down In The Boondocks," and a whole brace of perky, heavily-orchestrated sunshine pop songs. He kind of comes off like a down-home version of Gene Pitney -- with an affinity for Southern soul, but completely at home with softer, poppier material. His future as a country singer is hinted at on his cover of Willie Nelson's "Funny How The Time Slips Away" (in an outlandishly popped-up rendition... not what you'd expect!) By '69, his voice had deepened and he'd given himself up entirely to the blue eyed soul/Muscle Shoals sound, and it suited him well. His real country career didn't start until the mid-1980s, but Royal's Southern roots are certainly on display this far back.

Billy Joe Royal "Greatest Hits" (Atlantic Records, 1991)
When he finally turned towards the Country charts in the mid-1980s, Royal found himself quite at home with the synthy, easygoing pop production style of the time... He injected a touch of retro-'50s rock and doo-wop into some of his bigger hits (T. G. Sheppard and Conway Twitty would be proud...) But for my money, the uptempo tunes, like "I Miss You Already" are the ones that showcase him best. Overall, I'd rate this as pretty marginal -- Billy Joe never had that great a voice, and while the tightly crafted production helps, it doesn't really do enough.

Tim Rushlow "Tim Rushlow" (Atlantic Records, 2000)
Tediously prefab semi-country pop; brightly and slickly produced tunes with lots of slick electric guitars and too-perfect rhythm, with the occasional gratuitous banjo plunk or pedal steel riff thrown in remind you this came from Nashville, and isn't just a solo album by one of the Backstreet Boys. The lyrics are also sadly strained and formulaic -- the working man's blues; baby, let me be your rock, an inspirational sports story, a weeper about a woman whose husband is in a coma, an ode to automobiles ("Thank God For American Cars"), etc. God, this is bland. And his vocals are so flat and unexpressive... I really don't get it. I guess he used to be in Little Texas, a while back.

Rushlow "Serving Right Now" (Lyric Street Records, 2003)
(Produced by Jim Balding, Christy DiNapoli & Tim Rushlow)
For reasons known only to his publicist, Tim Rushlow decided to get all democratic about the whole band-name thing, and has styled himself and his pals into a Rascal Flatts-y Nashville boy band, complete with teased, highlighted, ratty 'dos and a goofy "hip" look. The music is pretty poppy, too -- some okay country-ish tunes, but also a lot of over-the-top crossover hooks. Way too slick for me; Rushlow's an okay vocalist -- maybe if he tried for a rootsier sound, he'd be a little more distinctive. As it is, when he dips into "outlaw" territory, as on "Texas Is My Kind Of Town," he sounds pretty poseur-ific.

Bobby Russell "Words, Music, Laughter And Tears" (Elf Records, 1968) (LP)

Bobby Russell "Bobby Russell Unlimited" (Elf Records, 1970) (LP)

Bobby Russell "Saturday Morning Confusion" (United Artists, 1971) (LP)
(Produce by Snuff Garrett)
Mild singer-songwritery countrypolitan pop, with heavy debts to Roger Miller and Bill Anderson, though with brisk, light arrangements that are more sunshine-poppy than even those pop-friendly country elders would get into... But it's the same mixed of forced, self-consciously "nutty" novelty tunes and lofty, overly serious "straight" songs, with breezy, generic orchestrations and Glen Campbell-ish acoustic guitar backing Russell's thin, modest vocals. The title track -- about a suburban dad relaxing amid the heartwarming chaos of a typical weekend day -- was his biggest career hit, peaking at #24. All but three of the songs on here were Russell originals; interestingly enough the other songs are all by women and one of them is perhaps an album highlight, though in a weird kind of way. Gloria Sklerov's "Who Is She Now" is about a parent watching their daughter playing dress-up, and it has intriguing lyrics about the growth of identity and the wistfulness of seeing kids growing up... But when transposed from a mom's perspective to a father's, it starts to sound a little creepy, particularly the line where he sings about "her almost-woman body..." Taken on its own terms, though, it's a sweet song... This ain't the greatest record ever, but amid the obviously belabored songwriting and bland arrangements, there are some nice songs.

Deric Ruttan "Deric Ruttan" (Lyric Street Records, 2003)
This guy's okay... Not great, but okay. Typical sensitive-guy, anthemic country pop, with slightly overwritten songs that still can connect emotionally, more often than not. His stylistic and emotional range is very limited, though -- not a lot of variety to this album. Still, it's pretty harmless and relatively rootsy, with nods towards John Anderson -- so no harm, no foul. Plus, I appreciate the pro-union sentiment that kicks off the song "Unbeatable..." and interesting tune about current conditions for working folks in the NAFTA era of jobs headed South, along with personal incomes. Them's fightin' words, coming from a Canadian!

Deric Ruttan "Deric Ruttan" (Isotope Records, 2009)
I'm not sure, but I think this is a reissue of his first album...

Deric Ruttan "First Time In A Long Time" (EMI/On Ramp Records, 2003)

Deric Ruttan "Sunshine" (EMI/Black T Records, 2008)

John Wesley Ryles -- see artist profile

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Hick Music Index

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