Totally Biased Fan Review: Greatest Show on Dirt – Meghan Patrick EEP

Greatest Show On Dirt’ Tracklist:

1. “She’s No Good For Me”

(Michael Whitworth / Meghan Patrick / Trannie Anderson / Jake Mitchell)

2. “Ours”

(Patrick / Joey Hyde / Matt McGinn / Lydia Vaughn)

3. “Truck Breaks Down”

(Patrick / Brice Long / Jason Gantt)

4. “Greatest Show On Dirt”

(Patrick / Trannie Anderson / Jake Mitchell / Matt McGinn)

5. “Who Would I Be”

(Patrick / Jason Duke / Chris August)

6. “Red Roses & Red Flags”

(Patrick / Thomas Salter / Matt Alderman)

The Canadian singer/songwriter has co-written all 6 tracks on this EEP, with some of the most prolific songwriters in country music.

She is married to fellow country music chart topper, Mitchell Tenpenny. She is not an eggs over easy musician. She is a hard hitting, country rock/country pop gal with a sharp tongue in real life and she pulls no punches with her music either.

The two sweetest sounding songs on the EEP have tough subjects and titles – Truck breaks down and the title track.

Meghan is not the type to mess with. She looks sweet but I wouldn’t pick a fight! The best song is the last song, Red Roses and Red Flags.

She is sort of Deana Carter like – a blend of rebel and rainbows.

Good stuff.

Totally Biased Fan Review: Live at Billy Bob’s, Texas – Tracy Lawrence

Track Listing

1Made in America2Find Out Who Your Friends Are3If the World Had a Front Porch4As Any Fool Can See5Stars Over Texas6Don’t Drink Whiskey7How a Cowgirl Says Goodbye8Texas Tornado9Nothing Burns Like You10In Color11Sticks and Stones12Alibis13Can’t Break It to My Heart14The Devil Went Down to Georgia15Time Marches on16Paint Me a Birmingham17I See It Now18Better Man, Better Off

This is the current live album in the series of country music gigs from Billy Bob’s infamous venue in Texas. Tracy has 18 songs here including many of his own classics and a couple of covers.

Tracy is one of the best of the most enduring country music artists in America, keeping it country – honky tonk, trad and some twangy ballads to kick the peanuts and sawdust to.

If you don’t know his name, you will know the songs, for sure. Time Marches On, Paint Me a Birmingham, Stars over Texas, Better Man Better Off, to name a few.

He can sing you a slow dance, walk with you under a Texas Sky, break your heart and heal it. He can drink with you, smile with you and get you through a night.

Tracy, like most who have appeared at sellout shows – planned and random- never forget the occasion, like their audiences. The majority are seasoned performers who have been to a rodeo or two. I have been told that you never know who might turn up.

Tracy is one of those artists who has continued working through the years, doing what he does best. He is not one to change his spots but he has worked with a variety of artists from all types of country music.

From the sound of this live audience, they are keen to lap up and respond to every gift that they are given.

In well over 30 years, he has sold more than 13 million albums and he has had 18 number one hits. He has appeared at Billy Bob’s 30 times.

This album is a trip down memory lane but also a reminder to modern artists trying to emulate the 90’s sound that this guy is one of the guys that mastered it.

The Single Life: 29/5/2023

Okay, sorry for the delay but I was waiting on a few releases and I had a huge amount of albums to review ( woo hoo).

Brad Butcher is first up with Ain’t Love Grand, a song with a cool groove. Brad has been changing this up lately, he’s not afraid to try something a little different.

Another artist who changes things up is James Blundell, with Sideways. It has some raunchy guitars and it is definitely more bluesy than I have heard James before.

Tony Kennelly’s new single is Water Rising. In Australia, we cop either floods or drought, they make good fodder for country songs. This is about the first one. Tony writes a lot about Australian stories, but they often have more than one meaning and can also apply to many countries.

Your Heart of Gold is a collaboration of two of my favourite Kiwis whom we have adopted in Victoria. Separately, Kerryn Fields and Matt Joe Gow are dynamic. Together, they are magic. The fiddle in this is fantastic. It could become the new theme for Community RadioCountry Music stations! A rippa.

Ronnie Joudo’s new song is Drunk. This is as country you can get. Ronnie has a great voice, and yes, he’s Australian, he just sings in that Toby Keith kind of voice. A simple song, a good song.

Andy Penkow is Driving You Home in his latest song. Andy is one of the hardest working, constantly travelling musos around. This is one of his best so far, but then I say that every time he releases something. He just gets better and better.

I have followed Sami Cooke since she was a young teenager. Heart is a slight change of pace, being more of a country pop song, but it is catchy and her unique voice still shines through.

The Ballad of Loch Ard continues Warren Kearney’s history capturing songs. Being a history buff, I knew about this one, and about the story of the two protagonists. There are several mysteries around the way the ship was sunk. Warren refreshes our memories and teaches us lessons through his songs.

Totally Biased Fan Review: Dirty Laundry – Sammy White

Sammy White has had quite the ride over the last few years. As a Toyota Starmaker winner, one half of one of the golden couples of Australian country music with Brad Cox and moving from a big town to a farm. Her star is on the rise and the move is the reason why she wrote countryside, the first track.

The album is full with songs that mirror a down to earth, what you see is what you get kind of style and attitude.

Both Sammy and Brad give you the impression that they are like that. I am surprised, I don’t know why, that this album is so ‘country’ – for some reason, I expected it to be more poppy. I am happy that it is, to quote Sammy, as ‘country as cowshit’.

Sammy has that twang in her voice, which is as pure as mountain air.

These songs reflect every day things. Things like wanting to escape for a while, long distance relationships, country life, going to op shops, fights and making up, getting together with your mates (gals or guys), real, everyday people, being yourself, etc.

Duets with the Brad’s, Cox and Butcher, are standouts, but every track is special.

Blame game is a beauty, showcasing Sammy’s voice to its fullest. It is hard to single out songs, though. The moods are different in each song, with a great balance of upbeat, fun songs and beautiful ballads.

5 singles have been released off the album which contains 14 tracks, with the other 9 songs just as good or even better, which is often the case with album music.

There are some fine co-writes on here with some of Australia’s best. Sammy didn’t have a regular Starmaker year, as it as 2020, just announced before all Hell broke loose with COVID-19.

That hasn’t stopped her, however, in fact it probably gained her more sympathy, support and fans.

The future looks bright for Sammy. Keep it as country as cowshit and you can’t go wrong.

Totally Biased Fan Review: Religiously- The Album: Bailey Zimmerman

Tracklist: 

• Religiously
• Warzone
• Fix’n To Break
• Forget About You
• Chase Her
• Fall in Love
• You Don’t Want That Smoke
• Found Your Love
• Rock and A Hard Place
• Other Side Of Lettin’ Go
• Pain Won’t Last
• Where It Ends
• God’s Gonna Cut You Down
• Fadeaway
• Get To Gettin’ Gone
• Is This Really Over?

Bailey won himself a purple air guitar in my Kazzie Awards last year for best male international EEP ( more than 4, less than 10 songs). It drew a lot of attention with the fans wanting a full album. So here it is with a few on the songs from the EEP and some other singles plus some other new tracks.

Bailey is only 23. He sings and writes like he is at least 35. He has an old head and one suspects, a broken heart in a young body.

This album is raw and earthy and mixes a few styles of Country music to present a product which is hard to resist.

If you like Gary Allan, you will like Zimmerman. He puts his heart and soul into every song – probably because he has lived those songs. It’s not rainbows and icecream stuff, every song is a crying hurting song but they are gutsy, tough songs. He’s crying into his whiskey not his milk.

There are a couple of songs that show sunshine through rain. Most of it is not pretty but the songs are heartfelt and honest.

He likes to use a metaphor or two and it works. The sixteen tracks are a generous feast but not too overwhelming like the 26 tracks that some artists have these days. This is a quality album.

The songs are so well written and Bailey has such a great voice that you enjoy the songs more than wanting to drown your own sorrows. The songs are easy for most of us to relate to. The quality of the music and lyrics is first class. It is not pop music and it is not for the faint hearted, but it is the type of music that will last.

If he is this good at 23, how bloody good will he be at 40?

Totally Biased Fan Review: Altitude – Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives

TRACKLIST

1 Lost Byrd Space Train (Scene 1)
2 Country Star
3 Sitting Alone
4 A Friend of Mine
5 Space
6 Altitude
7 Vegas
8 The Sun Is Quietly Sleeping
9 Lost Byrd Space Train (Scene 2)
10 Nightriding
11 Tomahawk
12 Time to Dance
13 The Angels Came Down
14 Lost Byrd Space Train (Epilogue

I pre-ordered this album as soon as it was available to pre-order, months ago, because there are few things in life more reliable than a Marty Stuart album.

Obviously, Marty’s album is guitar infused. That’s a given. He mixes up the rhythms and the beats so much that one minute you think that you are riding a horse up in the mountains and other times you think that you are slicing sand in a surf movie. He knows how to manipulate a guitar like few others. He can take you down a traditional dirt road or power you on a drive down life’s highway.

Space is a mixture of a few styles, a haunting song. It is one of my favourites on the album.

Altitude and Vegas are groovy tracks too.

The Sun is quietly sleeping is a very gentle track and yes it does remind me a little of The Beatles While my guitar gently weeps. I think that it is meant to.

Tomahawk is a bit rockabilly. Very infectious.

The Angels came down is another favourite.

Marty knows how to mix styles, instrumentals with vocal tracks, Rocky with bluegrass with trad and rhythm and blues. He can break your heart or get you up on the dance floor.

He was just a kid when he started in music and he is still evolving. A class act.

Totally Biased Fan Review – Magick in the Chaos – Vixens of Fall

I saw and heard the sisters a few years ago in Tamworth with their Dad. Sisterhood is a great way to start the album, apart from obvious reasons, it has that old western feel of heading on into town. All that is missing is the tumble weed.

As if to carry on that Western theme, the next song has a bit of a wearing sombrero theme and a touch of El Paso. Then in true Vixens’ style it is vamped up and ramped up in If you don’t want my love.

Get along has a banjo ramble to begin with. It has a good riff and is very catchy.

Mirror Mirror is a song with a cool vibe. More of a shoulder shifter than a get up on your feet song. Mellow and thoughtful. One of my faves on the album.

The Long game is more of a soulful song than some of the others with some twangy guitars and a gentle rhythm. It shows off their harmonies.

Prove you wrong is faster paced. More country rock and air guitar stuff. Clap along.

Scout’s honour is lovely, a beautiful song for the next generation of Vixens! Sweet.

Break it Easy is a guitar, drum infused song with a Rocky rhythm.

That Spell’s Gone – part of the magic bit, I guess. Some clever lyrics.

Crooked Crown is not about King Charles but about imperfection and helping out someone in trouble. The chorus is very catchy.

Damn you and the Devil has that entering a western town beginning again. Some raunchy guitars.

Ain’t going home is a country rock wild ride. The toes will be tapping.

The chaotic in the title is represented here, in the last track. It is one of the best tracks on the album with a fabulous musical arrangement.

The album covers a lot of bases – a lot of the 94 types of country music are present. The girls have come a long way, and they are really only just beginning.

Special Post: Country and Joy

My Dad was born in the same year as Queen Joy, about a month apart. They died in the same year a few months apart. My dad’s two music heroes were Slim Dusty and Johnny Cash who died months apart. Connections. My Dad’s proudest moment with me was when I took this photo of Joy on the red carpet at the 2017 Golden Guitars. It included an unofficial interview with her which I described on my blog post as a good yack with country music royalty.

She was a national treasure. Beautiful songs by Luke O’Shea and Tom Curtain have summed her up beautifully, better than I ever could.

Anne and David and their children have carried on the rich legacy. She was a pioneer for Australian women, with her sister, Heather, and she wrote so many songs for Slim. Above all, she was a mentor and a guiding light. The huge amount of posts on Social Media from musicians and fans of all ages and styles of music, country and otherwise, is testament to her amazing life and body of work and like her name (her third name, actually!) – she filled us with Joy.

She was a strong woman. A powerhouse. It is the end of an era, but the memories and the lessons live on. I am so glad that I had that yack with her that day. It was not your typical interview, but when you are chatting with a legend, it just can’t be. I know that someone said that she had to move on and she said, ‘in a minute, I’m talking to Kaz.’ Hell, you can’t beat that! Thanks Queen Joy. Rest easy.

Totally Biased Fan Review: Brandy Clark – Brandy Clark

1.”Ain’t Enough Rocks” (featuring Derek Trucks)3:112.”Buried”3:053.”Tell Her You Don’t Love Her” (featuring Lucius)3:324.”Dear Insecurity” (featuring Brandi Carlile)4:365.”Come Back to Me”3:196.”Northwest”4:457.”She Smoked in the House”2:288.”Up Above the Clouds (Cecelia’s song)”3:009.”All Over Again”3:1310.”Best Ones”4:0111.”Take Mine”3:36Total length:38:46

Brandy and Brandi while I’m having a Brandy on a Friday night. It doesn’t get much better than that. Brandy Clark is an amazing singer/songwriter. This album is so easy to listen to and chill out to that I am as relaxed as I could possibly be.

Each song is beautifully crafted. The album covers a number of the 94 types of country music. Each song is a work of art. Brandy has an honesty in her songs and a vulnerability that makes her brave and thoughtful at the same time.

Both Brandy and Brandi Carlile sing together on here and for two peas in a pod, they add the cherry to the top of a fabulous cake. (Dear Insecurity)

Her hauntingly beautiful voice adds some sadness and sweetness, especially in the last song.

Brandy Clark is one of the stars of 21st century American country. She stays true to herself. Her singing and songwriting go hand in hand and one never outdoes the other, they are both fantastic. she has one foot in all that traditional country is about with a modern twist.

This is a perfect album from start to finish.

Totally Biased Fan Review: Jen Mize and The Rough and Tumble – Jen Mize and The Rough and Tumble

We in the Alt country music family adopted Jen Mize a long time ago. She’s our Aussie who just happens to have a bit of an accent. She writes great songs, knocks people off their barstools with her voice and plays well with friends or on her own. This time she is playing with friends, a bunch of not too shabby musos who make her look like the Queen in photos. If Gretta Ziller is the Queen of Victoria, then Jen Mize is the High Priestess of Queensland.

With a couple of songs already released – Jen and the gang have teased us. Now the whole kit and kaboodle is on display. The first two tracks were the singles, the catchy Elevator ride and the funktry, soul infused All riled up.

Asking enough is a bluesy, guitar fueled song which is AC/DC meets Little River Band meets Aretha Franklin meets Janis Joplin vibe – if you can dig it.

Out the back of the house has that funky, bluesy feel too, which is trademark Jen.

Bukowski was an American poet and writer who spoke for the downtrodden and underprivileged- I am thinking that is the reference, but it may just be my interpretation. He was somewhat of an underground writer. I may be way off base but it seems to fit.

Lay your head down has the spotlight on Jeremy Edwards, who released a brilliant album recently which I have reviewed. Possibly my favourite song on the album. Mizey and Jeremy’s voices go well together.

One of the Days has a cool soulful groove with a groovy riff or two!

Hell of a Liar is Jen Mize doing what she does best – her voice sending you soaring.

What they don’t know about me is a shoulder shifting, groovy soul kind of feeling, fusion of about 5 styles. Get lost in it.

Where do we go from here? Is a good track to end this album with Jeremy Edwards again.

It is safe to say that Jen Mize isn’t afraid to mix it up. I have all her albums – solo and collaborative works and she doesn’t mind mixing it up a bit. Not one of her albums is a copy of the other. Great job Jen and the boys.