Alan Jackson really pegged the name of his new cd. It’s called Good Time and it just could be Alan Jackson’s defining work which is a bold statement considering Jacksons career spans decades over years.

After a few forays straying from tradional country (the bluesy Alison Krause “Red On a Rose” and the sucessful “Precisous Memories” collection of Hymmns) The new CD hits stores Tuesday and is produced by longtime collaborator Keith Stegal and is pure Alan.

So what’s unique about this album. First off, it’s the first entire CD on which Alan has written every word. There are seventeen tracks. Pretty impressive.
Secondly, all the songs are new, unique, and sound like big Alan Jackson hit songs. It’s real deal country music.

I’ve never been a core Jackson fan. I’ve always simply just liked his ditties like “Little Bitty” and even duds like the more recent “Talking’ Repair Song Blues.”
But tracking through “Good Time” on a long drive yesterday I found myself singing along to almost every single song on the disk. These are songs I’ve never heard before. Alan’s writing some powerful hooks.

The vocoder craze continues in the lead track with the sing along “G with an O an O with a D a T with an I an M with an E that spells good time.” It’s a fin way to start and a likely radio hit if released.

Alan blazes through “Small Town Southern Man” – already a big hit on radio. Slows it down for the clever and well written “I Wish I Could Back Up.”

After that expect solid drinkin’ songs (“If You Want To Make Me Happy”); island songs (the solid “Laid Back in Low Key – Cay); and even his true country version of Nineteen Something (“1976″).

Another highlight is the somber “You’ve Got Me Right Where I Want You” I can’t believe that lyric has not been written before.

This is a great way to fight single song downloads. Just make every track on the CD a keeper. No filler here just pure country that guarantees Jackson’s prominence on country radio for another two years. Listening beginning to end lives up to the album’s name.

Alan Jackson has sold more than 49 million albums, has penned 21 of his 31 #1 records, and is the most nominated artist in CMA history. The three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year topped the album charts not once, but twice, in 2006, with the success of Precious Memories and Like Red on a Rose. GOOD TIME is his first album of all country material since 2004’s WHAT I DO.

My Grade: Solid A
Don’t Skip: “I Still Like Bologna” – Better than a cliché “WWW Dot Memory” the song takes a real country look at tech and appreciation for life’s simpler pleasures.
Fast Forward: Past “Country Boy” – a slightly forced and cartoonish Jackson song.

I was too young to remember the Johnny Cash TV show.  But I can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic tracking through a new CD released this week called "The Best Of The Johnny Cash TV Show."

Listening to tracks like Tammy Wynette’s "Stand By Your Man" takes you back to the early days of ’70s television even if you’re too young to REALLY remember it. 

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Taylor Swift stole the show this week. Not just at the CMA’s (with her laugh out loud “highlight of my senior year” line and performance) but also at her most recent “Bonfires and Amplifiers Tour stop where she grabbed the audience from the first downbeat of “Our Song” on stage Saturday night.

It was clear to me than many of the fans that were in the seats (overall a much lighter crowd than I would expect for Brad Paisley) were there specifically to see her. Even in the hallways of the Coliseum a LOT of young people were singing along to ALL the songs. Even the album (non radio hit) cuts.

Here’s the Set List from the 11/10/07 show:
Our Song
Beautiful
Teardrops On My Guitar
Shoulda Said No
Tim McGraw
I Hate That

Backstage, Swift was as charming as any artist I’ve met. She was so genuine and warm she would likely get a lot of breaks even if her music wasn’t special. But it really is. On her bus she treated our radio winner to an exclusive performance of “Our Song” and was open to all questions. I was hesitant to get too personal but asked who sent her the 2 dozen red roses I saw on her bus table, “Trisha Yearwood sent me those.” She followed with “You can ask me ANYTHING like that – no, there’s not from a boyfriend – I don’t have a boyfriend right now.” I’m sure some of the guys our promo staff perked up on that.

Full disclosure: I didn’t really care for Taylor up until about two weeks ago. To me she was too “pop”. I guess I thought she was manufactured. “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops” were straying too far from a traditional sound in my mind. Then, for some reason when I listened to “Our Song” it just clicked with me how amazing it is that this teenager is WRITING these clever songs. In fact she solo “wrote ‘Our Song’ as a little ditty for a 9th grade talent contest.” I had to go back and count the grades to remember 9th grade is a freshman in High School!

I no longer think Taylor Swift is too pop – rather she is the face, sound, and future of country. Two million cds sold…. and I’m just getting on… and we’re only on the third single. Horizon Award indeed.

>Daniels, who just turned a hearty 71 years young last week, says he’s always proud to perform for the vets and our troops. “They’re the best we’ve got.” He Says, “There are no finer Americans than the ones wearing that uniform they’re just the best.”

Daniel’s has been busy these days as he promotes his newest release called “Deuces” on his very own Blue Hat Records.
“Deuces” (as in duets) pairs the unmistakeable voice of the CDB with some usual suspects (Gretchen Wilson on “Jackson” and Montgomery Gentry with “Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye”) some surprising choices (Darius Rucker and an acoustic Brad Paisley).

Charleston’s very own Rucker has one of the more surprising duets with a Dylan tune. “I knew Darius had to be a Bob Dylan fan… so I said how ’bout doin’ “Like a Rollin’ Stone” and it was compatible with him so I cut the track and we just went in and did it. It was that simple.”

Brad Paisley wraps up the CD with a special intrumental track (it’s rumored Paisley has an upcoming instrumental album of his own in the works).

“Jammin’ For Stevie,” the Paisley track, came together as a jam session says Charlie, “We had Stevie Ray’s old Band Double Trouble in town for another project and they were in the studio and we had Brad come out and bring his guitar and them and myself and one of my guitar players stood in the studio and wrote this one. It’s just a jammin’ thing.”

My Grade: B-
Don’t Miss: Jammin’ For Stevie w/ Brad Paisley
Skip: Brooks and Dunn on Long Haired CB

Deuces Tracks include:

Brad Paisley (Jammin’ For Stevie)

If you’re going to wait 28 years between studio recordings you better make it good. The Eagles knock it out of the park with their new double disk CD “Long Road Out Of Eden” in stores (albeit only Walmart stores) now.

I’m not sure what makes the project so right. I don’t remember “Hell Freezes Over” sounding as good (although the surrounding hype was strong back in 1994.) It may just be the right time. Some of the pleasure listening track to track is simply nostalgia for that simpler time of vinyl records, no internet and radio without such strict formats. Maybe the songs are just that good.

Almost all the tracks sound somehow familiar beginning with the opening track “No More Walks In the Woods” which is bravely acapella. A smart choice to showcase their signature vocals as a group right from the start.

Country music seems to be the current niche the band falls into. With many current based country stations branching out into some 70′s rock cuts the timing was right to release their cover of JD Souther’s “How Long” from 1972. It works and the single is on it’s way to being a genuine hit.

There’s a lot of meat on the 2 disks and everyone (Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh are all in strong form) gets to shine. Frey makes me almost forget “The Heat Is On” when I hear stuff like “You are Not Alone,” Walsh is strong on “Guilty of the Crime,” and Henley shines throughout.

There’s something for everyone here. I would venture to bet hard core Eagles fans will love it. Side line fans will savor some memories by listening to the familiar vibe, and some new generations of music fans may just discover some new gems.

It’s a nice reminder that the 70′s music scene was not all about disco. Bonus: the website hints at a possible tour.

Overall Grade: A (even casual fans will like this collection).

Don’t miss: “Busy Being Fabulous” It’s a fun – not too serious – tune that just has a classic feel with a strong Henly lead and lyrics like “You’ve always been the life of the party but now my baby the joke is on you…”

Fast Forward: through the bland instrumental “I Dreamed There Was No War.”

Kenny Chesney is on a roll. 

The lead single off Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates is "Never Wanted Nothin’ More" and it’s coming off a genuine five week run at number one on the Charts.  His follow up "Don’t Blink" could be another career song. It’s already rocketing into heavy radio play.

The Tennessee native is about to release what I think is the best CD of his career and he’s firing on all cylinders.  The project – free of gimmicks and marketing distractions (like bonus features and stunts) – should explode into stores Tuesday and give rappers 50 Cent and Kanye (both braggin’ on new releases out the same day) a run for the money.

Kenny kicks off a string of country superstar releases for the Fall that the record industry (in a nose dive due to an outdated business model) is desperate to cash in on. (OK, Full disclosure:  I’m a die-hard Kenny Fan.  )  I don’t know if it’s possible for him to even top his own sales numbers with the current state of the biz; but it might be satisfying to see him trounce the rap world in sales and gain some deserved respect for country music.

Whatever the sales show next week - one thing’s for sure: Kenny has taken a smart step towards locking in a few more years of industry and radio dominance by checking his ego at the door (he has written NONE of the songs on this project) and serving his fans with quality country SONGS.

By the time you read this you may be tired of "Never Wanted Nothin’ " and the  follow up "Don’t Blink."  My bet is BOTH will be around a while.  Classics with a good shelf life for radio.

I was surprised when I cracked the jewel case and saw track three – a duet with George Strait – that will please mainstream fans called "Shift Work."  "It’s funny ’cause everybody’s been there and everybody wants to get out of there" says Chesney.  A guaranteed hit if they negotiated the singles rights from George’s camp.

Other surprises include "Wild Ride" featuring Joe Walsh who has been touring with Chesney lately.  It’s a mix of "Livin in Fast Forward" and "Summertime" that get’s some extra country street cred because it’s written by Dwight Yoakam.

"Just not Today," "Scare Me," and "Wife and Kids" are other well written gems that may work on the radio or simply end up as favorite album cuts. 

Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates goes on sale everywhere September 11th.

My Grade: A
Don’t Miss:  "Don’t Blink"- Think "There Goes My Life" but better. 
Weakest: "Dancin’ For Groceries" - this is the weakest on the album – and it’s still pretty good.

“I’ve watched enough daytime TV to know my baby’s needs… but sometimes I swear she’s impossible to please.”
- Travis Tritt on “You Never Take Me Dancing”

Travis Tritt is platinum 25 times over and still
it seems he gets no respect.  He aims to change that with his new CD out August 21st in which he throws it all out there.

Then comes the lead radio single You Never Take Me Dancing.  It’s one of my  favorites on the disk, but you soon start to think this is going to be a way different Tritt record.  
 
The rest of the disk is a bit more safe and less funky.  But the entire CD is a showcase of Tritts unique vocal gift. He is an American original that has created his own brand of country music.

I wonder if Brad Paisley finds himself saying "it doesn’t get better than this" often.  It seems to be a theme that is threaded through his latest CD
 "5th Gear" (in stores now).

Paisley also waxes about cars, “There were so many songs on this record that had to do with some vehicle in your life and sort of travels and cars. You know, you’re talking about a car in the first song with ‘All I Wanted Was a Car.’ It’s guitar driven and it really just made the statement I wanted to make, and so I was looking for car titles. I realize this album—whether it’s ‘Online’ or ‘Some Mistakes’ or ‘Letter to Me’ or ‘It Did’—they all talk about it. A car plays a role at some point in all of those songs.”

Paisley has a knack for infusing a wonderful sense of humor into his traditional sound and it’s made for a must listen cd.  My only complaint is that Paisley’s pop culture references (In Better Than This — "if Emeril Lagasse showed up with Kilbasa"?) can be a distraction at first listen.  Then again it’s refreshing to have music with a depth that requires multiple listens.

Overall the future of mainstream country music is bright.   Brad steps up to superstar status as a songwriter penning almost everything on the disk (all the real gems anyway).   I actually got misty eyed listening to "Letter To Me."  Simple, clever, and Brad is the sole songwriter.    On lineCD is predicataKielbasable pop country fare like "Celebrity" was and watch out for what I hear is an equally great video.  I can assume it’ll be his next video.

I also respect that Pailsey continues his tradition of including a Gospel song ("When We All Get To Heaven") and and instrumental ("Throttleneck").  Plus – just like his previous records – he has his Opry buddies "The Kung Pao Buckaroos" in for some comic relief (nice "stunt casting" with Vince Gill!)

My Grade: Solid A

Don’t Miss: The brilliantly written "Letter To Me", and very end of "OnlinepredictablePaisley" where Brad salutes band geeks everywhere with a fun marching band version of the soon to be hit (I’m sure radio will fade out early!).

I Can Live Without: the stuff Paisley didn’t write.

Hear Paisley’s 5th Gear Free HERE

I’ve had three days to try to decide just who Jason Aldean sounds like on his new release Relentless (available 5/29). I first thought Tracy Lawrence. Chris Cagle? Clay Walker? In fact, there’s a bunch of voices that seep though Aldean’s delivery. The good thing is that they mix together to create something unique and very MAINSTREAM country.

MY GRADE:
MY GRADE:A-

I Keep Replaying: “I Use What I Got” (A Great combination of hook, fun, and inspiration with some Copperhead road on the intro).

I have to hand it to Gretchen Wilson. It would have been very easy for her to forget her audience. I’ve seen them turn out in full force at her ambitious arena tour last year. She has a strong following of hell raising, real life, regular women that feel empowered by her proud lyrics. Wilson is preaching directly to those fans in her new CD “One Of The Boys.” It’s a whiskey soaked, (at least three drinkin’ songs) southern rock, country-steeped, collection that will be a lot of fun for her fans (especially when performed live).

For some odd reason (unfortunately) it looks like country radio may be leaving her behind. Otherwise, this CD could be the project that locks in her superstar status.

Wilson offers up a bunch of tunes that could work well in the mix on most stations. The rock-edged bar closer “You Don’t Have To Go Home” holds up perfectly next to “Here For The Party” and other rowdy songs that she’s delivered in the past. Her female fans are sure to giggle with appreciation over the message in “If You Want A Mother,” and I got a genuine kick out of Possum-flavored spirit in “There Goes The Neighborhood.” She does a respectable job of offering fresh takes on the kinds of songs that got her overnight success.

A lot of people will be surprised by what a great sound Wilson has when she delivers the slow songs found on the disk. Although “Come To Bed” (with writing partner John Rich) never hit on country radio, I have a feeling it will resonate with her female fans. She’s got the kind of voice that’s been missing for a while in mainstream country. Finally – traditional female twang is cool again.

Tracking the disk cut for cut reveals a fun ride with a southern rock feel. Wilson really shines on the tempo… and you have to give her major credit for co-writing all but two of the songs on the album. I’d like to hear a bit more punch in the production (especially in “Mother”). But overall the disk is fun to listen to in the truck and will be even better when performed live and loud. She writes in her liner notes, “This is the most important record I have ever made, and maybe ever will make. To me, it’s more than just songs It is my diary set to music.” Although I doubt she’s still closing down the redneckbars every night I’m just glad she’s keeping it country.

I Keep Replaying:
“You Don’t Have To Go Home” and “There’s a Place In The Whiskey”
Overall Grade: A-