Well it's that time of year again, Christmas! I will keep this post short. Here is a nice one from the one and only Merle Haggard. It features five penned songs by Haggard himself on the A side and the B Side contains 5 Christmas classics.
I've been meaning to post this one up but haven't done so because I couldnt find the LP to scan the cover so today while looking for another album I spotted it and decided to go forth upon my mission. I couldnt find much information about Shirl Milete but I do know that the LP was recorded in Nashville and was released in 1969 on Poppy Records. Shirl is very similar to the man in black Johnny Cash and I would describe this album as a crossover of country and soul for the most part. Shirl did write half of the songs on the album and several songs are composed by Townes Van Zandt along with a Dylan and Elvis cover, Definitely worth a listen if you are a fan of Johnny Cash and I also gathered that one of the songs was featured on a Country Soul compilation at some point.
I've always loved truck driving songs and any albums related to the big rigs or the C.B. culture. Red Sovine was one of the best story tellers and one of the greats when it comes to trucker songs. You will always find one of his songs on practically any trucker song compilation. I'm not a huge country music fan but love the narrative style country songs wether it be about driving across country, bad relationships, or getting drunk at the bar and this compilation has them all! I'm posting this as I thought it represents my move back east from the Nashville area and is a nice farewell to Music City. Red was born in West Virginia but died here in Nashville when he suffered a heart attack behind the wheel of his van. This is just classic country story telling at its best especially the track "Does Steppin' Out Mean Daddy Took A Walk" when he says and I quote "Does being a ladies man mean Daddy's a sissy?" That could be one of the greatest lines ever written as far as I'm concerned haha! Enjoy!
The second installment of my Christmas post is a pick from my girlfriend who wanted to share this one before even hearing it and I had to agree just from the title Merry Twismas alone! I wasn't sure what to expect but figured it was aimed more at kids and it definitely is. Conway goes on a little Christmas adventure with his pal Twitty Bird discovering different characters in Toyland Towne. This is a cross between the Chipmunks and classic Conway. I'd say this is worth at least one listen and more than likely it will get on your nerves after a while but its definitely a fun one and if you have kids they may enjoy it even more. My favorite cut is Silent Night which has a classic Conway intro and no annoying Twitty Bird to get in the way.
