It’s true, I’m a big fan of country music, even though I know I give country music a great deal of crap. My problem with country music is not the fact that there are no good artists or songs, but that they all sound the same and nobody’s daring enough to change that.
Well, not exactly nobody. Jamey Johnson has set himself apart from the pack with his latest album, That Lonesome Song. This absolute heartbreaker of an album has been spinning on a regular basis for the better part of two weeks now and I simply cannot get enough of it. That Lonesome Song was released in 2008 and climbed into the Country Top 10 with the strength of the first single, “In Color.” The album has since gone on to receive three Grammy nominations and can be seen as a “comeback” record for Johnson, who was dropped from his former label, BNA Records (nice going, fellers).
That Lonesome Song‘s success didn’t come without a price, though. After Johnson was dropped from BNA, his wife divorced him, and he then pretty much disappeared from the face of the earth. He calls this period “dark,” and apparently went for weeks without seeing another human being. The album was written during this time, and I guess it was a great way to come back to life.
Now, I’m not sure just how much of this album is true, but it doesn’t really matter because it’s something we can all relate to. Everyone goes through “dark” periods, no matter what they tell you. Anyone who says differently is lying through their teeth. Johnson sobered up and poured his drink into these songs… with lyrics like “I had a job and a piece of land / My sweet wife was my best friend / But I traded that for cocaine and a whore,” you can tell you’re listening to a man with nothing left to lose.
And maybe that’s why I’ve become so attached to this album.
The whole album runs seamlessly from one track to the next, but with a distinct flavor to each song. I love the sound of this record. It doesn’t sound like what I normally hear on country radio, except for the hit single “In Color,” what I consider the worst song on the album. This is the only song that strays from the atmosphere of the album and it simply doesn’t fit. It plays with all the country cliche’s – lyrically and musically. There’s the “listening to grandpa” scenario, and the big fat “diamond” at 3:24 that you come to expect from every single country song on the radio. If this song weren’t included on the record, the album would be a no-song-skipper of an album. Unfortunately, though, the big machine needs singles and well, there you have it.
Johnson has a way of creating a completely isolated world through his lyrics. Some of my favorite lines:
thats the story of my life
like tryin to remember words
to a song nobody wrote
Let’s face it, “tryin’ to remember words to a song nobody wrote” is an act that can only fall on one lone person… his deep bass voice also adds to the loneliness… to the point where I really wish there were no other harmony vocals layered on top of his. There’s simply nothing like That Lonesome Song anywhere in top 40 country music nowadays. The album doesn’t seem manufactured (aside from “In Color”), and you can tell Johnson has lived each and every word he sings. This is so refreshing because as a listener, I want to know about the artist through their songs. I want to know what they’ve been through, and what possessed them to write their songs. I’ll say that again… I want to know about the artist through their songs. George Strait may have another hit with “River of Love,” but what does that song say about Strait? That he knows how to handle a paddle?
That Lonesome Song is a must-have for any country music loving readers out there. If all you know from the album is “In Color,” then you don’t know what you’re missing. Johnson bleeds on every track, and sick as it may seem, you can feel his blood dripping right on to your bare skin.
I’ve posted a live acoustic version of “High Cost of Living” below in the Dig-It section, along with a brief story of the album from Johnson himself. You’ll find one of the more gorgeous moments on the record, “Dreaming My Dreams,” below as well. If you like what you hear, I highly recommend picking up the album.
It’s great to see albums like this get the attention it deserves. Hopefully this will spark a new trend in country music: honesty.
Your Dig-It Downloads:
Download: Intro/Story (Live at Q106′s St Jude Storytellers Jam 6/18/08)
Download: High Cost of Living (Live at Q106′s St Jude Storytellers Jam 6/18/08)
Download: Dreaming My Dreams
Jamey Johnson on: [Amazon] [iTunes]
Popularity: 1% [?]
RE: “Dreaming My Dreams”
Hey Swap! Just a few friendly comments.
You wrote: “I’ll say that again… I want to know about the artist through their songs.”
Swap, I’m thinking you mean you want to know about the artist through the artist’s CD song picks and choices. Or the producers choices…sometimes a bummer for any artist. (Think Clive Davis.)
Lyrics, to me, tell more about the writer/composer.
The 1974 album, Waylon Jennings’s, “Dreaming My Dreams” was the first LP my wife gifted me. After years of covering Beatles, James Taylor and John Denver, Outlaw Country became my theme and I began to style my stage persona (clothes, hair, beard and liqour and drug usage) along the lines of Waylon. For many years I led off my solo acoustic shows with the song and it has remained a favorite around the house when now picking and grinning with friends. So, it’s nice to hear this baritone Jamey Johnson’s version.
“Dreaming My Dreams” by songwriter Allen Reynolds introduced by the late Jennings reached Billboard’s # 10 in 1975. Covered later by Colleen Hewett(1979 Australia # 1), Marianne Faithfull(Ireland 1977), Crystal Gayle(1975- an Allen Reynold production), Collin Raye(1995), Alison Krauss(1999), Cowboy Junkies(1998).
A prolific *writer, Allen Reynolds wrote The Vogues’ 1965 hit “Five O’Clock World”. He also wrote/produced the original version of “Through The Eyes Of Love”, a hit in Australia for Bobbie & Laurie.
*http://www.poparchives.com.au/feature.php?id=1543
see also, Nashville Songwriters Foundation Hall of Fame – the Allen Reynolds page at http://www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/fame/reynld.html
Lovin’ your stuff here at The Frontloader. keep up the great work!
-unc.
As you can imagine, I hear a lot of country living in Nashville (surprise), and oh yes a lot of country pop sounds the same (yawn), but when I first heard Jamey do the title track, my head swiveled around quick and I thought whoa, who was that??? I’ve now seen him live twice, amidst fans screaming “REAL COUNTRY!!” and oh man, what a breath of fresh country air. He’s been a writer of hits for others for years, and other writers and players in town are frankly tickled pink that he’s broken through and struck one for the “good guys.” Oh, and all of them also say the same about him, shaking their heads fondly: “He’s crazy.”
GOOD FIND!!! The album is STELLAR. This guy, to me, represents the future direction of country music. One step sideways, away from country pop, and one step back, towards a traditional sound. LOVE it.
I have been listening to this album for weeks now and cannot get enough of it. It has ruinned the pop country station for me now. I hope country goes this way (traditional/honest), but I don’t see it happening mainstream. I can’t wait for his next work.