| Title | Time |
Lyrics |
Sample |
|
| 1 |
Real Bad w/ Kelly Willis |
2:53 |
|
|
| Sort of a Cajun Two-beat. With Jacked -up guitars and Kelly Willis
singing harmony. It just had to be the title song. It was written about
a quarrel, and that funny feeling when you realize you don’t know what
you’re fighting about.
Terry Kirkendall, drums; Brad
Fordham, bass; Gurf Morlix, acoustic guitar; Boomer Norman,
electric guitar; Bobby Snell, pedal steel guitar; Kelly Willis,
vocal harmony; Jim Stringer, guitars |
||||
| 2 | Lydia w/ Kelly Willis |
4:36 |
|
|
|
An Appalachian tale of a widowed woman who has lost two of her loved
ones to the coal mines of Virginia, and parallels the life of my
grandmother Lydia who lived out her latter days in the local looney bin.
Kelly Willis adds a beautiful harmony vocal with Jim Stringer and Gurf
Morlix adding those acoustic touches that lend themselves so well to the
Appalachian theme.
Terry Kirkendall, drums; Brad
Fordham, bass; Gurf Morlix, acoustic guitar; Boomer Norman,
electric guitar; Bobby Snell, pedal steel guitar; Kelly Willis,
vocal harmony; Jim Stringer, guitars, mandolin, 6-string bass |
||||
| 3 | Wherever You Are | 3:05 |
|
|
|
The classic country shuffle, with a two-beat twist. This is a song
written for all the wistful people who think about past loves and assume
the other person could never be happy without them. Also a classic
country theme.
Terry Kirkendall, drums; Vance
Hazen, bass; Boomer Norman, electric guitar; Bobby Snell,
pedal steel guitar; Jim Stringer, acoustic guitar |
||||
| 4 |
It Only Hurts |
2:26 |
|
|
| A beautiful waltz that I learned in grade school. It was my Uncle
Karl’s favorite song and I was encouraged to sing it regularly. At the
time I didn’t know what it meant, but as time goes by I’ve really
come to understand the meaning. An old friend Oliver Steck is featured
on accordion. Terry Kirkendall, drums; Vance Hazen, bass; Boomer Norman, electric guitar; Bobby Snell, pedal steel guitar; Jim Stringer, acoustic guitar; Oliver Steck, accordion |
||||
| 5 |
Flowered Dresses |
3:37 |
|
|
| An up tempo Americana Anthem. It’s written about two generations of
women and their struggle to take on new roles without giving up
themselves in the process. We all wear flowered dresses from time to
time, usually to gain acceptance, I guess it’s a metaphor for that.
Slaid Cleaves throws another element in there as the irresistible male
voice singing harmony. Terry Kirkendall, drums; Brad Fordham, bass; Gurf Morlix, acoustic guitar; Boomer Norman, electric guitar; Bobby Snell, pedal steel guitar; Jim Stringer, acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Slaid Cleaves, vocal harmony |
||||
| 6 |
He Makes Me Want You |
4:23 |
|
|
| A lonely ballad about knowing you’re with the wrong person. Terry Kirkendall, drums; Vance Hazen, bass; Boomer Norman, electric guitar; Bobby Snell, pedal steel guitar; Jim Stringer, acoustic guitar, electric guitar |
||||
| 7 |
Ride Ride Ride |
2:52 |
|
|
| A rockin’ little ride into the age of Go-Go-country. This classic
Liz Anderson song was first recorded by her daughter Lynn. This is the
millennium approach and a tribute to both the Anderson women. Honky tonk
hero, Roger Wallace, sings harmony and this track features all the
Crystal Pistols wielding their mighty axes. Terry Kirkendall, drums; Brad Fordham, bass; Gurf Morlix, acoustic guitar; Boomer Norman, electric guitar; Bobby Snell, pedal steel guitar; Jim Stringer, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lapsteel guitar; Roger Wallace, vocal harmony |
||||
| 8 |
The Longhorn Song |
3:09 |
|
|
|
A sassy Merle Haggard type two-beat . The girl in the song is just
fed up with her man’s incessant whining, and has to get away. Luckily,
the Longhorn (Austin’s infamous watering hole) is just a few blocks
down the road. We would’ve liked to get Merle in the studio to sing
the last line, but I guess he wasn’t available... darn the luck, but
Boomer does a pretty fair Roy Nichols. |
||||
| 9 |
You Wish |
1:56 |
|
|
|
Short and sweet Rockabilly toe tapper. It started out bluegrass, but
I think it ended up rockabilly. Not that there’s anything wrong with
that. I think I was listening to Muleskinner Blues alot about the time I
wrote this one. Vance Hazen and I worked it up before we ever had a
band, and he added the groovy McCartneyesque bass line. My good buddy
Ted Roddy adds his signature ass-kickin’ harmonica. |
||||
| 10 | I Could Loan Some Lonesome to You | 4:15 |
|
|
|
A Latin Two-beat ballad. This is the first country hook I ever came
up with, the song I wrote wasn’t very good, so i kept the line and
ditched the song. A few years and a good dose of Roy Orbison later, I
wrote this one. which I love, despite the cheesy title.... Plus the
rhythm section is so groovy. |
||||
| 11 | Black Ice | 4:24 |
|
|
|
A southern rock Wreck on the Highway. This one is inspired by my many
trips North during the winter months. As a child I heard people talk
about Black Ice, but as you may know you rarely ‘see’ it. Then one
day we had a little run in with it, and I decided to write this song. It’s
from the perspective of a trucker on a stretch of Highway 71 near
Louisville KY. Kinda my own Kentucky Rain, except colder. |
||||
| 12 |
Easy to Stay |
3:20 |
|
|
| A little waltz recorded live with Jim, Ted, and Jane Gilman. A happy
little tribute to being in love, and finally feeling secure. You can
almost hear the screen door slam.
Karen Poston, acoustic guitar,
lead vocal; Ted Roddy, harmonica; Jane Gillman, harmony
vocals; Jim Stringer, mandolin, harmony vocals |
||||
