With the Rock Hall inductions taking place last weekend, and Record Store Day coming up on Saturday, we’ve all got music on the brain. Read along as I name my top five albums.
Reba McEntire – Sweet Sixteen
This album is one of the first ones I ever owned…well, technically, I permanently borrowed it from my mom’s cassette collection, but that’s neither here nor there. It kick started my musical obsession with Reba McEntire as well as set me on my future career path.
The opening moments of Reba’s take on The Everly Brothers’ “Cathy’s Clown” still captivates me to this very day. And, don’t get me started on her signature trills. They are stamped on every single song on this album. She plays with notes like a cat playing with a mouse…just toying with them before she owns them. Just take one listen to her vocals on “A New Love,” it’ll blow your mind.
Sweet Sixteen is my musical home base. I know I can always count on it to center me when things are out of sorts.
Patty Loveless – Mountain Soul
When I turned 17, my mom let me pick out my birthday present and I chose to take home a little “mountain soul.” I had always really enjoyed Patty Loveless’ music, but I really started to connect with her artistry after hearing this album and getting a little older.
Upon my initial listen, I admit I wasn’t in love with the project as a whole. At the time, I wasn’t into bluegrass music, so I didn’t quite “get it,” but fast forward a few years and I was bluegrassin’ it with the best of them and it was all because of this album. It was my gateway drug to bluegrass.
The up-tempo numbers like “The Boys are Back in Town” and “Pretty Little Miss” are feisty and fun, but it’s when Patty slows things down to sing about heartbreak and regret, she really shines. “Sorrowful Angels” kills me every time; and you can practically smell the coal dust as Patty describes the hardscrabble life of a coal miner in “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”
David Nail – I’m About to Come Alive
Most jobs have their perks, and if you work in the music industry, one of the benefits is getting your hands on music before it’s released. That’s how David Nail’s debut album I’m About to Come Alive came my way, and I’m thankful it did. It was the perfect companion to my first real heartbreak.
Songs like “Missouri” just allowed me to wallow in my sadness, while “Clouds” and “Red Light” let me relive the breakup itself. Meanwhile, the images painted in “Mississippi” and “Turning Home” permitted my homesickness without judgment. “I’m About to Come Alive” and “This Time Around” provided lights of inspiration and hope. David’s soulful voice expresses every feeling he describes on this album with ease.
