My latest playlist is of covers. First, I have the original version (or the one that’s famous for being the original) followed by my favorite cover of it. My only rule is that I have to like both versions. So, songs where I like the cover but not the original won’t make the list.

I’ll share a sampling of what I have so far, as long as you share your latest or greatest concept playlist in the comments:

1. Buddy Miller, “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go” (Miranda Lambert)
2. Hank Williams, “Hey, Good Lookin’” (The Mavericks)
3. Elvis Presley, “Suspicious Minds (Dwight Yoakam)
4. Dolly Parton, “Coat of Many Colors (Shania Twain/Alison Krauss)
5. Waylon Jennings, “Dreaming My Dreams with You” (Alison Krauss and Union Station)
6. Johnny Cash, “Understand Your Man” (Dwight Yoakam)
7. Merle Haggard, “The Way I Am” (Alan Jackson)
8. John Prine, “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round” (Miranda Lambert)
9. John Anderson, “Swingin’” (LeAnn Rimes)
10. Buddy Miller, “Don’t Tell Me” (Alicia Nugent)
11. Kasey Chambers, “Pony” (Ashley Monroe)
12. Tammy Wynette, “Stand by Your Man” (Dixie Chicks)
13. Bill Monroe, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (John Fogerty)
14. Conway Twitty, “Goodbye Time” (Blake Shelton)
15. Hank Williams, “I Saw the Light” (Blind Boys of Alabama/ Hank Williams Jr.)
16. Bob Dylan, “Shelter from the Storm” (Rodney Crowell/Emmylou Harris)
17. Merle Haggard, “Today I Started Loving You Again” (Buddy Jewell/Miranda Lambert)
18. Nitty Gritty Dirtband, “Fishing in the Dark” (Garth Brooks)
19. The White Stripes, “Dead Leaves in the Dirty Ground” (Chris Thile)
20. Al Green, “Lets Stay Together” (John Berry)
21. David Allan Coe, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” (Doug Supernaw)
22. The Decemberists, “Shankill Butchers” (Sarah Jarosz
23. Steve Earle, “My Old Friend the Blues” (Patty Loveless)
24. Eric Clapton, “Lay Down Sally” (Delbert McClinton)
25. Fred Eaglesmith, “Time to Get a Gun” (Miranda Lambert)
26. Dolly Parton, “Jolene” (The White Stripes)
27. Johnny Cash, “I Still Miss Someone” (Suzy Bogguss)
28. Pearl Jam, “Better Man” (Sugarland)
29. Kris Kristofferson, “From the Bottle to the Bottom” (Dierks Bentley/Kris Kristofferson)
30. Don Williams, “Lord, I hope this Day is Good” (Lee Ann Womack)
31. Bob Dylan, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s all right” (Randy Travis)

- Superhero television show about our blog from the 50′s.

We won’t be live-blogging this time around, but will be reacting to the show in a full post tomorrow, and welcome your reactions in comments on this post. The awards telecast starts at 8 pm Eastern, and I imagine there will be some red carpet action in the hour prior.

Record of the Year

Picks

• Beyonce, “Halo” – Kevin
• Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
• Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody” - Tara
• Lady GaGa, “Poker Face” - Dan
• Taylor Swift, “You Belong with Me”

Predictions

• Beyonce, “Halo”
• Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
• Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody” – Kevin, Dan, Tara
• Lady GaGa, “Poker Face”
• Taylor Swift, “You Belong with Me”

Kevin: Am I wrong for preferring Eric Cartman’s rendition of “Poker Face” over the original? This is a pretty lightweight slate of contenders. I really like “Halo”, but I suspect Kings of Leon will win, simply because it’s the only rock song in a lineup of pop hits.

Dan: “Poker Face” just feels very representative of popular music in 2009. I wouldn’t whine if it got passed over so that “Bad Romance” could take this award next year, though.

Tara: I would’ve pulled for “Single Ladies” in a heartbeat had it been submitted, but “Use Somebody” is just as deserving of this award. It’s a fantastic song even outside the context of its moment in pop culture, and it’s the kind of larger-than-life song that the voters have picked to win in the past.

Album of the Year

Picks

• Beyonce, I Am…Sasha Fierce
• Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
• Lady GaGa, The Fame – Kevin, Tara
• Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
• Taylor Swift, Fearless - Dan

Predictions

• Beyonce, I Am…Sasha Fierce
• Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
• Lady GaGa, The Fame
• Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King - Kevin
• Taylor Swift, Fearless - Dan, Tara

Kevin: I’d like to see dance music get some respect in the big category, even if there are a half-dozen Madonna albums at this point that would’ve been worthier winners than The Fame. Again, I think the Top 40 votes are going to be split, leaving Dave Matthews Band the winners.

Dan: In little over a year, Fearless has grown from success story to cultural artifact. It’s that rare pop album that seems to have a personality all its own, like Jagged Little Pill in a yellow sundress (and sung about as well). I could see anyone but the Peas taking this, but I think Swift’s support in both Nashville and the Top 40 crowd will take her to the top.

Tara: I have to say I was fairly shocked to see Swift’s truckload of Grammy nominations, so I’m having a little trouble wrapping my mind around the Academy’s thought process – but, I suppose a Swift win in this category is inevitable. However, I fully back Lady GaGa, who is the perfect storm of creativity, vision, swagger and raw vocal talent (remember that, pop world?).

Song of the Year

Picks

• “Poker Face”, Lady GaGa & RedOne
• “Pretty Wings”, Hod David & Musze
• “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”, Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart
• “Use Somebody”, Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill- Kevin, Dan, Tara
• “You Belong With Me”, Liz Rose & Taylor Swift

Predictions

• Miranda Lambert, “Dead Flowers”
• Martina McBride, “I Just Call You Mine”
• Taylor Swift, “White Horse” - Leeann
• Carrie Underwood, “Just A Dream” – Kevin, Dan, Tara
• Lee Ann Womack, “Solitary Thinkin’”

Best Country Collaboration with Vocals

Picks

• Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin, “Beautiful World” - Leeann
• Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally, “Down the Road”
• Brad Paisley & Keith Urban, “Start A Band”
• Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis, “I Told You So” – Kevin, Tara
• Lee Ann Womack & George Strait, “Everything But Quits” – Dan
  

Predictions

• Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin, “Beautiful World”
• Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally, “Down the Road”
• Brad Paisley & Keith Urban, “Start A Band” - Leeann
• Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis, “I Told You So” – Kevin, Tara, Dan
• Lee Ann Womack & George Strait, “Everything But Quits”

• Alison Brown, “Under the (Five) Wire”
• The Greencards, “The Crystal Merchant”
• Sarah Jarosz, “Mansinneedof” - Leeann
• Steve Wariner, “Producer’s Medley”

Predictions

• Alison Brown, “Under the (Five) Wire”
• The Greencards, “The Crystal Merchant”
• Sarah Jarosz, “Mansinneedof”
• Steve Wariner, “Producer’s Medley” - Leeann

Leeann: I think the nostalgia factor may give the push that the Wariner instrumental will need in order to win.

Best Country Song

Picks

• “All I Ask For Anymore”, Casey Beathard & Tim James
• “High Cost of Living”, Jamey Johnson & James Slater - Dan, Leeann, Tara
• “I Run to You”, Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott
• “People Are Crazy”, Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones
• “White Horse”, Liz Rose & Taylor Swift - Kevin
  

Predictions

• “All I Ask For Anymore”, Casey Beathard & Tim James
• “High Cost of Living”, Jamey Johnson & James Slater
• “I Run to You”, Tom Douglas, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott
• “People Are Crazy”, Bobby Braddock & Troy Jones
• “White Horse”, Liz Rose & Taylor Swift - Leeann, Kevin, Tara, Dan

Kevin: Swift’s high profile benefits her most in the songwriting categories. It was no big surprise to see Shania Twain win this award for “You’re Still the One”, but when she repeated the following year for “Come On Over”, it proved how much star wattage can help in this race.

Leeann: I’m not going to bet against Taylor Swift, but I’d sure like to see “High Cost of Living” win this one.

Dan: It’s nice to know that NARAS is still willing to nominate a great non-hit. Not so sure they’re willing to give one a trophy, though.

Tara: What they said.

Best Country Album

Picks

• Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
• George Strait, Twang - Leeann, Kevin, Tara, Dan
  
• Taylor Swift, Fearless
  
• Keith Urban, Defying Gravity
• Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy

Predictions

• Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
• George Strait, Twang
• Taylor Swift, Fearless – Dan, Leeann, Kevin, Tara
• Keith Urban, Defying Gravity
• Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy

Kevin: It would be great to see Strait repeat, but it’s very rare for a country album to lose this race when it’s also nominated in the general Album field. It’s happened only once – 1999 – when Shania Twain’s Come On Over shockingly lost to Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks.

Leeann: I like the Strait album the most, but Taylor Swift is an undeniable force to be reckoned with.

Dan: Technically, I like the Swift album the most, but I’d love to see Strait win this particular award. He challenged his very established formula on Twang, and it worked. Plus I’ve never been fully comfortable calling Fearless a country album.

Tara: It’s Taylor Swift’s world right now, and we’re just living in it. Even you, Mr. Strait.

Best Americana Album

Picks

• Bob Dylan, Together Through Life
• Levon Helm, Electric Dirt
• Willie Nelson & Asleep At the Wheel, Willie and the Wheel – Leeann, Dan, Tara
  
• Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
• Lucinda Williams, Little Honey

Predictions

• Bob Dylan, Together Through Life - Dan
  
• Levon Helm, Electric Dirt
• Willie Nelson & Asleep At the Wheel, Willie and the Wheel – Leeann, Tara
  
• Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
  
• Lucinda Williams, Little Honey

Leeann: I particularly want Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel to win this award, and I think they have a very good chance of doing it, too.

Dan: All really solid albums, and so many critical faves that it’s a hard call on the prediction. I’d love to see Nelson & Co. get their due for this long-in-the-making project.

Tara: Masterful album.

Best Bluegrass Album

Picks

• Jim Lauderdale, Could We Get Any Closer? – Leeann
• Steve Martin, The Crow / New Songs For The Five-String Banjo
• Michael Martin Murphey, Buckaroo Blue Grass
• Bryan Sutton and Friends, Almost Live
• Rhonda Vincent, Destination Live

Predictions

• Jim Lauderdale, Could We Get Any Closer?
• Steve Martin, The Crow / New Songs For The Five-String Banjo – Leeann
• Michael Martin Murphey, Buckaroo Blue Grass
• Bryan Sutton and Friends, Almost Live
• Rhonda Vincent, Destination Live

#80
Martina McBride, Timeless

McBride has a voice that would have been as relevant in country music fifty years ago as it is today, and her album of cover songs exemplifies this. She doesn’t attempt to move any of the songs to a different level, but instead inhabits the artists’ original style with precision and spirit. The result is a pure, respectful homage to the country greats. – Tara Seetharam

Recommended Tracks: “Make The World Go Away”, “Pick Me Up On Your Way Down”

#79
Felice Brothers, Yonder is the Clock

The Felice Brothers are the least-known among the members of ‘The Big Surprise Tour’ headlined by Old Crow Medicine Show and featuring Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch, and Justin Townes Earle. Melding country-rock and folk-rock, they are roots-influenced and made their start playing in the subway. While it may take an extremely big tent to call them “country,” consistent Dylan comparisons make Yonder is the Clock hard to ignore. – William Ward

Recommended Tracks: “Run, Chicken, Run”, “The Big Surprise”

#78
Big & Rich, Horse of a Different Color

Big Kenny’s and John Rich’s voices and creativity blend to form a richly textured harmony that is only fully realized when they work together, as is most evident on their debut album that took country music by storm in a huge way. While their subsequent projects haven’t even come close to matching the potential of their first, Horse of A Different Coloris an album of refreshing risks and creativity that has been both embraced and criticized as a result of unique production and odd lyrical twists. Songs ranging from ridiculous to philosophical and all points inbetween make this album one of the most memorable, if not controversial, mainstream albums of the decade. – Leeann Ward

Recommended Tracks: “Holy Water”, “Live This Life”

#77
Dierks Bentley, Long Trip Alone

Bentley takes his road theme all the way, crafting a concept album that both celebrates the loneliness of the road and mourns the resting places left behind by those who choose to stay on it. – Kevin Coyne

Recommended Tracks: “Long Trip Alone”, “The Heaven I’m Headed To”

#76
Josh Turner, Everything is Fine

Turner’s third album is an outstanding example of a style that is deeply traditional yet still current, assured yet still vulnerable. His distinctive voice is paired with a well-crafted and charming set of songs on this album, which further solidified him as one of the genre’s leading traditionalists. – TS

Recommended Tracks: “Another Try”, “Nowhere Fast”

#75
Reckless Kelly, Bulletproof

Country and power-pop collide in one of Texas’ most memorable albums in years. If Bulletproof has a weakness, it’s that its love songs and road anthems are all so damn hooky that the deeper material has to fight to steal your attention away. – Dan Milliken

Recommended Tracks: “American Blood”, “Mirage”

#74
Chick Corea & Béla Fleck, The Enchantment

The Enchantment is a collaboration between jazz pianist Chick Corea and banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck. Full of soaring energy and technical prowess, The Enchantment blends the influences of both Corea and Fleck resulting in jazz compositions infused with bluegrass overtones.- WW

Recommended Tracks: “Mountain”, “Sunset Road”

#73
James Otto, Sunset Man

On his breakthrough sophomore album, Otto’s voice is commanding and rich with soul, proving he has one of the most interesting male voices to come out of country music in the past few years. Sunset Man is a solid contemporary country album that has his voice melting just as effectively with bluesy, mid-tempo numbers as it does with muscular power ballads. – TS

Recommended Tracks: “For You”, “These Are The Good Ole Days”

#72
Jon Randall, Walking Among the Living

Thanks to his very lucrative songwriting collaboration with Bill Anderson that resulted in a smash hit for Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss with “Whiskey Lullaby”, Jon Randall received a major label deal with Sony. Unfortunately, Randall’s only album with them was not even a blip on most people’s radars, though not due to lack of quality. Randall’s gorgeous tenor, most closely comparable to Vince Gill’s,tastefully blends with rootsy instrumentation and solid compositions to create a humble work of art. – LW

Recommended Tracks: “I Shouldn’t Do This”, “Lonely for Awhile”

#71
Crooked Still, Shaken By a Low Sound

Crooked Still is an alternate bluegrass group led by vocalist Aoife O’Donovan. With haunting vocals and technical prowess Crooked Still pushes acoustic music in a manner similar to Nickel Creek but with a slightly more recognizable traditional bend. – WW

Recommended Tracks: “Wind and Rain”, “Little Sadie”

- – -

• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 1: #100-#91
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 2: #90-#81
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 4: #70-#61
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 5: #60-51
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 6: #50-#41
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 7: #40-#31
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 8: #30-#21
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 9: #20-#11
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Conclusion: #10-#1

Then, in 1988, the rock world hit the jackpot when superstars George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne formed The Traveling Wilburys. Again, these immensely famous, talented and respected people formed a super group that still seems too good to be true to this day. Their unbelievable union created two albums that were repackaged in 2007 with bonus material, which sold surprisingly well for a reissue. Like The Highwaymen, their voices blended amazingly well together as if they were meant to be a group.

Dolly Parton has been a part of two dynamic trios: one with Linda Rhonstadt and Emmylou Harris and the other with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Both trios consisted of women equally as talented as the super groups previously discussed, which also provided us with excellent albums as a result.

And of course, anyone who has read anything that I’ve written in the past year or so should instinctively know that my pet super group is The Notorious Cherry Bombs, which was comprised of Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Tony Brown, Hank Devito, Richard Bennett, Michael Rhodes, John Hobbs and Eddie Bayers.

As I think of the competitive climate of the music industry today, I’m discouraged to think that such super groups would be next to impossible to unite anymore. Record label disputes prevented Tracy Lawrence’s collaboration with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw to be officially released to radio. Likewise, Reba McEntire had to replace Kenny Chesney’s vocals with lesser known artist, Skip Ewing, in order to release “Every Other Weekend” to radio. And these were only disputes over single songs, not even an entire album.

In true essay style form: Without considering record company politics, if you were able to create your own super group who could make at least one album, who would be the members? What would you name the group? Explain.

But why do I blame Lambert, you ask? Because I haven’t been listening to a whole lot of country music recently. Instead, thanks to my new, bizarre obsession with Lambert, in the past month I’ve pulled out old Queen, Bowie, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin. And I’ve listened to more My Chemical Romance, Pink and even Def Leppard than anything resembling country.  So, of course I thought of Swift. Because, when you think of hard rock, isn’t Swift the first person who comes to mind? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh6WKvQaCK4

(Save your ears, don’t listen)

I’ve also been tuning into rock radio, a rarity for me, to see what’s popular these days. Lo and behold, wouldn’t you know, Taylor Swift is also a rock artist (in addition to being a country, pop and heavy metal artist).  She’s regularly squeezed in between All American Rejects and Green Day on my local station. And let me tell you, nothing sounds more rock than a re-mix of Love Story. Don’t you agree?

But you have to give credit where credit is due. This girl has everyone fooled. Re-mix, re-package, throw in a few guest appearances with John Mayer and Def Leppard, form a friendship with Miley Cyrus, and suddenly, wow, you appeal to every demographic (under the age of 20). I gotta admit, I’m impressed. I’m also curious how a tall, gangly misfit, with a precocious attitude, who can’t sing, has made it work.  So, I’m headed to a concert tonight and will report back here because I actually know that many of you consider Swift a guilty pleasure. Wish me luck.

But no worries. I also have a number of saner concerts scheduled later this summer.  I’ve already got tickets to see Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith and Buddy Miller; as well as tickets to see Gary Allan and LeAnn Rimes (if she doesn’t cancel, which she’s done on  me twice).  I’m also still holding out for Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson tickets, but I’m sure that one is going to work out.

Summer concert season is around the corner.

Who are you planning on seeing in concert this summer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-xQoNDFwlE

In the song, The Band, originally consisting of Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko and Levon Helm, draws from a familiar cast of characters and American mythology to tell a universal story set in the town of Nazareth, PA. First released in 1968, “The Weight” only reached #63 on the U.S. charts, but has since achieved iconic status. It has become an American standard in a way few songs have accomplished. Indeed, Rolling Stone lists it as the 41st greatest song of all time. 

Further cementing its iconic status, check out a very small sample of the artists  – across genres, of all ages – who have covered the song:

• Van Morrison
• Bob Dylan
• The Black Crowes
• Little Feat
• Grateful Dead
• Travis
• Old Crow Medicine Show
• Gillian Welch
• The Staple Singers
• Joan Osborne
• John Denver
• Deana Carter
• Weezer
• Lee Ann Womack
• Cross Canadian Ragweed
• Diana Ross, the Temptations and the Supremes
• The Allman Brothers Band
• The Marshall Tucker Band
• Panic at the Disco
• Aaron Pritchett

Songs with enduring power like “The Weight” are few and far between, and seem to be even more so nowadays. So tonight’s discussion asks:

What songs of the past decade have enduring power? What songs will we be listening to and hear covers of in the next 50 years?

For fun, here’s a version by Gillian Welch & Old Crow Medicine Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXf-SuBbJa0

Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger is one of the most famous themed albums in country music history.  The entire album is based on the conceptual story of a preacher who shoots his cheating wife and her lover before going on the run. However, the theme doesn’t have to be as concrete as the one in Red Headed Stranger or as narrow as the one in Coal, which endeavors to shine a light on the coal-mining industry, to be included in this category. It can be as amorphous as “love” or “heartache.”

Just for fun, I culled through my musical catalog (and all 5 million or so country songs about love, heartache and partying on Friday night) and put together my own themed album very loosely titled: America 2009:

• Filthy Rich (Big Kenny, John Rich, Bill McDavid, Freddy Powers, Sonny Thockmorton)
• Workingman’s Blues #2 (Bob Dylan)
• If We Make It Through December (Merle Haggard)
• Dirt (Chris Knight)
• What’s A Simple Man To Do? (Steve Earle)
• The Ballad of Salvador & Isabelle (Dave Quanbury)
• If You Don’t Love Jesus (Billy Joe Shaver)
• Ellis Unit One (Steve Earle)
• Dress Blues (Jason Isbell)
• It’s a Different World Now (Rodney Crowell)
• Everybody Knows (Gary Louris, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison)
• Up to the Mountain (Patty Griffin)
• Reason to Believe (Bruce Springsteen)

If you were to create your own themed album, what would it look like?

#1 “She Left Me For Jesus” (Hayes Carll, Trouble in Mind)

Honestly, when is the last time you heard a song this slyly clever? This laugh-out-loud engaging? But not just anyone could pull off this song. Carll’s slow laughing drawl is absolutely perfect and he nails every punch line. He not only gets the joke, he assumes you do as well. Carll readily acknowledges that this song isn’t for everyone, but in my book, it’s an instant classic.

#2 “Red River Shore” (Bob Dylan, Tell Tale Signs: the Bootleg Series Vol. 8)

Bob Dylan, that enigmatic icon, continues to raise the bar for singer-songwriters. It’s nearly ridiculous at this point. This year, Dylan treated us to a grand smorgasbord of songs with the latest in his bootleg series. “Red River Shore” was one of the few previously unreleased songs on the set, and it’s perhaps the best on the album. I could spend hours ruminating over what Dylan intended with his lyrics about star-crossed lovers, but instead I’ll leave you with his opening lines: “Some of us turn off the lights and we live / In the moonlight shooting by / Some of us scare ourselves to death in the dark / To be where the angels fly.” This is, as the album booklet suggests, an elegant summation of Dylan’s artistic credo. If only others took note.

#3 “I’ve Done Everything I Can” (Rodney Crowell, Sex and Gasoline)

On “I’ve Done Everything I Can,” Crowell acknowledges that incredibly delicate interplay between father and daughter; that difficult line a father must walk between wanting to protect his little girl, and preparing her for the real world. He sings: “The sun comes up tomorrow / But there are no guarantees / It can rock you like a baby / It can knock you to your knees / The path that lies between us / Is a rough and rocky rue / I’ve done everything I can / There’s nothing I can do.” This song reminds me rather poignantly of my own father, who occasionally walked that fine line with grace, but usually just blundered over it with good intentions.

#4 “Coming of the Roads” (Kathy Mattea, Coal, Written by Billy Edd Wheeler)

Every track on Mattea’s masterpiece, Coal, is worthy of recognition, but “Coming of the Roads” stands out, with Mattea giving a gorgeous performance on a wistful song that laments the big changes that come to small communities with the building of new roads and the destruction of the natural environment. This song was likely particularly significant for Mattea, an environmental activist, who has committed her time to saving the mountaintops of Tennessee and her home state of West Virginia from the same devastating tree removal referenced in the song.

#5 “Crooked Road” (Chris Knight, Heart of Stone, Co-written with Dan Baird)

Great songwriters can set the scene with a single line, and Chris Knight kicks off “Crooked Road” with just such a line: “Got married at sixteen / Had a fifteen year old wife / Guess I’ve been a grown man just about all my life.” The insightful maturity of this statement rings throughout the song, which is colored with bitter resignation, yet surprising resilience. On “Crooked Road,” Knight visits the coal mines of Logan, West Virginia, and recounts the tale of a man nearly brought to his knees by such a dangerous way of life. However, the song is a testament to all those who have had the odds stacked against them, experienced heart-breaking loss, but shouldered on, buoyed by love.

#6 “Very Last Country Song” (Sugarland, Love On The Inside, Written by Jennifer Nettles, Christian Bush, Tim Owens)

I’m not a Sugarland convert…yet. But Sugarland half won me over with “Very Last Country Song.” I typically find the band to be over the top, with Jennifer Nettles over-exaggerated Georgia accent occasionally grating, but Sugarland hits all the right notes here. I’d love a Sugarland album that displayed more of the unvarnished beauty and restraint demonstrated on this, hopefully not their very last, country song.

#7 “God Forsaken Town” (Reckless Kelly, Ragged As The Road, Co-written with Robert Earl Keen)

“God Forsaken Town” is a wonderful departure for the rockin’ Reckless Kelly. Inspired by the floods that drowned so much of the south after Hurricane Katrina, this horn-laden number is drenched in honest emotion and bolstered by great writing. The song’s defiance is accompanied by the same bring-it-on attitude that has characterized the rebuilding process thus far in New Orleans and Mississippi and will undoubtedly help on the long trek towards recovery still ahead. As Braun sings it: “They say we’ve got to leave but there’s no way to go / This ain’t the first time we’ve weathered out a storm / And I ain’t got nothing but at least I know it’s mine / And I’ll be god damned if I’m leaving here before the day I die.”

#8 “Sweetest Waste of Time” (Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, Rattlin’ Bones)

Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson’s entire album, a country roots gem, was a pleasant surprise this year. Rattlin’ Bones’ charmed with sweet sexiness and brought out a side of both singers previously unexplored. “Sweetest Waste of Time” perfectly encapsulates the sheer charm exuded on the album by these two married Aussies, and showcases their remarkable chemistry. Slightly reminiscent in lyrics of the Eagles’ “Wasted Time,” the song rather benevolently cries: “If you don’t see me / Caught in your wires / If you don’t hear me / Outside your door / If all this wanting / Just leaves me waiting / You still would be / The sweetest waste of time.”

#9 “Broken” (Cherryholmes, Cherryholmes III: Don’t Believe, Written by Cia Cherryholmes)

Cia Cherryholmes gives a haunting performance on this standout track from Cherryholmes’ latest album. With a gorgeous swooping string arrangement, this gothic tale follows a young broken-hearted girl to her marble grave. While the lyrics are not precisely uplifting, it is exciting to hear two young talents – Cia and Molly Cherryholmes (who composed the orchestral arrangement) – play with the boundaries of bluegrass to create a new sound all their own.

#10 “Turn Out My Lights” (Justin Townes Earle, The Good Life, Written by Justin Townes Earle and Scotty Melton)

Justin Townes Earle released my favorite debut of the year. Charming and confident, The Good Life showcases an artist not only brimming with talent, but with a keen ear for American music–for The Good Life can only be described as quintessential American music. It was difficult to choose a favorite song from the album, but “Turn Out My Lights” struck a chord. I’ll admit that may partly be because there’s a twinge of his dad hidden in the song (whom I adore), but I also love his subtle instrumental choices on the track.

Other Favorites:

“American Tune” (Performed by Darrell Scott, Modern Hymns, Written by Paul Simon)
“Dignity (Piano Version)” (Bob Dylan, Tell Tale Signs: the Bootleg Series Vol. 8)
“God Is Mad At Me” (Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Comal County Blue)
“Circles and Xs” (Lucinda Williams, Little Honey)
“The Carolinian” (Chatham County Line, IV)

In a time when the United States is at its most divided, the release of the new documentary Johnny Cash’s America explores the transcendent country singer and his influence on an increasingly alienated nation.

As the voice for the underprivileged and an advocate for the underrepresented, Cash continued to cross boundaries of social status up until his death in 2003. During his lifetime, Cash gained the respect of every sitting President, and he was a frequent visitor at the White House, proving his ability to be a bipartisan champion for people’s rights. His unlikely leadership among the marginalized fringes of society was a testament to his humble, honest spirit and his comprehension of human suffering. Johnny Cash’s America perfectly depicts how the man was far greater than the music he created through its stunning visual images and countless interviews with colleagues on both sides of the political aisle.

With a career spanning six decades, Cash’s music was often at the forefront of the musical landscape, but most importantly, his strength in shedding light on the human condition through his advocacy is nothing short of remarkable. The Cash catalog features any number of country classics, and his deeply dark story songs and grounded baritone were the perfect voice for those whose own voices were rarely heard. Cash remained a steadfast Christian and embraced the religion’s emphasis on humility and devotion to do good unto others. He also developed a strong addiction to painkillers at various points in his life, and the dichotomy here is depicted through tales of his sinful splurges and the dramatic music that resulted.

Cash’s songs were often stark portraits, but the man himself could also be quite compassionate, and the startling musical soundtrack here captures his stagger towards the depths of despair and his subsequent salvation. By showing how Cash humanized the captive criminals, wayward souls and lowly classes he encounters in this biography, the documentary shows at least some similarities between them and the general public.

A few lighter moments add levity to the piece. The film shows the never-before broadcast pilot from the 1965 Johnny Cash Show, a rare glimpse into the real personality of the sometimes-shy entertainer. The outtakes from “Eat The Document” featuring Bob Dylan are true treasures, providing a glimpse of the often-unheralded humorous sides of the two legends. Also, an unseen rehearsal for a Highwaymen recording session plus a rare BBC performance during his American Recordings comeback give the viewer a sense of the sheer totality of Cash’s career.

Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon are the filmmakers behind this sprawling showcase of Cash’s talent, and they lend the right blend of historical significance and musical perspective to this piece. Interviews with a number of Nashville’s legendary singers, including Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard and Vince Gill provides extra weight to the argument that Cash was the preeminent influence on the country genre, but clips with family members such as son John Carter Cash and sister Joanne Cash are the most emotionally charged. The Cash family takes viewers to rural Dyess, Arkansas to Cash’s childhood home. They gather at the grave of Cash’s brother, Jack, who died in an accident at age 15, and sing “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”

In both country music and American politics, one can’t help but believe that circle is damaged, but perhaps not destroyed. With Cash’s death five years ago, a piece of American history passed right along with him. Johnny Cash’s America delivers on its promise to tie the legend with his legacy in our society, beyond the confines of country music, and also provides a sense of hope that the circle will once again be repaired link by link.

The documentary explores the prominent themes of Cash’s life including love of the land, freedom, justice, family, faith and redemption through exclusive interviews, photos and unreleased music and footage. Interviews include Cash’s sister Joanne, son John Carter Cash and daughters Cindy Cash and Rosanne Cash, childhood friends and fellow band mates as well as Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow, Al Gore, Tim Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Snoop Dogg, Vince Gill, Ozzy Osborne, Steve Earle, Merle Haggard and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) all of whom are connected to Cash in surprising ways.

And that’s all to say nothing of the snappy, colorful direction, courtesy of Award-winning filmmaking duo Morgan Neville (Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues) and Robert Gordon (Muddy Waters Can’t Be Satisfied, alongside Neville). Between the two, there’s quite a pedigree of music history, with Neville alone having also directed pieces on Sam Phillips, Ray Charles, and The Highwaymen, among others – so it’s no surprise that Johnny Cash’s America lands a cut above your average biographical documentary. With the film’s primetime debut inching ever closer, Neville waxes philosophical with Country Universe about Johnny Cash’s far-reaching impact, unique views, and the example his life provides for the very nation he loved so dearly.

If I may start a bit personally, how did you first become interested in Johnny Cash, and what compelled you to tell his story in this form?

I mean, I’ve always been a Johnny Cash fan, like I feel like…everybody’s always been a Johnny Cash fan (laughs). He’s just been around my whole life. And I’ve always liked him, and I’ve done a bunch of documentaries related to him, but I’d never done anything specifically about him.

Then at the beginning of this year, Robert Gordon and I were having some beers and a philosophical conversation about Johnny Cash (laughs), and talking about this political season, and just saying, you know, we can’t agree about much as Americans, but we can agree about Johnny Cash, and – why is that? I mean, that sounds like just a trite statement, but it’s really true; it’s really profound, the more you look into it. How is it that we can agree about these fundamental principles that Cash stood for? And in a way, Cash becomes something to remind us as Americans what we have in common. And that became sort of the mission statement for this documentary.

Is that sort of the meaning behind the title, Johnny Cash’s America?

It is, it is. In a way, we kept saying this documentary is as much about America through the prism of Johnny Cash as it is about Johnny Cash [himself] – it’s the idea that Cash’s life and his songs reverberated through all these different realms of America. And it gave us a chance to talk to people you wouldn’t normally expect to talk to, like Snoop Dogg, or Al Gore. Because these people all have strong feelings about him; he reverberated through all these different strata of culture.

Speaking of which, how did you go about choosing who to interview? It really is a wide assortment; I can’t even imagine what that must have been like.

You know, we thought about it, and the more we started reading and talking to people, it became more a point of, “who doesn’t have something to say about Johnny Cash?” So at that point, we said, well, let’s try to get and get a broad scope of voices in there. So we have Republicans and Democrats, and we have politicians and preachers, and we have rappers and rockers, and everything else. And some knew Johnny, some didn’t know Johnny, but they all feel some kind of a personal connection to him, and that was the thing we were looking for.

I mean, even someone like Snoop Dogg, like I mentioned – he dedicated a song ["My Medicine"] to John on his new album; he got his boots made by the same person that made Johnny Cash’s boots because he was so into Johnny. And he was talking in-depth about lyrics, and what they mean – and then someone like Al Gore, someone you wouldn’t think of. But Al Gore met Johnny when he was nine, because his dad was senator of Tennessee – and then when he ran for Congress, in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Johnny stumped for him. And Al Gore ended up speaking at Johnny’s funeral.

So, surprising things like that – and I think that says as much about Johnny as it does these people, that Johnny had friends in the highest and lowest of places. He was never discriminating about anyone in that way; he treated everybody exactly the same.

It seems to me like Johnny, and others like Ray Charles, have sort of become even bigger pop culture icons posthumously – different people like to reference them a lot, and they have these big biopics that come out. Did you have any specific goals as to how you were going to tackle Johnny’s life, given that sort of cultural perspective?

You know, Walk the Line was a hugely successful movie, and it’s a very “Hollywood” take on a very specific part of Johnny’s life. And we kind of took that from the beginning as clearance to say, “now, we don’t have to tell that stuff. So let’s tell the other stories you never get to hear about Johnny Cash.”

And you know, Johnny was so complex – I mean, you could make more documentaries about him that would be completely different, too. He was a serious person; he was deeply patriotic and believed in social justice; he was also a clown; he was also a poet; he was also kind of a romantic figure. He had so many different sides to him – which is why I think everybody can pick whatever side it is they like in Johnny; you know, they can see him flipping the finger and say, “he’s punk rock,” or they can see him singing at a Billy Graham crusade and say, “he’s an evangelical. He’s one of us.” It’s just remarkable that way.

Since you mentioned that, watching the documentary, I was intrigued by this idea that Cash’s vices – his drug addictions, to some extent his sexual exploits – were sort of public domain, but people still acknowledged him as a Christian and sort of accepted the entirety of what he was. Being a little younger myself, I wasn’t around when that was going on, and I found that concept interesting; it seems like most public figures that I’ve witnessed tend to receive a lot of scorn or mocking for those sorts of things.

I mean, Johnny always believed in honesty. If I had to boil everything we heard in our interviews down to one word, it would be “honesty.” We’re so used to celebrities and politicians and everybody trying to kind of whitewash – pretend that they’re completely pure, in a way that humans aren’t. And I think what’s so refreshing about Johnny is he always wore his sins and his faults almost proudly, like a scarlet letter – and he talked about it, he never shied away from it. And he encouraged other people to.

There’s a great story which isn’t in the documentary: Merle Haggard had done time at San Quentin as an inmate, and Johnny had performed for him when he was there. Once Merle became a big singer in his own right, he came on Johnny Cash’s T.V. show in 1969 – and he had never talked about the fact that he had been in prison, and Johnny said, you know, “Merle, you should talk about it.” And Merle said, “no, it’ll destroy my career,” but Johnny said, “no, they’ll respect you more for it.” So he got Merle to talk about it for the first time on his T.V. show and – he was right.

Yeah, and now Merle Haggard is one of the icons of jailed men – not to pigeonhole him; I mean, he’s a lot of other things, too.

Sure. And I mean, that’s kind of the burden of what became Outlaw Country – I mean, literally “outlaw,” in that case (laughs) – but you know, Johnny and Merle, it had to do with that contrarian streak in country music. And I think Johnny – as loyal and patriotic and true as he could be – he was full of contradictions. And one of the points I try to make in the film is, you know, we’re all full of contradictions. America is full of contradictions. And that’s something we should embrace. We say even in the beginning of the film, “Johnny Cash’s America was not red, white, or blue – it was black.” And the blackness contained multitudes. Johnny Cash contained multitudes.

You mentioned at the beginning that part of your inspiration for making this documentary was today’s political climate. Would you care to talk about that a little bit? You don’t have to get too specific if you don’t want, but that’s an interesting thought.

Yeah. I think, you know, our political culture’s become very divisive and poisonous in a lot of ways. And I just think it’s instructive to look at what those commonalities are, and what Johnny brought out in each realm of his life.

For instance, Johnny’s deep religious beliefs were…they were much more about helping the weak and downtrodden, and much less about these kind of wedge issues that we end up in today. I think he would find most wedge issues beside the point. And you know, when he wrote songs like “What is Truth” and people accused him of being an activist, he said, “well – Jesus Christ was an activist.” And I think that’s a great point to make: that if you can strip away the stuff that’s pushing us apart and that people want not to agree on, there’s a lot of stuff we do agree on, you know, that we want to help each other, and ourselves, and the country, and, you know – let’s concentrate on the commonalities.

Good stuff. Now, Steve Earle – I have to mention – makes a really interesting comment at one point in the documentary – and I mean, he makes really interesting comments all the time, Steve Earle – but he makes that comment regarding Cash’s drop from Columbia. Something like, “this town [Nashville] will cast out what it can no longer control.” I’d love to pick your brain a little on that idea.

I will say that Nashville is run – oftentimes – like a business. First and foremost. And businesses like to keep everything manageable, you know, and predictable.

It’s interesting: I made a Hank Williams documentary a few years ago, and Hank became pretty much a persona non grata in Nashville, because he was so uncontrollable – he’d been kicked off the Grand Ole Opry, as you probably know – and when Johnny was unpredictable, he was kicked off the Grand Ole Opry. And then he got back in the fold…but then in the 80′s, when he wasn’t selling records, he was kicked out of the fold again.

And I just think there’s a tension there that doesn’t get talked about a lot. I mean, people in Nashville now always claim that Hank and Johnny were always “pure country,” “pure Nashville,” and that’s just not true, while they were alive.

And yeah, I certainly know where Steve Earle’s coming from. His new album – the whole first song on that album is about “goodbye, Guitar Town.” Like, “I gave it a shot, and I just can’t deal with it anymore.” I think Steve Earle’s one of those people: he’s outspoken; he doesn’t fit into a mold. And I think his point is, if you don’t fit into a mold, then it’s hard for Nashville to handle you.

Cool. Now, the other interesting thing I wanted to bring up was this story about Johnny refusing to sing “Welfare Cadillac” for President Nixon. I actually hadn’t heard about that one; it surprised me a bit. Could you talk a little bit about what happened there, and why it’s so significant?

Johnny Cash speaking with President Richard Nixon

Yeah, I love that story. It’s so instructive about Cash. I mean, here you have Cash, who believes deeply in the office of the President, and every president wanted to meet Johnny – Johnny always would – and Johnny respected to do whatever the President wanted. Yet, when Nixon had requested he sing the song “Welfare Cadillac,” which was basically a song making fun of poor people cheating the welfare system, Johnny said, “well, I can’t sing that. That’s the opposite of what I believe.”

And so he still went to the White House, but he sang this new song he had just written, “What is Truth,” which is…I mean, literally speaking truth to power (laughs). I mean, sitting ten feet from Nixon, singing this song about young people not being listened to, and sort of all the tensions in our culture. And I just think that says a lot about Cash’s ability to play the game and do his duty – but at the same time, not lose his voice.

I just have one last question, and it’s a bit of a devil’s advocate thing – did anybody in the interviews actually have anything bad to say about him? I mean, not just in passing like, “oh, he was flawed,” but actual criticism? Obviously it’s a pretty positive outlook on his life, and I’m not knocking that -

No, that’s good. It is. And honestly, we talked about that, and we thought about who could talk to that, but – nobody could. I mean, especially now, when people can look back on the totality of his career, it’s so difficult to criticize. Not because he was perfect, but…um…

Well, he was very forthcoming about his imperfections.

He was. And it just makes him a difficult person to attack.

I mean, there were times throughout his career – we refer to one or two of those – when people said that his religious albums and stuff got a little trite. Or in the 60′s, when he was writing all these songs about hobos and Native Americans, [people were] saying, you know, “that’s fine and dandy, but you’re not singing about the Civil Rights movement; you’re speaking through the gauze of history. And I think Cash felt more comfortable singing these kind of activist songs through these historical metaphors.

And you know, that’s a valid point, but it also in retrospect seems…nitpicky? (Laughs). I’d say on the whole, it’s hard not to respect him.

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Johnny Cash’s America will be airing tonight, October 23rd, at 9 pm EST/10 pm PT on The Bio Channel. The program will also be available on DVD at Amazon.com beginning October 28th. The DVD includes the program plus twenty minutes of bonus footage and a compact disc containing all eighteen songs featured in the documentary, five of which have never before been released. And that’s all for the outrageous steal of $13.99. Be sure to check it out!