It’s easy to forget just how talented Carlene Carter is. In the last eighteen years, she’s only given us two albums to remind us. But with a career that stretches back to her 1978 eponymous debut album, all the way through her excellent new release, Carter Girl, she has been a consistently excellent entertainer and songwriter.
In addition to her latest release, her albums Musical Shapes (1980), I Fell in Love (1990), and Little Love Letters (1993) are all among the best country albums of their time. Those three sets factor heavily into this list, but there are plenty of great moments on most of her other studio albums, too. Her first four sets tend to fade in and out of print, but they’re worth snapping up when available.
It’s been more than five years since I’ve done a Favorite Songs by Favorite Artists post. For the uninitiated, my rubric is simple: I just ranked my favorite twenty-five tracks and then counted them down with commentary. No big stab at objective truth here. This is just what I like the most from one of ‘em that I like the most. Share your own favorites in the comments, and hopefully discover one or two new ones along the way.
#25
Little Love Letter #1 and Little Love Letter #2
Little Love Letters (1993)
Written by Carlene Carter, Howie Epstein, and Benmont Tench
The first Carlene Carter album I ever bought was Little Love Letters. I was instantly hooked by the clever framing of “Side 1″ and “Side 2″ with these quick vignettes. They’re funny, they’re heartfelt, and I could listen to a whole album full of them.
#24
Too Bad About Sandy
Musical Shapes (1980)
Written by Carlene Carter
When I was younger, I just got a kick out of how dark and seedy this track seemed, with its celebration of the sweet low life and cold hard cash. But now, I keep going back to the wisdom in the advice she gives her love-struck younger sister: “Honey, can’t be love if you’ve gotta ask twice.”
#23
Swap-Meat Rag
Two Sides to Every Woman (1979)
Written by Carlene Carter
On the surface, it’s a bawdy number about free love. Underneath the surface, it’s a wicked satire of the artifice that is American suburbia. Plus she growls a lot, and it sounds cool.
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