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.

Happy holidays!

Singles:

1.  “In Color,” Jamey Johnson
2.  “Waitin’ on a Woman,” Brad Paisley
3.  “This Is Me You’re Talking To,” Trisha Yearwood
4.  “She Left Me for Jesus,” Hayes Carll
5.  “What I Cannot Change,” Leann Rimes
6.  “Last Call,” Lee Ann Womack
7.  “Anything Goes,” Randy Houser
8.  “Dig Two Graves,” Randy Travis
9.  “Please Read the Letter,” Alison Krauss & Robert Plant
10.  “Fine Line,” Little Big Town
11.  “Mockingbird,” Allison Moorer
12.  “Crazy Arms,” Patty Loveless
13.  “This Town Needs a Bar,” Jeremy McComb
14.   “Just Got Started Loving You,” James Otto
15.  “Takin’ off This Pain,” Ashton Shepherd
16.  “Gold,” Emmylou Harris
17.  “Every Other Weekend,” Reba McEntire & Skip Ewing
18.  “You Look Good In My Shirt,” Keith Urban
19.  “More Like Her,” Miranda Lambert
20.  “Love Don’t Live Here,” Lady Antebellum

Albums:

1.  That Lonesome Song, Jamey Johnson
2.  Sleepless Nights, Patty Loveless
3.  Rattlin’ Bones, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
4.  A Place to Land, Little Big Town
5.  Call Me Crazy, Lee Ann Womack
6.  Trouble in Mind, Hayes Carll
7.  Dailey & Vincent, Dailey & Vincent
8.  Around the Bend, Randy Travis
9.  Coal, Kathy Mattea
10. Mockingbird, Allison Moorer

Videos:

1.  “She Left Me for Jesus,” Hayes Carll
2.  “Waitin’ on a Woman,” Brad Paisley
3.  “Last Call,” Lee Ann Womack
4.  “Anything Goes,” Randy Houser
5.  “Just a Dream,” Carrie Underwood
6.  “Crazy Arms,” Patty Loveless
7.  “In Color,” Jamey Johnson
8. “More Like Her,” Miranda Lambert
9.  “Lookin’ for a Good Time,” Lady Antebellum
10a. ”Every Other Weekend,” Reba McEntire
10b.  “This Is Me You’re Talking To,” Trisha Yearwood

#20

Emily West, “Rocks in Your Shoes”

A burst of country-poptimism that manages to sound both sunny and smart. Eat your heart out, “Red Umbrella.”  – DM

#19

Sugarland, “Already Gone”

Perhaps leaving takes place in two stages.   The heart and mind go first, then the body catches up with them later on.   “Already Gone” explores this concept thoroughly, with keen attention to detail.   “Pictures, dishes and socks.  It’s our whole life down to one box.”   Months after my first listen, I still find myself playing that final verse over and over again. – KJC

#18

Reba McEntire and Kenny Chesney or Skip Ewing, “Every Other Weekend”

Two divorced parents contemplate the unfulfilling aftermath of their split and the lingering feelings they have for one another in intimate detail (“First thing in the morning / I turn the T.V. on to make the quiet go away”). Neither Chesney nor co-writer Skip Ewing was able to match McEntire’s combination of technical and interpretive skill, but you don’t get this kind of song everyday.  – DM

#17

Reckless Kelly, “Ragged is the Road”

A classic Texas road anthem. The theme of finding personal enlightenment through the consideration of a historical setting is hardly new – especially when that setting is the open road – but these guys manage to rejuvenate it with broadly poetic lyrics and a galloping chorus that sounds damn good coming out of your car speakers.  Crank it.  – DM

#16

Keith Urban, “You Look Good in My Shirt”

Reunited and it feels so good.  After hitting a romantic roadblock, Urban and his lady love recapture the magic for one more night of mattress dancing.  Their undeniable chemistry may not conquer all, but at least for one morning-after moment, he’s relishing the relationship.  A killer guitar riff and a gloriously winsome performance from the Aussie seal the deal. – BB

#15

Miranda Lambert, “More Like Her”

Miranda Lambert is best known for her tough, no-nonsense country-rock anthems. While she does those extremely well, it’s nice to hear her vulnerability in “More Like Her.” She sings this song with a sensitivity and gentleness that can only come from someone who has either lived the sentiments in the song or is a natural expert interpreter of heartache. I suspect Lambert fits both criteria. “More Like Her” has a simple melody and abstract lyrics, and the two combined with Lambert’s exquisite vocal performance make this song a gem. – LW

#14

Carrie Underwood, “Just a Dream”

Denial and anger are two of the most difficult stages of grief. On this powerful ballad, Underwood wrestles with both of them, lending her formidable voice to that of a widowed war wife. The second verse captures a military funeral down to the last painful detail, but all of those who have suffered a deep loss will be able to relate to feeling like you’re “looking from a distance” and “standing in the background.” You watch with numb and blurry detachment because if you fully let go of the idea that it’s not “just a dream”, you won’t be able to handle the reality you’re currently suffering through. – KJC

#13

Del McCoury Band, “Moneyland”

A depressingly prophetic tale of government siding with big business while the common men and women are left holding the bill.  It could have been ripped from today’s headlines, had it not been released months before the recent economic free fall. “It’s a pity to see when the land of the free turns out to be nothing but a free-for-all.”   Indeed. – KJC.

#12

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Please Read the Letter”

A remake of the Robert Plant/Jimmy Page collaboration from 1998′s Walking Into Clarksdale, “Please Read the Letter” is a gothic wonder.  The sense of urgency builds throughout this tale of romantic dissolution, with Plant yelping in pain as the final chorus comes to a traumatic close.  Producer T-Bone Burnett provides sparse production, and Krauss’ aching harmony delivers beautifully on this stunning dirge. – BB

#11

Randy Houser, “Anything Goes”

Co-writing the divisive “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” was a career blessing for Randy Houser.  He deservedly rode that bit of fame to create his first solo album, named after the stunning first single. Houser inhabits the role of a barfly barely hanging on after a bad breakup.  He flirts with a pretty blonde, drinks from a cool bottle, indulging in this bad behavior because “anything goes when everything’s gone.” The slippery piano slides across the melody, the lyric shows sharp detail, and best of all, Houser’s desperate drawl echoes his unbearable pain. – BB

The song drips with vulnerability and hurt, as the two dueling inner monologues of divorced parents each confess they’d be happier if they were together again.     Songs with that emotional element are Reba’s sweet spot.   Hearing her performance is a reminder that more than thirty years into her career, she’s still one of the best damn singers around.    Ewing pales in comparison, but Chesney steps up his game in the original version.     This is the first great single from Duets, even if it’s been altered for radio.

Grade:  A  (Reba McEntire & Kenny Chesney);  B (Reba McEntire & Skip Ewing)

Listen: Every Other Weekend  (Reba McEntire & Skip Ewing)

Buy: Every Other Weekend (Reba McEntire & Kenny Chesney)