Flashback: Jamie O’Hara, Rise Above It

While considering what album to highlight next, my mind was seemingly still subconsciously bound to a songwriter I had mentioned while writing about Gary Allan’s Smoke Rings in the Dark. Shortly thereafter, the same name emerged as the writer behind Allan’s first number one hit recently featured in the Every No.1 Hit of the 2000s feature, “Man to Man,” off of Allan’s 2001 album Alright Guy.

Given the circumstances of that coincidence, and the chance to review any album once this Flashback feature broke free from the velvet chains of Tony Brown, it somehow seemed inevitable that I should settle on celebrating Jaime O’ Hara’s 1994 RCA Nashville album Rise Above It.

That quiet Garth Fundis-produced collection is one of my most treasured albums from the 90s. It is a little gem and miracle of an album. Although it didn’t chart any singles, or sell well, the album was later mined by other country stars for O’ Hara’s gifts as a wordsmith. Trisha Yearwood, George Jones, and Stacy Dean Campbell would later cover songs from this special collection of O’ Hara’s compositions.

I came to own it because I was a huge fan of the O’ Kanes, a duo made up of O’Hara and Kieran Kane. That outfit debuted beneath Nashville’s radar in 1986 and disbanded in 1990.

Before that, O’Hara had successfully been writing hit songs in Nashville since the early eighties. John Conlee, Conway Twitty, and Michael Johnson all included his songs on their albums. If you have been paying attention, his name has shown up several times in the ’80’s feature. Ronnie McDowell took “Older Women” to the top of the Billboard country charts in 1982. The Judds would run “Grandpa (Tell Me ’bout the Good Old Days)” to the top in 1986. The same year, John Schneider recorded “The Auction.” The O’ Kanes would have a number one hit of their own in 1987 with “Can’t Stop My Heart From Loving You,” Tammy Wynette also recorded “Talking to Myself Again” that same year. In 1988 Don Williams cut “Desperately.” In 1992, Stacy Dean Campbell included “Baby Don’t You Know” on his debut album. 1993 saw Shelby Lynne record “Feelin’ Kind of Lonely Tonight” on her album Temptation.

With a recording resume and track record like that, is easy to understand why RCA Nashville awarded O’Hara a solo recording deal in 1994. With the opportunity, O’Hara delivered an insanely impressive assortment of styles and subjects. As was pointed out elsewhere, his ability to write from unexpected points of view is noteworthy.

The narrator of “It Ain’t Over (‘Till Your Heart Says its Over”) is the heart of a man wrestling with goodbye. The heart is literally in charge on this song. Come “The Cold Hard Truth,” later famously recorded by George Jones as the title track of his 1999 comeback album, the truth tells the tale of a man’s self cons and deceits. “50,000” Names” is a song basically sung from the perspective of mementos left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

O’Hara is no less expert at writing a straightforward narrative about a man left out -of-control by a woman’s leaving in “What’s A Good Ol’ Boy to Do.” This infectious song mentions fishing gear, beer, cowboys boots, and a George Jones cd in the verse alone.

“Rise Above It” celebrates the edifying power of love when dealing with life’s hardships. “Miles of Heartache” is a conventional song about the ability of heartaches to spread and spill across geography, but is smartly observed and witnessed. O’Hara never overplays his part or his position.

“Some People (Just Can’t Walk the Line)” is a brief but brilliant observation about those who can’t. I love the couplet,, “Tonight he’ll be sleepin’ wherever he lands/When the old crow drops him from the sky.”

O’Hara is a capable, if unremarkable vocalist. I don’t believe he is the best, or most competent, interpreter of his own words and melodies. His concise lyrics and detailed stories are the real attraction, just waiting for stronger vocalists to fill the space he provides them to allow the songs to soar. It is no surprise that he was hired as a staff writer for Tree International publishing at age 26, just one year after he arrived in Nashville.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, O’Hara was an all-American high-school football star until a knee injury prematurely ended his career at Indiana University. Football’s loss was country music’s gain.

Following the slow and noiseless fade of his failed solo recording career, O’Hara literally rose above it. He continued to shine as a songwriter. Come 1997, Wynonna recorded “When Love Start Talkin’” and Lee Ann Womack cut “You’ve Got to Talk to Me.” Sara Evans would record “Shame About That” and “Cryin’ Game” in the late ’90s. Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris included his “When We’re Gone Long Gone” on their 1999 Trio II collection .As mentioned in the opening to this piece, Gary Allan would include several of his songs on his albums. Janie Fricke, Mel McDaniel, Brady Seals, Shelby Lynne, Mandy Barnett, Kathy Mattea, Larry Stewart, Dave & Sugar, Tom Wopat, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans, Joey & Rory, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pam Tillis,  and Josh Turner all have included at least one O’Hara cut on their albums as well.

Listening to Rise Above It over thirty years after it was released still provides an illusive peace of mind, and is an album to be admired.