Porter Wagoner – Page 4 – Country Universe

Album Review: Marty Stuart, <i>Nashville, Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down</i>

April 24, 2012 Ben Foster 4

Marty Stuart
Nashville, Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down

The casual listener may remember Marty Stuart for the string of country radio hits he enjoyed in the late eighties and early nineties. However, Stuart’s legacy was cemented by groundbreaking projects released after his commercial heyday had drawn to a close, particularly 1999’s landmark The Pilgrim as well as 2010’s career-best effort Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions. Through such critically lauded work Stuart has built up a reputation as an elder statesman of country music, acting to preserve country music’s heritage and traditions, while simultaneously working to move the genre forward.

Retro Single Review: Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, “We Found It”

February 18, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 1

1973 | Peak: #30

Though it was their only A-side to miss the top twenty, “We Found It” is one of Porter & Dolly’s most entertaining romps.

Retro Single Review: Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, “Together Always”

January 25, 2012 Ben Foster 0

1972 | #14

It’s another Porter and Dolly love song, and such do tend to be less memorable then their heartbreak songs and bickering-couple songs. The chorus of “Together Always” is rather blank lyrically, but it’s lifted to a higher level by Parton’s spirited performance. The lilting melody and light piano-driven arrangement lend a subtly infectious, joyful sound to the record.

Retro Single Review: Dolly Parton, “Washday Blues”

January 23, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 4

1972 | Peak: #20

This is just plum terrible.

Retro Single Review: Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, “Lost Forever in Your Kiss”

January 11, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 2

1972 | Peak: #9

This is one of their most beautiful duets, largely because Parton is at her peak as a singer and a songwriter.

Top Twenty Albums of 2011, Part One: #20-#11

December 29, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 7

The country music umbrella stretched wider than ever this year, regardless of the fact that radio playlists seem shorter than ever.

Of course, it’s not just the Americana acts that can’t get radio play these days. Even top-selling albums by Scotty McCreery and Alison Krauss & Union Station weren’t embraced.

Country Universe editors and contributors each submitted a list of their ten favorite albums of 2011. 31 different albums were included on our lists, and over the next two days, we’ll share with you our collective top twenty.

Top Twenty Albums of 2011, Part One: #20-#11

#20
Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail
Noam Pikelny

His tenure with the Punch Brothers and his winning of the first annual “Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass” in 2010 both earned Noam Pikelny the clout to release Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail, his second solo album and first since 2004. Joined by an all-star roster of fellow pickers, Pikelny’s mostly instrumental set is a showcase both for its lead artist’s extraordinary technical skills and for the banjo’s wide-ranging potential. – Jonathan Keefe