In Nashville’s stampede towards “airhead country,” traditionalists like Patty Loveless have seemingly fallen by the wayside, especially if you listen to country radio. That means you have to dig a little to keep up with what she (and like-minded artists like Marty Stuart and Pam Tillis) have been up. With her new disc, Sleepless Nights: The Traditional Country Soul of Patty Loveless (Saguro Road), she takes on 14 songs from country music’s past with highly listenable results. Although some of her choices seem obvious (“Crazy Arms,” “Cold Cold Heart, “There Stands the Glass”), with producer/husband Emory Gordy, Jr., Loveless updates and adapts these songs with an honesty that’s hard to resist. She could probably sing Shakespeare and make it sound country. Those in need of some new yet traditional sounds should seek this one out.
While many more people recognize Jerry Douglas for his association with Alison Krauss and Union Station, true bluegrass hounds know him for outstanding dobro work. Glide (Koch) is his 12th solo disc and while it offers few surprises, it displays the remarkable range he brings to his instrument, from bluegrass to Celtic to straight up country to acoustic jams. Guests Earl Scruggs, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, and Tony Rice keep things interesting, while vocal tracks featuring Travis Tritt and Rodney Crowell add spice to Glide’s high-powered instrumental proficiency.
Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology (Shout Factory) is notable for one solid disc of Hunter classics, which still sounds implausibly fresh. Get it for the original versions of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” “Cleveland Rocks,” and “Ships” as well as the timeless “Just Another Night.” Reaching even further back, The Very Best of Little Richard (Specialty) is some of the the rock & roll shouter’s best early work: 25 tracks recorded between 1955 and 1957, along with a live medley of hits recorded in Paris, 1964.
This article appears in September 12 • 2008.