Country Music
Launched in Nashville, Tennessee in 1972, Country Music magazine was initially published monthly, but from 1978 was published 10 times a year. After a hiatus in 1982, the magazine was re-launched in 1983 and ran until 2003.
62 articles
List of articles in the library
Tammy Wynette: My Man (Epic KE-31717)
Review by Nick Tosches, Country Music, March 1973
THERE HAS always been something about Tammy Wynette that has set her slightly apart from the rest of country music's singing queens. Her songs deal ...
George Jones: The Grand Tour (Epic KE-33083 5.98 KE EA -33083 6.98)
Review by Nick Tosches, Country Music, February 1974
FOR SOME unknown reason, George Jones' last album, Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half as Bad as Losing You), went in one ear and came out ...
Faron Young: Some Kind of Woman (Mercury SRM 1 698 record, MC8 1 698 8-track tape)
Review by Ian Dove, Country Music, June 1974
AH, FARON Young — he just keeps rolling along. Some Kind of Woman is a comfortable album, little experimentation, a cheerful, unassuming reworking of familiar ...
Marie Osmond: A Tale Of Modern Country
Profile and Interview by Toby Mamis, Country Music, June 1974
With a little help from a Southern Gentleman, a sophisticated 14-year-old makes her country music debut in a manner befitting her name. ...
Hank Thompson: The Hank Thompson Saga
Retrospective and Interview by Nick Tosches, Country Music, July 1975
Reflections of the King of Swing ...
Mickey Gilley: Mickey Gilley (Crazy Cajun CCLP-1006 $5.98 — no tape available)
Review by Joe Nick Patoski, Country Music, February 1976
TOO OFTEN, reissues are nothing but inferior products hitching a ride on the current success of a performer. Only on rare occasions do reissues reveal ...
Johnny Paycheck: Hellraiser On The Way Up
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, November 1976
WAIT JUST a minute here. Am I in the right place? I came down to the Other End, a club in New York's Greenwich Village, ...
Steve Young: Did he live once before?
Interview by Nick Tosches, Country Music, November 1976
This month, our new Rising Star Award goes to Steve Young. This award is a recognition of outstanding talent and potential. Steve has both. For ...
Tom T. Hall: The Magnificent Music Machine (Mercury)
Review by Nick Tosches, Country Music, January 1977
WHAT TOM T. Hall has done in The Magnificent Music Machine is very good and very smart. His music lately has been pretentious and drab. ...
Joe Ely: Joe Ely (MCA 2242 $6 98; MCA T-2242, tape $7.98)
Review by Joe Nick Patoski, Country Music, May 1977
IT MUST be a bit disheartening for an earnest band knocking around Austin for the past two years hoping for a ride on one of ...
The Eagles: Hotel California (Asylum 7E-1084 $6 98; CT-5-1084 tape $7.98)
Review by Joe Nick Patoski, Country Music, June 1977
THE CONTRIBUTIONS of LA country rock — Olivia Newton-John, Linda Ronstadt, Poco, the Burritos, et al — to the main body of country-western has been ...
Review by John Morthland, Country Music, August 1977
LORETTA LYNN'S abiding fondness for the late Patsy Cline has never been a secret. It was Patsy, then country music's reigning lady who took Loretta ...
Elvis Presley: The Rise Of Rockabilly
Retrospective by Nick Tosches, Country Music, December 1977
MONDAY, JULY 5th, 1954. The most popular albums in America are Jackie Gleason's Tawny on Capitol, Frank Sinatra's Songs for Young Lovers, also on Capitol, ...
Retrospective and Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, December 1977
Most of all, people remember him as a shy, generous man... ...
Jerry Jeff Walker: Jerry Jeff Rides Again... Again
Profile and Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, March 1978
THEY SAY AROUND Austin that Jerry Jeff Walker can do no wrong, but whoo boy, does he ever give it his best shot. ...
Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner: The Last Of The Hillbillies Speaks His Mind
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, July 1978
THE SONG is called 'The Arizona Whiz', and it appears on Porter, which, when he released it last fall, was Porter Wagoner's first album in ...
Jerry Lee Lewis: The Gospel According to Jerry Lee
Interview by Nick Tosches, Country Music, October 1979
DRESSED LIKE A side-street gambler from the days when chrome was chrome, Jerry Lee Lewis sits in the dressing-room of the Palomino Club, holding loosely ...
Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Hank Williams: Ray Price: Back On The Road
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, April 1980
IT IS A motel room like any other chain motel room: the double beds with nightstand between them, the long dresser facing them, the static-filled ...
Merle Haggard and a Strange Decade
Essay by John Morthland, Country Music, September 1981
IT IS LATE 1970 or early 1971 — I'm not sure anymore about the date. I also don't recall for sure whether Merle Haggard has ...
Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins: Chips Moman's Memphis Revival
Report and Interview by Joe Sasfy, Country Music, January 1984
Legendary stars, legendary producers, legendary backup singers and a pretty hefty studio band all got together for Chips Moman's new Memphis album. The veteran producer ...
George Strait: Keeping the Honky Tonk Faith
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, January 1984
OF ALL the rituals a country music star must perform, one of the trickiest is the "in-store promotion," in which the artist goes to a ...
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, May 1984
Floyd should have made millions in royalties: What was he doing living in a trailer in the middle of nowhere? ...
Reba McEntire: Just A Little Love (MCA5475)
Review by John Morthland, Country Music, July 1984
REBA McENTIRE sounds a little like a lot of other country singers without reminding me of any one of them in particular, and that's a ...
Don Williams: Cafe Carolina (MCA-5493)
Review by John Morthland, Country Music, September 1984
ACCORDING TO the sticker on my copy of this album, Cafe Carolina contains (so far) four hits: 'That's the Thing About Love', 'Maggie's Dream', 'Beautiful ...
Dwight Yoakam: Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc. (Warner/Reprise 1-25372)
Review by John Morthland, Country Music, March 1986
DWIGHT YOAKAM'S debut album has Attitude, the way Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers had Attitude in the 1920's when they taunted revenooers in 'A ...
The Oak Ridge Boys: The Business of Making Music
Report and Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, March 1986
There's more than eighty people in the Oak Ridge Boys Organization who help them plan, promote, set up new and original stage shows and choose ...
Patty Loveless: Patty Loveless (MCA-5915)
Review by John Morthland, Country Music, May 1987
THERE'S NO doubt that this is one super-fine country voice. Patty Loveless, a coal miner's daughter from Kentucky, no less, is heiress to a number ...
Reba McEntire: Reba (MCA 43134)
Review by John Morthland, Country Music, July 1988
I KNOW THIS is largely an extension of what she's always done, and that a lot of her fans will welcome and cherish it as ...
Clint Black: New Star on the Horizon
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, January 1990
ABOUT SIX months and one album into his major label country music career, Clint Black already has a term for his new way of life. ...
Mark Collie: Hardin County Line (MCA MCAC 42333)
Review by John Morthland, Country Music, July 1990
AT FIRST I thought Mark Collie's often-thin voice might prove a drawback, that he'd get tedious with time because there just wasn't enough there to ...
K.T. Oslin: Making Smart Moves
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, March 1992
The independent singer/songwriter has to wear many hats in her career. While she finds life on the road difficult, she's aware of its pitfalls and ...
Marty Stuart, Travis Tritt: Travis Tritt Keeps It On The Fringe
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, April 1992
Not one to be pigeonholed, Travis Tritt doesn't worry if he's a little bit country and a little bit rock'n'roll. In fact, that's just the ...
Martina McBride: The Time Has Come (RCA 66002-2)
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, July 1992
WHEN MARTINA McBride stares out from the eight — count 'em, eight — photos on her debut CD, with her blue eyes and high cheekbones, ...
Jimmie Dale Gilmore: And The Beat Goes On
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, November 1992
Jimmie Dale's been singing country music tied together with blues, pop and folk for decades. His melodies and lyrics have always appealed to a wide-ranging, ...
George Strait: Lead On (MCA 11092)
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, January 1993
YOUNGER COUNTRY fans who kick themselves for missing the glory clays of Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard should thank their lucky stars they're living through ...
Pam Tillis Counts Down to Success
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, January 1993
At a point in her career where she's more focused and more successful than ever, Pam Tillis knows what works for her. She's hoping to ...
Clint Black Rides Out the Storm
Report and Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, March 1993
IT'S BEEN A ROUGH COUPLE OF YEARS FOR CLINT BLACK. MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS, LAWSUITS, TABLOID HEADLINES AND GARTH-MANIA FORCED HIM TO REGROUP. BACK ON THE ROAD ...
Interview by John Morthland, Country Music, April 1993
On his new album, This Time, Dwight takes his listeners on a musical journey. In this interview he takes John Morthland on a meandering journey ...
The Cox Family, Alison Krauss: Alison Krauss: Music That's Timeless
Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, April 1994
It's the timelessness of bluegrass that appeals to Krauss, but hers is a bluegrass that's different, one that combines elements of the past, the present ...
Faith Hill: It Matters to Me (Warner Bros. 9 A5872)
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, November 1995
TO MENTION the similarities between Linda Ronstadt and the new crop of female country singers — Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Pam Tillis, Martina McBride and ...
Steve Earle: I Feel Alright (E-Squared/Warner Bros. 46201)
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, April 1996
STEVE EARLE started a revolution in Nashville, but he left it unfinished. ...
Trisha Yearwood: Everybody Knows (MCA MCAD11477)
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, November 1996
THE PROBLEM with most country-pop hybrids is they blend the worst of both genres — the most predictable rhythms and melodies of country and the ...
David Lee Murphy: Genuine Redneck Stuff
Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, January 1997
Whether singing about fast cars, rowdy bars or quiet lakes, David Lee's sense of redneck pride is all over his music. ...
Clint Black: Nothin' But the Taillights (RCA 67515)
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, November 1997
WHEN CLINT Black neared the end of his 1995 tour, he realized he had been on the album-tour-album-tour tread mill for seven years without a ...
Martina McBride: Singer, Producer, Mother & Wife
Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, April 1998
Taking a hands-on approach to all she does makes Martina's world a bit hectic, but she wouldn't have it any other way. ...
Toby Keith: Home Is Where His Heart Is
Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, April 1998
Success has found Toby Keith in terms of hit records, a new business venture and, award nominations. And though he's enjoying it all, Toby still ...
Ralph Stanley: Back to Clinch Mountain: Ralph Stanley
Report and Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, September 1998
"THREE GROUPS shaped bluegrass music," Ricky Skaggs told me recently, "Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, the Stanley Brothers, and Flatt & Scruggs. Everyone ...
Merle Haggard: For The Record: The Hag Tells It Like It Is
Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, November 1999
LAST APRIL Merle Haggard turned 62, well past the age when most men slow down and mellow out. The Hag, however, is busier and ornerier ...
Brooks & Dunn: Brooks and Dunn: Over & Done
Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, April 2000
Rumor has Brooks and Dunn headed for splitsville, but country's biggest duo says that ain't no way to go. ...
Dwight Yoakam: Dwightyoakamacoustic.net
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, October 2000
DWIGHT YOAKAM has released seven albums since 1993: live disc, a Christmas album, a set of cover songs, a greatest hits anthology, an unplugged project, ...
The Statler Brothers: Showtime
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, August 2001
WHEN ERIC HEATHERLY enjoyed a hit last year with 'Flowers On The Wall', his remake proved that The Statler Brothers' distinctive formula hadn't lost its ...
Dwight Yoakam: South Of Heaven, West Of Hell
Review by Holly George-Warren, Country Music, February 2002
SUBTITLED Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture, Dwight Yoakam's 15th album documents his versatile approach to classic country while painting an aural picture ...
Kelly Hogan: Because It Feel Good
Review by j. poet, Country Music, February 2002
LET YOUR MIND wander back about years ago, to a recording studio noted for churning out reverb-drenched country, pop and rhythm and blues. ...
Reba McEntire: Greatest Hits Vol. III – I'm A Survivor
Review by James Hunter, Country Music, February 2002
SOMEONE I KNOW once worked long-distance, from laid-back Denver offices, with an old guy popularly known as Boston's crankiest attorney. ...
Robbie Fulks: Couples In Trouble, 13 Hillbilly Giants
Review by Holly George-Warren, Country Music, February 2002
FOR MORE than five years, Robbie Fulks has plied his trade as the merry prankster of alt-county. ...
Shania Twain: O Sister, Where Art Thou?
Comment by James Hunter, Country Music, February 2002
We're sorry, Shania. Come back, we need you. ...
Beth Nielsen Chapman: Deeper Still
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, August 2002
BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN has enjoyed a successful career as a Nashville songwriter, penning No. 1 hits for Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker and Lorrie ...
Rhonda Vincent: One Step Ahead
Review by Geoffrey Himes, Country Music, July 2003
THE TITLE TRACK on Vincent's new album finds her singing harmony on the chorus with Alison Krauss. ...
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 3
Review by Holly George-Warren, Country Music, December 2003
THERE'S PERHAPS NO more perfect album title than Will The Circle Be Unbroken, named for a song by country music's first family, the Carter Family. ...
Phil Vassar: Bucking Authority
Interview by John Swenson, Country Music, December 2003
Phil Vassar picked his battles — and won — on his climb to the top ...
Tim McGraw: The Gambler: Tim McGraw
Interview by James Hunter, Country Music, December 2003
TIM MCGRAW IS PUMPED. ...
Jim Lauderdale: Jim Changes Everything
Interview by David Burke, Country Music, February 2017
JIM LAUDERDALE knows his country music history – and he's very aware of his and his contemporaries' modest place in it compared to the iconic ...
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