Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Country Editor, Marc Greilsamer FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL: * Word for Word: Merle Haggard * New and Notable: Asleep at the Wheel, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris, Wayne Hancock, Matraca Berg, and Kris Kristofferson * Free Digital Downloads: Alison Krauss * Recommended Reissues, Texas-Style: Hank Thompson, Willis Alan Ramsey, and Waylon Jennings * Sherrie Amour: An interview with Sherrie Austin * Advance Orders: Dixie Chicks, Freakwater, and Jim Lauderdale and Ralph Stanley WORD FOR WORD: MERLE HAGGARD **************************** "I was trying to put words in my father's mouth, had he been alive. I wondered what my dad would have thought about that condition in those days in 1969, and I think he would have been feeling like that song expressed to some degree. And then of course you know I had to put up with being called an Okie all my life, and finally I had a chance with that song to slap back! It was something for me to get back at the people that had called my dad an Okie with disrespect." --Merle Haggard, about his classic composition "Okie from Muskogee" Read more of Amazon.com's interview with Haggard at Country You can find Haggard's new "Live at Billy Bob's Texas" at <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JQXV/entertainmentsit> NEW AND NOTABLE *************** "Ride with Bob" Asleep at the Wheel <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JWOJ/entertainmentsit> Ray Benson and crew return with a second star-studded tribute to the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills. Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, and Don Walser are among the list of contributors on this energetic project, along with less-obvious choices like the Dixie Chicks, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, the Manhattan Transfer, and Shawn Colvin. You can find AATW's first "Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys" at <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002URC/entertainmentsit> "Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions" Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JZBQ/entertainmentsit> Still basking in the success of their "Trio II" collaboration with Dolly Parton, Ronstadt and Harris return with a wholly distinct record, one that owes more sonically to Emmylou's "Wrecking Ball" than to the two "Trio" affairs. Buttressed by Glyn Johns's bold and often edgy production, the pair attacks songs from the pens of a wide range of songwriters, everyone from Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen to Rosanne Cash and Sinead O'Connor. Harris also cowrote tunes with Luscious Jackson's Jill Cunniff and the McGarrigle sisters. You can find "Trio II" at <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000F1D2/entertainmentsit> "Wild, Free & Reckless" Wayne Hancock <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNMS/entertainmentsit> Wayne the Train keeps the bare-boned, guitar-pedal steel, honky-tonk sound of Hank Williams alive in fresh and exciting ways. Hancock shows himself to be a crafty and heartfelt songwriter, and his songs take on even more impact when delivered in his one-of-a-kind, piercing twang. And his topflight musicians are ready with a superb solo whenever the Train calls them out! "Lying to the Moon & Other Stories" Matraca Berg <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JMBR/entertainmentsit> Berg has long been one of Nashville's most respected songwriters, penning hits for Deana Carter, Patty Loveless, and Trisha Yearwood among others. Yet Berg's own early-1990s recordings vanished from the shelves in short order. Kudos to RCA for unearthing these tunes, which prove that Berg remains perhaps the best interpreter of her own material. "The Austin Sessions" Kris Kristofferson <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JZBX/entertainmentsit> Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Mark Knopfler, and the aforementioned Matraca Berg headline the roster of impressive guests on Kristofferson's first record in four years. With their able assistance, the Texas "outlaw" reprises his best and best-known songs such as "Sunday Morning Coming Down," "Me and Bobby McGee," and "For the Good Times." FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS: ALISON KRAUSS ************************************* A bluegrass wunderkind by age 13, Alison Krauss has earned countless accolades for her singing and fiddle playing, and in the process she's helped bring bluegrass music into more people's homes. However, with "Forget About It," her lovely and intimate new record, she has submerged the rawer aspects of bluegrass to craft an album full of subtlety and delicate charm. You can sample this emerging style by downloading the title track in its entirety absolutely free at Country You can find "Forget About It" at <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JMCL/entertainmentsit> Merle Haggard and Sherrie Austin are just a couple of the other artists whose songs are now available for your listening pleasure in our Free Digital Downloads section at Country RECOMMENDED REISSUES, TEXAS-STYLE ********************************* "Hank World" Hank Thompson <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JCC8/entertainmentsit> The charismatic crooner finds the middle ground between Western swing and honky-tonk on these early-1950s radio shots. "Willis Alan Ramsey" Willis Alan Ramsey <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JKG2/entertainmentsit> The landmark album from the J.D. Salinger of 1970s Austin songwriters finally joins the digital age. "Waylon Live" Waylon Jennings <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JY9X/entertainmentsit> The reissue of this classic 1976 record adds nine unreleased cuts to an already formidable collection. SHERRIE AMOUR: AN INTERVIEW WITH SHERRIE AUSTIN *********************************************** Australian singer Sherrie Austin describes her homeland as "just like a big old suburb of Texas." Country music thrives down under, and it was there that Austin heard the music of Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn as a youngster. On "Love in the Real World," she fuses the traditional sounds of those artists with the spunk of contemporary pop. Amazon.com talks with Austin about life in Australia, her songwriting habits, and the changing face of country music. Country You can find "Love in the Real World" at <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JMG8/entertainmentsit> ADVANCE ORDERS ************** "Fly" Dixie Chicks <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000K29H/entertainmentsit> The shine isn't even off the "Wide Open Spaces" apple, but the titillating Texas trio is back for more. "End Time" Freakwater <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JY2G/entertainmentsit> The blue Kentucky girls (and guy) broaden their artistic palette. "I Feel Like Singing Today" Jim Lauderdale and Ralph Stanley <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000K373/entertainmentsit> The soulful Nashville songwriter and the bluegrass paragon join forces. ****** You'll find more great music, articles, and interviews in Amazon.com's Country Music section at Country
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