The Guitar Song

( 6 )

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Thom Jurek
When was the last time anybody in country music released a double studio album? Following up his stellar 2008 recording, That Lonesome Song, songwriter Jamey Johnson returns with the ambitious, sprawling 25-track The Guitar Song. The set's two discs are divided into thematic halves: the Black Album concerns itself primarily with darker, more complex situations in life, love, and loss, and the White Album focuses on more redemptive themes. It's not as simple as that, however; there is a yin-and-yang effect too, as evidenced by "Playing the Part," from the Black Album, which is an upbeat tune about surviving bad times in Hollywood. Likewise, "California Riots" is a nasty ...
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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Thom Jurek
When was the last time anybody in country music released a double studio album? Following up his stellar 2008 recording, That Lonesome Song, songwriter Jamey Johnson returns with the ambitious, sprawling 25-track The Guitar Song. The set's two discs are divided into thematic halves: the Black Album concerns itself primarily with darker, more complex situations in life, love, and loss, and the White Album focuses on more redemptive themes. It's not as simple as that, however; there is a yin-and-yang effect too, as evidenced by "Playing the Part," from the Black Album, which is an upbeat tune about surviving bad times in Hollywood. Likewise, "California Riots" is a nasty thumping outlaw number about sheer survival, but it's on the White Album. That balance is a part of Johnson's gift. Songs find their own way. The Guitar Song is uncompromising. Johnson's own accomplished road band -- consisting of players symbiotically sympathetic to the material -- provides the backing, and he gives his musicians room to really play, whether it's honky tonk Southern rock or bedroom or back-porch ballads. The sound is rougher edged than contemporary country; it comes from the Waylon Jennings/Hank Jr./David Allan Coe era. It rocks, but it also rolls. Johnson's chameleon-like ability as a writer and singer also affords him the luxury to collaborate with many of Nashville's current writing crop as well as veterans, all without compromising his vision as a narrative songwriter. He allows tough topics to rise from the heart and speak directly with whatever emotions they carry coming to the fore. Check the title track (with a guest appearance by Bill Anderson); the broken love songs "Heartache," "Cover Your Eyes" and "Thankful for the Rain"; the brutally lonesome "That's How I Don't Love You Anymore"; the Merle Haggard-influenced "Even the Skies Are Blue" and "Good Morning Sunrise" (which are the best vocal performances on the album); the front-porch reminiscence in "By the Seat of Your Pants"; the tough, soulful, gospel-influenced blues of "Macon"; and the lilting closer, "My Way to You." Likewise, his choice of covers -- including "Lonely at the Top" (a little-known Keith Whitley honky tonk tune), Mel Tillis' classic "Mental Revenge," Hank Cochran's "Set Em Up Joe," and Kris Kristofferson's forlorn "For the Good Times" -- are all executed with the necessary spit, grit, and empathy, and display Johnson's considerable talent as an interpretive singer. The arguments as to whether The Guitar Song is as good as the beloved That Lonesome Song don't matter. What does matter is what The Guitar Song accomplishes: it makes plain the music contemporary country is trying to erase, while being a thoroughly accessible modern offering. Given its wonderfully crafted and performed material and stellar production, it is the country album of 2010.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 9/14/2010
  • Label: Mercury Nashville
  • UPC: 602527173160
  • Catalog Number: 001336402
  • Sales rank: 24,633

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Jamey Johnson Primary Artist, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals
Eric Darken Percussion
Curtis Wright Background Vocals
Kevin Grantt Bass, Upright Bass
Cowboy Eddie Long Dobro, Steel Guitar
Mac McAnally Acoustic Guitar
Fred Mandel Piano
Michael Spriggs Acoustic Guitar
Keith Gattis Electric Guitar
Rivers Rutherford Acoustic Guitar
Mark Crum Bass
Wayd Battle Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals
Randy Houser Background Vocals
Mike Kennedy Drums
Jason Cope Acoustic Guitar, Guitar, Electric Guitar, Soloist
Jim "Moose" Brown Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Soloist
Brian Allen Bass
Dave Cobb Electric Guitar
Chris Powell Drums
Melanie Cannon Background Vocals
Kate Coppola Background Vocals
Kacey Coppola Background Vocals
John Scott Synthesizer
John Henry Trinko Piano
Dave McAfee Drums
Technical Credits
Bill Anderson Composer
Bobby Bare Composer
Vern Gosdin Composer
Kris Kristofferson Composer
Mel Tillis Composer
Keith Whitley Composer
Buddy Cannon Composer
Hank Cochran Composer
Don Cook Composer
Dean Dillon Composer
Kevin Grantt Tic Tac
Randy LeRoy Mastering
Charlie Midnight Composer
Larry Shell Composer
George Teren Composer
David Lee Murphy Composer
Dean Miller Composer
Eric Torres Engineer
Carson Chamberlain Composer
Vicky McGehee Composer
Chick Raines Composer
Rivers Rutherford Composer
T.W. Cargile Engineer, overdub engineer
Shane Minor Composer
Karen Naff Art Direction
Mark Rains Engineer
Shannon Lawson Composer
Wayd Battle Composer
James Otto Composer
Jason Cope Composer
Lee Thomas Miller Composer
Jamey Johnson Composer
Dave Cobb Producer
Ashley Gorley Composer
Jim McCormick Composer
Arlis Albritton Composer, Producer
The Kent Hardly Playboys Producer
Kacey Coppola Composer
Dallas Davidson Composer
Teddy Gentry Composer
Chris Dubois Composer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 6 )
Rating Distribution

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(5)

4 Star

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2 Star

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1 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 22, 2011

    Must listen to this

    He is the last of a dying breed. What a fantastic songwriter and singer.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 13, 2010

    highly recommended

    This double cd is absolutely fantastic. I'm glad I got one for inside and one for the car. We knew we'd like it. Saw him in concert and it was 2 1/2 hrs. non-stop. We'll go again when he's in the area. sa fisher pa

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 12, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 25, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 11, 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 16, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews