If It Ain't Country, It Isn't Necessarily Muzak

...though it might be very soothing

I was on Spain’s Andalucian coast in the winter of 2019, in a tourist-overrun town called Nerja, walking around waiting to meet a friend I’d made on line, when it occurred to me that I really like country music — not the Strats-’n’-hats modern kind, but the Hank Williams. Back in Salobreña several hours later, alone (because it was out of season) in a 12-story apartment block, I had a hell of an evening sipping vodka and singing along to the country karaoke tracks I found in abundance on YouTube. Then, at evening’s end, I thought to myself, “Well, why don’t you write some country songs of your own, darling?” And damned if I did not — two albums’ worth!

The sound of country — the sighing, whining pedal steel guitar and acerbic dobro — aren’t to everyone’s taste, but I adore pedal steel guitar, which may one of the trickiest instruments in pop music to play, in that you use your knee as well as your two hands. I simulate it on these recordings via a little app I found on my iPhone.

In the next few weeks, I will be adding a new song — “I’ve Laid Every Gal in Town” — to my country canon. Watch for it, eagle-eyedly!

The Greatest Hits - Volume 3 album may be enjoyed without Spotify and at no charge. Let a feller know your impressions.