Brad Paisley - see artist discography

Rissi Palmer "Rissi Palmer" (Mighty Loud, 2008)
A nice set of pop-country, 2000's-style, with traces of soul and perky pop woven into prefab Nashville themes. Pretty cool for an indie release, and pretty surprising that Ms. Palmer didn't go a lot further on the strength of this record. She has a very nice voice and a feel for the style -- fits right in with stuff by other gals like Martina McBride and Sara Evans... Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy that style.

Palomino Road "Palomino Road" (Capitol, 1993)

Kyle Park "Make Or Break Me" (Winding Road, 2011)
The third full-length album from an "red dirt" indiebilly who has gone pretty over-the-top pop, at least on the opening tracks, which I think he was hoping would be hits. The rest of the record calms down a bit, with more relaxed twang tunes interspersed with bombastic Top 40-ish songs, and a lot of sensitive-guy country songs. I think he was shooting for a Brad Paisley/Pat Green vibe, which is okay, I guess, though it didn't really work for me. If you're interested in indie country, this is worth checking out -- who knows? He might hit it big!

Lee Roy Parnell "Lee Roy Parnell" (Arista, 1990)
(Produced by Barry Beckett)
Parnell's rather rootsy debut set him up as a '90s version of roadhouse roots-rocker Delbert McClinton, fusing country vocals with bluesy, old-school R&B, sometimes with a 'Fifties doo-wop edge. The use of saxophone and piano triplets may have quashed any hopes of major success on the country charts (this disc had three singles in the back 'fifty...) but folks who like McClinton's work, or perhaps Conway Twitty's or T. Graham Brown's stuff in the '80s, should find a lot to like about this album. What's more, none of these early songs were included in the 1999 Arista best-of, Hits And Highways Ahead, so fans should definitely track this one down.

Lee Roy Parnell "Love Without Mercy" (Arista, 1992)
(Produced by Scott Hendricks & Barry Beckett)
Thank goodness the folks at Arista had faith in Parnell after his poorly-performing debut, 'cause this followup record was mighty fine. His debt to Delbert McClinton is still pretty obvious, but there's a slinkier, softer side in there as well (a wisp of Ry Cooder, perhaps?) and an interesting, pop-melodic update of the Southern rock sound... A couple of songs are duds ("Road Scholar?" Yawn.) though mostly this is a pretty funky, soulful album... Parnell's vocals, are particularly appealing... He's really into it, singing with grit and subtlety, throwing himself into every song and investing this album with a level of passion and immediacy that you don't often hear coming from the jaded confines of modern-day Nashville. He also scored his first big hits, the soft-edged "Tender Moments" and the more rollicking "What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am," which both hit #2 on the charts, the first of a handful of Top 5 hits he had in his career. Nice record; definitely worth checking out.

Lee Roy Parnell "On The Road" (Arista, 1993)

Lee Roy Parnell "We All Get Lucky Sometimes" (Arista, 1995)

Lee Roy Parnell "Every Night's A Saturday Night" (Arista, 1997)
A rollicking later album by this roots-rocking, slide playing neo-honkytonker. Parnell dips into a bit of roadhouse blues, with a prominent barroom piano, and some dirty, crunchy guitar. He also tilts into smoother, more commercial sounds, with ringing guitars (as on "Tender Touch"), and even some soft-spoken schmaltz (the acoustic based "Better Word For Love"). Overall, this is a pretty rich sounding record, with a wide variey of styles, and a welcome recognition of both the Nashville and Austin sides of the street. Plus, anybody who covers Guy Clark ("Baton Rouge," with Clark joining Parnell on the last chorus...) is alright by me. Check it out.

Lee Roy Parnell "Hits And Highways Ahead" (Arista, 1999)
Whiteboy roadhouse soul. Like a kinder, gentler Delbert McClinton; Parnell acquits himself well on this greatest hits package, though very few of the songs really grab me emotionally. The tightly crafted production feels kinda flat, for some reason... plus I've never been a big fan of talky lyrics, and this album's full of 'em. I know I'm supposed to like this guy, but his attempts at building up country-rock anthems never really seem to take off. Character flaw on my part, I'm sure. (Parnell's albums are also reviewed in my Commercial Country section.)

Lee Roy Parnell "Tell The Truth" (Vanguard, 2001)
Twang takes a back seat to romp and stomp on this one, a houserockin' blues and soul set, with guest artists like Bonnie Bramblett, Keb Mo and Delbert McClinton adding some bluesy oomph to the proceedings. It's not my bag, but if you go for modern blues, this disc might really turn you on. Sounds like Little Feat at times, particularly on softer numbers, like the title track, which offers a welcome moment of contemplation amid the general high volume level of the rest of the album...

Lee Roy Parnell "Back To The Well" (Universal South, 2006)
A strong set of smoky southern soul and roadhouse blues-tinged twangy pop... It's not really my kind of music, but I can tell this is a pretty strong record for the style. Fans of Delbert McClinton, Gary Stewart and Little Feat are gonna want to check this one out. There's grit, fire and the passion of a true believer, along with some really solid musicianship. Worth checking out!

Dolly Parton - see artist discography

Stella Parton - see artist discography

Johnny Paycheck - see artist discography

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Hick Music Index

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