Customer Reviews

Highways & Honky Tonks

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are several commercial "schools" of country music. One of them is the Nashville Sound that rose to pre-eminence with its crooners, background singers, strings and lush, syrupy arrangements. Another was the Texas Swing school, which gave birth to the Austin sound of Waylon and Willie. But my favorite of the competing schools of country was the so-called Bakersfield Sound. Two of its most famous members were Buck Owens (in his pre-Hee Haw days) and Merle Haggard in his Capitol Records years. The sound was harder, twangy-er and more band-oriented than the music being played "back east".

I always liked this sound best. And as a teenager at a New England prep school, I collected all the early Buck Owens and Merle Haggard records as they came out on Capitol. Later, Buck and (to a lesser extent) Merle got co-opted by Nashville. But the sound and spirit lived on. Buck Owens had a great band, fronted by vocal harmonies of Don Rich. Merle Haggard's Strangers produced a sound so distinctive you could recognize it after about two bars. And Bonnie Owens provided a harsh harmony with Merle that stood in stark contrast to the Jordanaires harmonies that backed Nashville tracks.

Heather Myles does this music better than anyone else today. And she makes it fresh and contemporary, never nostalgic. And while she probably wouldn't want to characterize herself as a proponent of the Bakersfield School of Music, she has all the ingredients that make this music so great. If you want to get a completely different take on country music than you'll get from, say, Reba MacIntyre, you really ought to give a listen to Heather Myles. She's terrific.

We live in a world like hacks like Shania Twain and Garth Brooks rule the "country" charts with their painfully clinched, and utterly contrived songs, and genuine and startling talents like Heather Myles, Iris DeMent, and Kelly Willis, struggle to get heard. Well hear this disc people, it is a stunner.

Blessed with a voice that'll knock your socks off, Myles sings ten songs she wrote or co wrote, and throws in two covers for good measure. Not a moment is wasted. The fact that commercial country radio ignores such great cuts like "You're Gonna Love Me One Day" and "True Love" just goes to show that there is no justice in the music world these days.

Someday it just might happen. Someday you could tune in to a country station or perhaps CMTV and actually hear some country music, real country music. On her third studio album (she's also got a killer live CD as well) Heather Myles dishes out more of the real thang, and it's my favorite to date. Her first was released seven years ago, and she's still not a houshold name, to the great shame of the industry. Though there are a very few uncompromising women making this kind of music ( Joy Lynn White and Lee Ann Womack spring to mind ), most of what emanates from Nashville is pop. Yes, I suppose Shania has talent, but it has precious little to do with country music. But on this disc you can find a hefty dose of heartache and steel guitar. Yep, and she writes 'em all herself to boot. Clever but meaningfull lyrics intermingle with authentic, tearjerkin' playing. She has a wonderful duet with Mr.Country; Merle Haggard "No One Is Gonna Love You Better" and she holds her own and then some. It's an instant classic. "Who Did You Call Darlin'" is a nice tex-mex number with the requisite button accordian (no credit given for some reason...zat you Flaco?). Scott Joss and Pete Anderson from Dwight Yoakum's band are on hand with some tasty fiddle playing and guitar work repectively. The songs all have a hook, but not the inane crapola you hear on the radio. She really is the sweetheart of the rodeo, and my absolute fave since she burst onto the scene in 1992. Another highpoint is the only non-original: Charlie Pride's megahit "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" and, even as a major Pride fan, I have to say I like this one even more. Her superb voice is distinct, and finds a home "right quick". "Broken Heart For Sale" is as moving as anything Loretta or Emmylou have ever come out with, and that's surely saying something. It all sounds effortless in the way only a major talent can make it seem. When we look back on this period of country music, Heather Myles will undoubtedly loom large with the handfull of standout artists that were....well, artists. Nobody does it better. My only complaint is my standard one; at thirty seven minutes it could be longer. But that means that you'll be hungry for more.

As a 63 year old country music fan, I can say that I have lived through them all; the good and the bad. I do not enjoy most of the modern "hot country" singers, probably because of my age. Heather Myles, however, is one young singer who can do it all; the "hot" and the older honky tonk sounds. "Highways and Honky Tonks" is a great effort; Heather's voice rings with a sincerity which indicates a depth which most of the current crop of country ladies cannot fathom. Her backup on this CD is also top drawer, even including some California dude named "Merle Haggard" on "No One's Gonna Love You Better." Don't miss this one!

Anymore, you don't hear traditional country music, it is feathered with pop, the women in country are "gorgeous" and it's that image that makes it way into mainstream USA. But somewhere in 1992, Heather Myles arrived. She carries a voice of solid old country, strums that guitar and sings the music that isn't "cool" anymore.

Heather missed her calling. Essentially, she belonged with the Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette era. But in 1992 when she arrived, it was the pretty boys who garnered the attention, the Vince Gills, Alan Jacksons, Clint Blacks, etc. etc. Music videos were hot, country music was all about "looks" and rarely about the roots of country and folk that inspired many.

If you relish the "old country sounds", of living, loving and leaving, crying in your beer-type songs, listen to Heather Myles. She stands on her own, pens her own lyrics and can sing with the best. I love the duet with Merle Haggard "No One is Going to Love You Better". But it was a music video that I happened to record one night, "True Love", and I managed to get three quarters of it and mildly astounded! It was like nothing I had heard from a woman in a long time. That inspired me to hear more and the entire CD was impressive for a newcomer, unique throaty deep voice, and musically real old country.

Here, a variety of sounds appear, honky tonk, danceable tunes, slower ballads, classic sounds. If you like old country, try Heather Myles... MzRizz.

Where has this girl been that I missed her? Every since videos began, I have gotten more into country and discovered more of the old country also. I have tons of country videos and never saw this gal. Sometimes I tape CMT cause it is the "only" chance to see videos anymore. Recently, I heard "true love" and immediately the guitar sound perked my ears. Then I heard her "voice". I said who is this girl? After researching, I discovered she has been around for years. I enjoy the entire CD and will buy her other CDs also. She is different, her voice projects and she is real country!

Shania and Faith - take a hike. Heather is real country music. The high rating on this (and her other cd's) is not a mistake. If you want genuine country that sounds like it came outta the past, before "country" got onto VH1, here it is. Every song is perfect - put the remote down, you won't want to skip anything. I only wish Heather got half the attention Faith's new hair styles get but then we all know how the MUSIC BIZ works.

When I first listened to this, I thought what have I done, but after listening for a while - a couple of times, I realised how great it was. I seem to enjoy it more each time I listen to it. Rises most of the 'pop country' you get today to be a really enjoyable recording.

What a great find! If you are like I was and had almost forgotten what real country music sounds like, this CD will remind you. This album is full of wonderful songs, sung by Heather's power-house voice. This is pure, hard-core, traditional country. Unfortunately, Heather has about as much of a chance of getting played on "country" radio as Metallica does. Hopefully, more fans of traditional country will discover her; she certainly deserves commercial success.

WHY HAVEN'T WE HEARD MORE ABOUT THIS LADY? I WAS JUST LISTENING TO SAMPLES OF ARTISTS UNFAMILIAR TO ME THE OTHER NIGHT, ON THE INTERNET, AND I HEARD A COUPLE OF CUTS OFF HER "HIGHWAYS & HONKY TONKS", AND "JUST LIKE OLD TIMES" ALBUMS. IT WAS LIKE THE FIRST TIME I HEARD TAMMY WYNETTE, OR PATSY CLINE. HER MUSIC STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS. THIS LADY CAN SING, AND HER BACK-UP BAND IS TOPS. "BROKEN HEART FOR SALE", AND "PLAYIN' EVERY HONKY TONK IN TOWN" BROUGHT ME BACK TO THE GREAT DAYS OF COUNTRY MUSIC WHEN WE COULD DANCE MILES AROUND THE FLOOR TO FARON YOUNG, CHARLIE WALKER, RAY PRICE, AND JOHNNY BUSH. IT'S SO GREAT TO HEAR REAL COUNTRY MUSIC SUNG BY A LADY WHO OBVIOUSLY ENJOYS SINGING EVERY WORD OF HER MUSIC. MY QUESTION IS: WHY HAVEN'T WE SEEN AND HEARD MORE OF HER? I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT I'M HEARING IN HER STYLE, AND TALENT. BRAVO TO MS. MYLES