What do you get when two of Australia’s favourite country music artists get together to record an album of all the classic country songs? Something totally awesome. If you love your traditional country then this is an album you are going to love as Adam Harvey and Troy Cassar-Daley share the songs that inspired them to become country singers and the much loved performers they are today.
All 20 songs on the Great Country Songbook (19 individual tunes and one medley of three songs that the guys simply couldn’t leave off) will take you on a journey back in time when country music was still pure country and timeless artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard. Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash and our own King Slim Dusty were giving us songs that will remain for ever timeless.
Personally I don’t have a favourite song from the album, I love them all as they take me back to childhood memories where Mum and Dad always had these old vinyl albums playing constantly. Yes like Troy and Adam these classic songs were huge part of my family life and a reason why I love my country music to this day.
From the first song Good Hearted Woman it is clear to hear the rollicking good time these two good mates had recording together, so much so that the song has a few extra choruses and Adam adlibs lyrics , at Troy’s expense before the song concludes. It gives the opening song a real feel of the live show that the pair have been touring with the last few years.
Lights on the Hill, the Slim Dusty classic written by his wife Joy McKean is the first single from the album and the video clip highlights again the rapport between these two as the do Slim proud with a cover that is very similar to the original in both style and sound. It is worthy to note that Colin Watson who played on Slim’s version was recruited to perform on this one as well.
Another Slim classic Indian Pacific is performed by Troy and instantly I am transported back almost 30 years when my Mum and I took the iconic train trip to Perth. And when he sings Crystal Chandeliers you just can’t help but sing along as with the Hag’s classic Mama Tried that while you can’t out Hag the Hag Troy goes pretty close with this rendition.
Adam’s solo songs include Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine, He Stopped Loving Her Today and Luckenbach Texas his smooth dulcet tones sweeping you up in the storytelling.
Other classics included on the album are the duets Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys, Coward of The County, Rhinestone Cowboy. Seven Spanish Angels and I Walk The Line.
The album is rounded out with For The Good Times, Hey Good Lookin’, You’re My Best Friend, Behind Closed Doors, Oh Lonesome Me and That’s The Way Love Goes with the final offering the medley of Thank God I’m a Country Boy, Before The Last Teardrop Falls and On The Road Again.
This album went straight to number 1 on the ARIA Australian Album Chart on debut and was for a brief time number 1 on the over chart until Kanye West’s label demanded a recount and the boys were relegated to the number two position however for a country music album filled with classic covers to reach these chart heights was way beyond either artist’s expectations and shows that there is still a craving by country fans for the more traditional music.
I can highly recommend this album not just to fans of Adam and Troy, and hey you guys will already have it anyway won’t you , but to anyone who loves traditional and all those classic artists who we are sadly losing as time marches on. At least with artists like Troy and Adam leading the way hopefully there will be younger artists who will follow the lead and keep the legacy of real country alive.
If you love the album then you have to get yourself to one of the Great Country Song Book shows that they are touring during August and then November. Check out the websites for dates and if you haven’t already seen this show do yourself a favour you won’t regret it and will laugh along with the boys at their antics on stage and leave feeling absolutely wonderful and singing these classic songs as you do.
Lynne McLean
A Country Hattitude 