Americana/Country Rock
Dale Watson is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale wind of the Nashville Country Music Factory. While your typical radio station keeps churning out the cookie cutter mainstream country music that Nashville is cramming down our throats, people like Dale Watson fly under most of the general public's radar, especially here in the Mid-West.
Dale lives in Austin, TX and if anyone knows anything about it Austin is an amazing music city that has produced people like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Dale is a true road warrior when it comes to touring small bars and honkytonks across the country. His first LP in 1984 was with "The Classic Country Band" the members of that band were Ron O'Rielly, Ken Mosconi, Don Watson and Dale Watson. This was a two song promotional LP recorded ant Gilley' Recording Studio now located in Corpus Cristi, TX. His first full length solo album was "Cheatin' Heart Attack" in 1995 under Hightone Records. Ever since then he has been rocking in out under a variety of labels along the way.
Lets get to the music, if you are a stranger to Dale Watson and/or to Americana music I suggest you try out Dale's song called "Hair of the Dog" this one is a personal favorite of mine. This song is the timeless story about a situation we have all been in before. That good ol' storm the morning following having a good time the night before like its our job."Gimme the hair of the dog that bit me, they tell me it helps to ease the pain. I swear I'll never drink again....again." We have all said that at one point in time I can guarantee that.
Probably my favorite song of Dale Watson's is titled "Where Do You Want It". This song Dale wrote about his good friend and fellow musician Billy Joe Shaver. Story has that Billy Joe is a hard man to get angry, but someone managed to do it in south Texas. So Billy got in a gunfight and won because the other guy brought a knife. Well Mr. Shaver being the kind soul that he is pulled out his gun and asked the man, where do you want it? This is a great song to crank up the volume to and have a good laugh about a man that brings a knife to a gunfight.
My third favorite song is called "Whiskey of God" from the 2006 album of the same name. This song is about as the title would suggest, you are gonna find salvation in one or the other. For a guy like me that has done the things I have done and been where I have been this song hits home pretty well. "Whiskey or God, its gonna bring me relief.Believin or not, bending my elbow or my knees"
With all the country music artists on the radio these days that say they are influenced by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, or Waylon Jennings you sure don't hear any of that influence in their music. Dale Watson breathes a breath of fresh air into actual country music rather then then the prepackaged music that comes shooting out of our radios day in and day out. A great place to catch Dale Watson is at Lee's Liquor Lounge in Minneapolis. Well I hope you all enjoy some off the beaten path music. Until next week this is JT saying "Don't fry bacon when you're naked".
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