Music Reviews By Rhett Ashley
We wish to provide an honest fair music review. We do not want to publicly humiliate anyone. With that in mind, we do not publish reviews of music which earns a rating below 3 stars. We contact those people privately and offer them our best advice on how to achieve better results.

Terri Allard (Virginia, USA)
Loose Change & Spare Parts - 11 tracks.
The melancholy in her voice make you want to whip the man who did her wrong.
4 1/2 Stars

Cody Glen Allen (Tennessee, USA)
Dealing With Love - 10 tracks.
A real country voice singing real country songs without any gimmicks.
4 Stars

Kris Allen & Southern Thunder (Nashville, USA)
Heroes Never Die - 15 tracks.
He makes you feel his pain.
4 1/2 Stars

Mike Allen (Texas, USA)
Mike Allen - 10 tracks.
Good songs, clean Texas style production and great vocals make this album enjoyable to hear.
4 Stars

Colin Amey (Canada)
What My Heart Don't Know - 13 tracks.
Real good new country.
4 1/2 Stars

Sherrie Austin (Nashville, USA)
Following A Feelin' - 10 tracks.
This lady is not just another pretty girl singer. She's a talent to be reckoned with.
5 Stars

Pat Ballard (Nashville, USA)
Ballard Country - 8 tracks.
If Willie Nelson was a better singer, he'd sound something like this.
4 1/2 Stars

Michael Ballew (Texas, USA)
Rodeo Cool - 18 tracks.
Years of singing in smoke filled honky tonks have developed a real cowboy voice.
4 1/2 Stars

Steve Bardsley (Massachusetts, USA)
Childhood Ambition - 14 tracks.
Best described as Country/Folk Fusion with a better production it would be awesome.
3 1/2 Stars

Vern Batty (New Mexico, USA)
A Wink Is As Good As A Nod - 11 tracks.
Good songs and a simple production forces one to focus on his interesting & appealing voice.
4 Stars

Jim Bearden (California, USA)
Sky Pilots - 16 tracks.
A production as strong as the songs and vocals is needed.
3 Stars

Pete Bene (Tennessee, USA)
Hold Your Horses - 11 tracks.
Take straight ahead country songs, production & mix and throw fine vocals. It'll work every time.
4 Stars

Craig Bickhardt (Nashville, USA)
Easy Fires - 12 tracks.
He explores the depths of longing & loneliness, in a top drawer fashion.
4 1/2 Stars

Ken Bierschbach (Michigan, USA)
Somewhere Out There - 13 tracks.
Country, folk, rock, & pop this album has some of everything. There's not a bad cut in the bunch.
4 1/2 Stars

Tom Boehmer (Texas, USA)
Don't Go Alone - 11 tracks.
First class songs and top notch demo production make this a must hear.
4 Stars

Freddy Bolen (Canada)
Catfish Jam - 13 tracks.
Songs, vocals, production, & mix each excellent, but the whole is slightly less than the sum of the parts.
3 1/2 Stars

Cyndi Boste (Australia)
Push Comes To Shove - 11 tracks.
I thought Tania Kerrigan was the best Aussie female singer until I heard Cyndi Boste.
5 Stars

Libbi Bosworth (Texas, USA)
Libbiville - 15 tracks.
Songs, vocals, production, and mix are polished to a high gloss.
4 1/2 Stars

Eric Brace (Virginia, USA)
Last Train Home - 12 tracks.
Absolute professionalism from start to finish.
5 Stars

Mike Breen (Nashville, USA)
No Excuses - 11 tracks.
Past Lives 11 tracks.
The songs are good. The production is better. His voice is clear & fine.
4 Stars

Peter Britt (Colorado, USA)
That's What Living's For - 11 tracks.
Makes you want to sit your beer down and find a dance floor.
4 Stars

Kevin Buchanan (California, USA)
Silvertown - 10 tracks.
Good vocals combine with highly creative use of keyboard & killer mix.
4 Stars

Kenny Butterill (Nashville, USA)
No One You Know - 12 tracks.
The power of Waylon with the style of Neil Diamond.
4 1/2 Stars

Bobby Cage (Missouri, USA)
Coming Home To You - 13 tracks.
He wrote the songs, played lead guitar, and did the vocals his way. It's a good way.
4 Stars

Steve Calvert (Texas, USA)
Texas and Me - 10 tracks.
The appealing quiver in his voice is perfectly matched to these beer drinking sad country songs.
5 stars

Steve Calvert (Texas, USA)
Steve Calvert - 10 tracks.
With solid vocals, songs, and production this is a quality piece of work.
4 Stars

Roger Campbell (Maryland, USA)
Songs and Music By Roger Campbell - 14 tracks.
First rate story songs and haunting vocals.
4 1/2 Stars

Renee Carlyle (Texas, USA)
Street Of Broken Dreams - 9 tracks.
The daughter of a Baptist preacher man does positive country with the style & grace of a real Texas lady.
4 Stars

Greg Champion (Australia)
Shady Tree - 13 tracks.
It's somewhere between bluegrass and folk. I just call it first rate.
5 Stars

Kathy Chiavola (Nashville, USA)
The Harvest - 13 tracks.
Labor Of Love 12 tracks.
From Where I Stand 14 tracks.
She does Bluegrass, Traditional Country, and Mountain Folk as well as any of them have ever been done.
5 Stars

Billy Clifton (Nashville, USA)
Everybody But Me - 10 tracks.
When he sings a ballad, he'll stop you in your tracks.
4 Stars

Thad Cockrell (California, USA)
Stack Of Dreams - 9 tracks.
Production & vocals are good. Better song selection would have helped.
3 Stars

Graylen Cook (North Carolina, USA)
All Mine - 10 tracks.
Strong two stepping songs & vocals, but production needs a little help.
3 Stars

Darryl and Dallas Cornell (California, USA)
Glass Door - 15 tracks.
This album features 15 old standards. It has solid vocals with a simple, but effective production.
4 Stars

CountryPolitans (Oregon, USA)
Face of My Hometown - 10 tracks.
Country vocals with uptown production.
4 1/2 stars

Creative Harmony (Canada)
Reasons Why - 9 tracks.
Excellent traditional country vocals and productions. Song selection OK.
4 Stars

Crooked Mile (Florida, USA)
Still Crooked After all These Years - 12 tracks.
Soft rock for the thinking man, it grabs your mind not your cajones.
4 Stars

Nicole Davidson (Georgia, USA)
Just Being Me - 10 tracks.
This country girl was born with a rock, in her cowgirl boot.
4 Stars

Ron Davis (Germany)
Waiting For The Weekend - 14 tracks.
This is the way country was during Nashville's golden age.
5 Stars

Jesse Dayton (Texas, USA)
Hey Nashvegas - 13 tracks.
He's played with Willie, Ray Price, and Waylon. His professional approach creates a blue ribbon album.
5 Stars

Bob Delenante, (Nashville, USA)
Porchlight - 12 tracks.
This album is roots rock at its near best.
4 1/2 Stars

Delta 88 (Ohio, USA)
Delta 88 - 11 tracks.
I believe this could have been a very good album. However; it is excessively noisy. Mastering is desperately needed.
3 Stars

Lou Derr & Bootleg (California, USA)
Sante Fe - 10 tracks.
It's the kind of country that goes well with long neck beers & long legged beauties.
4 Stars

Michael James Dickson (Canada)
Change In The Weather - 12 tracks.
Take good songs, a good production, a good singer, and mix well.
4 1/2 Stars

Lew Dite (Canada)
I Was Born 10,000 Years Ago - 15 tracks.
The songs, production, and vocals are so traditional you wonder if Grandpa Jones is reincarnated.
4 stars

Bobby J. Doway (Arkansas, USA)
Bury Me At Walmart - 10 tracks.
Found My Gal At The Super Walmart - 10 tracks. Bluegrass with a twist of humor.
4 1/2 Stars

DrmJ (Pennsylvania, USA)
Lonely Road - 12 tracks.
Good songs and vocals, but the production lacks quality.
3 stars

E-Buskers (Australia)
Secret Men's Business - 10 tracks.
Simple production highlights, excellent songs and vocals.
4 1/2 Stars

Glenn Erickson (Hawaii, USA)
Living In Autumn - 12 tracks.
He's a smooth as Jim Reeves and as clear as Ray Price.
4 Stars

Tammy Fassaert (Canada)
Corner Of My Eye - 12 tracks.
Bluegrass, honest, simple, clean, with and without gimmicks.
4 1/2 Stars

John Flynn (Pennsylvania, USA)
To The Point - 18 tracks.
Live recording with a simple production which doesn't get in the way of the great story songs.
4 1/2 Stars

Foreign Country (Washington DC, USA)
One Left - 10 tracks.
Rocking country with fine vocals and production.
4 Stars

Kinky Friedman (Texas, USA)
Pearls In The Snow The Songs of Kinky Friedman - 17 tracks.
17 artists including Willie, Marty Stuart, & others. Kinky is the greatest.
5 Stars

Andy Germak (New York, USA)
Color Through The Smoke - 12 tracks.
Story songs delivered with a punch to the heart.
4 Stars

Hoot Gibson (Nashville, USA)
My Way Or The Highway - 11 tracks.
Dobro, banjo, & mandolin blended into an uptown production make this album shine.
4 1/2 Stars

Jesse Goldberg (Nashville, USA)
Solid Goldberg - 13 tracks.
If this album doesn't make you laugh, check into the nearest funeral home.
5 Stars

Kent Gray (Tennessee, USA)
I Know How She Feels - 15 tracks.
Careful attention to production details & solid vocals.
4 1/2 Stars

Bob Grez (New York, USA)
Ain't Plain Country. - 13 tracks.
Still A Cowboy 13 tracks.
The ladies in the office say he has a bedroom voice. I just say these are two good albums.
4 Stars

The Guzzlers (Texas, USA)
All Alone In Texas - 10 tracks.
Texas style country rock and they nail it.
4 1/2 stars

Michael Reno Harrell (North Carolina, USA)
Second Wind - 13 tracks.
Traditional instrumentation, songs, and vocals take you back to the roots.
4 Stars

Lee Harris (Virginia, USA)
Best Foot Forward - 25 tracks.
The next time somebody asks where all the good writers have gone, I'll tell them about Lee Harris.
4 Stars

Michael J. Hartman (USA)
Slidin' Delta Blues - 15 tracks.
His guitar work and vocals make you wonder, is Lightning Hopkins back from the dead?
4 Stars

Hawks (California, USA)
I See Hawks In L. A. - 12 tracks.
This album forces you to think uncomfortable thoughts. It reaches deep inside.
4 1/2 Stars

Billy Hector (New Jersey, USA)
Hard To Please - 13 tracks.
He reminds me of the way Hank Jr. was before he lost his edge.
4 Stars

Lisa Hewitt (Holland)
Lisa Hewitt - 12 tracks.
A solid hot country production and impressive vocals.
4 1/2 Stars

Aubrey Ray Hobson (Texas, USA)
Too Many Tomorrows - 13 tracks.
From traditional to new country, he does a fine job on it all.
4 1/2 Stars

Bobby Hodge (Florida, USA)
The Bobby Hodge Collection - 20 tracks.
Traditional songs & production with a spotlight on a strong traditional voice.
4 Stars

Honky Tonk Confidential (Washington DC, USA)
Your Trailer Or Mine - 16 tracks.
This album is 99 & 44/100 percent pure ear candy.
5 Stars

Eric Horner (Nashville, USA)
Real Life - 12 tracks.
This album reminds of the way my lady likes her steak. It's well done!
4 1/2 Stars

Heidi Howe (Kentucky, USA)
A Real Piece Of Work - 13 tracks.
At her worst, she's great. At her best, she fantastic.
4 1/2 Stars

J. Hughes (Texas, USA)
Heartache - 11 tracks.
Honky tonk country production is a little weak, but strong vocals make up for it.
4 Stars

Larry G. Hutton (Virginia, USA)
New Beginning - 10 tracks.
The production & mix are weak, but the vocals and songs are much stronger.
3 Stars

Itchie Cat (Oklahoma, USA)
Love Force 12 tracks & Catatonic Cocktail - 10 tracks.
Expert use of technology creates an unusual but interesting form of music.
4 Stars

Izak and West (Nashville, USA)
All Fired Up - 11 tracks.
The production is a little weak and noise level a little high. Strong vocals carry the project.
3 1/2 stars

Curtis James (California, USA)
Curtis James - 10 tracks.
Fine vocals, overall good instrumentation and skillful use of organ makes this a feel-good album.
4 Stars

Nemo James (United Kingdom)
The Best Of Nemo James - 16 tracks.
Songs, production, & vocals have a 1960s folk music quality you've just gotta like.
4 Stars

Kimberly Jane (Colorado, USA)
Kimberly Jane - 11 tracks.
She from a long line of good entertainers and it shows.
4 1/2 Stars

Ashley Jay (California, USA)
Only When - 13 tracks.
This lady is a kick ass singer with a bad ass attitude. You gotta love it!
4 1/2 Stars

Alice Jean (Ohio, USA)
Shades Of Blue - 11 tracks.
Her soulful vocals make you want to dance with your partner in front of the fireplace.
4 Stars

Michael Jerling (New York, USA)
Little Movies - 14 tracks.
Mostly acoustic folk music, this album is well titled. It makes you see little movies in your mind.
4 1/2 stars

Buddy Jewell (Nashville, USA)
One In A Row - 12 tracks.
He does songs about new love with hope & conviction and songs about love gone bad with painful experience.
4 Stars

Kacey Jones (Nashville, USA)
Every Man I Love Is Either Married, Gay, Or Dead - 12 tracks.
There's an edge to her voice that cuts through to the truth.
5 Stars

Randy Jones (West Virginia, USA)
Nashville Sessions - 8 tracks.
He delivers a country song with more conviction than a habitual offender.
4 Stars

Pam Kalson (Ohio, USA)
The Great Unknown - 9 tracks.
Her totally professional approach to this album paid off. The only thing better than the guitar work is her vocals.
4 Stars

The Jenny Kerr Band (California, USA)
Itch - 8 tracks.
A mixture of styles. The unifying theme is Jenny's powerful vocals.
5 Stars

Jody King (Pennsylvania, USA)
The Lonestar Cowboy - 13 tracks.
He's almost got a good thing finished. Volume varies from one song to the next. It needs mastered.
3 Stars

Jill Korroris (Wisconsin, USA)
Invisible - 13 tracks.
Super strong vocals and songs, but the production seems a little busy.
4 stars

Josie Kreuzer (California, USA)
As Is - 13 tracks.
Good old fashion honky tonk music done right.
4 1/2 Stars

The Mary Lamont Band (New York, USA)
You Don't Have To Knock - 11 tracks.
She confirms the rumor. They really do have good country music in NYC.
4 1/2 Stars

Katrina Laney (Alabama, USA)
Out There On The Water - 12 tracks.
Her voice is so sweet and pure, it makes you stop whatever you're doing and listen.
4 1/2 Stars

Joe Leggo (Connecticut, USA)
Always Country - 14 tracks.
Solid country songs, production, vocals, and mix.
4 Stars

Lee Lindsey (United Kingdom)
L - 11 tracks.
Pop, light rock, & country are all done her way. Her way is a damn good way.
4 1/2 Stars

Cindy Lou (Connecticut, USA)
I'm Alright Now - 10 tracks.
In a fair world, she'd have a major label deal.
4 1/2 Stars

Kenny Love (Arizona, USA)
Tuff Country - 16 tracks.
From crying in your beer country to high stepping dance tunes, he does it all.
4 Stars

Danny Mack (Canada)
We All Fall Down - 11 tracks.
You hear a lifetime of rough experiences in his voice. His deliver is honest and damn good.
4 1/2 Stars

Mike Manuel (Nashville, USA)
Building A Better Country - 10 tracks.
Country gospel is adding fans everyday. Albums such as this one explain why.
4 1/2 Stars

Alan McCulloch (United Kingdom)
Hey Mr. Sunshine - 13 tracks.
He knows how to make the ladies hit the dance floor.
4 Stars

Willie McCulloch (Connecticut, USA)
Carry Me Home - 12 tracks.
These songs of longing wishfulness are a near perfect match for his Celtic voice.
4 stars

Kenny McLaughlin (Florida, USA)
Kenny McLaughlin - 7 tracks.
Smooth as silk vocals and clean production.
4 Stars

Dan McVeigh (Canada)
Love and Bridges - 15 tracks.
If we ever have a Canadian music invasion, Dan will be in the first wave.
4 1/2 Stars

Jon Michaels (Nashville, USA)
Live From Douglas Corner Cafe - 13 tracks.
Each & every song has a message you need to hear, told with style.
4 Stars

David R. Moenich (Pennsylvania, USA)
Bittersweet - 12 tracks.
This album grows on you. The more you listen, the more you like it.
4 Stars

Kevin Morgan (Pennsylvania, USA)
Live At The Funkhouse - 12 tracks.
Good songs, fine vocals, and acceptable production.
4 Stars

Harold Morton (North Carolina, USA)
Best Of Harold Morton - 10 tracks.
Real mountain bluegrass at its finest.
5 Stars

Mulehead (Arkansas, USA)
Rocket Surgery - 13 tracks.
Roots country almost as good as it gets.
4 1/2 Stars

Michael Mulholland (California, USA)
Michael Mulholland - 8 tracks.
His Cherokee heritage brings a Native American spiritual quality to his music.
5 Stars

Kacey Musgraves (Texas, USA)
Movin' On - 14 tracks.
The former member of the Texas Two Bits is on her own. Great voice.
4 Stars

Sourdough Myres (Texas, USA)
Share My Campfire - 13 tracks.
Native American flute adds a haunting quality to these tales of the trail.
4 stars

Jim Nettles (California, USA)
My Angel - 7 tracks.
His vocal approach is different and grabs your attention. The production is weak.
3 1/2 Stars

Gunter Nezhoda (Nevada, USA)
The James Quill Smith Band - 10 tracks.
The raw edge of his unrefined vocals rivets your attention.
4 Stars

Nooners (Washington, USA)
I Love Her That Way - 12 tracks.
Skillful use of horns accent the album in a delightful way.
4 Stars

Felicia Orian (Hawaii, USA)
Felicia Orian - 7 tracks.
Great vocals, good songs, production, and mix.
4 1/2 Stars

Steve Payne (United Kingdom)
Steve Payne - 6 tracks.
Steve has worked with BB King, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, and others. This album explains why.
4 1/2 Stars

Ray Phillips (Texas, USA)
Don't Kill The Jukebox - 12 tracks.
The good fiddle and vocal work shine like new money.
4 stars

Ty Phillips (Texas, USA)
Ty Phillips - 10 tracks.
Ty is the latest in a long line of great singers who call East Texas home.
4 1/2 Stars

Sondra Rankin (Kentucky, USA)
Sondra Rankin - 7 tracks.
She's as pretty as Shania and sings better.
5 Stars

Terry Rasor (Texas, USA)
Texas Highway Troubadour - 13 tracks.
There is both gravel and truth in his voice. You hear the former and feel the latter.
4 1/2 stars

Kylie Raye (Oregon, USA)
The Woman In The Moon - 12 tracks.
The lady sings with attitude, and has the talent to support it.
4 Stars

RBG (Michigan, USA)
Straight To The Point - 6 tracks.
You hear a strong gospel influence in his voice. It adds depth and feeling.
4 1/2 stars

Bobby Rey (New Jersey)
Bobby Rey - 6 tracks.
If Charlie Daniels played a guitar instead of a fiddle, this is how he would sound.
5 stars

Alan Rhody (Nashville, USA)
Journey - 13 tracks.
His songs tell a story you want to hear again and again.
5 Stars

Wade Richardson (Missouri, USA)
Hang On For The Ride - 11 tracks.
Wade has the look, style, and talent to be a star. The only thing missing is effective promotion.
5 Stars

Rick Robledo (California, USA)
Lost In The Shuffle - 10 tracks.
Back In The Swing Of Things - 10 tracks. Only Bob Wills did it better.
5 Stars

Annette Shearer (Kentucky, USA)
Annette Shearer - 11 tracks.
Most men are suckers for a lady with a husky voice. I am too.
4 1/2 Stars

Meade Skelton (Virginia, USA)
Country Till The Day I Die - 12 tracks.
A voice this good deserves a better production, but overall a good album.
3 1/2 Stars

Daniel Smith (Kentucky, USA)
Genesis - 10 tracks.
Outstanding song selection, good vocals, production, and mix.
4 Stars

Southland Band (Alabama, USA)
Respect - 9 tracks.
The band is good & the lead singer is even better.
4 Stars

The Souths (Nevada, USA)
Somewhere To Go - 10 tracks.
Singers this good deserve a better production.
3 Stars

Michael Stacy (Georgia, USA)
After The Storm - 12 tracks.
Modern country with outstanding guitar work and vocals.
4 Stars

Joe Stanton (Canada)
There You Go - 14 tracks.
The highly skilled product weaves around and support his rich baritone vocals.
4 1/2 Stars

R. B. Stone (Nashville, USA)
Country Rocker - 12 tracks.
He's recorded 11 albums & toured in 24 countries. He does it right.
5 Stars

Rochelle Summers (Ohio, USA)
Right As Rain - 10 tracks.
This country blues album shows the lady's Mississippi roots.
4 Stars

Holly Sweet (Nashville, USA)
Requested Material - 14 tracks.
She's candy to the eyes and candy to the ears. You can't say nuthin' bad about a lady like that.
4 1/2 Stars

Franklin Taggart (Maryland, USA)
Falling All The Way - 14 tracks.
This album has became an office favorite.
4 1/2 Stars

James Talley (Nashville, USA)
Touchstones - 16 tracks.
This album has became an office favorite. We find ourselves listening to it daily.
5 stars

Gary Rex Tanner (California, USA)
Feel The Heat - 11 tracks.
Mississippi Delta Blues in the Lightning Hopkins tradition, as good as it gets.
5 Stars

Carla Ulbrich (South Carolina, USA)
Carla Ulbrich, Her Fabulous Debut - 12 tracks.
Funny, talented, and attractive; you can't say nuthin' bad 'bout a girl like that.
4 Stars

The Urban Hillbilly Quartet (Minnesota, USA)
Beautiful Lazy - 12 tracks.
It's a fascinating blend of bluegrass instruments in a near rock style.
4 Stars

Voyer Brothers (Canada)
Six Ways From Sunday - 7 tracks.
Hot new country Canadian style. Shania started something worth exploring.
4 Stars

Rhonda Watson (Pennsylvania, USA)
Cracks & Shadows - 10 tracks.
She makes you believe it so strongly, you want to whip the man, who did her wrong.
4 Stars

Carl Wayne (Virginia, USA)
It Won't Stop Loving You - 10 tracks.
The uptempo songs are good & the ballads are better.
4 Stars

Daylon Wear (Nashville, USA)
Texas Twister - 12 tracks.
His cut of What's She Doing, In Denver make you feel the pain of loneliness & fear of loss.
4 Stars

Patrick Weathers (Mississippi, USA)
The Queen Of Tupelo - 12 tracks.
If you put Bob Dylan with a hot Cajun band, you'd get something similar to this album.
4 Stars

Mark Wehner (Nashville, USA)
All Those Friends Of Mine - 11 tracks.
Strong songs, production, vocals, & mix make this one a keeper.
4 1/2 Stars

Ralph White (Canada)
Remembering Hank - 11 tracks.
Country twang from top to bottom, it's good stuff.
4 Stars

Jerry Williamson (West Virginia, USA)
A Letter Home - 12 tracks.
Traditional mountain music about the heartbreak & destruction of the War Between The States.
4 Stars

J. D. Wilson (California, USA)
Women & Booze - 12 tracks.
Traditional instrumentation, arrangement, & vocals.
4 Stars

Perry Wing (Texas, USA)
Walking The Back Streets - 12 tracks.
Austin has long been a top entertainment center. This album shows it's a 1st rate recording center.
4 Stars

Tommy Womack (Oregon, USA)
Circus Town - 12 tracks.
He's good when he sings pop and even better when he keeps it country.
4 1/2 stars

Bruce Yarock (Florida, USA)
Miles Away - 22 tracks.
Some country, some rock, some techno, even some jazz and all are fun to hear.
4 Stars

Bruce Yarock (Florida, USA)
Jihad Rock - 6 tracks.
Comedy songs poke fun at the terrorists and prove Americans still have our sense of humor.
5 Stars

Billy Yates (Nashville, USA)
If I Could Go Back - 10 tracks.
I haven't heard a slow ballad voice this good since Randy Travis arrived.
5 Stars