I am about to blow my cover on something. You see, I do love metal and I do love classical. Before I blow my cover, I have this album of Sixteenth Century English ballads that I enjoy listening to. I have played this CD for many people who often comment on how lovely the music is and how the Baltimore Consort is an excellent early folk music group. The same people, often later on as discussions of music continue, will start bashing country music not so long after hearing a CD which contains all the elements of country music in a less-progressed form. I have one person in particular who was guilty of this (I'm not naming names) and, to this day, I cannot figure how this person reconciles those cotradictory statements.

Yes, I like country music. I grew up in Kansas and I have listened to country continuously since I was a little kid. I didn't know who Duran-Duran was, but I sure knew who George Jones, Willy Nelson, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Lorretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton (OK, even people who don't like country knew who Dolly was for two reasons other than her music). I've tried to stray. I had a serious hair metal phase in Junior High and I was listening to country once again in High School. I strayed again my freshman and sophmore years in college (bland pop phase) and I ended up listening to country again. Just like the song says, "I was country when country wasn't cool."

So now, we come to my newest album acquisition. OK, I also bought Jimmy Buffet's latest and Jeff Foxworthy's newest album, so give me a break. Anyway, I have to quote Larry the Cable Guy on this one. (From Jeff Foxworthy's latest album)

Larry: Do you know that song Amarillo by Morning by George Strait?
Jeff: Yes, it's one of my favorite songs of all time.
Larry: This song don't sound even close.

These guys are kicking barriers down right and left. One manged to get himself kicked out of the band Lonestar (not a bad thing, IMHO) and the other fronted a punk band. By the way, also in the deal is a 6'4" 250 lb black guy named Cowboy Troy who is a pioneer in the art of Hick Hop (I never thought I would see the day I would hear a black guy rapping over a banjo). There is only one word to describe this CD: insane. There are party songs, there are sad songs, there are drinking songs, there's even a song that asks a question I have wondered about for years: Why does everybody want to kick my ass? In other words, a DJ could put this CD and leave for 55 minutes.

Since the CD is at least as insane as I am and because it slams influences together in almost reckless abandon, and because it is not Jacuzzi Jazz, I have to give this, well, I guess it's country, sort of, kind of, maybe, I have to recomend this. Normally I am somewhat hesitant to follow the what's popular like lemmings, but this might actually affect country music in the same way the Outlaw Movement in the 70s affected it. Heck, I think the anonymous person whose name I won't mention might actually like this CD.