Rural Route Music by Bluegrass Johnson  

 

BITTER SWEET, Ky. — There aren’t too many artists who can record an album of classic country hits including songs made famous by the likes of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette-George Jones and Patsy Cline, and pull it off.

But Jamie O’Neal did exactly that with her latest release Eternal. The country star from Australia has only released three albums in her career but all are really good. Her first big hit, There is No Arizona, came in 2000 from her debut album, and this latest collection is her first album in nine years. But the singer has been active on the road and in the business working with new artists.

Her latest effort is a collection of great country hits from the past including such classics as Don’t Come Home A’Drinkin’ (With Lovin On Your Mind), a No. 1 hit for Loretta in 1966; Golden Ring, a No. 1 hit for George and Tammy in 1976; Leavin’ On Your Mind, a top 10 hit for PC in 1963 and Help Me Make It Through The Night a No. 1 hit for Sammi Smith in 1970 and No. 4 hit for Willie Nelson in 1979.

These are songs I grew up listening to on my little portable AM radio late at night looking out the window at the moonlit rolling hills around the farm house. (For those who don’t know what AM radio is, I’ll explain it later).

My point is songs like these have a special meaning, and O’Neal brought these back to life for me and her countless fans.

Eternal contains a total of 11 songs – one is an original – something O’Neal wrote with her musician father Jimmy Murphy called Wide Awake. She said it was an ode to all women who have to sleep beside a snoring moose every night.

In addition to having a great voice, O’Neal is a songwriter (she has penned songs for artists like Reba McEntire and LeAnn Rimes), producer and currently she heads up her own record company, Momentum Label Group. I think wearing all of these hats makes O’Neal better at what she does. And what she does is make great music.

It’s no secret I like the older country classics; and when I see an artist like O’Neal paying homage to those hits, I jump at the chance to share it with my friends. But make no mistake, she has put her own stamp on these songs while keeping them true to the way I remember them.

For bringing back fond memories, I give Jamie O’Neal’s Eternal a big 99, A.

Bluegrass Johnson comes from a long line of country music performers and enjoys a passion for the rhythm and melody. From the hills of Kentucky, he will offer his opinions on a variety of new country music each week. Readers with questions or comments may write to Johnson in care of this publication.