In 1988 I wrote a novel, "The Positive Touch" and one of the lead characters was obsessed with Patsy Cline. In 1980, I didn't even know Patsy Cline sang "Crazy",
What happened?
"The Last Picture Show" introduced me to Hank Williams, and Sun records introduced me to Elvis Presley, but otherwise I was clueless about country. But I watched "George Jones And Fans" on HBO to see Elvis Costello and heard Costello cover "She's Got You" and flipped out. Couldn't wait for Elvis's upcoming country covers album, "Almost Blue", thougt when it finally arrived the song wasn't on it. Needless to say I ran around the Villahe and I asked around, and I tracked it down to Patsy Cline and bought everything she had every released.
"Almost Blue" would be important as well , for the first time I heard songs made famous by:
George Jones
Merle Haggard
Gram Parsons
Johnny Burnette (not to mention Big Joe Turner)
Tammy Wynette
And from there, all roads lead me back to country. Elvis doesn't improve on the originals, ever. And the Hank Williams cover is awful. BUT, I had never heard these songs before and for me… it just blew me away. Imagine hearing "Color Of The Blues" "Brown To Blue" "Good Year For The Roses" FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I went to see Costello at the Palladium New Year's Eve -"Almost Blue, Almost 1982", and, as always, the live show was so good it just added to my fervor.
And it was over for me: a small jump from listening to Waylon Jennings to writing about John Anderson. An amazing experience, a whole world of music suddenly opened before my feet.
If you aren't a country fan, the comfort level in a rock icon singing these songs will help you fall for one of the great American art form.One more thing, the extended double CD is superb and he gets pretty obscure. Try it.