In this week's episode, we're featuring a 1977 album from a man who doesn't get a lot of love on classic country radio in 2018: Tommy Overstreet. With his band The Nashville Express, the album is called "There'll Never Be Another First Time" and it's a marked departure from the majority of Overstreet's body of work. Firstly, the title is referring to the first time that Tommy Overstreet was able to record an album with his road band, rather than with traditional studio musicians. Secondly, with his road band behind him, Overstreet pumps out a solid traditional country sound that isn't exactly in line with a lot of his career. Known as somewhat of a country-pop stylist, Overstreet was a cousin to Gene Austin, one of the original crooners, and T.O. himself recorded pop and rock music before switching to country in his native Texas. While Overstreet's regular output is enjoyable enough for this reviewer, with ten of the eleven tracks written by Tommy Overstreet himself and subject matter ranging from time on the road through to the toll that touring has on marriage, "There'll Never Be Another First Time" is a very enjoyable piece of 70s traditional country.

In this week's episode, we're featuring Ray Price's brief return to his alma mater at Columbia Records: "Sometimes A Rose" (1992). Price had been with Columbia from his very first LP through 1974, and this reunion only lasted the one album. His charting days were behind him, but quality was still the name of the game for The Cherokee Cowboy and his voice truly seems to have gotten better with age. From a hardcore honky tonk stylist, the conscious shift was made to country crooner and Price wears that badge with pride on much of "Sometimes A Rose" - the title track, "You Need A Lady In Your Life" and "Look What Followed Me Home" the pick of the bunch on that side of the coin. However, with Hal Rugg on steel and triple fiddles from Rob Hajacos, Hoot Hester and Hank Singer - Price must have intended to slip in at least a few shuffles for his honky tonk fanbase - and "I Apologize", "Please Don't Leave Me" and a re-recording of his own 1963 cut "A Way To Free Myself" satisfies the most avid two-stepper. Whatever your preferred Ray Price style, there's enough in "Sometimes A Rose" to appease both camps, with Price's buttery vocals the glue that binds a very worthy early 90s offering.

In this week's episode, we're featuring high-top mid-60s George Jones at his best. Just for kicks, we're playing his fourth album for Musicor "Love Bug" (1966) in it's entirety. After signing with Musicor Records in the spring of 1965, Jones went right to work and his first three singles went Top 10 for his new backers: "Things Have Gone To Pieces", "Love Bug" and "Take Me". Less than a year into his contract, Jones released our feature album (already his fourth at that label), and the "Love Bug" LP contained all three of those first singles - the second album to contain all three after 1965's "New Country Hits". That workrate, and the fact that Jones would record an album in sometimes less than a week during that period (occasionally in as little as three hours by Jones' own admission) lead some fans to label his Musicor output as rushed and underproduced. And while it's true that nine of the twelve "Love Bug" tracks, recorded in under seven days in June of 1966, were contemporary covers - Jones' trademark country yowl is in career-best form. Featuring Johnny Paycheck on vocals for some of the tracks, there's nothing cheap about a frenetic version of "Six Days On The Road"; a cover of Warner Mack's "The Bridge Washed Out" that makes you think The Possum could've done that song himself; and the pure sorrow of "Blue Side Of Lonesome" and Cliff Bruner's "Unfaithful One" is vintage Jones. Maybe it felt rushed at the time, but George Jones' Musicor era makes for solid country gold listening fifty plus years later.

In this week's episode, we're featuring Mel Tillis' first album on the Kapp label: "Stateside" (1966). After a short time with RIC, and following a longer stint with Columbia - Kapp signed Tillis in the mid 60s, and he was there for five years, releasing ten high quality albums in that time. Tillis fans will eagerly tell you about the bright artwork, the big Nudie suits and hard country style that typified his work for Kapp and "Stateside" is no different. A blockbuster release for 1966, it contains 12 songs - about half covers and half Tillis' own material. The album contained two Top 20 hits for Tillis - the first of his career - in "Wine" and "Stateside", which later became very popular with US servicemen stationed overseas, especially in The Far East. Perhaps a lonely Air Force recruit himself while stationed in Okinawa in the early 50s, Mel Tillis later took the inspiration of "Stateside" and named his band after the hit song. Other highlights, from a very worthy label debut include Billy Swan's mournful "Buried Alive", "Tormented Heart" and two duets with Sue York: "Home Is Where The Hurt Is" and "Above Suspicion". York, described as a "a tall stately Kentucky darling with long, flowing red hair and a magic, lyrical way with a country music song" has a voice which perfectly suits Tillis' and wears it like a vocal glove. She seems to disappear after 1966, but definitely contributes to a very enjoyable Mel Tillis album here.

In this week's episode, we're featuring a stone-cold country tribute to The Possum from Tennessee-native James Carothers: "Still Country, Still King: A Tribute To George Jones" (2018). After leaving a good job as a technican at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, and with some encouragement from his wife and two kids - the Carothers moved the homeplace to Nashville, Tennessee to allow James to pursue country music. Gigs were hard to come by in the first few months - until a chance encounter with Nancy Jones (George's fourth and final wife) at the newly opened George Jones Museum in 2015 led to a residency there. Carothers played almost two years straight there - honing his craft and making friends with like-minded Possum tragics. Amongst strong original projects - he was approached with the opportunity to record a tribute album to George Jones and jumped at the opportunity. The results are simply superb: half hits, half deeper cuts, Carothers and his team have expertly mined Jones' later material for some un-thrashed gems as well as worthy favourites. James Carothers' Jones-like howl shines on the harrowing "What Am I Doing There" and "Still Doin' Time"; the longing in "Wood & Wire" is palpable and the best cover this reviewer has ever heard of "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is not just the cherry on top: it's the jewel in the crown of a sparkling tribute album. Bloody sensational.