This Week's Country Music Single Releases

Country Music Singles Reviews

Richie Fields, Randy Travis, Jamie O'Neal, Rick Huckaby, Todd O'Neill

Martha's a really good friend of mine, and every now and then, she sends me a little package with something VERY special inside.

Believe me, Richie Fields' debut single - "Man Enough To Cry" - is VERY special!!

Emotionally charged, it is neither soppy, nor soft. This guy has a voice reminiscent of a young Johnny Cash, he has the skill to deliver vocals with just the right tone, and he writes one-hell of a song!!

Inspired - tragically - by the death of a friend, this is a song about coming to terms with loss.

And it is a joy to hear. It'll move you to tears - as it did me - or tug a heartstring; it may make you think about those you love or have you considering your own mortality.

Welcome to Country music Richie - you're a much needed addition.

Oh, and thanks Martha!!!

Randy Travis' new single, "Dig Two Graves" tries to do the same thing, but in a more standardised way.

This too is a brilliant song about death - this time a man worrying about losing his partner and pledging to go with her.

It is superb, but unlike Richie Fields' song, the lyrics aren't so powerful and it is Travis' brilliant vocals which add emotion to the song.

What's truly criminal is that neither track stands much chance in a world where the CMA thinks Kenny Chesney merits all the awards and radio can't see further than it's balance sheets.

Todd O'Neill is donating all the writer royalties on his debut single, "Cajun Queen" to the Red Cross relief effort for hurricane victims on the Gulf Coast.

It's a laudable effort, but the song leaves a lot to be desired. It's a cliche-packed romp about what "Cajun women" are like.

Still, whether I like the song or not (I don't) I can't do anything other than recommend you buy it on the grounds that it'll do a little to help the good folks (and bad) who suffered nature's fury.

Either Jamie O'Neal has discovered eternal youth or the picture her label is pushing out with her new single is very old.

Never been able to make my mind up about Jamie: on the one hand, she can turn out really good Country music; on the other, she sounds like she wants to sing soundtracks for Disney.

Her new single, "Like A Woman" does her complete justice by covering both formats. The verses are sloppy Disneyesque soundtrack sections, the chorus has a wonderful musical hook from the very best of Country music.

If invite you to take it or leave it. I chose the latter.

I put some scowls on faces when I gave Rick Huckaby's first single a "slating". Good to know folks in Music Row read this stuff and, it seems, sometimes take notice.

His new offering - "Ain't Enough Blacktop" - is a better effort. Lyrically, it carries a good tale (love the mention of Jackson Browne and "Running On Empty") and (as I think I said last time out, Huckaby really can sing.

But I stand by my thoughts: he needs better Country material, or he needs to decide he's going to make it in some other genre - middle-of-the-road/west coast rock perhaps.

Try it, but don't necessarily buy it!