CD: Best of Amazing Records Vol. 4

I
think I’ve actually changed my clothes, shaved, and taken a shower this week.
Really, I didn’t even notice a week had gone by until I realized the container
for my meds read Tuesday when I looked at it. I’ve been putting the final
touches and grammar checks on my book all week and I feel as though I’m somewhat
on a timeline for once in a few years. I
Wanna Break Free is kind of how I feel these days. I told the neurologists
last month that all of the medication that I have to take really seems to be
not ending the problems. I told them that I was getting tired of the waiting
and that they should just go ahead and do it. The thought of having another
brain surgery would just be better now than later.

            Millstone
has that 1950’s greaser music you’d expect. I really wouldn’t know because I
wasn’t alive then, but I’ve watched “The Outsiders,” and read that book Rumblefish
so I feel somewhat educated on the subject. Now, Carolina is next. I used to date a girl once that I called Carolina.
The song begins with a nice acoustic. Oh wait, this song is about South
Carolina. When I was younger I used to buy a lot of fireworks there. Oh the
memories this album has brought about so far. This song is probably mostly
about Myrtle Beach. Only went there once, and I only really remember it because
I bought a sword there.

            Next up, We Go Dancing, I thought this was Jimmy Buffet at first. Then, a
girl began singing about dancing at a honky tonk. Whenever I hear about a honky
tonk it reminds me of Tonka Trucks. I never did dance with a Tonka Truck
though. I really should try it. I always enjoy a nice acoustic song. Especially
when I’m running out of energy and getting ready to take the pills that make me
crash. Time, is so true at this hour.
I’ve been making a mental list trying to get everything I’m working on caught
up. I really never had to contemplate time and what would happen tomorrow
because for the last nine years everyday was a new adventure, and what I had to
do tomorrow could always wait.

            I think Radio Friendly will be my last for tonight. I can feel the eyes
beginning to weigh heavy. Wait a minute, I believe I know this song. Or at
least I’ve lived it on the other side of the bar. I don’t really get into discussions
about sex, politics, or religion. I learned those three rules from my days of
bartending. And now with that, I must sleep.

            Okay…I’m back awake again. Keine Kohle begins to play. And, just as
it starts I have to rip my earphones away because Jerry Springer comes onto the
TV with some new ridiculous show. Alright I’m guessing this song is in German.
It has a great down home country sound, add a nice harmonica, some great guitar
solos and that’s about all I can critique upon.  I just am unfamiliar with the language so it
leaves a puzzle on my face over what the lyrics are about. Next up, If You Love a Rose, a great voice and I
believe I’ve heard this before. The lyrics are a true message to live by.
Nobody’s perfect and if you think differently you’ll wind up unhappy.

            I
Hope it Wasn’t You, I think everyone’s lived through this. Some call it
Beer Goggles, some call it Coyote Ugly. You know when you wake up and wish you
could chew your own arm off just like a coyote stuck in a trap. Although in
this version it’s an ex. I guess you may even want to chew your own arm off
more in that situation to make sure you never fall back in that trap. What this
song does show us is that women feel the same way.

            Too
Far Gone, I feel so much better now that an acoustic duet begins. I was
getting a bit nervous with this crazy TV show about someone in a Midwest town killed
by a ninja, and it’s a true story. Actually just listening to it makes me
reflect on my own life and wonder if I myself am too far gone after the
surgery. I’ve been so focused on finishing it so perfectly that I haven’t done
anything but write, sleep, wake up edit, eat medicine and go back to sleep all
week.

            The last few songs all bring that
uplifting positive message that is really laid out fully in, Wait for That Light to Shine. The album
is sometimes fun, sometimes serious, sometimes nostalgic, and sometimes gives
deep philosophical viewpoints that invoke reflection. Overall, I agree with the
theme “Best of Amazing Records.” It is an album that is well worth it even if
it just sits in your collection to show off.

Jeremy Frost for Country Music News International