I was a very late comer to country music. I was raised in Minnesota, and it’s just not something anyone in my immediate family listened to. I kind of hated it to tell you the truth. It wasn’t until years later when I started traveling that I started to appreciate it. Johnny Cash was easy to get into, and it didn’t take long to find Roger Miller and David Allan Coe. For some reason, traveling kids were always into David Allan Coe (maybe because GG Allin covered his stuff). Sadly, that was the extent of my country music knowledge for many years.
After I moved to Gainesville, FL and started hanging out with Whiskey & Co., things started to snowball pretty quickly. It didn’t take long for me to become an official country music fan, but it still took me a little while to happen upon Jerry Jeff Walker. I can’t be certain where I first heard his stuff, but if I had to wager a guess, I’d put the blame on my friend Jack Bailey. Jack used to spin records once a week at a bar in Gainesville called Common Grounds. He played mostly country and classic rock, and “Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother” was a weekly staple. I went out and bought a “Best Of” album, and proceeded to get hooked.
While most people might associate country music with conservative politics, believe me, there are a ton of lefties out there. Jerry Jeff Walker is one of them, and this album exemplifies that. It’s laid back as hell and is everything that I love about country music. Viva Terlingua is a good time album. It’s about hanging out with friends and enjoying life. I’ve enjoyed it many times sitting in the shade with a cold beer in my hand.
If you’re not familiar with Jerry Jeff Walker’s material, this is a good place to start. If you’re not a fan of country music in general, this is also a good place to start. Country has a lot to offer, I’d hate for you to miss out just because of pre-conceived assumptions. That’s what I did, and I regret it.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.