Patty Loveless, your roots are showing.
Good thing, too, as she’s coming to the right place.
Loveless brings the mountains of her music to the 9th Annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion on Sept. 19.
As this year’s headliner, Loveless helms a lineup that includes bluegrass stars Dailey and Vincent, roots rocker Webb Wilder and country legend Gene Watson.
“Patty is one of the greatest artists to have success in the country field,” Wilder said.
Loveless had been best known for such mainstream country hits as “Chains” and “If My Heart Had Windows.” Yet eight years ago, she climbed from the mainstream and journeyed back to her East Kentucky mountain roots via the monumental album “Mountain Soul.”
“After shows and during meet and greets, the one CD I saw a lot of was the ‘Mountain Soul’ record,” Loveless said by phone last week from her home in Georgia. “Fans said, ‘Boy, we love this record! When are you going to do another?’ ”
So back to the mountain goes Loveless.
On Sept. 29, the angel-voiced singer again revisits her mountain roots with “Mountain Soul II.” Want goosebumps? Feel the ache and cough of the coal when Loveless emotes Harlan Howard’s “Busted” from the new album.
Astute country fans will notice a change in the oft-covered classic.
“The song ‘Busted’ was about cotton,” Loveless said, “but the original lyrics were about coal mining.”
Loveless’ husband and album producer Emory Gordy Jr. gathered the history of “Busted” from the late Howard.
“Emory and Harlan were writing songs, and Emory said wouldn’t it be great if ‘Busted’ was about coal mining,” Loveless said. “Harlan said, ‘Well, you’re not going to believe this, but it was originally about coal mining.’ ”
Which makes the song relevant to Loveless’ album, as she hails from coal mining country. Yet like many a great song, “Busted” also applies to way too many Americans today, too.
“It’s a song that people can relate to,” she said, “the way the economy is today.”
Call “Mountain Soul II” a throwback.
Not only in terms of style, but also in how it was recorded, the album hearkens to bygone eras when singers recorded albums in a flash.
“We recorded it in four days,” Loveless said. “It felt like making music with family and friends.”
Oh, it shows.
As on “Fools Thin Air,” Loveless’ mountain hewn voice snags the heart and reels it in one soul-inspiring note at a time.
Hear her tear-on-the-tongue voice when she wrings “Half Over You.” Then reach for the sky and holler for the Lord with Loveless and Del McCoury on “Working on a Building.”
“I felt as free as a bird recording this album,” Loveless said. “You’re hearing the real deal.”
No frills. No tidied-up music given a shiny sheen for the masses. It’ll sell well, though unlikely in the millions.
Music that’s too hard for those who think they know country music, yet don’t. Music that’s like the mountains, raw and beautiful and full of ache and art.
“It gives me the opportunity to show my life and what my family was like back in the hills of Kentucky,” Loveless said. “It’s no baloney.”
IF YOU GO
What: 9th Annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
Who: Patty Loveless
When: Sept. 19, 9 p.m.
Where: State Street Stage
Info: (423) 573-4898
Web: www.pattyloveless.com
Audio and video: http://new.music.yahoo.com/patty-loveless/
TOM NETHERLAND is a freelance writer. He can be reached at features@bristolnews.com.
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