Music Reviews: Album Pays Tribute To Speedway

Various artists, “Bristol Nights: The Official Music of Bristol Motor Speedway” (Banshee Music)

Rock, rap and country artists unite to pay tribute to the magic of the World’s Fastest Half-Mile Track on “Bristol Nights.” Subtitled “The Official Music of Bristol Motor Speedway,” this multifaceted album contains standout tracks in Thunderhoof Productions’ “Start Your Engines” and Whiskey Falls’ “Bristol Nights.”
Lyrics throughout this set – including Crash City’s rockin’ “Whole Lot Louder” – pay tribute to the Twin City’s racing heritage with lines like:
“You know you’re in Bristol/It’s easy to tell/’Cause it smells like heaven/And it’s louder than hell.”
Mark Mallman and Ryan Smith deliver “Bristol or Bust” in a throwback to ’70s-style rock. Another act, Silvergun, sings about “Bristol Speed,” while Colt Ford raps about “Racin’ the Way It Ought’a Be.”
Rock performer Chris Sernel, meanwhile, sounds positively searing on “Bang, Bang, Bristol Baby!” – a rock tune that demands to be cranked up.

Deborah Jo Billingsley White, “I Will Obey” (AHA Productions)

Almost every given day, you’ll hear Deboroah Jo Billingsley White singing on classic rock radio, crooning the odd chorus “Oooh! That Smell” as a member of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Prior to a 1977 plane crash, White sang as part of the original Skynyrd on albums called “Street Survivors” and an in-concert collection, “One More From the Road.”
She could also be seen in the group’s in-concert film, “Free Bird: The Movie,” released in 1996.
In the late 1970s, White performed as a backup vocalist for the Atlanta Rhythm Section (“I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight”) and, in 1979, recorded the album “Contraband” with a group called Alias.
Today, while White is no longer known primarily on stage as “JoJo Billingsley,” she sings modern gospel songs on the 10-song collection called “I Will Obey.”
These tracks songs range from upbeat spirituals like “I’ve Got a Right” to a sultry slice of soul called “Black & White.”
Longtime Skynyrd fans will find this record a treat, as it also features percussion work by mid-1990s Skynyrd drummer Owen Hale. For Christian rock fans, meanwhile, it stands as a strong statement of commitment to one’s faith.
Deborah Jo “JoJo” Billingsley White is performing on Sept. 5 at Grahamfest in Max Meadows, Va., with Street Survivors: A Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd. For information, call (276) 284-0006. Visit http://www.grahamfestusa.com or http://www.jojobillingsley.com.