Review: Jamey Johnson -- That Lonesome Song

JAMEY JOHNSON

THAT LONESOME SONG
2008, Mercury

The fact that Alabama-bred Jamey Johnson was one of the three songwriters that contributed to the horrific 2005 Trace Adkins hit "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" may give one a serious amount of pause when it comes to accepting him as a songwriter and performer. That song is such an absolute atrocity -- qualifying no doubt as one of the worst singles of the decade, regardless of genre, and rivaled only in country music by the shit that pours out of serial morons Big & Rich and their idiot accomplice, Cowboy Troy -- that anyone SHOULD be doubtful that one of its writers is capable of a great country album. Or a great album. Or of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without fucking it up.

Yet Jamey Johnson perseveres, overcoming any initial bad feeling from even the harshest of dickhead listeners, because he's crafted the finest major label country release in years. The modern production is obvious and notable, but there's no harshing of this Waylon Jennings worshipping buzz. Johnson, he proves for 14 full tracks, is the real deal, and yet another reason for Hank Williams III to shut up already.

There's not a single hint of "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" to be found on That Lonesome Song. There are, in fact, classic weepers ("Mary Go Round"), killer stories ("In Color"), the tales of livin' hard ("High Cost of Living"), and a couple sorta-rockers (the title track, the Delta-tinged "Mowin' Down the Roses").

"The Last Cowboy" may be his best effort, though, a truly Waylon-esque tune that proves the artist's worth if nothing else could seal the deal (and plenty of these songs are deal sealers). Still, even though it is an undeniably great song, it does carry that bothersome aspect that so many of today's good modern country songs bring along for the ride, which is the acknowledgement that they're doing it like their heroes did. When you call your sad country song "a sad country song" in lyric, it sort of detracts. But it's a minor quibble.

Johnson also channels Waylon heavily on a cover of "Dreaming My Dreams," and it's a lovely rendition of the classic. And the album-closing "Between Jennings and Jones" pays tribute nicely.

It's just plain hard to argue with country music of this quality, especially as it shockingly had a charting single and is actually something coming out of Nashville proper. Country of this stature nowadays is usually limited to two copies in the Best Buy, hidden behind all the Martina McBride and the thirty-six different George Strait compilations, or you have to order it from Amazon if you're going to get it all. He even hints at it on the closer: "To find me in a record store won't take too long / I'm right there, between Jennings and Jones."

He's earned his place.

Jamey Johnson's "In Color"


Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk"