HomeMusicBob Harris Country Sessions album review

Bob Harris Country Sessions album review

Bob Harris Country Sessions
Credit: Humphead

Bob Harris has been a leading figure in music for the past fifty years. Known for his current shows Bob Harris Country and Bob Harris Sunday on BBC Radio 2, he is also one of the forces behind C2C: Country to Country, which has been a huge success in the UK over the past few years. To coincide with the 2016 festival, Bob has released Bob Harris Country Sessions, a 2-disc set featuring 35 live recordings from the leading artists in Country music.

Looking over the track listing for Bob Harris Country Sessions, you can easily see the influence he has when it comes to the genre. It reads like a whoā€™s who of Country music celebrating all styles within the genre and celebrating a wide range of artists. Fans of Country ā€“ traditional and contemporary ā€“ will find plenty to enjoy over the 2-discs.

The collection kicks off with Lady Antebellumā€™s Downtown, one of the bandā€™s finest songs, and one that always sounds better live. Thereā€™s a real mix of artists across the collection including long-time favourites such as Lee Ann Womack (The Way Iā€™m Livinā€™), Emmylou Harris (Pancho and Lefty) and Steve Earle (Burninā€™ It Down), and newer artists including Andrew Combs (Silk Flowers) and Maddie & Tae (Girl in a Country Song).

Highlights over the two discs include Sam Huntā€™s passionate performance of Break Up in a Small Town, Brandy Clarkā€™s tongue-in-cheek Stripes, and Thomas Rhettā€™s gorgeous rendition of his number 1 smash Die a Happy Man. British artists The Shires and Ward Thomas fly the flag for UK country with their tracks Only Midnight and Town Called Ugley.

Itā€™s not often you get to hear live Country music in the UK unless you go to see an artist in concert making this collection rather special. Bob Harris Country Sessions highlights the raw talent that artists in the genre possess and reminds you why Country is one of the most popular genres in the world. This is a collection that requires a lot of repeat listens.

Track Listing: Disc 1 – 1. Lady Antebellum – Downtown 2. Steve Earle – Burnin’ It Down 3. Kacey Musgraves – Merry Go Round 4. Brandy Clark – Stripes 5. Eric Church – Give Me Back My Hometown 6. Maddie & Tae – Girl In A Country Song 7. Dwight Yoakam – Honky Tonk Man 8. Jason Isbell – Speed Trap Town 9. Jace Everett – Bad Things 10.Sugarland – Tonight 11. Striking Matches -Make A Liar Out Of Me 12. Holly Williams – Drinkin’ 13. Emmylou Harris – Pancho & Lefty 14. The Shires – It’s Only Midnight 15. Andrew Combs – Silk Flowers 16. Tim McGraw – One Of Those Nights 17. Gretchen Peters – The Matador Disc 2 – 1. Dierks Bentley – I Hold On 2. Darius Rucker – Radio 3. Thomas Rhett – Die A Happy Man 4. Ward Thomas – Town Called Ugly 5. Luke Bryan – That’s My Kind Of Night 6. Jason Aldean – When She Says Baby 7. The SteelDrivers – Midnight Train To Memphis 8. Cale Tyson – Can’t Feel Love 9. Rascal Flatts – Changed 10. Kristian Bush – Trailer Hitch 11. JD McPherson – North Side Gal 12. Kip Moore – Dirt Road 13. Lee Ann Womack – The Way I’m Livin’ 14. Sam Hunt – Break Up In A Small Town 15. Ashley Monroe – Dixie 16. Rosanne Cash – Etta’s Tune 17. Zac Brown Band – Sweet Annie Record Company: Humphead Release Date: Friday 11th March 2016

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

Must Read

Advertisement