Well, I country music. My favorite bands/ artists are Alabama and Don Williams. Alabama have released alot of great stuff, "Dixeland Delight" and "Song of the South" are classic country songs. Don Williams is perhaps country's most consist performer. He always sings/writes good songs. My father tells me that Don Williams got in the top ten charts in the '70's (both in the US and UK) with "Come Early Morning". Can this be true? Unfortnately, I don't think these artists get any exposure on CMT, I don't know why. Also Dwight Yoakam is good, "Sorry You Asked" being my favorite song of his. In England where I come from, country isn't very big. People just about have heard of Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton, but appart from that they don't know much about country. I guess the surroundings in America make the tales country songs tell more belivable. Don Williams regularly tours England, but other country stars seems to stay away. Perhaps if they toured here they'd be more popular here.

Where are you living now and when did you move here from England?

Would anybody help me? I'm looking for Dixeland Delight (Alabama) lyric. If anyone can help me, please e-mail me at brunopolo@hotmail.com Thanks in advance.

Country music is yuksies.

Hmh, dunno. If you look at what they all sell as "country" today - yak! Leave the charts and top-40-radio-"country" aside, and try Hank Williams (the dad, not junior!), and Johnny Cash. Or rockabilly, whew! That packs a load! There are great artists that are country-influenced, that I enjoy: Wilco, Fink (from Hamburg), Hazeldine (the early Glitterhouse-CD "How Bees Fly" is a marvel!), the Okra All Stars (first released in Germany, reissued for USA on Innerstate Rec.). The Violent Femmes owe country big time. Granfaloon Bus! Good songs, good lyrics. Often tragic, sometimes funny - always with a dark humour.

Please tell me why there are no Country Music songs about happy relationships between the sexes?! They seem to wallow in misery.

Johnny Cash was awesome. So was Hank Williams. Willie Nelson is a wonderful songwriter. And so was the late Steve Goodman: I was drunk the day my mama got home from prison I went to meet her in the pouring rain But before I could get to the railroad station in my pickup truck\ She got run over by a damned old train And I'll hang around as long as you will let me I've never minded standing in the rain You don't have to call me darlin', Darlin' You never even called me by my name. And then there's country's reigning bad boy (since the death of Johnny Paycheck) David Allan Coe: If that ain't country It's a pig in a poke If that ain't country It's a damn good joke I've seen the Grand Ole Opry and I've met Johnny Cash-- If that ain't country I'll kiss your ass! Marcia, what can I say except pain sells. Bill Clinton sold his own lying ass by telling us (falsely) that he feels our pain. You don't find a lot of happy love lyrics in good pop (perhaps an oxymoron) music either.

Love that analysis! Incredible but true. And, I offered to hold BC still for you in Poetry while you gave him your best shot...any time...any where!

I don't know if you could hold him. He is "Slick Willie."

...with sheer determination...and a few like-minded souls, mebbe I could!

Backl on topic, I love Don Williams' voice - he could sing anything and make it sound good...and I own a CD by the Highwaymen...my fav!

Actually, there wAS country music that I once liked. I recently saw an early John Travolta movie - Urban Cowboy. A little naff, but GREAT music!

There was one great song on that CD: "Lookin' for Love" by Johnny Lee. Rumor was Travolta was going to do a sequel to that movie in India. Before giving up the project, they went through two working titles: "Turban Cowboy" and "Sacred Cowboy."

What does 'naff mean...and who is DJ Bobo?

Sacred Cowboy!! ha-ha!!! 'Naff' is an expression frequently used by the English. It means something like 'go away'! So, Urban Cowboy being naff was sort of 'oh, GO AWAY!'-like. Or it can be a more playful way of saying fu�k off. You say, 'Oh, NAFF off, will you??'

Oh, and DJ Bobo is an appalling and appallingly successful Swiss cook turned Pop/Techno star.

Touring Germany, too, doing tv shows, and appealing to the 12-18 year old set.

Not my thing, but I wondered since little Isa seems to go for it. Does he have a large US audience?

Probably not. Over here they consider themselves international starts if they've had performances in Luzern AND Gstaad.... Alexander just forgot to mention the appeal that his silly 'Birthday' song has for 4 year-olds!