Terri’s Music Corner – Fall Picks

Terri’s latest music corner picks are in!  Click here to check out her latest recommendations.


Terri’s Music Corner Picks – Fall 2009

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Amanda Marshall – “Intermission- The Singles Collection”
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She is one of Canada’s greatest artists with such soulful passion – and the songs are amazing. You can hear Amanda Marshall playing throughout my house on any given day. My favorites from years ago are on this record, along with one of the most beautiful love songs I’ve ever heard, “Marry Me.” “Double Agent” is just such a well-crafted song about not “judging a book by its cover”…and “Everybody’s Got A Story” is full of life’s little truths. I’ve worn this record out, and love this artist.

61ci4PVhVzL._SL500_AA240_Melonie Cannon – “And The Wheels Turn”
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I love the way her voice sounds, so strong, yet feminine; and who can resist a great bluegrass record? I first heard Melonie singing a song called “Sweeter Than Sugarcane,” and was hooked after that. There is a simple honesty in Bluegrass music that I can’t find anywhere else, and when I feel a little down, it is the remedy to get my spirits back up. Even when the songs are about darker subjects, musically, there’s such honesty to them that you can’t help but to be pulled in.

Forrest Fang “Folklore”
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I love this new age music that is wordless. I love to listen to songs that are simply meant to make you relax. I listen to a lot of this meditative type stuff to unwind.

dookieGreen Day “Dookie”
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I’ve always loved the lead singer’s voice. I’m not much of an alternative rock fan; however, I listen to these guys when the mood is right.

“When September Ends” is not on this particular record; however, it is one of my favorite songs.

413N9FSKY9L._SL500_AA240_The Black Crows “Greatest Hits”
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I’ve got to be in the right frame of mind, but when I feel like rockin’ out a little I listen to this. Sometimes when I’m getting ready for a show, I will either listen to this, or some bluegrass depending on the mood.

This is where I stole the version of “Hard to Handle” that I’ve done for our encore.

493379edd7a0f5374c696110.L._AA240_KD Lang “Hymns Of The 49th Parallel”
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Still, to this day, she possesses one of the greatest voices God has ever created. I’ve seen her live show at least 3 times now, and each time she is different and better than the last. She’s truly brilliant with this song selection.

It is a collection of standards written by Canadian songwriters, and may be my favorite album she’s done since “Absolute Torch and Twang.”

davidgrayDavid Gray “White Ladder”
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This album has been in steady rotation for me on and off for the past few years. I love his voice, and his songwriting. This is one of those records that were minimal in cost to produce, but the genius of the songwriting couldn’t help but make it a huge success.


The Hurst Review

by Josh Hurst | The Hurst Review

Terri Clark’s The Long Way Home bears a title that splits the difference between two Dixie Chicks records– Home and Taking the Long Way– which may not be intentional, but it’s illuminating nevertheless: Clark’s album is indeed pitched somewhere between those two recordings, not quite comfortable in either the neo-traditionalist camp of Home or the more straightforward pop sound of Taking the Long Way. There are elements of both of those albums, to be sure, but it’s ultimately something a little different: A record that plays nicely within the confines of poppy, mainstream country, but also seeks to reclaim the spirit and attitude of more traditional country music.
And just like the Chicks did with the first track on Home, Clark begins her album by invoking the spirit of Johnny Cash. Her “Gypsy Boots” is more ham-fisted in the way it summons the Man in Black, but at least she has the musical goods to back it up; the song is written within the structure of a traditional blues song, though the production borrows from the best, fiercest brand of what Nashville has to offer today. The track that follows is even more of a throwback: “If You Want Fire” is a country-rock anthem that was written, the singer says, as a sort of tribute to Tom Petty. And it’s a success, both in its journeyman guitar and drum build-up and its lyric, which speaks to the consequences and pain that frequently accompany passion and drive.
There are echoes of those tracks scattered throughout the rest of the recording– “Poor Girls Dream” is like a goofier but still irresistible younger cousin to the neo-blues of “Gypsy Boots,” and “If I Could Be You” layers keyboard and organ in a way that recalls the Heartbreakers– but most of the other songs are ballads. And if the upbeat numbers filter classic roots-music trappings through the sound of contemporary country, the ballads are similarly pitched between folk, outlaw country, and mainstream pop ballads. There are a pair of standouts: “What Happens in Vegas (Follows You Home)” is a winning storytelling song about the consequences of recklessness, and musically it’s a ringer for Gram Parsons. Meanwhile, closing number “You Tell Me” is a lovely and sad lover’s duet with Johnny Reid.
There are some talented musicians on the other songs, too– most crucially, Vince Gill– but many of these slower numbers blend into the background, lacking the fire of the surrounding songs (or, for that matter, the earthy twang of the best Dixie Chicks ballads). Even so, The Long Way Home is a noteworthy album. Clark has been playing within the confines of mainstream country since the 90s, and she never quite struck it big in the pop world like her contemporary Shania Twain did. But here, she brings a wisdom that only a veteran of the scene could possess: She’s played by Nashville’s rules long enough to know how it’s done, but also what’s missing from most mainstream country, and this fine recording goes a long way toward finding a middle ground, thoroughly modern in its sound but old-fashioned in its attitude. And that makes it feel like a very different kind of album than most other Nashville releases in 2009– it’s actually authentic, in touch with the music’s roots but not embarrassed about where it is today, and that alone makes it worth investing in.

Terri Clark’s The Long Way Home bears a title that splits the difference between two Dixie Chicks records– Home and Taking the Long Way– which may not be intentional, but it’s illuminating nevertheless: Clark’s album is indeed pitched somewhere between those two recordings, not quite comfortable in either the neo-traditionalist camp of Home or the more straightforward pop sound of Taking the Long Way. There are elements of both of those albums, to be sure, but it’s ultimately something a little different: A record that plays nicely within the confines of poppy, mainstream country, but also seeks to reclaim the spirit and attitude of more traditional country music.

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Terri LIVE in Moncton

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Country Musicicans Rock & Read

There are still a few days left to participate in the Country Musicians Rock & Read for Kids auction.  Several country artists (including Terri) donated fantastic pieces of autographed memorbilia.

You can visit the auction site by clicking here.  Learn more about the fundraiser by clicking here.