ABOUT THE ALBUM ROAD TESTED:
This record began with an organizing principle: to create an album that tells a story through songs. It’s about a guy who's tried to be a good man, has had his ups and downs, is heading into his last few laps in life, and is trying to do that with some dignity, humor, and peace. By the time we wrapped this album up, I really liked this guy
Road Tested
In the words of our "hero":
To really know a person you need to know what kind of music they listened to growing up. I caught a little bit of everything but it was the soulful country tunes that made me the happiest. They still do.
The Players
Chuck McDermott
John Deaderick
Ron Eoff
Marco Giovino
Doug Lancio
Russ Pahl
featuring
Kathleen Parks:
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Piano, Organ, Accordion
Upright Bass, Electric Bass
Drums
Electric Guitars
Pedal Steel, Electric Guitars, Jaw Harp
Fiddle
Lyrics
I was born by the Mississippi River
Round the middle of the century
You might say I was raised around the music
Of the farm and the factory
Back then my hero was Big Jim Boone
A local country singer
Who lived across the road from me
And every night he’d walk out to his station wagon
I’d run across the street to see
The golden threads of woven wagon wheels
Rollin’ cross his jacket and his big guitar
Man, if I could have it
I’d be a country singer like he was
Eventually
You can be hillbilly with me
You can sing a country melody
Pick your favorite tune, moan the Lovesick Blues
Or maybe Born To Lose
I love the music of the Bluegrass Boys, the Louvin Brothers
Haggard and Hank, you know there’s so many others
You see, you can be hillbilly with me
Sure I loved the music of the 50’s
It was everything that music should be
I knew every song of Little Richard
And Elvis from memory
My older sister used to love Dick Clark
She’d practice her dancing in the living room by the TV
But I still liked to sidle up to Grandpa
And have him play his fiddle for me
That’s where I first remember Silver Threads
And Golden Needles, Your Cheatin’ Heart
That Ole Boll Weevil when he’d play Jambalaya
You could taste the Cajun recipe
You can be hillbilly with me
You can sing a country melody
Pick your favorite tune, moan the Lovesick Blues
Or maybe Born To Lose
I love the music of those Everly boys, the Osborne Brothers
Miss Tammy Wynette, you know there’s so many others
You see, you can be hillbilly with me
I love the music of the Sourmash Boys, the Stanley Brothers
Buddy and Jim, you know there’s so many others
You see, you can be hillbilly with me