DISClaimer: Sheryl Crow, Johnny Cash Lead With “Redemption Day”

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Sheryl Crow

It is time for the streaming services to provide more service.

Week after week, I get these tracks, devoid of songwriter, producer, publisher and sometimes even label credits. Back when the NSAI was formed, one of the organization’s early goals was to get record companies to include songwriter’s names on albums. It succeeded. Now perhaps it is time for a new campaign.

This week’s releases include two tunes from Hollywood actors that added some zip to the listening session. So did the debut single from Filmore, who wins the DisCovery Award.

There’s no denying that the Disc of the Day is the shattering, emotional “Redemption Day,” revived as a collaboration between the late Johnny Cash and its composer, Sheryl Crow.

LOCASH/One Big Country Song
Writers: Jesse Frasure/Ashley Gorley/Michael Hardy; Producers: Corey Crowder/Tyler Hubbard; Publishers: 2018 Songs of Roc Nation Music (BMI) admin by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Telemitry Rhythm House Music (BMI) admin by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Round Hill Songs II (ASCAP), Caleb’s College Fund (ASCAP) admin by Round Hill Songs II, Relative Music Group (BMI) admin by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing.; Wheelhouse/BBR
-Sounds like a weekend to me. Bop along.

TENILLE ARTS/Call You Names
Writers: Tenille Arts/ James T. Slater; Producers: Alex Kline; Publishers: none listed; Reviver
– Just in time for Mother’s Day, Tenille gives a lilting shout-out to her mom, citing her clashes as a kid and her appreciation as an adult. Imaginatively written and winsomely sung.

DAVID LEE MURPHY/No Zip Code
Writers: David Lee Murphy/Shane Minor/Jesse Murphy; Producers: Kenny Chesney/Buddy Cannon; Publishers:2015 Old Desperados, LLC / N2D Publishing Company, Inc. (Adm. By Carol Vincent and Associates, LLC) (ASCAP); Sony/ATV Tree Pub. / Code Six Charles Music (BMI); Murphy’s Pub, LLC (Adm. By Carol Vincent and Associates, LLC) (BMI); Reviver/Blue Chair
– A stomping, thumping dream of freedom with plenty of electric guitar. It’s a fantasy about living out in the middle of nowhere with no news from the outside world ever seeping in.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Southbound
Writers: Carrie Underwood/David Garcia/Josh Miller; Producers: David Garcia/Carrie Underwood; Publishers: Carrie-Okie/Universal/Brentwood Benson/D Soul/Capitol CMG/Jack 10/Songs of the Corn/Warner-Tamerlane, BMI/ASCAP; Capitol Nashville
– I don’t understand why you would “process” and auto-tune the vocals of a singer this good. The track sounds busy, and the song comes across as a generic party tune.

FILMORE/Slower
Writers: Filmore/Justin Ebach/Steven Dale Jones; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Curb
– Refreshingly different, with intimate, warm vocals and a crunchy production featuring banjo beats, echo effects, bouncy tempo, cool empty spaces and shuddering guitars. Forward-thinking country-pop.

CARTER WINTER/Before You
Writers: Carter Winter/John Gurney/Taylor Phillips; Producer: Noah Gordon; Publishers: Roc Nation/Lookout Music/Warner-Chappell; BMI; Average Joe’s
– He’s a really strong vocalist who shines in this acoustic setting. The romantic ballad should set female hearts a-flutter. Extremely promising.

THE CADILLAC THREE/Crackin’ Cold Ones With Boys
Writers: Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray Caldwell, Neil Mason, Jefferson Brown, Benjamin Dunn, Chris Grainger, Brandon Wootten; Producer: Dann Huff; Publishers:2018 Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Songs For Buddy. All rights o/b/o Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing and Songs for Buddy administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219./ Lauren Leigh Music (ASCAP)./ Revelry Music / Mason Gannon Music / Kobalt Music Copyrights SARL (BMI). Administered by Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing./ Jefferson Brown (BMI)./ Benjamin Dunn./ Unique Dilemma Music (ASCAP)./ Brandon Wootten (ASCAP); Big Machine
– Solid, meat-and-potatoes rock music. With its rumbling backbeat, beer-soaked lyric and catchy hooks (dig that “aaahhh!” at the end), this could be country’s Song of the Summer.

KIEFER SUTHERLAND/This Is How It’s Done
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; BMG
– I dig the neo Johnny Cash rockabilly groove. The “Young Guns”/”Designated Survivor”/”Lost Boys”/”24” actor has a cool, growly singing voice, and it sounds like this band really kicks ass, live. Good job, Mr. President.

DENNIS QUAID & THE SHARKS/Out Of The Box
Writers: none listed; Producers: Dennis Quaid & Jamie James; Publishers: none listed; Omnivore
– This is the title tune of the debut album by this “Day After Tomorrow”/”Footloose”/ “The Right Stuff”/”Far From Heaven”/”Breaking Away”/”Vantage Point”/”Frequency” actor. I still haven’t forgiven him for that horrendous job of portraying Jerry Lee Lewis in 1989’s Great Balls of Fire. But here he demonstrates that he is a more than passable roots rocker.

SHERYL CROW & JOHNNY CASH/Redemption Day
Writers: Sheryl Crow; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Warner/Chappell, BMI; Valory Music Co.
– Powerfully moving and spiritually haunting. A quietly devastating masterpiece. An anthem for our times, delivered by two titanic musical forces. It’s only a matter of time before this gifted woman joins Cash in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. I know Johnny would be awfully proud and pleased with this collaboration. Also: Can we begin talking about a Video of the Year award for Shaun Silva?

Robert K Oermann
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