Goshdarnit! Myrtle, it's them All Pearls No Swines down here on our farm!

Kudos, if you recognized that it's a redneck farmer introducing our newest edition of All Pearls, No Swine. Why would a redneck farmer do such a thing you ask? Well, because he welcomes you to the very first themed edition of All Pearls, No Swine. Quick pop quiz: Do you like a.) country music b.) country rock c.) AOR with country influences .) all of the above or e.) none of the above? 

If your answer is anything but e.), you're in luck, as this edition of All Pearls, No Swine might be for you! (If, however, you voted e.), sorry buddy, better luck next time, see ya in a bit!). And that is because All Pearls No Swine Vol. 19 is an all-country and adjacent genre edition of our series. This came about out of necessity. I had a couple of country tracks that I tried to place on previous editions of APNS, but they never seemed to quite fit. A trad country song like Herb Pedersen's "Easy Ride" is a very fine piece of work, but it never jelled with the other tracks of previous 80s-themed editions of the series, so consequently it got kicked out of the line-up several times. 

"Myrtle, some of them there country songs are quite cromulent..."

So I realized that the problem was the environment, but in a backwards way. Instead of trying to fit in this real country stuff with the rock, pop and folk sound of the other tracks, maybe I should create a more friendly environment for tracks like this by surrounding them with all like-minded tracks? So I did. It just so happened that at the very same time I stumbled upon a batch of rarities and forgotten songs that fit the bill. Some tweaking here, some tweaking there, and voilà - the "howdy y'all" very first all-country edition of All Pearls, No Swine. 

Sideman deluxe Pedersen is probably one of the bigger names around here, though the biggest is probably John Denver. "Dance Little Jean" is of course known as a hit for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, but at the time he wrote it, Jimmy Ibbotson wasn't part of what was then known as the Dirt Band. When he had written "Dance Little Jean" he proudly presented it to his estranged wife, hoping it might move her to take him back. Her reaction? She assured him it would be a hit, which means he could finally make his child support payments! Ouch! So, Ibbotson's old and new band got the hit, but it could have been Denver, whose attractive version is augmented by Irish tin whistle.

"We want YOU...to be the main ingredient of our country stew. Nope, we're not freaky-lookin' at all, no sir." 

The previously featured Burrito Brothers put in an appearance, and so does Dan Fogelberg with the blink-and-you'll-miss-it opener. And then it's off to the usual group of unknown or little-remembered folks. Some would be more known for other things than their musical accomplihments. Lloyd Maines, of The Maines Brothers, whose sped-up version of Terry Allen's immortal "Amarillo Highway" is my favorite version of that song, is the father of future Dixie Chick Natalie. The group is better than the above image would suggest...

If nothing else, All Pearls No Swine Vol. 19 shows the elasticity of the genre. Canuck Wray Ellis with "Where's That Woman" is pure mainstream, country verging on country pop whereas Whitewater with "Daughter of the Devil" is essentially harder edged Southern rock with a dash of country in it. Jack Alves' "Indian Friend" is only slide guitar, whereas Jim Robertson's "Whitehorse" has some slight psych elements to it. Cimarron Creek's "Ridin' For Revenge" is country rock, whereas Dakota's "The Captain And The Outlaw" is about as traditional as it gets. Lonestar Cattle Company's "Easy Driver" is country-influenced AOR rock that sounds for all the world like something Randy Meisner could have recorded in the early 80s. Speaking of Mr. Meisner: He is present here as part of the miniature supergroup Black Tie with Jimmy Griffin and Billy Swan. 

Sometimes a white horse is...just a white horse

But enough with the chit chat. If you have any love for the genre, I'm sure you'll find a thing or two to like here. And if you don't, One Buck Records will be back with some good old-fashioned rock'n'roll...probably...