Jan 21, 2020
| Volume XIX Issue 7 July 2009 |
Trail Ride different date this month Membership from our new membership chair Meet Me at the Fair 2 Vagabond Chuckwagon This month's dinner location Music Review our man about town Coosie's Corner Recipe of the month Cowboy Music The Yellow Stud Monthly Calendar What's happening |
July Trail Ride will be the 2nd Sunday of JulyDue to the holiday, ASGRA's monthly trail ride will be the SECOND SUNDAY in July; July 12th. Come out and enjoy a relaxing and fun hour long ride through the fields, woods and streams in Clinton, MD at Piscataway Stables. If you are interested in attending the trail ride; contact Patrick aka CowboyRam, Social and Entertainment Chair, 202-352-2356. See Complete Trail Ride Info. 
New Membership SeasonWell it's that time of year again, membership renewal! According to our bylaws, the membership year begins on August 1. You can renew your membership in one of two ways. The easiest is online using PayPal Online Membership Renewal. You can also renew by printing out the form and mailing your check to the ASGRA address listed on the form. Regardless of which method you use, please renew your membership this year. As we all know, these are tough economic times for both ASGRA and many of its members. Knowing this, it's with great difficulty for me to ask you to please consider renewing at a premium membership level if you can. The hurricane last year depleted ASGRA's rainy day fund making it impossible to finance a 2009 rodeo. Without a rodeo to generate funds, the membership drive is the only method ASGRA has for raising cash. If you can't renew at a premium level, please consider getting one of your friends to join! Respectfully 
Vagabond Chuckwagon is Summer Brunching!!We had a fun group of 8 who enjoyed a tropical Friday night at Caribbean Breeze on June 12. It turned out to be the restaurant's 4th anniversary celebration so it was a fun-filled evening with live music, a huge patio crowd, delightful mojitos and delicious Latin-inspired dishes. Everyone agreed it's worth a second trip, so we highly recommend it to our fellow ASGRA members! (http://www.caribbeanbreezeva.com/main.html). 
We decided to try something a little different for July and do brunch. So this month we're off to a familiar location for many of us - Freddie's Beach Bar and Restaurant in Crystal City/Arlington, VA. We'll meet there at 11am on Sunday July 19 for brunch. Freddie's fills up pretty quickly and space is limited, so I want to get a reservation in early for a table. I'd like your RSVPs by noon on Monday July 13, please!! I will call and reserve a table that afternoon. You can contact me via email at [an error occurred while processing this directive]ajtygger@aol.com">ajtygger@aol.com or on my cell at 703-371-7865. Come on out for another fun event with your ASGRA friends and family! Freddie's offers a 10% discount on all food orders to ASGRA members, so bring your membership cards! Sunday July 19, 2009, 11:00 am Lonni La Bel Meet Me at the Fair 2
On Sunday, August 16, ASGRA is planning another outting to the Prince William County Fair in Manassas. The special event this night will be the Dave Martin Championship Rodeo. Come out and join your ASGRA buds to walk the midway, play some carnival games, do some rides, visit the 4-H barns and see some great rodeo action with horse events and roughstock. We will be meeting at the fairgrounds at 4pm. The cost for the fair is $5 and the cost for the rodeo is $2. The cheapest fun around! If you are interested or have additional questions, contact Patrick Hunter, Social and Entertainment Chair, 202-352-2356 
Music ReviewsPatrick Hunter Ones to watch! This month, I'm kicking off the music reviews with some eye candy for everyone! When the band Trick Pony broke up with Ira Dean and Heidi Newfield wanting to pursue solo efforts, I was saddened because not only did we lose a good band that produced good music but also Keith Burns was one good looking cowboy. It was a true bummer that I would not have that handsome, scruff covered face to look at now that the band really was defunct. I figured, 'another one bites the dust.' Imagine my surprise when I opened up a recent Country Weekly to find that Burns has teamed with Michelle Poe to create the new duo Buns & Poe, and boy are they a whole lot better looking than Brooks & Dunn. 
Poe is a stunning blonde gal who has a killer smile that could power the downtown Dallas area with its wattage. She's everything that you would think of in a body when you think of a country gal. Burns, of course, retains his sandpaper scruff and has a smile to match Poe's to boot! He's one handsome country devil and someone I wouldn't mind spending a lone prairie night with. Their music is good as well. Though Keith sung vocals on some of the Pony songs, here his voice is real front and center. Surprisingly, it's different from how I envisioned it in my head during those candlelight dinner fantasies. He's got a raspy voice, but it is not as deep as I expected from his looks. Poe's voice is like vocal honey--it can be poured over my biscuits anytime! I don't think that I have heard anything that smooth on radio in a long time. It's a voice from heaven. Together they make an impressive duo. Both voices blend together easily creating something that is pleasurable for your ears as much as their looks are pleasurable for your eyes. On their website, they have one rocking tune and one slower melody. This, I think, demonstrates that we're going to get a good variety in the music that comes out of this duo. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to hearing and seeing more of them. Check out more on Burns & Poe at http://www.burnsandpoe.com 1 star - Sucks, save your money and buy a beer 
Dean Brody Someone recently said to me "Where has all the country music gone?" I now have an answer for that question - Dean Brody. Brody's debut, self-titled album is loaded with country songs, country melodies, country instruments and country singing. Brody, though a born Canadian, has a slight, soft twang to his voice that could fool the deepest south, southern boy. His voice is right at home among the fiddles, guitars and other instruments. It rolls easily through all the songs on this album like the wind rolls over the Great Plains. Added to that, Brody's voice really has a tone to it that can give you goose bumps on some of the more sexy offerings that are on the CD. He's got a nice man's voice; the kind that has that hint of hickory smoke that helps to make phrases like "love on you in a meadow by round bails of hay" really smolder. He exhibits this on songs like "Undone" and "Lazy Days." Both of which talk about some of the more innocent risqué things from young love, but sound so sexy set with Brody's voice. Out of all the songs on the CD my favorite song is "Dirt Road Scholar." Much like Travis Tritt's ode to the common country guy "Country Club", "Dirt Road Scholar" adds to and twists certain phrases to provide colorful imagery of the red-blooded country fella singing to the blue-blooded crowd: Graduated the top of the school of hard knocks/ I'm from the dirt road poison ivy league... ...I'm a genuine certified dirt roads scholar Another is "This Ain't the Same Town (That I Painted Red)." The song laments the passage of time and how it changes where you grew up or as the lyrics state "what they call progress has plowed up my roots." This is something that is happening in many a town. The slow and easy life that we remember is being replaced by Starbucks popping up and yuppies moving in, though they may be nice people. It's a Mayberry RFD going UPS and underneath it all you can feel the underlying message that perhaps progress keeps you from making personal connections in your town and the yearning that you have for those simpler times. "Brothers" is probably the most stunning of all the songs on the CD. It's another someone-off-to-war song and the fear, worry and ache you feel when they are gone. What I like about it is that is sung from the point of view of two brothers. Frequently with these songs it is your lover, girl/boyfriend, husband/wife who has gone off to serve. This one pays tribute to those folks who have been a bit forgotten in songs like this--the family. The message that "Brothers" carries is sweet, simple and spot on about the bond between the two. The CD is also a real good danceable CD. It's got some good two-steppable tunes on it; both fast and slow ones (you know, buckle polishers). As an out-of-the gate CD, this one's really a smash. I happened upon Dean Brody just looking for items to review for this month. He came up in my recent releases search and to be honest, I didn't know him from a prairie dog! But I can tell you this, I sure did stumble upon a good find. Finding this CD is like those good days when you pull on your jeans and find some money in the pockets. The music on this CD makes feel just as good. I'm sure glad that Canada is sending us exports like this! 
Hank Williams Junior I really wanted to fall in love with this album. Since Hanks a country legend and all I felt that it was my duty to love the music. That I would be like some kind of traitor to the tradition of country music if I didn't, so, I put a lot of pressure on myself and set my expectations high. That was a mistake. Because of Hank's status in the country music industry, and my high expectations, this lead to initial disappointment with Rose Avenue. Once I got over those expectations, I learned to actually enjoy the music that is on this album, while not great, it certainly defines what has made Hank Williams, Jr. as someone who's been on the country music scene for such a long time. "Farm Song" kicks off the album and when I first heard it I cringed. It sounds like the picking and grinning thing that even lovers of country music would make fun of. It's a rapid fire spoken song about all things hick on the farm that come so quick that I couldn't even begin to write them down lyrics-wise for you. Upon first hearing it, I could not tell if Williams was trying to make light of such things tongue-in-cheek or if he really was trying to make a serious ode to farm life. The absolute incongruent and unrelated way the items are spoken of in the lyrics added to this confusion. It's at times just a random list of rhyming words that have little connection to each other besides being items on a farm. Once I stopped trying to figure it out and just sat back and didn't think, I was actually found the song appealing. Sometimes things just don't have to make sense and can just be silly. The plain nonsense string of all the words does bring a smile to your face and after a few listens I found myself laughing about them. Plus, the song does have a melody that could possibly make for a good and rapid line dance song. "High Maintenance Woman" is the biggest misstep of the whole album. While not a rehash of the Toby Keith song, it is a tune that is somewhat in that similar vein. Its problem is that it is a modern day tune fit to a traditional country voice and Williams doesn't do it well. In fact, he sounds just plain awful on it. It's jarring to hear his voice struggle its way through this tune, cracking and whining in places and sounding out of tune in others. When I first heard it I thought 'boy this albums going to be painful if the rest of it is like this.' Luckily it was not. Where Hanks voice falters so much on the afore mentioned "Woman", his voice really shines on "127 Rose Avenue"; a slow mournful song that pays tribute to himself? His father? Some other musical entity? The lyrics (and my research) are inconclusive but no matter; Hanks voice rises and falls with the haunting melody that goes along with the tune. "Mighty Oak Tree" and "Gulf Shore Road" similarly work well with Williams's voice and showcase just why he is still a legend in country music who is as relevant today as he ever has been. "Forged by Fire" and "Red, White & Pink Slip Blues" drive this home due to the content of the songs. "Fire" about the special bonds created between those who server in our armed forces and "Pink Slip Blues" being about the struggle that many folks face when they've been out of work for a long time. Despite all this the CD is really a half-and-half one. There's some good music on here definitely. But buyer beware, there are some songs that contain misses in spots and the music is not for all. Die hard Hank fans may get their fill from this CD, but even die hard country fans may not find the music to their liking. Before you buy, definitely give a listen to those sample tracks to see whether it is your shot of bourbon or not. 
Darryl Worley Reduce, reuse, recycle is a mantra that it seems more and more country artists are taking and not just in the packaging of the CDs. Darryl Worley's latest CD contains a reuse song on it from Here and Now: "Slow Dancing with a Memory". Fortunately, unlike Jake Owen's recycled tune "Eight Second Ride", Worley's song about a man on the dance floor swaying to the memory of a lost love is a better tune to reuse. Regardless of this I still feel jipped. I paid full price for my download. Is this my punishment for the option of buying song singles; getting stuck with paying for some songs twice? Despite this smack to my wallet and music sensibilities ($0.99 is $0.99, I could get myself a McDouble for that!), Worley does make a decent CD. His music is more of the honky-tonk bar variety that I've heard from bands that play sometimes at Cancun Cantina and Nick's Nightclub. It's good enough for a listen but not sensational. It's exactly what you would expect to get from a bar band -and a good one none-the-less. Worley talks about the honkytonk life in the first track called, appropriately enough, "Honkytonk Life." Here he talks about being on the road driving from gig to gig and trying to make it as a big artist: long hours driving from town to town, setting up your own equipment, finding your name spelled wrong on the marquee, the variance of perks from the bar: If we hurry they'll feed us before we go on... The song breezes along with its melody, making for an excellent two-step. And Worley's Tennessee twang helps to drive home the songs traveling honkytonk band theme. "Don't Show Up (If You Can't Get Down)" is probably my favorite song of the CD. It's one of those songs that I really love because it brings together a number of singers to make the tune. In this case, those singers are Mel Tillis, John Anderson, Bill Anderson, Ira Dean, Jimmy Dean, Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth and Darryl Worley as far as I can tell (I didn't have the liner notes). It's a good, quick, upbeat blues sort of song; something that might make a good swing tune. What I like most about this song is the spoken parts which are not lyrics of the song but just banter between the singers. While the first part has relatively little to do with song and sounds staged, the middle and end parts are off-the-cuff and a little more improvised. That brings something more pleasure and some humor into the song as the guys rib each other. The only drawback on this song is I would love to know who is the wild woman that is singing back-up? She has quite the blues and soul pipes on her. It would have been nice to hear her in a spoken part as well and to have had interaction with her and the guys as well. The last song of the CD "You Never Know" while being a song about that well worn-theme of embracing today because you don't know if you have tomorrow is lifted from being a cliché to an enjoyable tune by Worley's voice and the simple melody of the tune. Worley is as at ease with this song as he is with "Slow Dancing with a Memory." He just rolls through the lyrics with at a pace that is a pleasure to your ears. The twang drops down to a softer level to help match the instruments that create the melody. 
Finally, "Everyday Love" deserves an honorable mention because it's one of those songs that transitions from the love of a woman to the love of a child; daughter in this case: She the sweetest thing I think I've ever seen/ As with "Honkytonk Life" the melody moves well making for another good two-stepping song. And the above sentence pretty much sums up what's good about the album. It's got all good danceable tunes on it. Unfortunately, that's the best thing about it. The songs are all things that we've heard time and time again and there's nothing new or stellar about music. Nothing that really hits ya. You can tell, though, that Worley is having himself a good time with the music and doing what he loves. As spoken of in the title track he really does love the honkytonk life. Whether you like or love his music on this CD is something that you can decide for yourself. Myself, I fall more on the like side. Patrick Hunter Coosie's Corner
Chuck Wagon Peach CobblerIngredients
Mix dry ingredients and add shortening. Cut in with a fork. Mixture should look like coarse meal. Add cold water gradually to make a ball. Divide into 2 balls, top and bottom. Roll out one and line a 14-inch pan or 14-inch Dutch oven. Roll out remainder and cut into 1-inch slices for latticework on top.
Melt butter in saucepan. Add peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, sugar and half-and-half. Mix well. Line pan or Dutch oven with crust. Pour in fruit mixture. Cover top with strips of crust in latticework pattern. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Moisten strips with water before baking and sprinkle sugar on latticework for crispy finish. Open new bottle of Jack Daniels and enjoy. The Yellow StudSung by Chris LeDoux
Album: Cowboy 
For a limited time, Cowboy Frank is providing a stream to listen to this great song as sung by its author. Listen while you read. (should play on any player)
Somewhere on the prairie a yellow stud runs free The chase goes on all mornin' and late into the day The yellow stud with wild eyes that feared n' hated man So he sold him to a rodeo, and it spread throughout the land The wooden gate flew open and the stud he bailed out high So violently the stud had bucked that he slipped and fell The yellow stud is a male horse of light brown almost yellow color The next newsletter deadline is July 27. Send your articles to [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
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