Tripping Through the Past

RODNEY CROWELL
Diamonds and Dirt
(Columbia/Legacy)
It's hard to believe now, but once upon a time country radio rewarded quality. Case in point: Rodney Crowell's Diamonds and Dirt, originally released in 1988. After a decade with a reputation as a dependable songsmith for other hitmakers but a commercial dud under his own name, Crowell hit big with a set of songs that sported sharper hooks than anything he'd previously recorded. Interestingly he and co-producer Tony Brown eschewed the slick country pop production for which he was known, going for a rootsy, more organic sound, with arrangements that sounded loose and casual—not exactly a formula for radio success, even then. Everything came together for Crowell on this record—great songs ("After All This Time," "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried," "Brand New Rag," "She's Crazy For Leavin'"), strong production, and his underrated, soulful singing. Critics fell all over themselves praising it, and surprisingly, the public followed suit, rewarding Crowell with five no. 1 singles, all well-deserved. Unlike a lot of albums that spawned hits back in their day, Diamonds and Dirt, augmented by three demos from the same sessions that was the genesis for the record, holds up well as that rare classic as popular with fans as with aficionados. Michael Toland

For fans of: Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Willis Alan Ramsey

RAY PAUL
The Charles Beat
(Permanent Press)
A music industry vet from way back, Ray Paul is best known these days as the founder and president of power pop specialty label Permanent Press. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, though, he performed the style himself, spewing out upbeat nuggets of pure pop from his home base of Boston in a series of self-released albums and singles. The Charles Beat, subtitled Best of the Boston Years 1977-1981 & Now, showcases Paul's music of that era. Fans of bands like the Raspberries will love this; Paul is an expert at the kind of carefully-crafted, light power pop that Eric Carmen and company took to the bank. Paul's songwriting is much more consistent, though, as he rarely fails to find the right combination of hooks 'n' harmony, striking a perfect balance between the emotional tenor of the lovelorn lyrics and the sheer joy of playing music he obviously loves. Sparkling gems like "Hold It," "Time Race," "You Send Your Lovin' With My Money" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" (a Frankie Valli cover) will make old-style power pop fans flip their lids. Paul resurrected his performing career in the early 90s, and the album opens with "Some Sing, Some Dance," a recently-recorded collaboration with cult figure Emitt Rhodes that's not quite as good as the older stuff but nonetheless bodes well for the future. Michael Toland

For fans of: Raspberries, Nick Lowe, Paul McCartney