Don’t get me wrong. I like to rock.
But when you’re kicking back on the patio and having a couple of cold ones, as we were on Sunday, there’s not much better of a soundtrack than a little country music.
We get a lot of that here in Wisconsin. Lots of folks are fans of the pop that passes for country these days, but we have our share of rednecks, too.
Lots of folks jumped on the outlaw country bandwagon in the mid-’70s, but I recall that the jukebox at Al’s Pour House in Schofield, Wisconsin, also had “El Paso” by Marty Robbins and “North To Alaska” by Johnny Horton among its country tunes.
We spent plenty of time at Al’s in the summer of 1977, so much so that I heard “Luckenbach, Texas” enough times to last a lifetime. Our pal Mike worked there, and I’d bring sandwiches from Pizza Hut, where I worked. Everything was cool until our pal Jerome punched a hole in the wall next to the pool table. Al was not amused.
Ever since, I’ve always enjoyed a little country as drinking music.
So if you’re snapping the caps and having a cool one, you might want to put these on.
The first two tunes in your six-pack are from Kevin Fowler, a fine performer not widely known beyond Texas. You’ll hear the influence of the Eagles in the second tune.
“Ol’ What’s Her Name” and “All The Tequila In Tijuana,” Kevin Fowler, from “High On The Hog,” 2002.
The next two tunes in your six-pack are from The Guzzlers, a Houston band even less widely known. More Texas blues-rock than country, they’re influenced by ZZ Top, but they have a better vocal over the crunchy sound. These tunes are from their 2003 album, which seems to be out of print.
“Love Contradiction” and “Let’s Slug One Down,” The Guzzlers, from “All Alone In Texas,” 2003.
The last two tunes in your six-pack come from something I found on eMusic — a Compadre Records compilation of drinking songs called “Brewed in Texas, Vol. 2,” which came out in 2005. These artists aren’t as obscure as the others, but aren’t big stars, either.
“Bar Exam,” The Derailers, also from “Here Come The Derailers,” 2001.
“Barlight,” Charlie Robison, also from “Life Of The Party,” 1998.
AM, Then FM 
Something that I’ve found being weird about today’s country music is cover versions of popular Top 40 tunes from the 70s and 80s like, “Missing You,” “Five O’Clock World,” My Maria,” and “Landslide,” just to name a few. Why doesn’t Sheryl Crow do a cover of “Luckenbach, Texas” or Tom Petty do a cover version of “Ring of Fire?” Better yet, how about Steely Dan doing a version of “Rose Garden” by Lynn Anderson, in which a remake was made into a hit by Martina McBride.