Radney Foster Why Tamper with Success?
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AMERICANA Why tamper with success? Radney Foster’s Del Rio, TX Revisited: Unplugged & Lonesome released 20 years after original by Tom Geddie ’VE HEARD OF PEOPLE REWORKING AN #1 Billboard hit “Real Fine Place der by exploring their feelings I to Start” and has written songs through writing songs and play- Ialbum because they weren’t happy with the way covered by artists as diverse as ing music. Iit sounded the first time. Radney Foster pulled Guy Clark, The Dixie Chicks, Foster also teamed up with “It can be happy or sad or a new one on me, though, by remaking an album Rosie Flores, The Mavericks, New Red Cross to help victims of Grass Revival, The Nitty Gritty Hurricane Isaac. Proceeds from beautiful or angst ridden, or that he already liked and that was both popular and Dirt Band, Poco, The Sweethearts the iTunes sales of his video, influential. of the Rodeo, Keith Urban, and “Louisiana Blue,” go to help just pure fun,” Foster said. “A The original album, recorded about every single detail. With many more. those in need. in 1992, was Del Rio, TX 1959; this new record, you have these “Del Rio’s arguably the best Del Rio, TX 1959 and Del Rio, song like ‘Help Me Make It the new one, which came out last incredible musicians doing sur- country record I’ve ever made,” TX Revisited: Unplugged & Lone- August, is Del Rio, TX Revisited: prising things on the fly. Foster said. “So many young sing- some are the bookends for through the Night” is just Unplugged & Lonesome. There’s a looseness yet re- ers and songwriters come up to Foster’s, so far, nine albums. Why tamper with success? markable precision. You stop me and say,‘I wore that record His most recent album of devastating. If it does its job, it The reasons relate to both worrying about minutia and you out.’” entirely new material, 2009’s availability and artistic maturity. start saying, Foster, who will perform Revival, is strong, too, based on makes you emotional. I hope The first one, released by the ‘Does that communicate? Do April 27 at Poor David’s Pub, has the premise that a song works major label Arista Nashville, was you feel the emotion?’ been busy since the acoustic ver- when it evokes a true emotion. that’s what my songs do.” where Foster was as an artist “These songs are still as real sion of his early trademark CD Revival came together when Fos- —RADNEY FOSTER then. It influenced a generation to me. They take on different came out, including high-profile ter almost simultaneously faced ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ or more of musicians in what’s meanings because it is 20 years and charitable projects. a great tragedy and a great joy. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ generally called Texas/Red Dirt later, but the stories still reso- He, Charley Pride, and Asleep “It can be happy or sad or Foster’s son lived in France Revival country-rock. nate.” at the Wheel performed at the beautiful or angst ridden, or just for the past 13 years while Foster THE COMBINATION OF HIS The new version was released That first solo CD spawned Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball pure fun,” Foster said. “A song was based mostly in Nashville. own dad’s passing and his son’s on his own Devil’s River label — five country hits in 1992 and sponsored by the Texas State like ‘Help Me Make It through Like Foster, he writes songs and rite of passage were the impetus where he has the freedom to do 1993: “Nobody Wins” (#2), “Just Society of Washington, D.C., the Night” is just devastating. If plays guitar. for Revival’s release. it all his own way — and may Call Me Lonesome” (#10), “Easier during the presidential inaugu- it does its job, it makes you emo- “I can’t seem to stop him,” An in-demand writing part- extend Foster’s influence and Said Than Done” (#20), “Ham- ral festivities. tional. I hope that’s what my Foster said. ner and producer as well as a make him some money — some- mers and Nails” (#34), and “Clos- He and co-writers Darden songs do. His son spent many fall and touring artist, Foster was first thing most musicians can use ing Time” (#59). His own songs, Smith and Jay Clementi have “My father died a year ago,” winter breaks and his summers known to country audiences as more of. done his own way, also climbed working together on he said, “right about the same with his dad, who arranged his half of the Foster and Lloyd duo, And, although newcomers to into the top 60 in 1994, 1995, “Fight Songs,” a project that time my son made his final deci- own scheduled to tour Europe a although that was, in musical the scene may not even know the 2001, 2002, and 2003. helps returning soldiers cope sion that Belmont University was couple of times a year to spend terms, a long time ago. Revival, original album, many people still Foster also wrote Sara Evans’ with post traumatic stress disor- his first choice for college.” time together. as much rock as it is country, do. sounds natural rather than manu- “Twenty years later, I still get factured for some marketing de- requests for songs from that mographic. record every night,” Foster said. The music’s a bit rowdy from The original album is no time to time, but with a purpose longer available on CD. as Foster trips through his own The musicians heart and emotions. It’s a consistently excellent “I DIDN’T WANT TO JUST GO set of original songs, all but two and record a hack version of the of them co-writes, as is the fash- original. I wanted to revisit the ion with many folks in Nashville songs, from the place I am now,” these days, with, variously, Foster said. “So I invited some of Clementi, Smith, Darrell Brown, my favorite musical friends, and and Jack Ingram. we recorded live to tape, gath- He began playing guitar at ered together in one room — the age of twelve in Del Rio, and unplugged, no headphones, no got into songwriting because his vocal booth. heroes wrote songs. “What happened that week- “When I would read who had end was magical, and we de- written ‘Please Please Me,’ it was cided to let it show, with all the Lennon and McCartney. And rough edges intact. I’m in awe of Merle Haggard and Waylon the players who gave of them- Jennings wrote their own songs. selves and can’t thank them I thought that was the way it was enough.” supposed to be, and life started Musicians on the new, acous- happening. tic version made at Austin’s Ce- “The only reason I ever wrote dar Creek Recording were Martie a song was to sing it to some- Maguire (fiddle), Jon Randall body. It’s fun being onstage. Stewart (guitar), Glenn Fukunaga That’s the best drug there is,” he (upright bass), Michael Ramos said. (keyboard) and Steve Fishell, The hard part is coming down who produced the first CD and alone from that audience high. played guitars on the new one. “I think that drives a lot of “We have all new tempos and musicians nuts,” he said. “I hate new grooves. Imagine the origi- empty motel rooms. I like to load nal version of Eric Clapton’s up the band and move on that ‘Layla’ compared to his 1992 live night in the bus and let the high- unplugged version and you’ll get way roll you to sleep.” the idea,” Fishell said. Where, sometimes, we can “Things worked out beyond dream up new ideas like re-re- my wildest expectations,” Foster cording and re-releasing an al- said. ready popular and influential al- “Twenty years ago, I worried He will perform at Poor David’s Pub on Aprill 27: Radney Foster bum. ■ APRIL 2013 BUDDY 11.