Saloon Review for 10/20/07

What a Saturday Night Saloon this past Saturday! Our featured artist...The Man In Black J.R. Cash! Kenny Chesney takes over the No. 1 spot with the single "Don't Blink" In album sales this week LeAnn Rimes' Family is this week's highest entry on Billboard's country albums chart, but it lacks the sales muscle to knock Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good out of the No. 1 spot it has occupied for three consecutive weeks. Thus, Family has to settle for a not-too-shabby No. 2 slot. After an eight-week climb, Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink" takes over the country singles chart, elbowing Toby Keith's "Love Me If You Can" back to No. 2. Kid Rock, who delves into his country influences from time to time, sold 170,000 copies of his new Rock N Roll Jesus album to rack up his first No. 1 on the all-genre Bllboard 200 chart. He is not categorized as a country artist by Billboard. However, making first appearances on this week's country albums rankings are Sara Evans' Greatest Hits (No. 4), Van Zant's My Kind of Country (No. 10), Deana Carter's The Chain (No. 60) and the Charlie Daniels Band's Deuces (No. 67).Debuting songs are Rascal Flatts' "Winner at a Losing Game" (No. 41) and Brad Paisley's "Letter to Me" (No. 60). The re-entries are Heartland's "Once a Woman Gets a Hold of Your Heart" (No. 56), Bon Jovi and LeAnn Rimes' "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore" (No. 57) and Bomshel's "The Power of One" (No. 59).Billy Ray Cyrus enjoys a boost on both charts. His CD, Home at Last, rebounds from No. 37 to No. 22 in its 12th week out, and his current song, "Ready, Set, Don't Go," snaps from No. 48 to No. 33, also after 12 weeks. The other Top 5 albums are Reba McEntire's Reba Duets (No. 3) and Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (No. 5). Kenny Rogers' 21 Number Ones re-enters at No. 73. Two songs break into the Top 5: Dierks Bentley's "Free and Easy Down the Road I Go," vagabonding from No. 7 to No. 4, and Carrie Underwood's "So Small," inching from No. 8 to No. 5. Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This" advances to No. 3. New albums being released Tuesday are Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride", Dwight Yoakam's "Dwight Sings Buck" and Shooter Jennings "The Wolf". My album pick this week is "The Wolf" from Shooter Jennings, but keep in mind....Uncle Rock likes the rockin' country!

Folks take a moment out of your day and say a little prayer for a country music legend. Grand Ole Opry member Porter Wagoner, 80, has been diagnosed with lung cancer, an Opry spokesperson confirmed Sunday afternoon (Oct. 21). Although the nature of his illness had not been previously disclosed, Wagoner has been listed in serious condition since being admitted to a Nashville-area hospital on Monday (Oct. 15). In May, he celebrated his 50th anniversary as an Opry member during a special segment of the show hosted by Marty Stuart and featuring guest appearances by Patty Loveless and Wagoner's longtime duet partner, Dolly Parton. Wagoner was inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. Until next week country music fans,
Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Saool Review for 10/13/07

Hey Coal Country fans! No Saturday Night Saloon last week due to Marshall Thundering Herd football, but we will be back bigger and better than ever this Saturday Night from 7 until 10pm. I'll give you a quick rundown of what happened in the world of country music last week. Six new albums enter the Billboard country albums chart this week, but none with enough sales to dislodge Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good. On the country singles chart, however, Toby Keith's "Love Me If You Can" finally claims the summit after an 18 week climb, nudging out Brad Paisley's "Online". The big surprise is that neither Faith Hill nor Brooks & Dunn, both of whom are usually chart powerhouses, moved enough albums to debut at No. 1. Hill's Greatest Hits comes aboard at No. 3. Brooks & Dunn's Cowboy Town opens at No. 4. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the company that monitors retail CD purchases, Rascal Flatts sold 167,900 copies of Still Feels Good its third week out while Hill and Brooks & Dunn rang up first-week sales of 69,266 and 68,897, respectively, a virtual tie. The remaining CD newcomers are: Cross Canadian Ragweed's Mission California (No. 6); Songs 4 Worship, a multi-artist project (No. 33); Merle Haggard's The Bluegrass Sessions (No. 43); and Hear Something Country: Christmas, another multi-artist project (No. 58). Rounding out the Top 5 albums are Reba McEntire's Reba Duets, holding at No. 2 for the second week, and Kenny Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, sliding to No. 5 from No. 3. On the singles chart, newcomer Ashton Shepherd racks up the highest-charting debut -- "Takin' Off This Pain" -- which bows at No. 51. Trailing close behind are Lady Antebellum's "Love Don't Live Here" (No. 53), Brooks & Dunn's "Cowboy Town" (No. 56), Lee Brice's "Happy Endings" (No. 57), James Otto's "Just Got Started Lovin' You" (No. 58) and Gretchen Wilson's "You Don't Have to Go Home" (No. 60). Chesney's "Don't Blink" hops from No. 5 to No. 2 on the singles chart, followed by Paisley's "Online" (No. 3) and Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This" (No. 4). Rascal Flatts' "Take Me There," which drops to No. 5 from No. 2. My album pick of the week is definately the new release from Cross Canadian Ragweed "Mission California", it's a rockin' country sound, but I love the rockin' country. Well Halloween is right around the corner and I would like your input for my costume this year! Send me an e-mail with your idea of a halloween costume and if I use your idea I'll hook you up with a prize! We'll be talking about all of this...and a whole lot more this Saturday during the Saloon 7 until 10pm on WXCC! Until then,

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Uncle Rock Invades Nashville

Howdy Coal Country! What a week for Ol' Uncle Rock! I had the great pleasure of attending the Tennessee Titans game this past Sunday at LP Field in Nashville TN. I would like to take a moment to thank Chris Sammons, Steve Ray, Virgil Ray and family for their hospitality. They made this country boy feel right at home in Guitar Town. I am glad to tell you that the Titans narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons 20-13, also I had the chance to see former Marshall QB, Byron Leftwich in his first game as an Atlanta Falcon. It was a great weekend and I'll give you a run down on the pictures there are three pics from LP Field, one with the 2 Titan Cheerleaders (WOOHOO!!), one with Steve Ray or Steve-O as I called him and one of Ol Hop Along Rock. Last but not least the beautiful young lady is Jewels Hanson, you may remember her from the Nashville Star program on the USA Network (keep your eyes and ears open for this chick, I think she has a bright future in country music). Now to the matter at hand, COUNTRY MUSIC!!! Rascal Flatts blows up the charts this week with the new album "Still Feels Good". Still Feels Good, strides into the top spot on both Billboard's country and all-genre charts. You may recall the album charting at an anemic No. 75 after a few record stores jumped the gun and began selling the album before its street date. In its first week of official availability, Nielsen SoundScan reports that Still Feels Good, sold some 547,000 copies. That's a lot to still feel good about. Brad Paisley must be smiling, too. After a 15-week climb, his "Online" now tops the Billboard's country singles chart, having nudged Rascal Flatts' tenacious "Take Me There" into second place. Four new titles have popped up on the country chart, led by Steve Earle's Washington Square Serenade at No. 10. Bobbing in his wake are Kevin Fowler's Bring It On (No. 14) and Whiskey Falls' self-titled CD (No. 25). Ricky Skaggs and the Whites' Salt of the Earth arrives at No. 45. Returning to the list are Martina McBride's Timeless, back at No. 52, and Dolly Parton's 16 Biggest Hits, resurfacing at No. 61. Making their first-time bow on the song chart are Rascal Flatts' "Still Feels Good" (No. 56), Andy Griggs' "What If It's Me" (No. 59) and Heartland's "Once a Woman Gets a Hold of Your Heart" (No. 60). Re-entering tunes are Parton's "Better Get to Livin'" (No. 52) and Kenny Chesney and George Strait's "Shiftwork" (No. 57). The remaining Top 5 albums, in descending order, are Reba McEntire's Reba Duets, Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, Taylor Swift's self-titled debut and Rascal Flatts' Me and My Gang. Rounding out the Top 5 songs in the same sequence are Toby Keith's "Love Me If You Can," Brooks & Dunn's "Proud of the House We Built" and Chesney's "Don't Blink." My album pick of the week is a tie between Kid Rocks Rock N Roll Jesus and Van Zants newest release My Kind of Country, depending on your taste I'm sure that you will enjoy the albums of the week. The Saturday Night Saloon will be cut this week due to Marshall Thundering Herd football Saturday night at 7pm on WXCC, so keep checking Uncle Rocks Blog for more updates on country music news.

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"

Saloon Review for 9/29/07

It's another great week to be a country music fan! Rascal Flatts holds on another week at #1 on the country singles charts, the latest album release from the trio is "Still Feels Good". Rascal Flatts has a lot to live up to with this new album, their 2006 release "Me & My Gang" was the top selling country album of 06. Can Rascal Flatts hold on to #1 for three weeks in a row? Be sure to tune in Saturday night from 7-10pm for an all new countdown on the Saturday Night Saloon.
I am very excited about the new album from Brooks & Dunn "Cowboy Town"! Ronnie Dunn describes the album as "cowboys meet the Rolling Stones" and thats a great description. Despite the title, it doesn't feel that western — it's a slick, swaggering set of rock & roll, designed for sports bars, not honky tonks. So it goes without saying, my album pick this week is Cowboy Town from Brooks and Dunn.
As you heard on the Saloon last week, I am taking a trip back to Guitar Town, Hitsville, Music City, Nashville Tennessee this weekend! I am a HUGE Tennessee Titans fan. I've been to Nashville more times than I can count, but I've never had the chance to see the Titans play live....until this weekend. Its a noon kickoff for the Falcons and the Titans, I'll be posting some pictures from the trip on next weeks blog and I have to say a big THANKS to Chris Sammons for helping me out with the tickets. Well while I am enjoying Titan football this weekend there is plenty for the Mingo-Pike area to enjoy right here in our back yard. It's now time for the Hatfield-McCoy event nationally known as National Trail Fest 2007, which is scheduled Oct. 4, through 8 in Gilbert WV. This year’s event is shaping up to be one of the best and is referred to as the "can’t miss" event of the year on the Hatfield-McCoy Trails website, www.trailsheaven.com. Locals will once again get a chance to meet people from all over the world, who travel great distances to ride the trail. Last year’s riders hailed from Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Kentucky, New York and even Canada. Trail Fest 2007 scheduled events include the mud pit, casino night, scavenger hunt, drag racing, the chili cook-off and the popular ATV parade. Hatfield-McCoy will try again this year to finally break the ATV parade record, which currently stands at 1,200. Also for all of you hunters out there, a hunter's education class will be held at the WV National Guard Armory on Oct 6 & 7 from noon until 5pm both days (for more info 475-2328). Be sure to tune in the Saturday Night Saloon this week from 7-10pm on WXCC!!!!

Uncle Rock
--"if you wanna make it, you can't fake it...you gotta LIVE IT!!!"