So tonight I didn’t go to the basement and look through the vinyl for something to listen to rather I stayed upstairs and looked through the cassette tapes for some music that I haven’t listened to in a while. The first album that caught my attention was Alison Krauss’ 1990 release I’ve Got That Old Feeling . The album was released when she was a only 19 years old. The album was her second solo release for Rounder Records and her third overall release her second was with Union Station. This is what it says in Wikipedia about the album:
Krauss’ contract with Rounder required her to alternate between releasing a solo album and an album with Union Station, and she released the solo album I’ve Got That Old Feeling in 1990. It was her first album to rise onto the Billboard charts, peaking in the top seventy-five on the country chart. The album also was a notable point in her career as she earned her first Grammy Award, the single “Steel Rails” was her first single tracked by Billboard, and the title single “I’ve Got That Old Feeling” was the first song for which she recorded a music video.
Overall the album is amazing for a 19 year old! Jerry Douglas provides dobro on all the tracks and mandolin chores are handled by Stuart Duncan on some tracks and Sam Bush on others and Jeff White provides guotar and some harmony vocals. Alison Brown makes a guest appearance on a favorite track of mine “Will You Be Leaving” and Edgar Meyer provides some arco bass on “It’s Over”. Other favorites of mine are the opening track }I’ve Got That Old Feeling” and “Steel Rails” It was nice to hear those songs again can’t believe it’s been twenty years since the album’s release!
The second album I listened to was released at about the same 
time. I first heard Robert Earl Keen on whatever station Gene Shay was doing his folk show from in that time period. I heard Robert Earl tell the story about how he and Lyle Lovett would sit around on the front porch of the house they lived in and talk about where they were going to move when their parents got their grades! So soon after that Keen released his debut album West Textures and after hearing that album I was a Robert Earl Keen fan! The album has some of his best work on it including his most famous song “The Road Goes on Forever” well maybe that’s second to Merry Christmas from the Family”! Also included on the album are “Sonora’s Death Row” and “The Five Pound Bass” both Keen favorites. Listening tonight I heard three songs that I haven’t heard for a while “Maria” and one of my favorite songs from the album co-written by Fred Koller and Shel Silverstein “Jennifer Johnson and Me” and “Mariano” a song about a hard working illegal immigrant that is still relevant thirty years later!
Time for a break as I listen to the second side of the next album Jerry Jeff’s Reunion released in 1981!
Here’s “Five Pound Bass” from the album West Textures
