HARLAN REVISITED

Since I've been doing some work on "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive," the Darrell Scott song (see the blogs below), I went online and found an mp3 of his as well as Brad Paisley's versions. Couldn't get Patty Loveless' yet, but I'll keep trying.

Essentially, I like Pat Phillips' version (our version) a lot better. There's a way Pat interpreted the chord progression that's different from either Scott or Paisley's version (both of which sound so alike that it almost seems like portions of the same backing track were used). Pat's chords are much more straightforward and sweet; they seem to head right for the notes that the other versions are dancing around or just implying. In my opinion, the version we have up here is far more emotional; the others feel flat in comparison. And I like Pat's voice better than either Darrell or Brad's. (I'm not just sucking up because Pat helped get us the G4. Really!)

I played it for KIDD, who's just discovering his love for country music, and he loved the hook. I know what he means. In fact, I felt that the original arrangement, with the chorus happening only twice (two verses and a solo between), left me wanting more. So I took the liberty of second guessing Darrell Scott, Patty Loveless, Brad Paisley, and a host of successful Nashville producers and put another chorus in, right before the solo. This may be completely off base, but I like it; obviously Pat's will be the final word.