The Music of Nashville Soundtrack, Season 1 Volume 1

Various Artists
The Music of Nashville Soundtrack, Season 1 Volume 1
Decca Records/Big Machine 2013

Oh, I do like my country music. Brought up on it I was. My auld Irish mammy was even Secretary of the Scottish Country Music Fellowship (President: George Hamilton IV – no relation), and it’s been with me all my life, even if my tastes are a tad more contemporary than my late mammy. So when this telly series was trailed I was there like a shot. And it confounded my expectations by being really good. I mean TV always gets music wrong, but this Nashville soap opera is bang on. Then I found out that the actors were doing the actual singing, and this became a must buy. And it’s actually rather good.

I’m not the biggest fan of T Bone Burnett, who has curated and produced the music, and I’m even less of a fan of The Civil Wars and Elvis Costello, who appear amongst the writing credits, but they’ve surpassed their usual drivel here. Granted, some of the songs are average, but there are a couple of sure fire killers here. In case you don’t know Hayden Panettiere is playing Taylor Swift, Connie Britton is playing Martina McBride and Clare Bowen is the sweet ingenue alternative to Hayden. It’s a shame that Connie as Rayna James (oh, Connie) has been landed with the dullest songs as I do like her voice, but that’s the way the cookie has crumbled here.

The absolute standout track gets handed to Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes), and her duet on ‘Undermine,’ with Charles Esten (Deacon Clayborne) is an absolutely amazing tune. The other gem comes from Clare Bowen (Scarlett O’Connor) on ‘If I Didn’t Know Better’ and sees yet another Australian(!) taking coals to Newcastle. A real surprise for me was Lennon and Maisy Stella’s “cover” version of the Juliette Barnes song ‘Telescope’. I’ve not reached the episode where Rayna’s two daughters perform it a a school talent show, but it’s a wee gem. The only out and out clunker is the punkified country of ‘Twist Of Barbwire’ performed by Jonathan Jackson, but having seen that episode, I reckon it’s supposed to be rubbish.

I’m not sure I would have enjoyed this as much if I hadn’t been a fan of the country soap opera, but if you’ve liked the series, this will bring it all back.

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