Marty Stuart – Let There Be Country
In 1987, when the New Traditionalist movement was going strong, Marty Stuart went into the studio to record his second album for Columbia. His self-titled debut for the label had been a raucous, rockabilly flavored affair, and it showed that Stuart, despite his background in bluegrass he joined Lester Flatts band as mandolin player at the tender age of 13 would not be confined to one particular musical style.
This time, however, Stuart stuck to more traditional material, covering songs by Merle Haggard, Bill Monroe, and Harlan Howard and throwing in a few new tunes by Max Barnes and others. For some reason, Columbia chose not to release the album (though two singles, Mirrors Dont Lie and Matches, went Top-70), and Stuarts contract with the label was terminated.
Stuart was picked up by MCA, where he went on to record a string of critically acclaimed and best-selling most of them, anyhow albums. (Until last years much-praised The Pilgrim, a commercial flop that resulted in Stuart being dropped by the label; but thats another story.)
When Stuarts career took off in the early 1990s, Columbia decided to capitalize on the singers success by finally releasing Let There Be Country. Unavailable for several years, its now been reissued as part of Lucky Dogs Pick of the Litter series.
Its a good, but not great, album that, in hindsight, hints of better things to come. The title track, in particular, is classic Marty Stuart. A revved-up, honky-tonk-meets-rock-n-roll number, it kicks off with Stuarts driving Telecaster (the same one Clarence White used to own and play). Its simultaneously a declaration of purpose and a nod one of his musical mentors. I come from Mississippi, whats countrier than that? he sings. Hit the ground a runnin, thanks to Lester Flatt/Now the old man had saying about the way things ought to be/Boy, as long as you breathe, let there be country.
The trouble starts with track two, a straight cover of Merle Haggards Mirrors Dont Lie. Its a midtempo ballad about facing up to the truth. (Mirrors dont lie, a mirror wont lie/I know so, cause one just told the truth on me.) Despite Stuarts reverence for traditional country music, his voice isnt always up to the task. (Hes no Dwight Yoakam.) Hearing him struggle to sing Mirrors Dont Lie only reminds you how good it sounded when Haggard did it. The same problem mars Im A One Wo_man Man, a hit for both Johnny Horton and George Jones.
His cover of Bill Monroes Get Down On Your Knees And Pray comes off better, perhaps because Stuart puts his own stamp on the song by turning it into a gospel blues, complete with harmonica, electric slide guitar and piano.