Robbie Fulks's 'Country Love Songs' to be Reissued on Vinyl for First Time

As part of the 25th anniversary celebration of Bloodshot Records, Robbie Fulks's landmark debut album Country Love Songs will be made available on 180-gram, heavyweight vinyl for the first time on July 26. Fulks is coming off a run of incredibly successful and well-received albums, including Wild! Wild! Wild! with Linda Gail Lewis, Upland Stories (for which he was nominated for two Grammys), and career highlight Gone Away Backward.

Country Love Songs was co-produced by Steve Albini, and features appearances by the Skeletons, and Tom Brumley (of the Buckaroos), and drop-dead, now-classic honky tonk gems like "Every Kinda Music But Country," "The Buck Starts Here," and the sing-a-long fave "She Took A Lot Of Pills (And Died)." Foodies will love "The Scrapple Song," duet fetishists will adore "We'll Burn Together" and sinners will love "Let's Live Together."

Country Love Songs was the surprise hit of 1996, and at the time served notice that a) Country Music did NOT have to suck b) that he was a top-notch songwriter and performer and c) things in the underground country scene were never going to be the same. Truly the bar had been raised.

A veteran of Bloodshot's first two compilations, For A Life of Sin and Hell-Bent, he pitched us thusly:

"13 original country songs with an early 50's production aesthetic (hot vocals, robust bass, live instrumental tracks) and arrangement, reviving certain types of songs long abandoned by mainstream country music. Likewise in retro spirit, these songs will frequently violate current country songwriting trends which hold as taboo themes of negativism, forceful expression, and points of view uncongenial to the prevailing ideology of fatuous feelgoodism; they will instead reflect a modern sensibility in their emotional graphicness, vigorous iconoclasm, and sense of humor. In composition and presentation the music will honestly reflect the heart and personality of its author/singer, and in its fundamental sincerity will stand resolutely against the poisonous tides of camp."

To post a comment, you must register and login.