Levon Helm “American Son”
1980s, Country, Classic, Solo Matty Wishnow 1980s, Country, Classic, Solo Matty Wishnow

Levon Helm “American Son”

Levon Helm already had a lot of miles on him by 1980. Over the ensuing thirty years, he would travel fewer miles, but the wear and tear would still be great. The man who could drum and sing like no other suffered physically, financially and personally. He battled cancer. He battled his bandmate. He settled in Woodstock. Lost in his rich and complex story is “American Son,” the out of print, raucous, joyous, flawed album that is hard to think about but so easy to feel.

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Willie Nelson “Always On My Mind”
1980s, Country, Pop, Solo Matty Wishnow 1980s, Country, Pop, Solo Matty Wishnow

Willie Nelson “Always On My Mind”

Something happened with Willie in the 80s. It’s hard to know if it was a creative choice or exhaustion or age or a dry spell. Or none of the above. Maybe it was Reagan. Country music had gotten wind-swept into the realm of Adult Contemporary. The wind carried most everyone in this direction — Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Eddie Rabbit and Conway Twitty all got nudged to the right by this wind. And, yes, so did Willie.

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