If That Ain't Country

If That Ain't Country


Ep. 238 - John Anderson - I Just Came Home To Count The Memories

June 09, 2017

In this episode, we're featuring an early album from John Anderson: "I Just Came Home To Count The Memories" (1982). On the Warner Brothers label, this release came at a time when country music was in it's post-Urban Cowboy slump (traditionally speaking), and the slick not-very-country material out of Nashville was ruling the charts. This album's the opposite of that sound, featuring great production, with excellent session musicians to boot - fiddles and steel compliment Anderson's trademark "backwoods growl" to wonderful effect. Songs like "Would You Catch A Falling Star", "I Danced With The San Antone Rose" and the creepy "Jessie Clay & The 12:05" make for an enjoyable listen, peaking with an excellent cover of "Don't Think Twice (It's All Right)". Unfortunately the album didn't do so well commercially, which may have prompted a stylistic change upon Anderson's next release - which really was a shame. As Country Music Scene at the time said, this could have been "just the record to lead country music lovers out of the crossover wilderness and back to basics."