Album Review – Charley Crockett’s “Jukebox Charley”
Before Charley Crockett released his debut original album on Thirty Tigers, before he was selling out clubs coast to coast, headlining festivals, topping Americana radio charts, appearing on CBS This Morning and other nationally-televised programs, or being named the Saving Country Music Artist of the Year, he released an album in 2017 called Charley Crockett Presents: Lil G.L.’s Honky Tonk Jubilee where he covered 16 classic country tunes. In fact, it was debuted right here on Saving Country Music.
Very few knew of Charley Crockett at the time, and the album was his way of paying dues and paying tribute to all the past greats that influenced his (hopefully) upcoming country music career. It was laying down the foundation for things to come. The next year, he added to that foundation with Lil G.L.’s Blue Bonanza. Last year, Crockett did a solid to one of the most overlooked legends in country music by recording Lil’ G. L. Presents: 10 For Slim, Charley Crockett Sings James Hand.
Now here five years after that first Lil’ G.L. installment, and after Charley Crockett has gone from an obscure street performer to one of the fastest-rising names in independent country, he’s still taking time to pay tribute to the past greats, this time with his fourth installment in the Lil G.L. Presents catalog called Jukebox Charley.
There was a time in country music when your worth was measured in the amount of dues you paid, and also in how many of the old classic songs you knew. With Jukebox Charley, Crockett proves his body of knowledge is quite deep, as is his pool of talent to interpret these songs with his band The Blue Drifters.
For certain, Charley Crockett doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody at this point in his career. But despite his recent and continued success, Crockett remains the hardest-working, and hungriest performer out there, taking nothing for granted, and not letting his foot off the pedal either live or in the studio, including still taking time to tribute past greats. In fact, a strong case can be made that some, or maybe many fans in the country and Americana realm are suffering from a little Charley Crockett fatigue after releasing records at a two-per-year clip, and often with 14 or more tracks.
But that takes nothing away from the effort, and the quality of the songs found on Jukebox Charley, enhanced by the obscurity of the selections, and the customized production effort brought to each individual song. It might be one thing if Crockett was releasing 14 songs with just his road band playing live in front of a hot studio mic with little thought or arrangement. But along with producer Billy Horton, Charley Crockett brings a unique atmosphere to each selection, considering era, region, and genre in how they will interpret each song, bearing a similar care to what he brings to his original material.
Whether it’s the watery effect on the vocals and the backup chorus brought to bear on Porter Wagoner’s “Heartbreak Affair” to really give you those 60’s chills, or the piano and snare brushes for Wayne Kemp’s “Same Old Situation” to get that smoky lounge feel, or switching up the words just a bit on Roger Miller’s “Where Have All The Honest (Average) People Gone” to make it more pertinent to today’s listeners, each song was thought out and textured to make it distinguishable and memorable.
Some of Jukebox Charley‘s selections are less obscure than others, like the title track, which might be recognized by Johnny Paycheck fans straight off the bat, or the traditional cowboy song “Diamond Joe,” which was recently covered by Colter Wall. But even devoted Tom T. Hall fans were left perplexed by the listing of the song “Lonely In Person” that Crockett scared up. And by edifying the track with a passionate rendition, you have to tip your hat to Charley for officially entering such a cool song into the country music consciousness.
Covering old country songs isn’t just an exercise in tribute. This is often how a new generation discovers these timeless tracks, as well as the original performers who sang them, and composers who wrote them. Even those that cast of Crockett as a lispy hipster can hopefully see the value in resuscitating, or in some cases, exhuming these cool country songs, and getting people under the age of 60 to pay attention to them. Crockett has that undeniable “cool” factor that has the audience intently listening to old country and swamp blues songs otherwise dismissed in popular culture.
Sure, the prolific nature of Charley Crockett’s output can get a little Groundhog Day, especially with how crowded release windows are these days in general. But who wants to try and tell Charley Crockett to slow down? And he’s yet to turn in a subpar effort. Jukebox Charley is pretty perfect for putting on in the background, setting a mood, and losing yourself in the warmness of bygone eras when the music came with more purpose and feeling.
A master interpreter with a band that can follow him wherever he chooses to go, Jukebox Charley is an invaluable revivalist patently important to keeping the most potent of roots music expressions alive in the modern context.
1 3/4 Guns Up (7.5/10)
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Purchase from Charley Crockett on vinyl and on CD.
Purchase from Amazon.
(See song credits below)
TRACK LIST:
1. Make Way For a Better Man
(Performer: Willie Nelson / Writer: Cy Coben)
2. I Feel For You
(Performer: Jerry Reed / Writer: Jerry Reed)
3. Lonely In Person
(Writer: Tom T. Hall)
4. Diamond Joe
(Performer: Various / Writer: Cowboy Traditional)
5. Where Have All The Honest People Gone
(Performer: Roger Miller / Writer: Dennis Linde)
6. Home Motel
(Performer: Willie Nelson / Writer: Willie Nelson)
7. Jukebox Charley
(Performer: Johnny Paycheck / Writers: Johnny Paycheck, Aubrey Mayhew)
8. I Hope It Rains At My Funeral
(Performer: Tom T. Hall / Writer: Tom T. Hall)
9. Heartbreak Affair
(Performer: Porter Wagoner / Writer: Kay Adams)
10. Battle With The Bottle
(Writers: Joe Avants Jr., John Koonse)
11. Out Of Control
(Performer: George Jones / Writers: George Jones, Derrell Edwards, Herby Treece)
12. Six Foot Under
(Performer: Bob Fryfogle, Others / Writers: Clint Lewis, James Hutchins)
13. Same Old Situation
(Writers: Wayne Kemp, Bill McDonald)
14. Between My House And Town
(Performer: George Jones / Writer: Sanger D. “Whitey” Shafer)
April 27, 2022 @ 9:01 am
A – MEN to all of that!
April 27, 2022 @ 9:11 am
As good as Charley is, he really suffers from most of his songs sounding more or less the same. Every time I listen to one of his albums things tend to blend together. There aren’t any clunkers, but very few real highs either.
April 27, 2022 @ 9:32 am
I actually don’t think that Charley Crockett’s songs all sound the same. I think he does a tremendous job separating each track by bringing a unique approach to each one of them, even if they all fit under the greater Charley Crockett sound. I thought a lot about this when listening and reviewing this record specifically. There is a ton of variety in regard to instrumentation, production, and approach to these songs. In my opinion, the problem is that he’s just been so prolific lately, even with all the variety he brings to the songs, it can still feel like he’s treading the same ground over and over, to the point where I respect when someone says, “Hey, I like this guy, but all of his stuff is running together.”
April 27, 2022 @ 9:44 am
I have to agree with you. And as someone who really likes listening to albums all the way through, it’s hard to keep up when I have a list of 30+ other albums I’m still trying to get to.
I originally found Charley’s music when he just had his first two, R&B leaning albums out and I really enjoyed those. I wouldn’t mind him switching back to that sound for a bit even though the whole 60’s, retro, R&B revival, or whatever you want to call it, has kind of been played out.
That being said it seems like he’s plenty happy staying in this lane just like Colter Wall is with his western music (I preferred his first two albums, forced singing aside). More power to them!
April 27, 2022 @ 9:14 am
This is the first CC album that I’ve sat down to listen to properly, being an Englishman who has only just really gotten back into Country thanks to Trigger, Grady Smith, Spectrum Pulse, Overshore etc. (thanks Trigger)
As such, I came to it reasonably fresh from the release fatigue that the review mentions and absolutely loved it.
It’s all rather marvellous but my favourite track (as a massive Tom T Hall fan) is “I Hope It Rains At My Funeral” which is a wonderful deep cut that brought a tear to my eye on first listen.
April 27, 2022 @ 10:00 am
I like the guy’s music but when I saw him live this past January, his whole show seemed like a “show”. When I go see Tyler Childers, no matter the venue, I can see he feels the lyrics and so do the Food Stamps. And if you haven’t seen Arlo live yet, go and you will cry.
April 27, 2022 @ 10:14 am
The biggest complaints you always hear about him are 1) his persona makes him seem phony (kind of similar to what you’re saying) and 2) his voice is a little too nasal-y.
I can understand both of those criticisms, however when listening to his albums, I have to say the quality is always there. It’s good stuff. His voice may not be the GOAT of voices, but he delivers the goods.
April 27, 2022 @ 10:47 am
I really like the sound of his music. It’s that I almost always wish someone else was singing it. 10+ years ago his music and persona were very different. Who honestly buys that he’s been rocking the 1960’s country aesthetic for more than a few years? It’s amusing to me that ‘Midland are total frauds’ BUT BUT Charlie is as real as they come.
April 27, 2022 @ 10:54 am
What’s strange to me is that the only criticism I ever see or hear of Charley Crockett is on this website, and in this comments section. Everywhere else, it’s a complete 180, whether I’m interacting with folks at events, or seeing comments on Facebook or elsewhere. The Facebook comments are an exact opposite of what is here, and it’s not just for this review, but all of my Charley Crockett coverage. Folks love this guy. Every festival wants to book him. And I’m not saying I don’t see where some of the criticism is coming from. Most certainly he has an “act,” and he does that act, and as I said in the review, I think the amount of stuff he’s released has left him a bit overexposed. If he was releasing an album every other year like Colter Wall, you wouldn’t hear half the criticism. But when I bust through all the noise an listen to the music, it’s just hard to argue against.
April 27, 2022 @ 12:45 pm
To your point, most true country fans aren’t going to go out of their way to leave nasty remarks about his singing on his social media or on youtube. On this site however roasting some country artists is normal, especially the ones you don’t like. It’s only an issue when someone you like gets roasted. People are certainly allowed to like what they like. Also I’m not arguing against the merit of the sound of his style of music. His voice just bores me. He wouldnt be famous if the bar for “real country music’ wasn’t so ridiculously low right now.
April 27, 2022 @ 1:31 pm
Yeah, that’s not what’s going on at all. Across the board Facebook comments are always dramatically more negative than whatever is going on here. I’m not criticizing anyone for leaving negative comments about Charley Crockett. I’m just very curious as to why it happens here and not anywhere else. I really don’t have an answer, but I do want to point it out just in case someone comes here and feels like the sentiment on Charley Crockett is almost universally negative.
April 27, 2022 @ 1:19 pm
I think Crockett’s popular and universally well regarded outside this comments section (which attracts it’s share of ill-tempered nerds and trolls) for two main reasons, in my opinion: 1) He’s got a gimmick, and 2) He’s hungry.
Point 1. People love a gimmick and they love a “show”. Crockett’s got all that in spades – he’s got the outfits, the affected way of speaking and singing, the mix of debonair cockiness and aww-shucks humility, charisma to spare on stage and off. People love seeing him because he’s an anachronism, and a performer on and off the stage.
Point 2, he’s obviously hungry and willing to play the game and hustle hard. What do they say about success? 10% talent and 90% hard work. Not saying Crockett isn’t talented (he is), but he’s obviously working harder than most, and he’ll do the long tours, the interviews, the photo shoots, the appearances, the glad-handing etc. I suspect he’s probably an easy and dependable guy to work with, making him a no-brainer for booking.
A couple other things to consider. He’s not particularly political or divisive in that regard and he is (or appears to be) bi-racial. Big points there there’s days. He’s respected by conservative purists and safe enough for liberal hipsters. He’s got the “it” factor for sure.
April 27, 2022 @ 7:44 pm
At least on this post, there are more comments about the complaints than there are actual complaints, and certainly more compliments.
Maybe I’m just an I’ll-tempered nerdy troll, but I think it would be a little weird if he received ZERO criticism for his goofy aww shucks hipster act. He does seem like a good guy, so great for him and the people that like him that he’s successfully. But why does it have to be universal?
April 28, 2022 @ 9:02 am
There are a lot of hipsters out there who follow the independent country/Americana scene that tend to gravitate towards artists like Charley… until those artists begin tasting success. Once they catch a hint mainstream success, the hipsters get salty. They’re jealous that the artist is “selling out” and not catering to a niche audience anymore. They don’t respect the hustle. They expect the musicians they “support” to live out the starving artist narrative, and turn down any opportunities for commercial success. They expect you to play the same run down dives and live in your van for the rest of your career. You see the same behavior in the indie rock and metal scenes. This mentality has made it very difficult for newer bands in underground rock/metal scenes to break through and is partially the reason for why mainstream rock has allowed itself to become stagnant over the past 20 years.
April 28, 2022 @ 9:07 am
Joe Mama’s right.
April 28, 2022 @ 11:40 am
Best then, I suppose, not to market yourself as, or to hipsters.
April 28, 2022 @ 1:13 pm
Seems natural that followers of SCM would be concerned with being arbiters of “Authenticity” but thats a helluva rabbit hole to go down. You could make similar comments regarding showmanship of many of the greats; does anyone really think the majority of these guys had day jobs as ranch hands and their rhinestone suits happened to be standard issue work wear? At some point it becomes somewhat of a vanity parcing out who’s more authentic amongst those who generally genuinely strive to uphold country music- does anyone really need to have a scholarly discussion on whos more authentic: Chris Ledoux or George Strait? ones more cowboy than musician and the others is more musician than cowboy… they’re each a little bit of both and great contributors to the genre. I think its fair to say there are showmen and there are showmen- the former vary between those who sit alone on stage with a 6 string and sing poetry and others who bring an 8 piece band to put on a sort of passion play honoring a shared community of nostalgia and roots. The later are grifters capitalizing on an “image” that might just be desirable enough to get people to part with the contents of their wallets (doesn’t make for the best music but you could argue- and it has been argued here- that they still have a net benefit for real country). Its certainly okay to think Tyler Childers is more of a poet than Charley Crocket but both of them belong the the former group and neither can be fairly labeled grifter a la Midland. End of the day, per wikipedia, Charley Crockett grew up in a Texas trailer park raised by a single mother, got him a gee-tar from the pawn shop, cut his teeth in deep elum and the french quarter, turned vagabond, went west, sold pot, got busted, etc. Maybe his time in France rubbed off some odd fashion sense but I’ve seen worse on David Allan Coe and Crockett’s music is a damn far cry from the written-by-committee stuff you get from the likes of Midland.
May 3, 2022 @ 9:39 am
Midland can’t catch a break around here can they lol? You argue that the constant concern with authenticity around here has become a pointless venture, but proceed to dunk on Midland for being country grifters haha. Yes, they are corporate country. It can’t be denied Nashville producers with a lust for royalties are meddling with/tweaking the music, but all three members of Midland are very much involved in the songwriting process of their records. They clearly have talent. From a writing perspective, they were more involved than dare I say, George Strait, who, up until this last decade, had only written a handful of his songs(Forgive me George). George isn’t any less authentic for not writing his own hits though. His raw talent and personal interpretation of the songs written for him are what make him the legendary artist that he is. Also, for the record, anything that the legendary Dean Dillon or George has written annihilates anything written by Midland(no offense Midland) or Shane McAnus.
May 4, 2022 @ 4:58 pm
Again with the profoundly boring vox, playing other people’s music they did better and with better bands. I’ll take it over the filth on the radio/cmas, but he’s becoming more and more of a cartoon character, a parody, without a point of view beyond the image. More power to him- I hope he keeps pushing the music, but good lord. Thinking about other stylist Daniel Romano, who released a few similarly hokey country albums before he found his niche, I wonder if there’s anything beyond this hokey pokey.
April 27, 2022 @ 11:37 am
I think that’s kind of the point of his whole act. He wants to do 60s country music. Those people weren’t all cowboys, outlaws and honky-tonk waitresses who wandered into a recording studio. But they and the team of producers, managers and agents behind them built a public image that they wanted to project to the fans in the music, in the stage show and in real life.
Now since then the taste in country and many other genres has been to a more personal, singer-songwriter type of performance, at least among those who want to be taken “seriously” for whatever that’s worth. But I don’t discount someone who’s more showy and extravagant. Tyler Childers is awesome but Charley Crockett could rock a Nudie suit like nobody’s business even if his music may not touch as many people on a personal level.
Just different strokes I suppose. There should be room for all types of acts and all types of approaches to the music itself. As long as they meet the standards of the listener, of course.
April 27, 2022 @ 12:45 pm
“his whole show seemed like a “show””
Well, I mean, that’s his thing… he’s an just as much of an entertainer/showman as he is an artist.
May 3, 2022 @ 8:03 am
I agree some people like a “show” and some like authentic musicianship. I never cared for the Grandpa Jones, Tiny Tim approach.
April 27, 2022 @ 10:03 am
Charlie Crockett really does have it all….except for a good singing voice.
April 28, 2022 @ 9:23 am
His vocals are certainly unorthodox. Sounds good to me though, I dig it. It’s unique and stands out amongst the hordes of prospective country singers out there.
April 27, 2022 @ 10:12 am
I’ve grown to like Charley more as his music career has gone on. So I hate to say this now but that lisp he has kills me sometimes it makes some songs hard to listen to.
April 27, 2022 @ 12:02 pm
This is just my take but I feel like the lisp was from his teeth. Pretty sure he just got porcelain veneers when he recorded the albums. In Bend he sang songs off those albums with no lisp, I was expecting it and they do sound much better without it. I know he mentioned in an interview that he has a speech impediment, so that in combination with the teeth explains those albums and how he was singing.
April 27, 2022 @ 10:55 am
A great listen! Love the old timey sounds. The steel guitar is tasty and the lead players fretwork is equally great. Call Charley whatever category you want, im all in!
April 27, 2022 @ 11:29 am
I like that he picks lesser known songs. Good album.
Wish more of Tom T Hall’s albums were on streaming.
April 27, 2022 @ 11:55 am
I just saw him for the first time in Bend Oregon. I am an even bigger fan now. Vincent Neil Emerson opened for him and he was great but you couldn’t help but be depressed after his performance because of how sad his songs are. I noticed Charley picks his set list like a master performer. He keeps it fun and the extended versions of his songs are amazing. He’s got an A+ band. To me he has merged the street performance vibe with real artistry and its a beautiful thing. Yes he’s over performing but its genuine if that makes sense, he’s intentionally doing it and not trying to be something he’s not.
The best part about it was he played at least a six song encore for Bend because they supported him so much early on, which told me a lot about his character. He’s just a damn good guy.
I am guessing when I see Ian Noe next week, I will have tears in my eyes. Charley understands that shows are supposed to be fun, that’s the street performer in him. You don’t get tips on the street playing sad songs all the time.
April 27, 2022 @ 11:56 am
He has quite the biography.
April 27, 2022 @ 2:34 pm
I’m going to sit down and listen to this when I get time. I really liked the tribute album he did last year. I don’t mind that he likes putting on a good show. I mean I like to hear some troubadours myself but nothing wrong with putting on a good entertaining show either.
April 27, 2022 @ 3:20 pm
Well I listened real good. I have to say it was excellent. A few songs I didn’t like but it was the songs not his performance of them. He did really well on Tom Ts songs and the Roger Miller song was outstanding as well. Thanks for the review trigger, I might have missed that one.
April 27, 2022 @ 4:27 pm
I’ve been looking forward to this release and it did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoy these Jukebox Charlie records and hope he continues to release them. No fatigue at all. Charlie is the man!
April 27, 2022 @ 9:39 pm
Just like William Lee Golden and the Goldens 3 cds of classic country, gospel and rock songs, this sounds right up my alley, love the retro sound, kind of sounds like Junior Brown. I definitely will be checking this album out as I like what I hear so far.
April 28, 2022 @ 5:01 am
Charly is just fantastic. A real throwback to the music our grandpappies listened to as little boys. It just feels right and I love the guy. It still amazes me that such a great and breakthrough act in our genre is considered a breakout smash and only has maybe a million views on Youtube. For context the Dr Phil “Catch Me Outside” teenage twerking rap girl and some fellas from Atlanta who monosyllabically grunt about which opposing gang members they’ve killed get half a billion
April 28, 2022 @ 5:33 am
I think one of the issues people have with Charley’s “act” is that we are in the widespread information age. We know now how labels and studios created images for many of those old time artists. So people started gravitating to artists that are real or at least put on a “real” sheen. Think Taylor Swift’s portrayal of being a normal girl while living in a mansion and dating a Kennedy.
Crockett is the exact opposite. He is clearly channeling the tenor of a vaudeville show. He plays a character. I like it myself but it is much an image as anything that Music Row tries to sell us. The difference with Crockett is that he is singing songs that the purists like.
April 28, 2022 @ 12:03 pm
In my opinion, he has no voice with a range, with the subtlety to phrase and to emote feelings – he comes across as boring, everything sounds the same. Even though on this record he does sound a bit better…
But the musical arrangements and the production are fine, some great steel guitar. The selection of material is outstanding. But I can’t listen to his whole catalog, after 20 minutes or so, I had enough. I simply don’t get him and think he’s overrated for what he’s doing. Besides the songs and the stories behind it, Country Music was always about the voices singing it, and I miss this coming across here.
And it’s not that I don’t want to like him, there are so many great things about his background, his persona, and the song selections he makes – but something is missing for me.
April 28, 2022 @ 10:54 pm
What is a “hipster”? Serious question. I’ve been seeing the word used a lot on this site lately. Somebody even said all hipsters are communists. What is a hipster?
April 29, 2022 @ 7:55 am
The term is usually used as a pejorative for somebody who is overly obsessed with trends or rather staying ahead of trends – whether it’s fashion, music, movies, books, and even food.
This type of person is highly pretentious and values irony and sarcasm in every aspect of their life (“weird” or “silly” clothing, “weird” hobbies). They’re also typically culture vultures and cultural tourists, adopting or sampling elements of cultures they would otherwise mock (which makes country music ripe for the picking for a hipster) – for this reason it’s sometimes difficult to determine whether a hipster is sincere in their love and enjoyment of something (ie. authentic), or rather simply wearing a temporary “costume”, quickly dropped once the next thing comes along (ie. a poser).
In most cases “hipsters” lean politically liberal (hence, “communists”).
April 29, 2022 @ 9:33 am
Thanks for that informative answer!
I’ve been called a hipster before. I didn’t really get why. I think it’s because I wear glasses and listen to records!
I don’t know if I get the communist part. I think most liberals and hipsters are as greedy and money grubbing as anyone else
April 29, 2022 @ 1:33 pm
Ask ten people to define “hipster” and you’ll probably get ten different answers. The way I see it though, a “hipster” at his or her core has a loose relationship with sincerity and objectivity, and hide their personal insecurities and lack of character behind a veil of irony and subjectivity.
If everything is ironic or subjective, and nothing has meaning, and nothing matters, you’re invincible and you’re at constant odds with traditional mainstream society and culture. You’re an iconoclast, a rebel, and a perpetual hero in your own story. This attitude has roots in postmodernism, which also informs a lot of current liberal political thought.
April 29, 2022 @ 6:28 pm
Thanks for your answer!
I’m pretty much at odds with traditional mainstream society, that’s for sure!
Maybe I am a hipster after all 🙂
April 30, 2022 @ 1:32 pm
Jason,
Your mistake, is that you have an American public school level understanding of what a communist is. “Communist” and “liberal” aren’t interchangeable terms. And make no mistake, communists are the greediest of them all.
April 30, 2022 @ 2:56 pm
I was just quoting somebody who said that hipsters are communists. Which made me wonder what hipsters are.
I don’t know what hipsters OR communists are. I didn’t even graduate high school! What’s your excuse???
I DO know who the best Honky Tonk Telecaster player was though. That would be Don Rich.
April 30, 2022 @ 1:27 pm
Tex Hex,
I choose my words very carefully. When I say “communist”, I don’t mean “liberal”.
April 30, 2022 @ 4:37 am
At 71 I am no hipster. I lean politically left but am far from being a communist.
I think Crockett is a force of nature. As far as putting on a show, damn right he does.He killed on Austin City Limits last fall.
I’m old enough to remember when Jerry Lee Lewis put on a show. Should we trash talk Ketch Secor and Old Crow? Chill out and enjoy his music.
April 30, 2022 @ 8:02 am
Good post!
I haven’t mentioned Charley yet, but I do love him. I have all his records. I’ve seen him live twice now and thought he and his band kicked ass! I saw him last in San Francisco and the show was sold out. There were undoubtedly a lot of “hipsters” at the show, but also a lot of real folks too. I couldn’t believe the energy in the crowd and the fact that there were all these younger people singing along to these classic songs.
I’m 50 and grew up in San Francisco, but now I’ve been converted to the Church of Classic Country. I listen to p50’s and 60’s country mainly. For the most part, I couldn’t care less about anybody new but Charley is someone I really enjoy.
People say that he’s not a good enough singer, but it’s not just about the voice.
Was Ernest Tubb a great singer?
April 30, 2022 @ 3:58 pm
Charley had me, at Run Horse Run
May 5, 2022 @ 3:13 pm
The peanut gallery keeps throwing shade at Charley and he just keeps ascending.