Vintage Album Review – Elizabeth Cook’s “Balls”

It’s fun to ponder the enigma that is Elizabeth Cook’s career. To some, maybe many, she is the host of Apron Strings on SiriusXM’s Outlaw channel first and foremost, just because they spend so much time with her each week to the point where she feels like family. When considering her music, many would probably cite 2010’s Welder as her master work. A stark, raw, and honest singer-songwriter effort of the alt-country realm, it was certainly a high water mark for her career.
But Elizabeth Cook enjoyed an entire era of straight up traditional country output at the start of her career, peeking with her 2007 record Balls, which has just been reissued by Thirty Tigers to celebrate its 15th anniversary. An excellent little country album that showcases Cook’s strong voice and songwriting, it’s still most certainly a gem worth listening to here 15 years later.
It’s the song “Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman” that gives rise to the album’s rather racy title, and has become one of Elizabeth Cook’s signature tunes. Written at a time when Cook was becoming disenfranchised with the country music industry in Nashville, she started performing the song around town, and it caught the ear of legendary songwriter Nancy Griffith, who helped put Cook in touch with Rodney Crowell, who eventually produced the album. The song was a ballsy move so to speak, but it paid off.
Balls has some decent variety, like a Velvet Underground cover in the form of “Sunday Morning,” and the rather cheeky “Times Are Tough in Rock n’ Roll,” which speaks to Elizabeth Cook’s growing disdain for the music business at the time (as well as Britney Spears and Rolling Stone). But the balance of the album are these short, but very sweet little country songs that take a simple premise, and turn them into sincere moments. It’s Harlan Howard’s “three chords and the truth” put to action in a way that makes you heed Harlan’s maxim.

Seriously, if you want some superior examples of the beauty of simple country songs, listen to “What Do I Do,” or “Mama’s Prayers,” or “Gonna Be,” and you’ll be convinced. Some listeners may even think these songs are too simple—missing a verse or two—especially after listening to the more involved compositions on Cook’s subsequent album Welder. But the beauty here is saying so much with so little like all great country songs do, and Rodney Crowell resists the urge to make these songs “Americana.” These are country songs that fit Elizabeth Cook’s voice exquisitely, and that’s how they’re ultimately rendered.
Near the end of the album is where it turns the most personal, and maybe even prescient. The dour and hopeless “Down Girl” sets up the much more optimistic “Gonna Be,” where Elizabeth Cook predicts her future moment in the spotlight is still out there to be snatched. And that’s exactly what happened after the release of Balls. With endorsements from Patty Griffin, producer Rodney Crowell, and Bobby Bare who Cook sings a duet with on the album, she went from struggling songwriter and performer, to a fast-rising name in independent country. No, she did not become a superstar. But soon she would become the Grand Ole Opry’s favorite fill-in performer, a mainstay in Nashville’s independent scene, and eventually a Sirius XM radio show host.
Subsequently Elizabeth Cook moved much more into the Americana lane. Listening to her 2020 album Aftermath, there’s not a whole lot resembling country music at all. You have to respect the creative butterfly that is Elizabeth Cook, and wanting to cage her in a specific genre might be cruel. But as a country fan, you can’t help but wish she would make another country album at some point, specifically due to how well she nailed it on Balls. She still knows all the old country standards and gospel stuff front to back, and will still perform it whenever the opportunity is right. So that possibility still remains.
But that’s the great thing about great country albums. They never go anywhere and you can always return to them, and sometimes they get even better with age. So if most the new stuff in 2022 is leaving you a little bit nonplussed, it’s a great opportunity to revisit Elizabeth Cook’s Balls.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8.4/10)
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Purchase Elizabeth Cook’s Balls
June 27, 2022 @ 11:06 am
She’s got such a nice presence on Apron Strings, she cheers me up every time she talks. What a great personality.
Thanks for the heads up on this album, I’ll be listening to it today.
June 27, 2022 @ 11:25 am
Agree fully. She is a treasure. Probably the best DJ Sirius XM has on any station. They don’t make em like her anymore!
June 27, 2022 @ 11:16 am
Spectacular album. Played it all the time when it came out.
June 27, 2022 @ 12:22 pm
Had the pleasure of seeing her with Robbie Fulks when this album came out. She put on a great show and I still spin this album from time to time.
June 27, 2022 @ 12:51 pm
Wow! That’s so weird, I literally just put this record on yesterday. I had no idea there was an anniversary or anything.
Yeah, wall to wall bangers on this. Great record.
June 27, 2022 @ 1:42 pm
Love Elizabeth Cook I love the her music & she does a fantastic job with her radio show. Elizabeth Cook is definitely a treasure in the underground country movement & one that would be sorely missed if something were to happen to her. “Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman” is up there with the great female movement songs that were written & song by Tammy Wynette & Loretta Lynn & just like many of these underground country artists such as Hank 3, Shooter, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Eady, & so on…I can’t help but wonder if Elizabeth would be a Superstar had she & the rest of them had been around 40 years ago or so, granted the competition would be tougher for them but I don’t think they would be held back by a system that pushes processed bubble gum bull shit that we have had in the last 20 years or so in the mainstream.
June 27, 2022 @ 2:17 pm
She was here in 2019 at my little local suburban classy intimate venue Hey Nonny where our favorite gals (Em Scott Robinson, Side Pony) and many other ladies are welcomed with open arms. Put on a wonderful show, she was happy to be here, and chatted with everyone afterwards…… a memorable evening! Charles Wesley Godwin was here Saturday and Sarah is in town for 3 shows this week including tonight. Can’t beat that on a Monday!!
June 28, 2022 @ 7:33 am
I grew up in Arlington Heights and yet never heard of Hey Nonny. Huge bummer, it looks awesome.
I got most of my intimate shows at Space in Evanston the last few years before fleeing the state.
June 28, 2022 @ 8:15 am
Yeah I stumbled upon it when it first opened, Chris Knight was playing and even though I didn’t get there that night I’ve really come to love the place as I live in Elk Grove and it’s 10 minutes away. They have cool music both local & national acts 6 nights a week. I’ve only been to Space once when Sierra Ferrell played but I’m looking forward to seeing American Aquarium and Jesse Daniel there in Sept. nice venue as well!
June 27, 2022 @ 2:17 pm
When there’s a lot of Dolly Parton in Elizabeth Cook, that’s a good thing.
June 28, 2022 @ 1:13 pm
Whenever I would describe her I would tell my family and friends, if Dolly Parton and Lou Reed had a baby….
I still have my signed Balls album and let her have her picture made with me in Atlanta a couple of times. She is a creative force of nature and talented enough to be a huge star. I’m a huge fanboi clearly.
I discovered her when Welder came out and love Balls, but Exodus of Venus is my favorite.
June 27, 2022 @ 2:40 pm
I’ve been a long time fan since her early albums, buying “Hey Y’all” at Tower Records in the ShOpryland mall in good ol’ Nashville Tenn-o-see in the wayback days. But I digress… “Balls” is probably my favorite Elizabeth Cook album, because it still gets more spins at home and in my truck than any of her other albums. I do like much of her music, and that wonderful vivacious personality and super sweet voice that shines through the Sirius-XM radio channel. I’m ready for another album… how about a Live album with her band Gravy.
June 27, 2022 @ 5:25 pm
Don’t forget the fishing show. She likes to fish.
June 27, 2022 @ 7:09 pm
I became an immediate Elizabeth Cook fan the first time I saw her “Stupid Things” music video on The Nashville Network (or possibly CMT) when that song was first released to country radio and for the most part completely ignored for being “Far too country”. The song and style reminded me of Dolly Parton and the video is one of the most creative animated videos to come out of Music Row and thankfully a grainy version of the video has been independently posted to YouTube.
As much as I love “Hey Y’All” my favorite album of Elizabeth’s is her untitled indie debut album which she simply calls “The Blue Album”. It is one of the best traditional country debut albums ever put out by anyone in my opinion (along with Dierks Bentley’s indie debut album as well for that matter).
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Elizabeth perform live here in the Los Angeles area a few times over the years and always thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I’ve never subscribed to Sirius/XM but I’m sure I’d enjoy her Apron Strings show just because of Elizabeth’s irrepressible personality. I remember she became deeply depressed and angry when her mother died suddenly of pneumonia years ago but I’m glad she was able to bounce back.
June 28, 2022 @ 7:23 am
Times are tough in rock and roll
Beer can’t be bought
Wine can’t be sold
Glad to see this event get some attention here. Was hoping you’d write about it.
I treasure this album. Bought it after reading a great feature on her in the old No Depression print magazine. This one, Welder and the Gospel Plow EP are my favorites by her. Got to see three great shows during that period where she had a great little combo that featured former husband Tim Carroll on lead guitar and the late Bones Hillman on bass. At one of those shows, she had family in the audience and her Dad (who was quite the character) was there and got up from the family table and sang a bluesy number. Great times.
June 28, 2022 @ 7:56 am
Love this album and and I am a big fan of all her music, cannot wait to see what else she does.
June 28, 2022 @ 9:23 am
Love her and this album in particular, lost her weeks ago at the Stockholm Americana cause she played too early on the first day and i was flying from Italy! How can you have her at a a festival and not give her a better slot? anyway…great stuff
June 29, 2022 @ 9:52 pm
She is opening some shows for Robert Earl Keen now, and I get to see her in a few days. Looking forward to it.
June 30, 2022 @ 9:30 am
Opening for the Turnpike Troubadours in NC in October. I think American Aquarium might have been added to the bill.
July 1, 2022 @ 2:43 pm
My favorite of hers is “Before I Go That Far”. It’s one of those country songs that even though it is “just” about the potential end of a relationship seems so much more. Like those love songs that are actually about death or Jesus.