Cue The Frying Pan

WE WANT POTTS!!!
I assume everyone has seen State Senator Russ Potts's new ad? If you haven't, go to his website at http://www.russpotts.com/ .

I'll tell you what; I've always had an offbeat sense of humor, so I nearly died laughing when I saw this ad. It's just about the best non-serious political ad I've ever seen. It's a great play on a name that is easy to use in jest.

What better way to drill a candidate's name into a voter's head than yelling it a couple dozen times (I count 28, including the baby) while banging kitchenware (and in some cases, dancing)??

I've met Russ Potts. I like him alot. When ever I have the chance to see him, he always jokes that he and I are "Mutt and Jeff" (I'm 6'4", and he's...little). He's a nice person, and he would make an excellent governor.

If this were a Kilgore/Potts race, I would support Potts faster than you could skin a rabbit. But it's not. It's a Kilgore/Potts/Kaine race, and Tim Kaine is the man to beat Jerry Kilgore. Russ Potts is a great candidate, and he adds a whole lot to this race (including a second person to take...dare I say it..."Pott"shots at Kilgore).

MUSIC REVIEW: "Hits I Missed...And One I Didn't" By George Jones

This is George Jones's newest CD, coming out in his 51st year in the country music business. It covers 11 songs that were brought to him to record, that he turned down, and that later became huge hits for other artists. It also includes a re-recording of his biggest hit (that he almost passed up).

Track listing:

1-Funny How Time Slips Away (originally a hit for Billy Walker) - Listening to the now 74 year old Jones sing this song, it sounds like he's just ran into an old flame from decades ago.

2-Detroit City (originally a hit for Bobby Bare) - George Jones has always sang about the working man and his troubles. What better than the ultimate working man's song?

3-Blues Man (originally a hit for Hank Williams, Jr.) (sang w/ Dolly Parton) - Everyone says this was written about George Jones himself, but he maintains it's about Hank WIlliams, Sr. I tend to think it's a little of both.

4-Here In The Real World (orginally a hit for Alan Jackson) - I think the "love always works in movies, but not in real life" scenario is a great one, and George Jones sure sells it.

5-If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (originally a hit for Vern Gosdin) - I think the Possum sounds the most comfortable on this track, because it does sound like something he would have recorded in 1980. I'm glad he got it this time around.

6-Today I Started Loving You Again (originally a hit for Merle Haggard) (backup vocals by Rhonda Vincent) - This song has been recorded over 400 times, making it one of the most recorded country songs in history. It sounds to me like something George would have sang to Tammy Wynette after one of their many firey disputes.

7-On The Other Hand (originally a hit for Randy Travis) - This song was what brought country back to it's roots. It does seem fitting that the King of Country Music would record the song that saved Country Music.

8-Pass Me By (originally a hit for Johnny Rodriguez) - What can I say? Just a great song all-around, and fairly upbeat.

9-Skip A Rope (originally a hit for Roger Miller) - Even if you don't like country, you would like this song. It delivers several important social messages, covering lying, cheating, racism, and more.

10-Too Cold At Home (orignally a hit for Mark Chestnutt) - Too hot to fish? Never. Too hot to golf? Not here. But boy, does George Jones sure make me believe it. This is another in which he sounds extremely comfortable, and made for the song.

11-Busted (originally a hit for Ray Charles, also Johnny Cash) - An upbeat, funny song talking about the real troubles that alot of folks have. Jones does it with a Cajun flare that I've never heard from him before. And I like it.

12-He Stopped Loving Her Today (the only Hit he didn't seem to miss...And we're all glad he didn't miss this one) - There is not a person on Earth who hasn't heard this song. And George Jones makes it even better with this re-make. He's done a quarter-century of hard-living since he last recorded, and it's even better now than it was then.

George Jones is one of my favorite singers of all-time, and he does great on every one of these. One song I know he would have done great on (and maybe he will on a future album) is the John Prine classic Paradise, better known as Muhlenberg County, which was made famous by bluegrass duo Jim and Jesse McReynolds.

Okay, I'm through now. My next post, which should be day after tomorrow (or possibly tomorrow), will focus on the U.S. Senate races in Ohio and Mississippi, and maybe some more pot-banging fun from the Virginia Governor race!

If the Good Lord's willin' and the creeks don't rise, I'll see y'all again.

-Neal