So, I said to Steve at Yesterday and Today records, I've got this thing to write for Hickory Wind and I need some inspiration. You know everything that's out, and I mean everything. You know what I like. Tell me what to listen to. He passed my way the new John Williamson record The Whiskey and the Highway. And, no, for our Australian readers not that John Williamson. Think, less Cootamundra, more south Georgia.

Somewhere on the website he's described as "the finest Texas songwriter the state of Georgia's ever produced." With all the Peach Staters around here to object I wouldn't want to make that claim, but there's a definite Texas country-folk flavour in the classic Nashville mix. Melodic drinking, cheating and rambling songs. What's not to like?

I did a little test. Make an iTunes playlist; a little bit of Charlie Robison, a little REK, carefully selected Alan Jackson and George Strait, some Dale Watson, Dwight, Kris, Guy. Add a few John Williamson songs. Hit shuffle and go about your business (in my case: three foot of washing up, and risin') How does it sound? Like a fit?

Another test for real country music. Does it make you kinda wish you could actually stomach whiskey? Want to go out and get your heart righteously broken just so you can stay up all night getting drunk and listening to it, just so it was more real? Wish it wasn't a Tuesday night so you could do just that?

The Whiskey and the Highway passes both trials.

Steve Reid - Yesterday and Today Records Newsletter - Sydney, Australia - November, 2005

John Williamson (no not him) - The Whiskey & the Highway $30 Second album by the man from the US state of Georgia is even better than his first. The production is infinitely better and the songs have a conversational style about them which is extremely appealing. I'd suggest he would be well liked by fans of John Prine.

Many of the songs are concerned with hard times in growing up and certainly are not all autobiographical, though some certainly are. "Bottle of Whiskey" is about a man who falls into trouble throughout his life and takes the convenient way out...it wasn't his fault it was the bottle of whiskey. Now he is on death row he comes to the conclusion that excuse is no longer valid. "Mama Never Gave Up" is a terrific melodrama about a mother bringing up a family alone.

There are some wonderful instrumental moments. The lap steel, dobro and slide playing of Johnny B Bellar is mind-boggling on "Cheyenne" (in particular) but throughout the album the instrumental support is stunning. "Don't Do Like I Do" is a somewhat wayward father's message to his son. Many of the songs have a theme of alcohol abuse...with the singer suggesting but not quite getting to the point of condemning such actions even though he knows he should. It would be fair to say there are as many boozy references as there are in a Liquorland catalogue. "This is My Life" is the story of a stone mason who works for a boss who is never satisfied but continues to do so to support his family.

This album reminds me a lot of Rodney Crowell's "Houston Kid", in that it is hard to pick where the truth starts and the fiction ends. It is a wonderful album. We'll just have to get him to do something about the name!

Rein van den Berg - Real Roots Cafe - Netherlands - September 8, 2005
(Translated, so some spelling and grammatical discrepancies occur)

John Williamson was born & raised at the countryside of southern Georgia, and thatÕs clearly recognizable in his music. While listening to his classical sounding country music you'll be brought without a doubt into the matching mood. The nice thing of his music is that you don't feel cheated.

He brings heartfelt songs, that lean on the border of a soap.(drama/comedy) ("She cheated you, she broke your heart, she's the moment in time that broke us apart"), but even so the songs stand, because they're real. (I don't suggest that all stories are based on true stories, but they're clever written . - My Mama met my Daddy back in 1959. She was straight from junior high and he was fresh out of his mind. She liked to watch him drink his whiskey from a Mason Jar. They got married late one night in the backseat of a car.) Beautiful!

My personal favorite is "This is my Life" which testifies a certain direct honesty. His first album already had me pleasantly surprised, but this second disc continues that concept with rather direct songs on disappointments, liquor and more liger. 12 delightful songs brought in a wonderful southern sound accompanied by Guitars, Drums, Dobro, Pedal & Lap Steel, Fiddle & Mandolin.

In the inlay John thanks his mum ("Who never gave up") and his dog Bud. Brilliant! A record to be proud of, and a clear proof that this southern country justifies his existence. GREAT!

Rootstime - not really sure what all this is about...any guesses?


"The Whiskey and the Highway" is dus niet een geheel nieuw product wat we hier onder ogen krijgen (hij debuteerde reeds in 2002), maar een goede staalkaart van het kunnen van de in Vidalia, Georgia geboren en getogen John Williamson. En over man's kwaliteiten hoeven we niet te klagen: Williamson, een begenadigd verhalenverteller, bezit een aangenaam stemgeluid, schrijft bovendien bovenmodale liedjes en heeft ook nog de kwaliteit om zeer kundige muzikanten om zich heen te verzamelen. Want een begeleiding met beroemde namen als Jody Harris (producer, drums, bas en Fender telecaster), Johnny B. Bellar (dobro), Tim Lorsch (viool, mandolin) en het knappe steelgitaar spel van country legende Lloyd Green kan iedereen niet voorleggen. Kan niet kapot, alles klinkt mooi, clean en vooral braaf. De scherpe randjes zijn vakkundig weggelaten en bijna alles is zo geproduceerd dat het vooral toegankelijk moet zijn voor singer-songwriter-country-radioformaat. Jammer, want juist waar Williamson zijn twaalf composities buiten dit geeffende pad treden wordt het interessant. Na opener "Bottle Of Whiskey" is het de titeltrack die aanspreekt. Vervolgens glijdt het ene na het andere nummer op een prettige wijze voorbij, met "This Is My Life" als de meest in het oor springende nummer. Meest in het oorspringende elementen van de muziek van Williamson zijn het geweldige akoestische gitaarwerk en vooral zijn heerlijke zang. Recensenten die het hoorden vergeleken hem direct met Hank Williams tot Don Williams, van Woody Guthrie tot Bob Dylan en Iris Dement. Dit soort vergelijkingen zijn misschien wat overdreven, maar dat "The Whiskey and the Highway" vol staat met hele mooie bitterzoete liedjes is zeker, waarin we invloeden terugvinden van o.a. Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Billy Joe Shaver, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson en Chris Knight. Zijn songs zijn levensliederen, meestal over drank en teleurstellingen. Bijgestaan door een aantal muzikale vrienden heeft Williamson een cd gemaakt waar het plezier en de passie van afdruipen en levert een cd af die niet alleen uitstekend in het gehoor ligt, maar ook nog iets bijzonders biedt. Muziek waar je het warm van krijgt dus. Liefhebbers van heerlijke zuidelijke country, liefhebbers van de bovengenoemde grootheden mogen dit prachtplaatje echt niet missen.