| Fair & Square | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Honky tonk | |||
| Label | HighTone | |||
| Producer | Joe Ely | |||
| Jimmie Dale Gilmore chronology | ||||
| ||||
Fair & Square is the debut solo album by the American musician Jimmie Dale Gilmore, released in 1988. [1] [2] Gilmore supported the album with several live dates. [3] The first single was "Trying to Get to You". [4]
The album was produced by Joe Ely, who also provided backing vocals. [5] [6] Gilmore was backed by his band, the Continental Drifters. [7] Lloyd Maines contributed on steel guitar. [8] Most of the songs are representative of traditional honky tonk music. [9] "Just a Wave, Not the Water" and "99 Holes" are covers of the Butch Hancock songs. [10] [11] "White Freight Liner Blues" was written by Townes Van Zandt. [12] "Honky Tonk Masquerade" is a cover of the notable Ely song. [13] "Rain Just Falls" was written by Gilmore's guitarist, David Halley. [14] "Singing the Blues" is a version of the popular standard. [15]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [17] |
| Oakland Tribune | [6] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10 [14] |
Trouser Press deemed the album "a warm, relatively brisk and surprisingly traditional comeback." [12] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote that "Gilmore's high honky-tonk wail of a voice dances lightly over the superb backing of his band." [7] Spin concluded that, "between Ernest Tubb and Hank Snow at their oddball best, you'd probably rather listen to Jimmie Dale." [18]
The Houston Chronicle said that "Gilmore strays across his influences that came together in Lubbock as a teen-ager when West Texas honky-tonk country gave way to the big beat and velocity of this new thing, rock 'n' roll." [8] The Orange County Register determined that Gilmore "can offer a sound that is completely new yet still starkly and inarguably country." [19] The Los Angeles Times concluded that Gilmore's "nasal twang—similar to, but less laconic than Willie Nelson's—is plenty poetic in itself." [20] USA Today listed Fair & Square as the 4th best country album of 1988. [21]
AllMusic noted that "the subtle undercurrents of Gilmore's best material seem to have been left by the wayside, as if a coffeehouse singer/songwriter had been thrown into a dance hall and was trying to avoid getting the hook." [16]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "White Freight Liner Blues" | |
| 2. | "Honky Tonk Masquerade" | |
| 3. | "Fair & Square" | |
| 4. | "Don't Look for a Heartache" | |
| 5. | "Trying to Get to You" | |
| 6. | "Singing the Blues" | |
| 7. | "Just a Wave, Not the Water" | |
| 8. | "All Grown Up" | |
| 9. | "99 Holes" | |
| 10. | "Rain Just Falls" |
A honky-tonk is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano used to play such music. Bars of this kind are common in the South and Southwest United States. Many eminent country music artists, such as Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzell, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Johnny Horton, and Merle Haggard to name a few, began their careers as amateur musicians in honky-tonks.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an American country singer-songwriter currently living in Austin, Texas.
The Flatlanders are an American country band from Lubbock, Texas, founded in 1972 by Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and Butch Hancock. The group garnered little success during their brief original incarnation from 1972 to 1973, but when the individual members found success in their solo careers, interest in The Flatlanders was rekindled with the band reuniting several times since. An earlier incarnation of this band was known as The Double Mountain Fork Of The Brazos River Boys.
Progressive country is a term used variously to describe a movement, radio format or subgenre of country music which developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a reaction against the slick, pop-oriented Nashville sound. Progressive country artists drew from Bakersfield and classic honky-tonk country and rock and roll, as well as folk, bluegrass, blues and Southern rock. Progressive country is sometimes conflated with outlaw country, which some country fans consider to be a harder-edged variant, and alternative country.
Joe Ely is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was "one of the main movers" of Austin, Texas's progressive country scene in the 1970s and '80s.
Thomas O. Hancock was an American musician widely regarded as the godfather of West Texas music.
Honky Tonk Masquerade is the second album by country singer-songwriter Joe Ely, released in 1978.
Live Shots is a live album recorded in London by American country outfit the Joe Ely Band during a 1980 tour supporting the Clash. The tour occurred at a high point in the Clash's popularity just after the release of the album London Calling.
Spinning Around the Sun is an album by country music singer-songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore. It was released in 1993 on Elektra Records, and was his second record for the label.
Joe Ely is an American singer-songwriter. His discography consists of 16 studio albums, 6 live albums, 20 singles, 13 compilations, 1 studio EP, and 6 music videos. In addition, he has been a performer on numerous albums by other artists.
Butch Hancock is a country and folk music recording artist and songwriter. His discography consists of 12 studio albums, 2 singles, and 2 compilations. In addition, his songs have been performed on numerous albums by other artists.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an American country singer, songwriter, actor, recording artist and producer. His discography consists of 9 studio albums, 1 live album, 2 compilations, 2 EPs, and 6 singles. In addition, his songs have been performed on numerous albums by other artists.
"Honky Tonk Song" is a country music song recorded by Webb Pierce. The song was co-written by Mel Tillis and Buck Peddy. It was released in 1957 on the Decca label.
Kindness of the World is an album by the American musician Joe Henry, released in 1993.
"After Awhile" is an album by country music singer-songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore. It was released in 1991 as his debut album for Elektra Nonesuch Records.
Destiny's Gate is an album by the American musician Tish Hinojosa, released in 1994. Hinojosa intended the album to incorporate "polished" country and pop, while retaining her Rounder Records contract for music that was in the traditional Tex-Mex border style.
Braver Newer World is an album by the American musician Jimmie Dale Gilmore, release in 1996. Gilmore deemed the album's sound "West Texas psychedelic blues-rockabilly".
The Mekons Honky Tonkin' is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 1987. It was their first album to be released in the United States and the band's third country music-influenced album. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
Brand New is an album by the American musician Gary Stewart, released in 1988. It was regarded as a comeback album; Stewart had spent years dealing with personal issues. The first single was "Brand New Whiskey".
One Endless Night is an album by the American musician Jimmie Dale Gilmore, released in 2000. It peaked at No. 29 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart. Gilmore supported the album by touring with the Flatlanders.