LimeWire Music Blog

Look around the entertainment business, and you’ll see a lot of changes over the past three decades or so. Instead of three television networks, we now have hundreds of cable channels at our disposal. Musicwise, cassettes, which were replaced by CDs, are a thing of the past as digital media has become the predominant way in which fans listen to music. And, that’s just for starters. However, the more things have changed, a few acts, like the Oak Ridge Boys, have thankfully remained stayed the same.

The quartet, comprised of Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Joe Bonsall, and Richard Sterban, has been recording and performing together since Bonsall joined the group in 1973. Despite three decades in the business, 2009 marks one of the biggest years yet for the legendary act. Their most recent album, The Boys are Back, has enjoyed steady sales, as well as some of the best critical reviews of their career, proving that there is no slowdown in sight for the quartet originally founded by Wally Fowler as the Georgia Clodhoppers back in 1943.

In fact, take a look at their website, and gaze at their tour schedule. Though maybe the guys have slowed down a little since, say 1984, (and that’s a big maybe), unlike their fellow peers Alabama and The Statler Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys are continuing to entertain fans in concert the same way they always have—and continuing to have a lot of fun doing it.

I had a chance recently to attend the Corinth, MS stop on the Oaks’ annual Christmas tour, and it was definitely worth the trip from Middle Tennessee. It’s a clichéd term, but there is a certain amount of magic when the Oaks take to the stage. There’s the ultra-cool bass singer, Richard Sterban; the rugged mountain-man image of William Lee Golden; the always-present energy of Bonsall; and Allen, who ties it all together in a neat little package that gets better with time. In this age of soundalikes, it’s quite impressive that the Oaks are still as successful as they are. With four distinctly different personalities and vocalists involved, it works as well as it did in 1973, 1983, or today.

The show started with the title cut from their latest album. The song, which was written by Shooter Jennings, brought the crowd alive. What has always impressed me about the tune is that despite his rebel attitude, Jennings is one of the nicest and most talented guys in the business. He really did his homework in composing a song about the Oaks’ history, even name-checking Fowler in the process.

Next up was a quick trip down memory lane with “American Made,” “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” and “Ozark Mountain Jubilee.” The latter, a Top Ten hit from the early ’80s, is one of Golden’s best moments in the group. When he gets going in song, he literally has the audience in the palm of his hand. To my ears, his voice has gotten even better with time, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear this one, as it wasn’t necessarily their biggest hit, from a chart standpoint. However, it’s one of those songs that the trademark harmony is very apparent.

If mainstream country radio gave this song a voice, I think it could very well be their biggest hit in about 20 years. Chart success or not, the performance is a keeper.

Returning to The Boys Are Back, they included their take on John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom.” Featuring Sterban on lead, the song took many in the audience back in time to the decade of the 1950s, making for another crowd-pleaser. The emotional highlight of the night was next, as the group performed “G.I. Joe And Lillie,” a song that Bonsall wrote about his parents. Since he wrote the song (as well as very well-received book) back in the early part of this decade, it has become quite a fan favorite. One of the most important aspects of music is how it can touch a person, and you can tell that it certainly did touch the Oaks’ audience. Watching Bonsall perform the song is particularly moving, as well.

From there, the Oaks performed two of their newer songs, “Closer To Home,” and their new single, “Mama’s Table.” Written by CMA winner Jamey Johnson, the song sounds very much like some of their prior work, especially their mid-’70s recordings for Columbia Records. If mainstream country radio gave this song a voice, I think it could very well be their biggest hit in about 20 years. Chart success or not, the performance is a keeper.

It was back in time for the final two selections of part one of the night, “Thank God For Kids” and “Elvira.” Two of their biggest hits ever, the crowd responded as they always have to them. After an intermission, the group came back to the stage for the Christmas section of the show. They performed several classics, including “Jingle Bells” and “The Christmas Song,” and also included several originals such as “Christmas Carol,” from their very first holiday album, as well as the cute “Christmas Cookies,” where Golden included a few George Clooney “O’ Brother” dance moves, much to the crowd’s delight. Of course, a Christmas show from the Oaks wouldn’t be complete without a visit from the man in red and white; Santa made an appearance, which brought a steady stream of children of all ages to the stage.

The only negative thing about going to an Oaks concert is you’re not going to hear everything you want. Granted, it was a Christmas show, so I’m sure that “Come On In” and “Bobbie Sue” will be back after the start of 2010, but even so…..when you have as deep a catalog as these guys have, even then, it would be tough. “Cryin’ Again,” “I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes,” “Bridges And Walls,” there are so many, and of course, the album cuts. But, I don’t know if including “Alice Is In Wonderland” would be that wise, due the aforementioned huge selection of hits. In any case, seeing the precision and heart that these guys perform with after all these years is truly a blessing within itself.

images by Chuck Dauphin