Southern Summer For Music Lovers

At some point between now and Labor Day, most of us will find ourselves locked in the family station wagon, spilling ice cream on the upholstery and fighting over the radio.

When that time comes, says Bill Flanagan of Sunday Morning, you'll want to be armed with either an artillery of music that everyone can agree on or an assortment that will at least drown out objections.

Flanagan suggests you start your drive with the Notorious Cherry Bombs, the reunion of Rodney Crowell's original band whose album comes out in July. The group includes recording artists Crowell and Vince Gill with help from Tony Brown Z, who once served as Elvis Presley's piano player. The Notorious Cherry Bombs' album boasts a killer combination of impressive songwriting, fabulous vocals and stirring instrumentals, making it a summer soundtrack Flanagan believes anyone can enjoy.

Once you've hit the interstate, watch the miles fly by with "Van Lear Rose" by the great Loretta Lynn. The record is a real return to form by one of Nashville's great singer-songwriters, despite its having been produced by rock 'n' roller Jack White. White, of the rock group the White Stripes, took care to emphasize all that made Lynn a star in the first place. As a result, says Flanagan, "Van Lear Rose" shines in every track.

Once you've reached your vacation destination, unloaded the car, fed the kids, had a swim and subsequently collapsed into a chair with a view of the sunset, well, a special album is in order. Pop in the premiere album from Ollabelle, a young group whose musical styling transcends time. Ollabelle's male and female vocals blend beautifully in a record whose traditional ballads blur lines between folk, country and gospel. If you've exhausted the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack and are searching for something to rival its spirit and purity, look no further than Ollabelle.

So you made it out of town, you survived the summer traffic, you endured the endless "Are-we-there-yets?" -- now it's time for a little night music. "Night Train to Nashville," Flanagan's favorite album so far, is a two-CD collection of great soul singles recorded in Nashville between the end of World War II and 1970. That's right: great soul music from Nashville. Who knew?

While country music garnered most of Nashville's attention, the city, like Memphis and Atlanta, also boasted a vibrant R&B scene in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Because Nashville's recording studios were considered the world's best, many great soul singers traveled to the city to cut records.

Unfortunately, Nashville lacked influential black record companies like Stax or Motown and was thus unable to nurture or promote its R&B talent. As a result, most of the songs on "Night Train to Nashville" are one-off hits from tiny labels.

"Night Train to Nashville" is a collection of shining moments from artists who, in many cases, were never heard from again. The album features 37 songs, making it hard to choose only one or two favorites. However, Flanagan considers Arthur Alexander's original version of "Anna" to be fabulous. The tune was famously covered by the Beatles, in which, Flanagan says, "John Lennon sounded like a boy breaking up with his girlfriend." Alexander, on the other hand, invests the song with what Flanagan considers "the whole weight of a man mourning the loss of his marriage."

Equally impressive is the track "Soul Shake," a duet performed by Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson. The roof-raising soul music is strung together with a loony electric sitar, played by the great country picker Jerry Reed. The fact that Reed is playing sitar on an R&B record is nonsensical at the offset, but sounds magnificent.

"'Night Train to Nashville' is like a radio broadcast from outer space," says Flanagan. "Get a hold of it now and you'll be playing it all summer long."