Cool Hand Luke 2002: BLAKE SHELTON, THREE DOORS DOWN (Bob Seger), and JAMEY JOHNSON

"OL' RED"                 BLAKE SHELTON

My all-time favorite movie list would include Paul Newman's "Cool Hand Luke" and Shawshank Redemption.    Two prison themed movies that remind us the power of the human spirit can't be contained even with prison walls surrounding us.   "Ol' Red" is Blake's take of the theme.   A classic love story involving two coon hounds and a very creative prisoner.     Blake's NBC show, The Voice (Season 2) premieres Super Bowl Sunday.

CLICK: Video "Ol' Red" Blake Shelton

"LANDING IN LONDON"         3 DOORS DOWN (Ft. Bob Seger)

Many songs have been inspired by the loneliness of touring, being out on the road and missing the ones you love.   Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" with it's haunting saxophone solo left the biggest impression on me.    Mississippi band, 3 Doors Down, continued the trend with "Landing In London"  a/k/a  "All I Think About Is You".    Fittingly, halfway the song, the chorus takes a twist as a familiar voice ups the emotional ante of the song.    Bob Seger's voice has aged but his presence on this track makes the dramatic lyrics even more meaningful.   

"2 OUT OF 3 AIN'T BAD"          JAMEY JOHNSON

From the iconic 70's LP, Bat Out Of Hell, "2 Out Of 3 Ain't Bad" was the top 40 song that introduced Meatloaf to the world.   Emotional lyrics like "There's only one girl that I will ever love   And that was so many years ago     And though I know I'll never get her out of my heart    She never loved me back, I know ".    Country music rebel, Jamey Johnson, a traditionalist, a throwback artist, who values the integrity of the music over record sales tackled this masterpiece live in 2010 on the Don Imus' radio show.  With a slower pace and steel guitars, Jamey wrings out all of the raw emotion in the lyrics.