Songs We Wish We'd Written

As dancehall troubadours popular on the Texas collegiate circuit, Pat Green and Cory Morrow have followed the boot heels of Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen. This aptly titled collaboration extends that circle of influence, paying tribute to songwriters from Waylon Jennings ("Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?") and Billy Joe Shaver ("Live Forever") to Townes Van Zandt ("Ain't Leavin' Your Love") and John Prine ("Paradise"). Surprises come from a couple of classic-rock ringers: Stealer's Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You" and a fiddle-driven rendition of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home." For all their down-home appeal, neither Green nor Morrow is more than serviceable as an interpretive singer, but it's hard to quibble with the production by Lloyd Maines or the selection of material. --Don McLeese