The Greatest Talent You Never Heard

Rick Broussard is an Austinite who plays a perfect mix of Country, Rockabilly, Swamp Pop and Texas Music. I don't know a whole lot about his history, but apparently he's been up, down and all around since the 80s. He's gone through periods of inactivity and periods of resurgence. Right now he seems to be in resurgence.

I first heard his music back in '98 or so. His two solo records (Angel's Cry and Counted Sorrows and Shadow Man) were in my girlfriend's collection. When we broke up, we split all our CDs, and parting with those two really killed me. I was lucky enough to score my own copies eventually.



When I myself picked up a guitar and decided to be a Rock Star, one of the first songs I learned was Broussard's. It's not just his high-energy mix of traditional, yet modern roots music that makes him so special, it's his songwriting. Apart from the rave-up crowd-pleasers, he frequently touches on aspiration and despair in a way that few songwriters do. I'm not a big fan of the "Singer/Songwriter" genre. I find it sappy and calculated and frequently formulaic when they're trying to be earnest. In other words, it's mostly bullshit. But Broussard's songs come from the heart, and you can tell. He doesn't have to rely on the quiet, faux-introspective stance most take. He puts it out there on his sleeve, on the mark and doesn't look back.

I hope you enjoy this selection of some of my favorites taken from his four original CDs (I don't own his two cover collections). But trust me, there are many, many more essential songs not included. Go to his website and buy the CDs. You won't be disappointed.

Me, I'll never part with my copies again.



(And if you're in Texas, Ricky plays all over the place now with his band, Two Hoots and a Holler. Don't miss them!)