What the hell is wrong with country radio?

This Sky Kings release, limited to 3,000 copies and available only through Rhino’s Handmade web site, illuminates both the pointed history of this radio-doomed band and the bizarre business of this sometimes maddening country genre, where there were, apparently just too many poses, too many cowboy hats, and not enough awareness of just what these guys had to offer.

You need a hit song? Try out "Picture Perfect," followed by "Doin’ What I Shouldn’t," and then " If She Didn’t Love Me."

You need a tear jerker? See if "Lonely Only Goes So Far," and "I Can’t Trust My Heart" don’t make you reach for a tissue.

You need fabulous picking and musicianship? Two words. "Rusty Young."

You need a rock star crossing over to country, for mass appeal? Another two words. "Patrick Simmons."

Heck, you need a good looking lead singer? Take a gander at John Cowan.

So what happened? A combination of everything wrong from the business side, not being enough to fortify what, as it turns out, was at least three separate shots at a Sky Kings album. Portions of the second and third tries are contained in this release, but, ironically, as group member Bill Lloyd points out in his cryptic liner notes, the original RCA record, when the group was called "Four Wheel Drive" and still had Doobie Brother Simmons in the band, may have been their best. And, it’s still unreleased.

So, go watch the hats and the poses on CMT, if that’s what interests you. If you want to hear some great music, strong singing and expert playing, get a copy of the Sky Kings, if there are any left.

And, stick your tongue out at country radio, while you’re at it.

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