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So its hard to recommend something without knowing what you enjoy.

I listen to pretty much everything, except, like you, I can't stand rap or hip-hop. I'm a HUGE Eric Clapton fan, though. I own both of his boxed sets (Crossroads 1 & 2) and almost every album he's ever released. So I guess I lean more toward classic rock and blues than anything else. But like I said, I listen to pretty much everything.

I might give Gretchen Wilson a try. She performed on some awards show a couple weeks ago and I liked what I heard (and saw--easy on the eyes is Miss Wilson :)

Did you catch Bo on the CBS Morning Show yesterday? He sang two songs, neither one of which was the AI single. He sang "Drift Away" and a song I never heard before. Perhaps one he wrote. It was good. Pure, clean, a return to an earlier time. Bo sang without band or backup singers. Just accompanied himself with an accoustic guitar.

They interviewed him before he did his first song. The reporter asked him something along the lines of what it's like to be in a similar position to Clay Aiken. Would there be the same competitiveness where the runner-up would outsell the winner. That was the gist of the question. Anyway, Bo said he didn't mean to disrespect anyone, but that his thing was very different. He said AI is strictly about vocals, but he likes to play instruments, write songs and "jam them out there." Bo said he hopes to have his album out by October (which will be tough to do because of the obligatory summer AI tour).

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy having the lyrics to that wonderful song Bo did a cappella on the show, so here they are. The song is almost a prayer -- Bo seems to favor pure, clean music instead of today's over-produced stuff:

In a Dream

When I'm down and feeling low
And confusion has touched my soul
How I need some place where I can hide away
Let me fall within your arms
Melt away this cold I feel
All I need is to hold you tonight

Hold me close when I'm cold
Let me hear your beating heart
Close my eyes far away in a dream
In the morning I wake and I'm blessed by God's grace
Just to open my eyes to see your face

Hold you tonight sweet child
Never let me go
Tell me everything, oh, will be alright
In the morning I wake and I'm blessed by God's grace
Just to open my eyes to see your face

Just to open my eyes to see your face

I might give Gretchen Wilson a try.

She's terrific. I'm planning to get her album, too. Early rock-a-billy country and early R&B are part of the roots of rock music. I'm glad to hear the return to a rock sound in country these days. It's why I'm listening to country stations now, and why I paid any attention at all to the total AI rip-off, Nashville Star. I'm absolutely nuts about the Montgomery Gentry hit "Gone."