"...otherwise known as the H-Town 20"

Reading through some e-mails while I had lunch today, I came across an article in the online version of the "Houston Press" called "Houston's Very Best Songs Ever...otherwise known as the H-Town 20".

I would never claim to be a native Houstonian (especially being an Okie by birth), but I spent more than half my life there. Some of those were really formative years, too, including my final 3 years of university.

Houston's a funny place, music-wise. Despite its being the largest city in Texas, you can hear much more than just C&W there. There's great rock and soul and gospel. There's the influence from Mexico and Central America and also from the Cajuns to the east in Louisiana. And there are also loads of folkies there as well.

Take a look at the newspaper's criteria to make the list, and then consider the list itself. Personally, I was just delighted to see the Van Zandt entries, and of course Archie & the Drells and Johnny Nash. But what made me grin the most was the inclusion of Robert Earl Keen's "Merry Christmas From the Family"...my favorite secular Christmas song of all time.

That last comment says a lot about me, I guess.

Janet