If there’s one thing I have a passion for that comes close to equaling my love of classic movies, it’s traditional Country Music. Singers like Waylon and Willie. Haggard and Jones. Alan Jackson and the star of this enjoyable comedy/drama with plenty of music, George Strait.

Truthfully I never thought I’d see the day that I don’t follow Country Music but it’s changed so much that there’s very little left of what first attracted me to it. Just give the song, Murder On Music Row, a spin. It’s a duet by Jackson and Strait which pretty much sums up my own feelings about the state of Country Radio. Thankfully Willie’s Roadhouse is available on Satellite to keep my old favorites alive.

As for Pure Country, the film casts Strait in his only leading role and one he should have been quite comfortable in. That of a Country superstar who pulls a Crocodile Dundee “walkabout” and disappears from his tour and gets back to his roots taking up residence on a working horse ranch and finding love with the girl next door type, Isabel Glasser.

Playing Glasser’s father is western legend, Rory Calhoun, in what turned out to be his final role. Also starring is Lesley Ann Warren as Strait’s overbearing agent and implied former lover.

If you love traditional Country Music that descended from the likes of Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell down thru the vocals of Merle Haggard and George Jones before Strait picked up the torch than this one’s an easy watch.

If you already love the music, great! If not give it a listen and maybe you’ll find something here to like. I bought the soundtrack when it first hit the shelves and to this day still play a couple of these songs on occasion when I get together with some fellow musicians.

Here’s a few selected tracks from the film starting with the official video to the song Heartland featuring scenes from the movie with Strait playing his Dusty character.

One of the best tracks on the Album is exactly what the movie title refers to, pure country.

Where the Sidewalk Ends is a classic up tempo Strait number.

The King of Broken Hearts is a great tune written by country singer/songwriter, Jim Lauderdale as an homage to the greatest of them all, George Jones, that Strait included in the soundtrack.

I’ll close with the classic love ballad that Strait delivers to his leading lady, Miss Glasser, at the fadeout. It’s O.K. if you shed a tear at this point of the film . Not that I’m about to admit anything. Here’s the official video.