Marty Stuart - Love And Luck

Two simple lines from the title song of Marty Stuart's new album. A simple philosophy for a hillbilly star who only wants one thing, really, and that's to do country music right. "I spent a whole year trying to write and find songs for this album that came from a deeper place," he says, "I really consider this album an adventure from a writing standpoint and wanted every song to have a story."

The story of "Love And Luck" is simple: A son reminisces about advice his father gave as he ventured out into the world. Like the video's taxi trip from downtown Nashville to the countryside, Stuart has been on a journey, a musical journey that started at age 13 playing mandolin in Lester Flatt's band and included six years touring with Johnny Cash. Along the way, he became a roving ambassador for tried-and-true country and bluegrass, though he was not ashamed to mix in a little rock 'n' roll swagger.

The Love And Luck album runs the gamut from country ballads like "That's When You'll Know It's Over," to a wild instrumental, to songs like "I Ain't Giving Up On Love" and "Oh, What A Silent Night" which marry hard country lyrics to great bluegrass pickin'.

Stuart plays guitars formerly owned by Hank Williams Sr., Lester Flatt and country-rock pioneer Clarence White and wears stage clothes reminiscent of '50s country style, but he is a student of the past, not its captive. "I guess you've got to learn as you go along," says the song. "If you're gonna do right then you can't do wrong."

"The kind of music I'm making," Stuart says, "is what I love and believe in."