I’ve known Charlie Burton for more than a quarter century, sat in on many of his recording sessions both in and out of Lincoln, ridden thousands of miles to gigs with him and his various bands and spent countless hours listening to great songs I’d most often not heard before mined from his amazing record collection.

That makes me either the best or the worst possible person to write about “Salad,” the new CD from Burton and his current band, the Dorothy Lynch Mob.

With that disclaimer in mind, I want you to know that this is one of the best records Burton has made, a beautifully played and arranged country/rock ’n’ roll disc that is simultaneously hilarious and heartfelt. Filled with beyond clever wordplay and pop culture references, Burton’s songs are unique among songwriters that I know of. They’re idiosyncratic, but somehow universal.

Recorded at the Omaha studio of guitarist/keyboardist Guitar George Laughrey, the record features plenty of great playing from Laughrey, steel guitarist S. “Fuzzy” Blazek, the Mysterious Dr. F on fiddle and Burton’s longtime rhythm section of bassist Dave Boye and drummer Dave Robel, who’s been playing with Charlie since the ’70s.

Here’s a song-by-song tour through the disc that will be released this afternoon at the Zoo Bar, where Burton and the Mob will play its monthly FAC gig, starting at about 5 p.m.

“Good News/Bad News,” a typical Burton rocker that takes a cliche and gives it a sad, but funny, spin.

“Leaver/Leavee,” a Texas swing number with lots of Fuzzy on steel that debates which end of a romantic split to take.

“School Night,” this ode to teenage misery — grounded and missing a Monday night concert — is Burton’s nod to the great Brian Wilson via a lush pop ballad.

“Peggy Sue Got a Divorce,” this rolling, hiccup-filled rocker channels Buddy Holly as it completes the story of the early rock ’n’ roller’s hit. Suffice it to say it isn’t happily ever after.

“It’s a Wine-Wine Situation,” Burton’s witty wordplay  presents the option of drinking to celebrate or drown your sorrows.

“Apples & Oranges,” a keyboard-anchored waltz that, among other things, knocks off the spoken-word section of David Allen Coe’s version of “You Never Even Called Me By My Name.”

“Did It All For Love (or Lack Thereof),” a rocker that drops names such as Marlon Brando, Elia Kazan, Sigmund Freud, Sting and Michael Bolton — there’s a grouping you’re not likely to find in any other place.

“Reunited With a Lost Love I Hadn’t Seen in 15 Years,” is a prison blues song about going on “Oprah” with an old flame, moves into a marriage on Rikki Lake “and the Spice Channel carried the cuttin’ of the cake.” But the singer winds up behind bars.

“I Wonder: Is Propecia Right For Me?,” is a country shuffle that ponders the possible use of  the hair regrowth product: “Pregnant women shouldn’t touch the broken tablets”

“Gee! Thanks For Telling Me!,” a recounting of errors, including selling comic books at a garage sale, and an old Burton tape that turned out to be worth thousands.

“Move Yer Shoes,” an obsessive country love song: “I’m just a middle aged insane male/I ain’t no knight in chain mail.”

“Her Way,” is a self-deprecating, submissive male twist on the standard that ranks up there with classic versions of this song by Frank Sinatra and Sid Vicious, swelling with emotion when he sings lines such as “She wears the pants over her hose/And I wear this ring now, through my nose/The record shows I took the blows. …”

And the whole thing’s wrapped up in the best packaging I’ve seen on any CD in months — a series of caricatures of the band by cartoonist Pat Moriarity. Very cool.

From my p.o.v, Burton’s been one of the treasures of Nebraska music since he started putting out records in the late ’70s, and he and the Dorothy Lynch Mob are at the peak of their form on “Salad.”

 Eat it up.

Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.