CHRIS YOUNG / The Man I Want To Be

A TRUE NASHVILLE STAR

Chris Young seemed to come out of nowhere in 2006, winning that year’s edition of Nashville Star. His self-titled debut album produced two marginal hits, but no standout success. The album’s material simply wasn’t on par with this young man’s talent and potential.

With the release of The Man I Want To Be, Young now has a winning showcase for his rich baritone. Listening to his honest and sometimes emotionally weathered delivery, it’s hard to imagine that Young is just 24 years old; he possesses the stylistic and emotional maturity of a man twice his age. One feels as if he’s lived every word he sings. His is a voice born to sing country music. And that he does in spades on his sophomore album. That Makes Me kicks things off with a foot-stomping, confident declaration of his country roots. Lead single Voices expands on this theme, touting small-time family values. Young raises the roof again on the fun Twenty-One Candles, with its fast, auctioneer-like vocals. The breezy The Shoebox is a gentle reminder to stop and reflect on what’s important in life. Deservedly, Young finally has his breakout hit with Getting You Home (The Black Dress Song), peppered with risqué lyrics and his sensual delivery.

The heart of the album lies in its ballads, most notably The Dashboard. Young weaves an effective narrative, telling the story of a brother heading off to war, asking the other to look after his beloved truck. With just the right amount of sincerity and conviction, he wrings the emotion, not the novelty, out of the song. Credit should be given to writer Monty Criswell, who visits a theme that has recently been overused and crafts something fresh with the song’s unexpected twist at the end. Another common theme, unexpected pregnancy, is evident in It Takes A Man, but Young’s subtlety results in a believable and honest portrayal of a man coming to grips with fatherhood. The album’s title track is the one moment with the potential to sound tired and clichéd. Again, Young allows the warmth and nuances of his voice to sell the song, and he succeeds brilliantly.

Two unexpected surprises add to the refreshing diversity of this set. Young duets with Willie Nelson on Rose In Paradise, easily holding his own with the country veteran. The story song is also one of the most enjoyable collaborations of Willie’s career. Young tackles Tony Joe White’s classic Rainy Night In Georgia, and the song is easily his finest vocal performance to date. He also breathes new life into lyrics that have been covered by no less than Hank Williams, Ray Charles, Aaron Neville and Conway Twitty. Young can now claim the definitive country version of the song; his smoldering phrasing adds just enough sincerity to make it his own. This will easily be a staple in his shows for years to come.

With The Man I Want To Be, Chris Young has proven he’s more than just a reality-show contestant trying to gain a foothold in country music He has succeeded. He is an authentic and original country artist, through and through. At this early stage in his career, his potential is unlimited, reminding one of a young George Strait back in 1985. His career trajectory could certainly follow the same path; this Nashville star is undeniably on the rise.

TANYA TUCKER / My Turn

(Saguaro Road Records)

Produced by Pete Anderson

COUNTRY’S ORIGINAL REDNECK WOMAN RETURNS

In Tanya Tucker’s liner notes for her first album release in seven years, George Jones introduces the set by saying, “There will never be a more distinctive voice in country music than Tanya’s.” No one could argue with the country legend regarding his affection for another. My Turn is the latest in a string of classic country cover albums that have been released over the past several years, from artists such as Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless, Pam Tillis, and Martina McBride. However, none could be more personal than Tucker’s.

Beau Tucker guided his daughter’s career from her first hit with “Delta Dawn” at age 13, up until his death in 2006. He watched his little girl grow from a teenager with a mature voice, to a mature woman who became a country music icon. In between, years of hard living, alcohol, drugs, and eventually, motherhood shaped the textures of Tucker’s unmistakable vocals. Very few artists have the ability to squeeze pure emotion out of a song the way that Tucker can; hits such as “Soon,” “Would You Lay With Me (In A Field of Stone),” and “Two Sparrows In A Hurricane” cement that statement. Her latest effort is a tribute to her late father, through classic songs made famous by some of his favorite male artists.

Tucker’s husky delivery, along with Anderson’s subtle production refresh country standards by Jones (“Walk Through This World With Me”), Hank Williams (“Lovesick Blues”), and Eddy Arnold (“You Don’t Know Me”). Flaco Jimenez’s Tex-Mex accordion breathes new life into Charley Pride’s “Is Anybody Going To San Antone.” Guest vocalist Jim Lauderdale uncannily channels Buck Owens on “Love’s Gonna Live Here,” The Grascals lend their talents to Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn’s “After The Fire Is Gone,” creating a magical bluegrass weeper. Tucker wisely chooses some more obscure gems for the set, including Lefty Frizzell’s “I Love You A Thousand Ways,” and Wynn Stewart’s bouncy “Big Big Love.” This isn’t your usual batch of songs you’ve heard repeatedly, and the song choices serve her well.

Ironically, it is the choice of material that may disappoint some fans. Those expecting Tucker’s fiery performances (“It’s A Little Too Late,” “Down To My Last Teardrop” “Texas When I Die”) will find few reminders of her tough-girl past. This is not that kind of Tanya Tucker album, and it’s not intended to be. Tucker pays restrained homage to her musical heroes, and her reverence pays off; she lets the music speak for itself, rather than excessively reworking it.

The album’s best cut is Merle Haggard’s “Ramblin’ Fever.” Tucker infuses her signature, spirited style into Anderson’s infectious production piece. One wonders if all of the album’s tunes would have worked better with a similar approach. In short, the answer is no. Tucker’s just-right interpretations revisit old friends that are as timeless as the artist herself.

ROSANNE CASH / King's Record Shop [retro review]

(Columbia Records - 1987)

Produced by Rodney Crowell

A MULTI-FACETED ARTISTIC PEAK

A number of women have been nominated multiple times for the CMA's Female Vocalist Of The Year Award without a win: Connie Smith, Lorrie Morgan, Anne Murray, Sara Evans, and others. Nominated five times between 1982 and 1988, Rosanne Cash arguably stands out as the most overlooked female artist who should have won the honor. Johnny Cash's eldest child carved out her unique brand of pop-country that combined elements of folk, blues and rock, scoring eleven number-one singles throughout the 80's.

Cash's 1985 album Rhythm & Romance was a smash hit, peaking at number-one on the country albums charts and earning her a Grammy for the chart-topping single "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me." However, it's her follow-up, 1987's King's Record Shop, that stands as her artistic triumph. Produced by then-husband Rodney Crowell, the album produced an impressive (for the era) four consecutive number-one singles: "The Way We Make A Broken Heart," "If You Change Your Mind," "Runaway Train," and "Tennessee Flat Top Box" (a cover of her father's 1961 hit). Crowell's production is pleasingly diverse, but the key to the album's success lies in its songwriting. Cash, Crowell and top-notch writers such as John Hiatt pieced together a satisfying collection of songs. Leadoff tune "Rosie Strikes Back" addresses domestic violence, urging its heroine to "hit the road and never look back." In contrast to Shania Twain's conversational style and Taylor Swift's diary entries, Cash dissects her emotions as if in therapy. "The Way We Make A Broken Heart" is a brutally critical and honest anatomy of an illicit affair. A relationship progressing much too quickly is expertly analogized in "Runaway Train," and she admits fears of a dying love in the poignant "The Real Me." Weakness has never been a Rosanne Cash trademark, and that tradition continues with "I Don't Have To Crawl," in which she boldy proclaims "I can just walk away" from a neglectful lover.

Cash's signature, open-book delivery and the album's thought-provoking lyrics leave no room for fluff, the closest thing being the rocker "Green, Yellow and Red." "If You Change Your Mind" and "Somewhere Sometime" hold up well as pop confections, while the acoustic instrumentation of "Tennessee Flat Top Box" is about the sweetest piece of country ear candy you may ever hear. The album's closer, "Why Don't You Quit Leaving Me Alone," is a haunting recap of a failed relationship, and it becomes more heart-wrenching with repeated listening.

Sadly, this was Cash's last studio album aimed squarely at a mainstream country audience. She shifted gears and turned to a more introspective folk style with later albums such as Interiors and The Wheel. Despite widespread criticism that country music had sold out to the pop market in the 80's, King's Record Shop shines as the best example of an artist balancing the two genres and maintaining complete musical integrity.

Interestingly, art director Bill Johnson won the 1988 Grammy for Best Recording Package Design; he photographed Cash in front of the real King's Record Shop, in Louisville, KY.

If you are unfamiliar with Rosanne Cash and you want to hear one of the best country albums from the 80's, then be sure to visit King's Record Shop.

GEORGE STRAIT / Twang

(MCA Nashville)

Produced by Tony Brown & George Strait

THE KING STILL REIGNS

After nearly three decades of recording, more number-one singles than any other recording artist in history (57 and counting), a Country Music Hall of Fame induction, and creating the template for the perfect country music career, one could almost expect George Strait to phone in his albums and take it easy. After all, he probably could record a list of Texas cattle futures and earn another Album Of The Year nomination; he's just that good. However, Strait’s 41st album, Twang, finds the most recent Artist of The Decade venturing into new territory. He takes risks, and he clearly has no intention of taking his last curtain call anytime soon.

For starters, Strait takes on the role of songwriter – something that hasn’t happened since his second album, Strait From The Heart, in 1982 (the song was “I Can’t See Texas From Here”). He collaborates with son Bubba and longtime Strait tunesmith Dean Dillon (“The Chair,” and “Marina Del Rey,” among dozens more). The result? Strait contributes to three songs that stand shoulder to shoulder with anything he’s recorded before - most notably, the smooth and heartbreaking “Living For The Night,” the set’s first single. “He’s Got That Something Special” is a country toe-tapper, defying the listener not to sing along. Father and son craft a classic barroom tearjerker, “Out Of Sight Out Of Mind,” which is pure Strait, through and through. Bubba Strait also adds “Arkansas Dave,” a murderous story song, reminiscent of material Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash would have recorded in the ‘70’s.

Elsewhere, Dean Dillon, Jessie Jo Dillon and Casey Beathard’s “The Breath You Take” provides the album’s emotional cornerstone. Strait works his magic, taking a clichéd line like “ Life’s not the breath you take/But the moments that take your breath away” and skillfully makes it resonate. The song is one of the most beautiful to ever appear on a George Strait album, and it deserves to be a future single. The sure-fire second single is the roof-raising title track. Other fun moments include “Some Kind of Crazy” and “Hot Grease and Zydeco,” which is sure to become a staple in Strait’s live shows.

Twang's biggest surprise is saved for last: “El Rey” is a Mexican folk song that he sings – quite convincingly – completely in Spanish. If the country music thing doesn’t work out for him, Strait could easily have a career on the Tejano circuit. The title translates to “The King,” and the last lines read: “A cowboy told me/You don’t have to arrive first/but just know how to arrive.” Appropriately, this sums up Strait’s career thus far. His has been a journey of class, consistency and influence, with great humility.

The King, indeed.

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