Album Review: Aaron Tippin – ‘Lookin’ Back At Myself’

Like his labelmate Clint Black, Aaron Tippin had a hand in writing most of the songs he recorded, and also like Black, after a few albums it became apparent that he was starting to run out of good ideas. Even a new producer, Steve Gibson couldn’t keep Lookin’ Back At Myself, Tippin’s fifth release for RCA, from sounding like a rehash of his earlier work. The lead single “I Got It Honest” is another ode to the blue collar work ethic, while the title track revisits the theme of standing by one’s convictions no matter what the consequences and “Lovin’ Me Into An Early Grave” sounds way too much like “There Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong With The Radio” to be truly enjoyable.

The familiar themes were beginning to wear thin at radio; “I Got It Honest” failed to reach the Top 10, peaking at #15. The album’s second single “She Feels Like A Brand New Man Tonight” is a less traditional number that at least attempts to venture into new territory. However, it is one of Tippin’s poorer efforts and it only reached #39. The fact that RCA didn’t release any further singles may have been a sign that Tippin was beginning to lose the support of his label. That is a shame, because even though the rest of the album is a mixed bag, it contains a handful of decent songs that might have been better choices for singles. “She’s Got A Way (Of Makin’ Me Forget)” is a fiddle-led traditional number in the vein that Aaron Tippin was born to sing. The same goes for “Standin’ On The Promises”. “Lookin’ Back At Myself” is likewise a very enjoyable song, despite being a bit unoriginal. “Bayou Baby” is a bit fluffy, but might have had a successful chart run as a summmertime release.

On the other hand, “Country Boy’s Tool Box” is an unmitigated disaster that was presumably inspired by the then-popular line dancing craze. The beat is annoying, the lyrics are shallow and it is lacking in melody. Unfortunately the song made another appearance on Tippin’s subsequent album. “Mission From Hank” is a forgettable number, notable only for being the only song on the album that Tippin didn’t co-write.

Overall, Lookin’ Back At Myself is a good, but slightly uneven effort. The album cuts are better than the tracks that were released as singles. RCA seems to have been marketing Tippin as salt-of-the-earth, hardworking and God-fearing and the single choices definitely reflect that but by this time, it was beginning to become a cliche. It’s too bad they didn’t try harder to market some of Aaron’s other singles; if they had he might have enjoyed a few more years in the spotlight. Despite its missteps, the album is certainly good enough to justify the small expenditure required to pick up a cheap copy.

Grade: B

Classic Rewind: Clint Black ft Steve Wariner – ‘Nothin’ But the Taillights’

EP Review: Clint Black – ‘The Long Cool EP’

By the mid-2000s, the pressures of parenthood and running his own label had taken their toll on Clint’s recording career and songwriting, and his own musical output decreased considerably. In 2008 he issued his most recent collection of new music, The Long Cool EP, which was a digital-only release.

Included in the three-song collection was “The Strong One”, Clint’s single from the previous year. It was only the second single of his career that he did not have a hand in writing (the other one was his 1993 cover of The Eagles’ “Desperado”). A heartfelt tribute to his better half, the so-called “weaker sex”, “The Strong One” was penned by Bill Luther, Don Poythress and Chuck Jones. Less traditional than Clint’s early work, the recording embraces a softer sound that was more aligned with the preferences of contemporary country radio. Without the strong promotional support of a major label, “The Strong One” underperformed on the charts, peaking at #37. It is, however, one of the higher-charting singles from his stint with Equity, second only to 2004′s “Spend My Time” which reached #16.

Clint moved even further away from his country roots with the next single, from which the EP’s title is derived. “Long Cool Woman” has been a pop hit for The Hollies in 1972. I’ll admit to being completely ignorant of the original version, but I liked Clint’s take on the song a lot. Though it wasn’t the traditional country he was known for, it wasn’t as big an artistic stretch as one might think at first, and he sounded more refreshed and energized than he had in quite some time. It died at #58 and is the last single that Clint has released to date.

The EP’s remaining track is “You Still Get To Me”, a duet with Lisa Hartman-Black, which attempts to recreate the success the pair had originally enjoyed with “When I Say I Do” nearly a decade earlier. It is not a bad song, but it is not particularly memorable.

After purchasing The Long Cool EP from Amazon, I found out that the iTunes version contained a bonus track, a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin’”, which I’ve never heard.

The Long Cool EP was released in March 2008 and was intended to bridge the gap until Clint’s next album, which was slated for release later that year. Unfortunately, Equity Music Group’s financial difficulties delayed the release of the album, and in December the struggling label closed its doors, unable to withstand the loss of its one truly successful act, Little Big Town. None of the tracks from the EP is commercially available at the moment, to the best of my knowledge, but perhaps one day they will resurface on a compilation album.

Grade: B+

Album Review: Clint Black – ‘Drinkin’ Songs & Other Logic’

Clint’s second album for Equity was to be his last full length album to date. It was a return to form, and to more traditional sounds. However, it was not very successful commercially, with none of the singles charting within the top 40. Clint produced, and as usual, he wrote every song, mostly with confrere Hayden Nicholas, and his band provided the backings.

Steve Wariner co-wrote and guests on electric guitar on the title track, which is definitely a standout, with a bright up-tempo mod belying the sadness as Clint advises a diet of classic country music washed down with whiskey as a cure for a broken heart. There are liberal references to both singers and songs to pick up on, and I really enjoyed this track:

It’s a good life here in the nightlife, bathin’ in the neon glow
The bartender, me and the kings of country playin’ everything we know
The Red Headed Stranger’s smoking, he burned a hole in his guitar
And I’m drowning in a whiskey river, Lord, that’s running right through this bar

Clint himself sounds thoroughly energized and committed here, and sets the tone for an album full of drinking songs.

‘A Big One’ is another gem in the same vein, with a catchy barroom singalong vibe, which Clint wrote with Tim Nichols. He cheerfully points the finger of blame for his drinking at his ex:
I only need one good reason to keep on drinkin’

(You can guess what, or who, that is.)

He also takes refuge in the bottle in the sad but less memorable ballad ‘Thinkin’ Of You’. Western swing ballad ‘I Don’t Wanna Tell You’ has the protagonist stopping off for a beer while putting off that conversation about leaving, while the steel-laced ‘Longnecks & Rednecks’ is an upbeat paean to honky tonks and beer drunk from the bottle.

The very traditional shuffle ‘Heartaches’ compares physical ailments with emotional ones, with Clint begging the doctor for an intravenous injection of “something strong” to help with the pain in his heart .

‘Too Much Rock’ complains a little too obliquely about the state of country music:

I’m gonna put down this hoe and pick up my guitar
Plant some seeds down on Music Row
But it seems like this old town is a lot like on the farm
I keep plantin’, nothin’ ever seems to grow

His heart is in the right place, but the song doesn’t feel focussed.

The minor-keyed Western number ‘Code Of The West’ looks back with a wistful nostalgia to the black and white morality of old cowboy movies, which is earnest but cliche’d. The cowboy theme is more successful in the valedictory ‘Go It Alone’, a subtle farewell to an old friend.

The pessimistic ‘Rainbow In The Rain’ is also good:

There’s no such thing as old forgotten memories
No such thing as only one to blame
And I’m not one who’ll never see the forest for the trees
But I can’t find a rainbow in the rain

‘Back Home In Heaven’ is a touching song about coping with bereavement, inspired by the death of cowriter Hayden Nicholas’s mother. Little Big Town contribute (not very prominent) backing vocals, and it had a special resonance for them too, as it was Kimberly Schlapman’s first recording session after the tragically early death of her first husband. The soothing, pretty melody and sweetly inspirational lyrics work well together, and this is one of my favorites on the album.

The only real mis-step is the silly ‘Undercover Cowboy’, about a sleazy would-be lothario preying on women in bars.

Clint Black’s music can be hit and miss, and having not enjoyed the album prior to this one, I passed on it when it originally came out. Catching up for this review has been a pleasant surprise. Overall, while not in Killin’ Time territory, this is a very good album which stands among Clint’s better efforts. The limited promotion due to being on Clint’s own, now defunct, label, means it may have slipped through the cracks for many, but it’s definitely worth tracking down.

Grade: B+

Classic Rewind: Clint Black ft Skip Ewing – ‘Something That We Do’

Album Review – Clint Black – ‘Spend My Time’

The early 2000s brought a sea of change in Clint Black’s career. After the massive success of “When I Said I Do,” Black took three years away from the business to raise his daughter, who was born in 2001. His contract with RCA Nashville also expired during this time and left Black the opportunity to form his own label, Equity (the label that put Little Big Town on the map with The Road To Here in 2005.)

His first full-length project for the label, Spend My Time was released in 2004 and marked Black’s first album of all-new material since Nothin’ But The Tailights in 1997. He again produced the project solo, keeping with the tradition he set with his all acoustic set in 1999.

While Spend My Time was a comeback of sorts for Black, the changing tide of country music left very little room for the album on radio playlists and as a result, the singles faired poorly. He just missed the top 15 with the title track, a lovely ballad he penned solo. It’s a fantastic song about the passage of time, and while it could’ve been very cliché, he keeps it sincere with his honest vocal and neo-traditional arrangement.

He wrote #51 peaking second single “The Boogie Man” with noted songwriter Will Jennings. Black wrote the track for his young daughter and it exudes a pleasing playfulness that he nicely brings out in his vocal. The production, however, is a bit uncharacteristically thick and rockish for Black, but he keeps it in check with ear catching bluesy piano throughout. Final single “My Imagination,” a nice string heavy ballad, peaked at #42.

Like the majority of Black’s musical catalog Spend My Time is a solid effort. It’s clear he’s played with his winning formula a bit, taking out overly traditional arrangements and adding in a dash of poppier sounds that give the project a contemporary flare that keeps it modern without sounding dated. He also manages to sound completely himself, and avoids the pitfalls of changing too much too quickly.

The ballads are the record’s best tracks, toned down to offer nice clarity. “Whatever Happened” has a nice acoustic guitar laden melody while “Just Like You and Me” raises above Black’s somewhat shouty vocal thanks to ample steel. Those same elements also elevate “Someone Else’s Tears” and “A Lover’s Clown” sounds like something Black would’ve put on any of his mid-90s work.

I do have an issue with him vocally, however. He tends to over sing almost all the songs here, like his vocal was turned up to eleven while the backing music doesn’t match that intensity. He would’ve succeeded even further if he had just a bit more subtlety in his voice. That being said, his vocal gymnastics are well matched on the ample uptempo material, the places on Spend My Time where the album ranges in quality.

Black’s upbeat ‘sweet spot’ if you will are on tracks like “State of Mind” and “The Shoes Your Wearnin,’” where the drums and guitars don’t interfere with the song, but allow Black to roll along with a nice energy. Unfortunately, none of those such moments are found here. The reggae influenced “We All Fall Down,” 80s rock inspired “She’s Leavin,’” and choir heavy “A Mind To” are nothing more than noise, too loud in every respect to be enjoyed for the interesting lyric they probably are.

“Haywire” works beautifully because it leaves space for Black to deliver bluesy riffs reminiscent of “Put Yourself In My Shoes” that are firmly in his wheelhouse. It may not be to my personal taste, but it’s one of the standout tracks. “Everything I Need” is also very good, if a bit too loud. I’m not a huge fan of guitar rockers (like Brad and Keith are known for) but he makes this one work.

Overall, Spend My Time isn’t a bad album at all and marked a worthy return for Black. He still in fine voice and keeps the material up to his usual standard even if none of these songs (apart from the title track) are memorable in any significant way. He just needs to tone everything down a few notches and find a bit more tenderness, and he may’ve come closer to hitting a home run. As it stands Spend My Time is good effort that could’ve been a lot stronger. But I appreciate that he’s clearly putting in effort.

Grade: B

Classic Rewind – Clint Black – ‘Tuckered Out’

From the 1993 CMA Awards, which Black co-hosted with Vince Gill:

Album Review: Clint Black – ‘D’lectrified’

Clint Black’s swan song for RCA was the first album he produced by himself and arguably his most ambitious. As the title suggests, D’lectrified was recorded entirely with acoustic instruments, but rest assured, it is no quiet, stripped-down unplugged affair. By implementing a variety of instruments not usually used in country music — such as the clarinet, various saxophones and percussion, as well as a string section — he achieves a rich, full sound which causes the listener to sometimes forget that no electric instruments were used.

The album is also a departure from Clint’s usual practice of writing or co-writing every song. There is a great deal of cover material here and his choices are quite eclectic — from The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Bob Away My Blues” which opens the album, to Leon Russell’s “Dixie Lullaby” (done as a duet with Bruce Hornsby) and the novelty tune “Ode To the Galaxy”, which is quite likely the first time a major country music star covered Monty Python. A slightly re-worked version of “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” appears as a tribute to Waylon Jennings, whose name is substituted for Hank’s in the title and lyrics. None of these tunes are in the vein of what fans had come to expect from Black, but all of them were quite well done.

The rest of the album is more conventional. Clint’s wife Lisa Hartman Black joined him on the sentimental and AC-leaning “When I Said I Do”, which was the album’s first single. I remember cringing upon learning that Clint’s wife would be his duet partner. I was unaware that she had released four unsuccessful pop albums between 1976 and 1987. Though she was no Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton, she was a better vocalist than I’d expected. Radio loved the record, and it quickly rose to #1. It was Lisa’s first chart-topper and Clint’s last. It also reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album’s second single was “Been There”, on which Clint is joined by his co-writer Steve Wariner. Released in January 2000, it reached #5, becoming the last Top 10 hit of Clint’s career.

The album’s best track by far is “Love She Can’t Live Without”, a Black co-write with Skip Ewing. It should have been a monster hit, but it stalled at #30. I suspect that with Clint’s contract with RCA about to expire, the label did little to promote the record. The album’s weakest cut is “Harmony”, a duet with co-writer Kenny Loggins. A sappy and syrupy affair that plods along for nearly five and a half minutes, it is the album’s sole dud and quite possibly the worst thing Black ever recorded.

The remainder of D’lectrified consists primarily of re-worked versions of some of Clint’s earlier hits, such as “Burn One Down” and “No Time To Kill”. Both were done in a bluesy, jam-session style, which ironically are quite loud for acoustic recordings and Clint seems to be struggling at times to be heard over the arrangements. Neither holds its own against its original hit version; however, an acoustic guitar-led instrumental version of “Something That We Do”, which appears as a hidden track at the end of the album is quite nice.

Unlike all of Clint’s previous albums, D’lectrified failed to attain platinum status, though it did earn gold certification (his last studio album to do so). After the album was released, Black left RCA to found his own label, Equity Music Group, which was meant to introduce a new business model to the music industry by allowing artists to keep a greater share of the profits they generated. The experiment did not succeed, and neither did any of Clint’s recordings for the fledgling label. D’lectrified, his last truly successful album, was an adventurous project and is worth seeking out.

Grade: A

Classic Rewind – Clint Black & Martina McBride – ‘Still Holdin’ On’

From the 1997 CMA Awards:

Classic Rewind – Clint Black – ‘Like The Rain’

Album Review – Clint Black – ‘Nothin’ But The Taillights’

After the somewhat lackluster One Emotion Clint Black regrouped by issuing his first Greatest Hits album, an effort surprising for its poor representation of his debut album (only “Killin’ Time” and “A Better Man” are included) among other noticeable absences. It still managed to go double platinum and included two big hits – the guitar ballad “Like The Rain” (a favorite of mine) and somewhat aggressive “Half Way Up.” The former would be another #1 hit for Black in the fall of 1996.

He returned with a new album in 1997, previewing it with “Still Holding On,” a duet with Martina McBride. Co-written with Matraca Berg and Marty Stuart, the track served as the lead single for both Black and McBride’s new releases that year. It peaked at #11 and became Black’s first single not to chart top 10. I’ve always loved the song and consider it a nice slice of pop-country, even if it is a tad generic from two label mates looking to cash in on each other’s success.

The next three singles from Nothin’ But The Taillights helped to greatly reverse Black’s fortunes and became three of his most impactful hits since his debut album. Black and Skip Ewing co-wrote “Something That We Do,” a love song inspired by Black’s marriage to actress Lisa Hartman Black. It’s a beautiful song, albeit a tad long, and one of the most endearing professions of love since Alan Jackson’s “I’ll Love You All Over Again.”

“Something That We Do” may’ve peaked at #2, but his next two singles were chart toppers. The Steve Wariner co-written title track is an upbeat guitar heavy (and comical) wife-pissed-off song that was played to death in early 1998 to the point where I can’t even listen to it today. I don’t hate it, but the novelty has worn off. I have the opposite reaction to “The Shoes Your Wearin,’” which finds Black writing with Hayden Nicholas again. I love everything about this track, from the drums and electric guitars to Black’s vocal.

Black and Nicholas also teamed up for the next single, “Loosen Up My Strings,” which peaked at #12. Another thickly produced number; Black’s popularity likely benefited its chart run, as it should’ve been left as an album track. The neo-traditional-leaning “You Don’t Need Me Know” charted lower, peaking at #29. I don’t even remember it being a single, but it’s an excellent song with a refreshingly understated melody and vocal.

Of the album tracks, “Our Kind of Love” is a country/bluegrass tune with Alison Krauss and Union Station and “Ode To Chet” is a classic Black type song in tribute to Chet Atkins, which features fancy guitar work from Atkins himself, Dann Huff, Wariner, and Mark Knopler. Both are fabulous, although Black could’ve benefited from giving a more restrained vocal on the collaboration with Krauss. It’s beautiful melody but he comes on a bit too strong for it all to be fully appreciated. “That Something In My Life” is also very strong while “You Know It All” and “Bitter Side of Sweet” are the album’s two weakest offerings.

Nothin’ But The Taillights really is the project that put Black back on top. Not since his debut had he experienced such impactful signature hits has he does here. I really enjoy this period of Black’s career as this is when I started following and enjoying his music as a kid. If Killin’ Time was Black’s neo-traditional masterpiece, Nothin’ But The Taillights marked his highest artistic achievement in pop and even somewhat rock country.

Grade: A-

Classic Rewind – Clint Black – ‘Good Run of Bad Luck’

From the 1994 ACM Awards:

Album Review: Clint Black – ‘One Emotion’

While it yielded five top 5 hit singles and was Clint’s fifth (and last) platinum album, 1994’s One Emotion is one of his least inspired, and as Clint served (as usual) as the writer or co-writer of every song no-one else can be blamed. Sadly, the one emotion I feel through almost all this album is boredom.

Lead single ‘Untanglin’ My Mind’ was a co-write with Merle Haggard, and is one of the few tracks to bear comparison with Clint’s best work. It is an excellent classic ballad about the painful aftermath of a failed relationship, with some tasteful fiddle supporting the wearied but accepting mood, and. It peaked at a respectable #4 and stands head and shoulders above everything else here:

I’m sure no one will wonder where I’ve gone to
But if anyone should ask from time to time
Tell them that you finally drove me crazy
And I’m somewhere untanglin’ my mind

Tell ‘em I won’t be ridin’, I’ll be walkin’
‘Cause I don’t think a crazy man should drive
Anyway, the car belongs to you now
Along with any part of me that’s still alive
But there’s really not much left you could hold onto
And if you did it wouldn’t last here anyway
It’d head to where the rest of me rolled onto
So even if I wanted to, I couldn’t stay

The blandly philosophical blues-imbued ‘Wherever You Go’ reached #3 but is less to my taste and while inoffensive, is not particularly insightful (the message is that you can’t escape your problems by running away).

‘Summer’s Comin’’ is rather boring but its cheerful feel propelled it to the top of the chart. Clint was obviously in a seasonal mood when writing this album because the later ‘A Change In The Air’ is about impending fall; this one sounds pleasantly mellow but lacks depth, although I prefer it to ‘Summer’s Comin’’. The one-two combination is redolent of a creative writing exercise and it’s not hard to suspect Clint was lacking inspiration generally at this point.

The incredibly boring title track unfortunately has nothing to recommend it but a pleasant background melody, but somehow almost made it to the #1 spot on the charts, topping out at #2.

The middle of the album is badly bogged down with a trio of particularly dull tracks. ‘Life Gets Away’ (amazingly a #4 hit single) and ‘I Can Get By’ are forgettable attempts at deep philosophical messages which are really just bland, obvious truisms. ‘Hey Hot Rod’ is a boring rocker featuring Clint’s trademark harmonica as its sole point of interest.

The swingy and well-played ‘You Walked By’ is quite enjoyable, and I liked it better than any of the singles apart from ‘Untanglin’ My Mind’. However, it leads into ‘You Made Me Feel’ written with blue-eyed soul man Michael McDonald, which is back to the dull and forgettable.

The CD version includes bonus tracks of Clint’s previous hits ‘A Good Run Of Bad Luck’ and Wynonna duet ‘A Bad Goodbye’.

The best one can say about most of the songs on this album is that they sound decent (something one almost took for granted in the early 90s but makes this album sound a lot better in today’s context), but the lyrics, while inoffensive, are oh so boring. Even at bargain basement used prices, this one is not worth it. Download ‘Untanglin’ My Mind’ and ‘You Walked By’ and skip the rest.

Grade: C-

Favorite Country Songs Of The 80s: Part 6

Here are some more songs from the 1980s that I liked and remember. See if you recall any of these records:

“Memory Machine“– Jack Quist
This 1982 song about a jukebox reached #52. I don’t know anything about Jack Quist other than that he originally was from Salt Lake City, but I am familiar with the song’s writer Ted Harris as he wrote such classics as “Paper Mansions” and “Crystal Chandeliers”.

“On Second Thought” – Eddie Rabbitt
Released in 1989, this song peaked at #1 in early 1990. This was Eddie’s most traditional sounding hit and my favorite of all of Eddie’s recordings.

“Don’t It Make Ya Wanna Dance” – Bonnie Raitt
This song was from the soundtrack of Urban Cowboy and reached #42.

“Right Hand Man” – Eddy Raven

Eddy had sixteen consecutive top ten records from 1984-1989. This song is my favorite although it only reached #3. Eddy would have five #1 records during the decade with “Joe Knows How To Live” and “Bayou Boys” being the biggest hits.

“She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft)” - Jerry Reed
There are few artists that could get away with recording a song with such a title but Jerry Reed was that one of a kind who could. The song reached #1 in 1982, one of Jerry’s few #1 records. There are those who consider Jerry to have been the best guitar player ever (Chet Atkins among them). Jerry passed away a few years ago perhaps depriving the genre of its greatest all-around talent.

Classic Rewind: Clint Black – ‘Live And Learn/Walkin’ Away/Windin’ Down/Nobody’s Home’

Album Review – Clint Black – ‘No Time To Kill’

By the time Clint Black released his fourth album No Time To Kill, he had finally gotten his career on track after his multiple court appearances and delayed third album The Hard Way. He once again turned to producer James Stroud and watched his career elevate to an even higher level.

A duet with then red-hot Wynonna Judd entitled “A Bad Goodbye” was the album’s first single, peaking at #2 in summer 1993. A string-laced piano ballad, it marked Black’s first foray into a slicker sound but didn’t compromise his artistic integrity. I quite like this one, mostly due to the track’s understated nature and the pair’s equally strong vocal performances.

As if to prove Black hadn’t gone pop, RCA Nashville followed up with the title track, another top 5 hit. “No Time to Kill” was a play on words with the title of his debut record, although the similarities between the two songs end there. “No Time to Kill” introduced Black’s jam band tendencies and brought the energy of his electric stage show to an album for the first time. The liveliness of the track is infectious, and I love the mix of drums, fiddle, and dobro throughout.

Possibly my favorite single from No Time to Kill is “State of Mind,” which rightfully went to #2 in the fall of 1993. I love everything about this song from the use of harmonica on the intro to the fiddle that welcomes you about a minute in. It’s just an all around feel good song, which is surprising given the subject matter (a man on the mend from a bad relationship).

The album’s sole number one hit (and another favorite of mine) came from “A Good Run of Bad Luck,” a gambling themed number also featured on the soundtrack to the movie Maverick starring Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster. Like “No Time To Kill,” “A Good Run of Bad Luck” perfectly echoes Black’s energy on stage, which made the number perfect for playing live.

The only odd single choice from No Time To Kill is “Half The Man,” which peaked at #4 in 1994. There’s nothing wrong with the song, although the neo-traditional arrangement is a crutch for Black to regress a little. He doesn’t bring anything fresh to this type of song and it probably only received airplay thanks to Black’s popularity at the time. Much better is the Western Swing meets Bluegrass influenced “Tuckered Out,” which peaked at #74 due to unsolicited airplay. The high-energy number shows another side to Black’s musical persona, and it’s far more sonically interesting than “Half The Man,” which is more forgettable than anything else.

Of the remaining songs, “I’ll Take Texas” plays up Black’s Merle Haggard influence both sonically and vocally while “Back To Back” is an excellent mid-tempo number driven by dobro. I can’t say the same for the remaining two as “Thinkin’ Again” and “Happiness Alone” are boring neo-traditional numbers that lack the spark Black brought to his earlier work in that vein. But No Time To Kill is a fantastic album overall and a true standout from a singer/songwriter unwilling to forgo taking risks. It’s worthwhile addition to the collection of any true country fan.

Grade: A 

Week ending 4/6/13: #1 singles this week in country music history

1953 (Sales): Kaw-Liga – Hank Williams (MGM)

1953 (Jukebox): Kaw-Liga – Hank Williams (MGM)

1953 (Disc Jockeys): Kaw-Liga – Hank Williams (MGM)

1963: Don’t Let Me Cross Me Over — Carl Butler & Pearl (Columbia)

1973: Keep Me In Mind — Lynn Anderson (Columbia)

1983: When I’m Away From You — The Bellamy Brothers (Elektra/Curb)

1993: When My Ship Comes In — Clint Black (RCA)

2003: Have You Forgotten? — Darryl Worley (DreamWorks)

2013: Sure Be Cool If You Did — Blake Shelton (Warner Bros.)

2013 (Airplay): Sure Be Cool If You Did — Blake Shelton (Warner Bros.)

Classic Rewind: Clint Black – ‘Killin’ Time’

Album Review: Clint Black – ‘The Hard Way’

Clint Black’s third album was delayed somewhat by his legal battles with his management team. When the case was finally settled, The Hard Way was released in July 1992. Clint shared production duties with James Stroud and had a hand in writing all of the album’s songs, mostly with his usual songwriting partner Hayden Nicholas, but he also collaborated with a few outside writers as well. Unfortunately, this is the point in Clint’s career when the quality of his songs began to falter; The Hard Way is an uneven and largely unmemorable affair that would likely have benefited had Black not insisted on recording only material for which he shared songwriting credits.

By now Clint’s popularity had lost some ground to Garth Brooks, but The Hard Way’s singles were still all well received by radio; “We Tell Ourselves” reached #2, “Burn One Down” (my personal favorite) landed at #4 and “When My Ship Comes In” climbed all the way to #1. Oddly, “When My Ship Comes In”, the album’s highest-charting single was omitted from Clint’s greatest hits package which was released a few years later.

The album marks the beginning of a subtle shift away from traditional country with songs like the slightly rock-tinged “Something To Cry About”, which is the album’s weakest track. The rest are fairly conventional recordings which are firmly within the scope of what was considered to be mainstream at the time. None of them are terrible, but none of them are particularly great, either, with the exception of “Burn One Down” which is as good as anything on Clint’s first two albums. There are a few album cuts that I like better than the singles, such as “A Woman Has Her Way”, “Wake Up Yesterday”, and “There Never Was a Train”, which only appears on the CD version of the album, as RCA was still engaging in its stingy practice of only including 9 tracks on cassette.

The Hard Way is not Clint’s very best work, although he would go on to release a few albums that were much worse. That being said, it is far superior to most of what Nashville is trying to peddle today. It is worth seeking out only because it can be obtained very inexpensively; otherwise, I would just stick with the Greatest Hits album and give this one a miss.

Grade: B

Classic Rewind: Clint Black – ‘Better Man’