Toby Keith has always done things his own way. Fiercely independent, he’s fought his music label, the Dixie Chicks, the media, the Academy of Country Music and broken nearly every stereotype and expectation that has been thrown on him. That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy is his 14th album and the 5th that he’s released on his own Show Dog Records label. Done his own way. Every single track was produced by Keith- and every song was written or co-written by him as well. And despite his multiple endeavors into movies (Beer For My Horses), restaurants (Harrah’s I Love This Bar & Grille), licensing headwear (Dorfman Pacific) and running a music label with multiple other acts, this album is prototypical Keith in fine form. He works both ends of the spectrum on this album, boot-scooting dance numbers and tender heartfelt ballads. Keith's wheelhouse is the Arkansas roughneck fare that oozes from the first track and chugs through every flowing fiddle and steel-guitar twang. It’s (almost) classic country with bark and bite. His own way seems to be working great."That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy" is a great guitar-laden country song that will easily appeal to country radio. Like “How Do You Like Me Now,” Keith uses a song title to send a little message out to critics that view his hands-on bulldog approach as a negative. The tune itself is a tongue-in- cheek song that you can still be a good guy even if you like to live life a little over the edge.
Not since “Country Comes To Town” has Keith had such a country rocker with “Creole Woman.” A great tribute to Lousiana love, Keith sings, “I stopped in Thibodeaux, roadhouse in Lousian, I wasn’t stayin’ long.” A great electric guitar drives the song, one you can’t help but tap your toes to.
"God Love Her" is a percussion driven song about a wild child preacher's daughter who meets up with the local bad boy (played by Toby Keith) as they head West. It continues the theme of bad boy redemption and marks the third straight uptempo song to open the album.
The first radio-released single "She Never Cried In Front Of Me" has already shot straight to No. 1 and is one of the more touching ballads that Keith has released in his long career. It’s matched in tenderness with the bluesy “Missing You Missing Me.” Keith doesn’t have the widest range in the world, but he uses his talents amazingly well, providing real passion behind the lyrics.
"Time That It Would Take" is a country rocker with attitude. With lyrics like "in the time it would take me to tell you where I've been, honey I could take you places you ain't never been before." This is a cranks things back up again tune before closing out the CD with a slow sexy rocker called "I Got It For You Girl."
There’s no political statements or industry backhand smacks on this album, it’s simply a continuing maturing artist that recognizes that his career will be remembered for his collection of work instead of the statements he’s made along the way. That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy is a guitar driven, rock solid country CD that every Toby Keith fan- and country fan- will love.
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