The Background:He's sold more than 30 million albums, been among the top all-genre touring artists for a decade and his songs have been honored by BMI for 63 million broadcast performances and counting. Toby Keith is one of country music's most durable current hit-makers. As he's done for the last 16 years, Keith has gone to work playing the shows, writing the songs and recording the album that, in this case, became American Ride. His 1993 debut was a No. 1 Billboard Heatseeker. His next four albums all reached at least top 10 on the Country Albums chart. Every album since, starting in 2001 with Pull My Chain, has reached No. 1. On the singles charts, he's scored a #1 hit every year since 1993. Across 44 single releases and 20 album releases including four hits collections, he's only released six singles he didn't write. And with American Ride, his 16th studio album, he's done it again. American Ride features 12 new tracks, all but one written or co-written by Toby. It features guest appearances from the Hogliners plus Jazz greats Dave Koz, Marcus Miller and Arthur Thompson on "Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)".
The Review:
Toby Keith is a paradox. He can be a “Boot-In-Your-Ass” mofo on some of his songs, but then deliver one of the more touching personal ballads on the other hand. Two of the best songs on the album show the bravado side. On “Battle Of Balad”, he opens up with a military percussion and then tells a soldiers perspective of recruiter’s honesty filled with toughness and comedy. Written and certainly designed for the military he so often performs for, the song is raw and blue and you can almost hear the troops overseas cheering each chorus. “American Ride” is interesting as it tackles the cynicism, paradoxes and hypo criticism of popular culture without diluting his well-documented passion for the red, white and blue. On the flip side, we have the sensitive Toby Keith. On the lovely dedication to Toby’s good friend, Wayman Tisdale, “Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song),” Keith delivers a home run. Appropriately including jazz legend Dave Koz, the song opens up with Wayman’s cell phone voice mail. I had the opportunity to meet Wayman a couple times when he played for my hometown Sacramento Kings but didn’t know him personally at all. After this beautiful dedication, somehow I do now. When Keith has a specific story to tell on a topic that is specific and unique to him, he sells the song. When he gets more general and speaks to everyone on topics of love or other, he loses the passion a bit. The other songs aren’t bad at all, they’re just not overly special. I’d like to hear more about topics of interest of Keith to drive the passion meter up a bit. Maybe on next year’s album, we’ll hear more of Razorbacks, soldier life and honkytonks.
Sounds Like:
Trace Adkins
Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
American Ride
Cryin For Me (Wayman’s Song)
Battle of Balad
The Verdict:
Two And A Half Stars Out Of Five
Thanks for "exposing" that there is so much more to Toby Keith than what the mainstream media has latched onto. Those of us who have followed him since the beginning know he's multifaceted but unfortunately there are those who form their opinion based on a warped interpretation of one or two songs.
ReplyDeleteToby's voice sounds so good on this CD and personally, I feel the "honky tonk" songs are better than you described them. I give the CD a higher rating, like a five out of five, but then I know I'm prejudiced!
Thanks Toby for another great CD!!