To be sure, this is recognizably within George Strait’s comfort zone — as always, when you do it as well as he does, there’s no need to change — but beneath that supple exterior there are a few surprises, chief among them the re-emergence of Strait the songwriter. George hasn’t penned many songs since the early ’80s, when his son George “Bubba” Strait, Jr. was just a baby, but now that he’s a grown man Bubba has turned into a songwriter in his own right, coaxing his dad into composing three songs with him, including the terrific tear-in-my-beer single Living for the Night and the breezy lament He’s Got That Something Special. – AMG
Here’s George Strait, in his own words, telling us about the making of Twang:
[quicktime]http://www.thestreetdate.com/video/George_Master_FINAL_Web.mov[/quicktime]
REVIEW OF REVIEWS
There are certain things that George Strait — Texas son and Nashville royalty — is just not.
The Poteet native is not a crossover superstar. Sure, his discs — including 1997’s Carrying Your Love With Me and 2008’s Troubadour — hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. But there have been no breakout singles on Top 40 radio. Duets with Nelly and Def Leppard, slick pop remixes and DJ beats just aren’t part of his makeup.
Strait is also not a wry, wisecracking heartthrob. For the most part, his tunes are simple, straightforward tales of love and loss. No wink-wink singles à la Brad Paisley (Celebrity, Ticks) with equally ironic videos. And no LOL Twitter moments. We’ll leave that to Blake Shelton.
He’s never been flashy, but few performers have been steadier than country singer George Strait. There are only two, in fact: Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
In a career stretching more than 30 years, Strait has landed 44 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country chart and released 25 studio albums, two live records, eight compilations and five Christmas albums. That’s 40 albums, 31 of which have sold more than 1 million copies. All told, he’s sold more than 68 million records.
Here’s the secret to his success: Strait is Everyman. He picks solid songs with themes just about anyone can relate to, and he sings them with a hint of twang in his warm voice. His songs feel like home, and his latest, “Twang” (MCA Nashville), is no different.
TRACKLIST
1. Twang
2. Where Have I Been All My Life
3. Gotta Get To You
4. Easy As You Go
5. Living For The Night
6. Same Kind Of Crazy
7. Out Of Sight Out Of Mind
8. Arkansas Dave
9. The Breath You Take
10. He’s Got That Something Special
11. Hot Grease And Zydeco
12. Beautiful Day For Goodbye
13. El Rey
VIDEOS
BEST SHOTS
Flickr photo by whittlz
Flickr photo by whittlz
