Big Dog Daddy Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me say this right off the bat: I'm a Toby Keith fan. If I say that up front, you'll know I have no agenda (like several others) when I review this album.
It's not his best work.
It has its moments. The first single, "High Maintenence Woman" is a strong track, and there are a few others. "Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya" is a nice addition to his catalog, and I'm sure it will be a single. "I Know She Hung the Moon" is a great ballad that describes not only loving a woman, but being proud of her. I also like "Love Me If You Can" from a lyrical standpoint because it does such a good job of responding to Keith's left-wing critics who actually know very little about him (and it shows). It's a bit bland from a musical perspective, however.
Now that I've pointed out the strong points, on to the CD's weaker moments: I feel that a lot of the other tracks are generic and predictable, and well....a little uninspired. "Get My Drink On" and "Hit It" are your typical kind of barroom whoop-it-ups, and Keith gives us his version of rockabilly for the title track, "Big Dog Daddy." As Keith himself admits, the song was inspired by a promotional event for the new Ford pickup truck. That puts me off a little, especially when the CD booklet contains an obvious paid picture advertisement of Keith with the truck itself. Even without that bit of commercialism, the song is nothing to write home about. Other songs like "White Rose" sound like flat-out filler.
Overall, this CD leaves me a little disappointed. I liked White Trash with Money and Honky Tonk U much better. Maybe the problem is with me and my high expectations. The fact that Keith's previous work led me there is high praise for his talent. I'll give this a few more listens, but I'll probably play his old CDs more often. He probably should have waited until he had some stronger material before he entered the studio this time around.

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1. High Maintenance Woman 2. Love Me If You Can 3. White Rose 4. Get My Drink On 5. Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya 6. Big Dog Daddy 7. Burnin' Moonlight 8. Walk It Off 9. I Know She Hung The Moon 10. Pump Jack 11. Hit It

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Shock'n Y'all Review

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(More customer reviews)I would wager that you will either really love this album or really hate it. The promotional idea of playing it on the radio the day before it hit the stores was a stroke of genius. It had me going straight from work the next day to buy it. I already knew I liked the songs so when I loaded it in my PC and found approximately 15 minutes of video, I was doubly pleased. The songs are definitely unique so if you weren't privy to the preview, listen with an open mind. We all know "I love this Bar" so it doesn't need an introduction but the others..... "Taliban" gave me a different prospective on the War. An "American Soldier" pays tribute to our fighting men as only a song can do. "If I was Jesus" has to speak for it's self. How he mixed blasphemy with heavenly praise and got away with it is beyond me but the God fearing woman in me was not offended. No Toby Keith CD is complete without at least one or two that make you want to crank up the volume and put the pedal to the medal. Those would be "Time for me to Ride" and "Sweet". The Willie Song tops it off with a laugh. In my opinion, there is something for everyone, except maybe a Dixie Chick fan. My summary would be "This is Toby Keith Bone Deep" and I am definitely on the "loved it" side of the fence.

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American Ride Review

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(More customer reviews)Toby's latest album is great from top to bottom, but "Cryin' For Me" (Wayman's Song) is definitely the standout track for me. It is such a powerful ballad...one of Toby's best, and quite different from anything out there right now. The whole song has a nice and acoustic jazz feel, and it features a soothing saxophone -- something you don't often hear on country radio. The lyrics are powerful, written from the heart, and show the softer, more sensitive side of Toby. I'm not sure if it'll be a single, but I sure hope so. Either way, this is a "must hear" song!
The title track to "American Ride" is a very upbeat and catchy song, with clever lyrics featuring golden light humor. This combination is what helped give Toby yet another #1 song -- and it's currently been the #1 song for 2 weeks in a row. "Every Dog Has Its Day" sounds like classic Toby material, and it should be a big hit with his core fanbase. "Ballad of Balad" is another unique song, which you really need to hear to understand. Based on the solid material featured on this album, I think Toby will continue to ride high on the country charts for years to come.

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2009 album from the Country superstar who already has 25 #1 Country hits to his credit, making him one of the premier singer/songwriters of any music genre. American Ride features 12 new tracks, all but one written or co-written by Toby. Features guest appearances from the Hogliners plus Jazz greats Dave Koz, Marcus Miller and Arthur Thompson on "Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)".

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Cowboy Town (Aussie Tour Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Now, this is a little more like it. I admit, 2005's HILLBILLY DELUXE was a big hit for the guys, but I felt it was really just average work. As the Amazon reviewer pointed out above, Brooks & Dunn's albums do tend to have about an even mix of great songs and suprisingly mediocre ones. And while COWBOY TOWN isn't perfect, it certainly hits more than it misses.
The lead single, "Proud of the House We Built" is cut from the same cloth as 2003's excellent "Red Dirt Road." The guys' affection for the Rolling Stones (heard also in two songs on the RED DIRT ROAD disc) comes through not only in direct references ("Johnny Cash Junkie") but in the playful, honkytonk rhythm of cuts like the spirited "Put a Girl In It."
In fact, much of COWBOY TOWN pays tribute to seventies-era rock and country. Kix Brooks' "Drop in the Bucket" is such a textbook ZZ Top number, I was surprised to learn the song wasn't a cover of some lost tune from the fun-lovin' Texans. Brooks' ongoing Seger-esque observations of lost joys of youth inform every moment of "Ballad of Jerry Jeff Walker", which features a gargoyle-voiced cameo from its title character.
Inevitably, after nearly an album's worth of up-tempo numbers about cowboys, girls and booze, the duo succumbs to the now-obligatory Thoughtful Ballad or two. Good intentions aside, it's hard to defend such trite observations as "A preacher named King/Well, he had a dream" (from "American Dreamer") or most any line from the current events travelogue of the second single "God Must Be Busy." With ballads--and Brooks and Dunn should know this by now, after "Believe" spent like 30 weeks on the charts--less is more. The guys are at their best when they relax with a simple story song like "Cowgirls Don't Cry."
I think COWBOY TOWN works for both longtime fans and relative newcomers. For the former, the album is along the same lines as RED DIRT ROAD, with less filler. And to the latter, it might prove a welcome remedy from the same old redneck garbage being put out by Toby Keith, or any number of slick but empty new artists clogging up the radio.


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Australian-only limited two CD Tour Edition of the Country duo's hit album Cowboy Town also includes The Greatest Hits Collection as a bonus disc. 31 tracks total. Sony/BMG. 2009.

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