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Track Listing
- Twang
- Where Have I Been All My Life
- I Gotta Get to You
- Easy as You Go
- Living for the Night
- Same Kind of Crazy
- Out of Sight out of Mind
- Arkansas Dave
- Breath You Take
- He's Got That Something Special
- Hot Grease and Zydeco
- Beautiful Day for Goodbye
- Rey
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #65 in Music
- Released on: 2009-08-11
- Number of discs: 1
- Dimensions: .23 pounds
Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Twang is the follow-up to the platinum selling and CMA Album of the
Year, Troubadour. The debut single, "Living For The Night" is the first
single as a songwriter.
Strait was recently recognized by the Academy of Country Music as the
Artist of the Decade and was honored in a primetime CBS TV special.
Customer Reviews
~yet another amazing album -- with the added touch of songwriting~
George Strait has routinely been releasing amazing music for the
past 3 decades, so it comes as no big surprise that this album is again
loaded with pure country gems. So what more could he possibly add after
all these years, and his slew of #1 hits? Well, for the first time
since the debut of his long career, George co-wrote 3 songs on the CD
-- and his son, Bubba Strait, also had a hand in writing 4 songs on the
album. Both of them teamed up to help pen the first single, "Living For
The Night", which is an amazing ballad. It's one of the strongest
singles of 2009, and is quickly becoming yet another huge hit for his
collection. The whole album was recorded in Key West, Florida -- and it
seems to have a nice overall laid back feel to it.
The title track, "Twang", is an upbeat and catchy single, and is
bound to be his next sure-fire #1 hit. It's a pure classic country song
with lots of twang, done in unique George Strait style. The second
track on the CD, "Where Have I Been All My Life", slows things down a
bit -- and it features a great tune with strong lyrics. It was
co-written by Sherrie Austin, who a few years ago had a couple top 30
singles of her own ("Never Been Kissed" and "Streets Of Heaven").
"Where Have I Been All My Life" is a great ballad which reflects back
on all the things that we may have missed out on earlier in our life,
and is definitely one of the highlights on the album. "Easy As You Go"
is a nice laid back song, and "Arkansas Dave" is another interesting
tune -- which was written solely by Bubba Strait. It's a very simple
traditional storytelling song, which has the feel of classic music
released a few decades ago...Johnny Cash would be proud! The last song
on the album, "El Rey", will be quite a surprise to many who aren't
expecting it. It's entirely sung in Spanish -- similar to Mexican
mariachi style of music. It has to be one of the most unusual songs
that George has ever recorded, and it's most likely a love or hate type
of tune. One thing is for sure, it's definitely an unexpected end to
the album!
To me, "The Breath You Take" is by far the stand out track on the
album. It's a simple song, not overproduced, and it's just so strong
and powerful. It's one of the best songs I've heard in a long time, and
I'm sure this will be a blockbuster hit single. It is such an
inspirational ballad, and I think it seems to have a "Song Of The Year"
nomination written all over it. You really have to take a listen to
this song -- even if it's the only tune that you hear. Overall, George
sounds just as strong as he's ever been, and I would definitely
recommend this album!
Strait's Loyal to the "Twang"
Prime Cuts: The Breath You Take, Where Have I Been All My Life, Beautiful Day for Goodbye
Loyalty is the secret to Strait's success. Despite amassing a
staggering 57 number 1 hits, Strait rarely disappoints: in fact, every
CD is loaded with sing-a-long barn burners, pit and sawdust honky
tonkers and his signature heart tugging ballads. Adopting such a
winsome template "Twang," Strait's 26th studio album, is again bound to
be voraciously devoured by his legion of fans. Strait's not only
consistent in his audio output, but he is loyal to a small handful of
songwriters who have first brought him to the dance. Faithfully he
returns for the cream of their crop each year and here their names are
again engraved in the song's credits. They include Jim Lauderdale, Dean
Dillon, Steve Bogard and Rick Giles. However, lest naysayers yawn,
thinking that all is predictable Strait does throw in a few curve balls
this time: this CD finds Strait's adult son Bubba Strait coaxed his dad
for his own three contributions. Further, Strait himself picks up his
pen in co-writing three songs himself, something he has not done since
the early 80s. Another surprise comes towards the end of the CD when
Strait recorded an entirely Spanish song "El Rey."
As with most Strait albums the ballads are the highlights: Dean
Dillon again tops the list of Strait writers with the best entries
here. A gorgeous ballad in the tradition of "I Cross My Heart" and
"True,""The Breath You Take" chronicles the highlights of the
protagonist's life such as the time he met his wife, the birth of their
child and so forth. While lead single "Living for the Night," another
Dillon co-write with Strait and son Bubba, is a string-laden tortured
barroom lament about a man so trapped in his pain that he only lives
for the night drowning in booze. Wisdom comes with age and experience
is the theme of the steel-drenched "Where Have I Been All My Life,"
which is surprisingly co-written by former Arista artist Sherrie
Austin. After hearing the way Strait slowly nuances and caresses each
word of the heartbreaking "Beautiful Day for Goodbye," one is tempted
to place Strait on the same pedestal as some of country music most
venerated crooners such as Vern Gosdin and George Jones.
When the tempo picks up, Jim Lauderdale's co-write "I Gotta Get to
You," despite its cheesy lyrics, spells a future number one hit for
Strait. A few plays of "I Gotta Get to You" will certainly get one
hooked to its infectiously melodic line. "Arkansas Dave," a
twist-ending tale involving an old gunslinger, is the panacea to the
current epidemic of songs dearth of depth and imagination. Though
written by young Bubba Strait, "Arkansas Dave" has a fermented age to
it harkening back to the story songs of Kenny Rogers and Johnny Cash in
the 70s. Further, Strait indulges in some swampy blues with a cover of
Delbert McClinton's "Same Kind of Crazy." Though Strait offers his
pledge of allegiance to country music, the title cut "Twang" could have
been more anthemic if it weren't for its average melody.
The big buzz here is "El Rey," a song recorded entirely in Spanish.
Though this is the first time Strait has crossed the linguistic
boundary, "El Rey" (which means "The King") a tune that exalts
masculinity, sounds like any upbeat mandolin-led Spanish tune out
there. And despite Strait sounding very much like a native Spanish
speaker, the song just doesn't live up to its hype. However such cavils
in no way tarnishes "Twang" as a consistent good album from Strait.
Anyone who has had loved Strait's vast catalog will find much to
delight in here--the ballads in particular are tantalizingly great.
The King Still Reigns
After nearly three decades of recording, more number-one singles
than any other artist in history, a Country Music Hall of Fame
induction, and creating the template for the perfect country music
career, one could almost expect George Strait to phone in his albums
and take it easy. After all, he probably could record a list of Texas
cattle futures and earn another Album Of The Year nomination; he's just
that good. However, Strait's 41st album, Twang, finds the most recent
Artist of The Decade venturing into new territory. He takes risks, and
he clearly has no intention of taking his last curtain call anytime
soon.
For starters, Strait takes on the role of songwriter - something
that hasn't happened since his second album, Strait From The Heart, in
1982 (the song was "I Can't See Texas From Here"). He collaborates with
son Bubba and longtime Strait tunesmith Dean Dillon ("The Chair," and
"Marina Del Rey," among dozens more). The result? Strait contributes to
three songs that stand shoulder to shoulder with anything he's recorded
before - most notably, the smooth and heartbreaking "Living For The
Night," the album's first single. "He's Got That Something Special" is
a country toe-tapper, defying the listener not to sing along. Father
and son craft a classic barroom tearjerker, "Out Of Sight Out Of Mind,"
which is pure Strait, through and through. Bubba Strait also adds
"Arkansas Dave," a murderous story song, reminiscent of material Marty
Robbins and Johnny Cash would have recorded in the `70's.
Elsewhere, Dean Dillon, Jessie Jo Dillon and Casey Beathard's "The
Breath You Take" provides the album's emotional cornerstone. Strait
works his magic, taking a clichéd line like " Life's not the breath you
take/But the moments that take your breath away" and skillfully makes
it resonate. The song is one of the most beautiful to ever appear on a
George Strait album, and it deserves to be a future single. The
sure-fire second single is the roof-raising title track. Other fun
moments include "Some Kind of Crazy" and "Hot Grease and Zydeco," which
is sure to become a staple in Strait's live shows.
The album's biggest surprise is saved for last: "El Rey" is a
Mexican folk song that he sings - quite convincingly - completely in
Spanish. If the country music thing doesn't work out for him, Strait
could easily have a career on the Tejano circuit. The title translates
to "The King," and the last lines read: "A cowboy told me/You don't
have to arrive first/but just know how to arrive." Appropriately, this
sums up Strait's career thus far. His has been a journey of class,
consistency and influence, with great humility.
The King, indeed.
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