Gene Watson: CMP Album Reviews
Gene Watson has been singing professionally since the late 1950s & has been
a country music (album) recording artist since the late 1960s.
Gene Watson steps into a recording studio and, like a great chef, uses the
perfect ingredients to create an aural feast. When Gene Watson takes a step
behind the microphone, magic happens.
Gene Watson's contribution to the country music genre is immeasurable and it
is here that you have an opportunity to read a CMP review of Gene Watson's
'From the Heart' (RMG Records, 2001), as published in the
December 2001
issue of Country Music People.
Country Music People is the United Kingdom's No. 1 Award Winning Country
Music Magazine, and was the recipient of the Country Music Association's
2003 Wesley Rose International Achievement Award.
Country Music People was first published in 1970 and protects its integrity
fiercely. The magazine has always brought its readers detailed, honest
record reviews untainted by advertising considerations, as well as genuine
interviews with country stars that are not faked from interview discs sent
out by publicists and record labels.
Country Music People have
long ago nailed its colours to the mast where Gene Watson is concerned.
The magazine has rigorously championed Gene's cause down through the years
and have published a number of reviews of his album releases.
'From the Heart' (RMG Records, 2001)
This CMP review by Craig Baguley, which was published in the December 2001 issue
of Country Music People, is reproduced here with the kind permission of the
publishers.
Album Review by Craig Baguley
(**** out of 5)
'It's great to have Gene Watson back after his health scares, and in such
excellent voice. Produced by the ever dependable Ray Pennington, 'From the
Heart' may not be the best album Watson has recorded overall (not quite up
there with 1997's 'The Good Ole Days') but at least one track here would be
labelled a classic had it been cut by Gene during his Capitol Records
heyday: the sprightly tale of a rich lady wooing an unimpressed cowboy in
'This circus that you call a rodeo' is pure Watson all the way.
Zippy Bobby All guitar licks, Aubrey Haynie mandolin chops and nifty
Buddy
Emmons
steel help drive it along to story end as Gene quickly tires of the
'dog and pony show' he's been dragged into.
Slowing the tempo, Gene offers a superb cover of 'The truth is I lied', a
perfect country ballad from the perfect country pens of
Bill Anderson and
Skip Ewing, previously cut by Ricochet but which Watson returns to its
rightful place as a down-home country ballad.
Staying in down-tempo mode, there's a splendid
Leslie Satcher/Max T. Barnes
ballad, 'When you're not looking back', in which Gene's vocal moves from a
softly sung verses to a reach-out chorus, reminiscent of his classic
recording, 'Where love begins'.
Wasn't as impressed with the languid-paced 'Would it be cheating', whose
banal melody lets down its interesting premise of a worn relationship in
which a man asks his woman if it would be considered cheating for him to
love her as she used to be, not as she is now.
Other highlight cuts include the nimble, brush-driven 'Next to nothing'
('I'm next to nothing when I'm not next to you'), the pacey 'Drivin' me
sane', where wild man Watson is tamed by the new lady in his life, the great
put-down of 'No trash in my trailer' ('since the day I threw you out of
here') and warm, caressing takes on the old Ray Price hit, 'Take me as I am
or let me go' and Lefty's 'I never go around mirrors'.
It's been said that no matter what kind of country music people like -
roots, honky tonk or Nashpop - everyone just loves Gene Watson. 'From the
Heart' shows why'.
Craig Baguley
Country Music People
December 2001
