Okay, so after finishing my last blog, I decided to start listening to the first album on my albums to review list. And in doing so, I have a question that I'd like to ask all of my readers. I'm very curious about this, so if you have any insights, please share them with me. My question is why is Craig Morgan not more popular? I mean, he's not what I'd call unpopular and he's had his success certainly, but I just don't understand why he hasn't had more. I don't get it.
I think Craig is one of the more underrated vocalists in country right now. He has a unique tone to his voice and more range than you might expect at first listen. I've gotten to see him at the Opry a handful of times and am always struck by how good of a singer he is. So if you like listening to good singers sing, that's one reason to buy this album.
Maybe the voice isn't as important as the songs themselves. That's fine; in fact, as I've said before, in country music, it all goes back to the song. To the lyrics. That's where the heart of country music lies right there. Maybe you want an album full of songs so good that you don't want to skip over them when they come on. This is one of those, in my opinion, so that's another reason to get this album.
For me, one of the most important things about an album is how the songs go together and if it flows. Do the songs fit together? Does one song flow nicely into the next. How does the mood change throughout if it does? Is there a variety of both moods and speeds? That's a big one for me too. I don't want an album full of songs that sound the same. I want variety. I want the party songs and the love songs, the songs about life and the songs about loss. A great album will include all of those. And this one does. Which is another reason to get this album.
In short, I think this is an album worthy of anyone's country music collection. Those are my thoughts in a nutshell. Now I'm going to take a little look at each song individually after the cut.
"This Ole Boy", written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins. I really like this song; it has a fun groove to it that's a very nice way to kick off the album. This song comes with the bonus of an amusing video featuring Angie Harmon. This song is fun to listen to and I love the way it chugs along. It just feels good.
"More Trucks Than Cars", written by Craig Morgan, Phil O'Donnell and Craig Wiseman. This kind of song is sort of a staple in country music; it's about the simplicity and beauty of the small town life. It's a well used concept and it's one that will never go away because there's always going to be people celebrating this way of life and for good reason. The lyrics are not groundbreaking for this type of song, but it manages to be familiar without seeming overly familiar and I think a lot of that has to do with Craig's delivery. He sings with such sincerity and warmth which makes up for any cliches or whatnot; this kind of sincerity just can't be faked and these songs are best when they're coming from someone who really believes in the words and the lifestyle it's praising. And I'd say Craig Morgan does.
"The Whole World Needs a Kitchen", written by Craig Morgan, Shane Minor and Phil O'Donnell. We're kind of staying with the same theme in a sense, but at the same time not really. Rather than celebrating small town life, it's nostalgia over the way things used to be and how we need to get back to that. I have to say that I think this is a very interesting way to approach this idea. This is another concept that's well used, but I can honestly say I've never seen, or heard I guess, anyone come at it from this way before. This was beautifully written and is probably one of my favorite tracks. Some lyrics for ya, "Food for the soul and a taste of mama's wisdom/ The whole world needs a kitchen/ Hugs and kisses and a thanking the Lord'/ They don't make it like that anymore/ The whole world needs a kitchen". This song also features another great delivery by Craig, but in thinking about it, that can apply to every song on here.
"Country Boys Like Me", written by Monty Criswell and Tim Mensy. The thing I like a lot about This Ole Boy is that it manages to feel familiar and yet brand new all the way throughout. There's a lot of common themes found, but there's a freshness about them I appreciate. Some lyrics in this one, "I guess the Lord must love a dirt road/ Faded barns and shaded creeks/ And I've come to think that He/ Loves country boys like me". Nicely written song.
"Show Me Your Tattoo", written by Ben Daniel and Skip Black, two writers that I'd never heard of before I found the track listing. I love seeing new writers getting cuts on albums; helps keeps the genre fresh. As you might imagine, you're in for a bit of a mood change in this one. To say the least. It's a song about a guy trying to guess what kind of tattoo this girl got. Artists have to be careful when they do songs like this because delivery is crucial. I think in order for a lyric like this to work, the person singing it needs to have a like-ability and charm about them or it comes across as kind of obnoxious. The delivery has to be obviously tongue-in-cheek or it won't work. Luckily for Craig Morgan, he's very likeable and he tends to give a great delivery. So he pulls it off and makes it come across in a way that I find amusing.
"Love Loves a Long Night", written by Craig Morgan, Phillips Lammonds and Phil O'Donnell. The first thing that surprised me about this song is how well it fits after the last one. I wouldn't expect it too, but it does. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any outright love songs that Craig's released as singles, but if he wanted to, this would be a good one to put out. He gives a great vocal on this, in fact, out of all the songs I've talked about so far, I'd say this one showcases his voice the best by far. This is one of the songs that really makes me wonder how he's not more popular and why he doesn't get nominated for awards. The song's worth getting for the vocal alone, though it is a good song. I really like the playing on this one. Something that applies to all the songs on the CD actually.
"Being Alive and Livin'", written by Craig Morgan and Chris Wallin. Off the bat, I want to say that it's nice to hear an uptempo song with this idea. It seems like songs like this tend to be either slow or mid-tempo, so I like that this has a little kick to it. And actually, I think the kick to it really helps to sell the lyric. I can't think of a more perfect person to sing this song and was not surprised in the least to see that he was a writer on it. This is very much a Craig Morgan song. Some lyrics, "I wanna ski the deepest Colorado snow/ Feel the heat of a live volcano/ Hangin' off the edge is my kind of chillin'/ I wanna run with the bulls through the streets of Spain/ Dance with my baby in the thunderin' rain/ Do everything I can with the days I'm given/ There's a difference between being alive and livin'". Well, Craig, I appreciate and respect the message of the song, but I have absolutely no interest in running with the bulls in Spain, but that's just me. Nice to see a fun song with this sentiment. And I love the hints of steel in here as well.
"Fish Weren't Bitin", written by Jimmy Yeary and Marty Dodson. Right. So this is a song about a couple who goes fishing, but the fish aren't biting so they find other ways to occupy their time. It's actually a sweet song, I think. This might be strange, but I find his delivery kind of endearing in a way. I can't explain it. You might need to listen to it and see if you see what I mean. I really like the line "She still claims I stole her heart 'cause the fish weren't bitin'". I don't know, I just like that line. There's a amusing little twist in here that I won't spoil, but got a chuckle out of. Great use of the steel here as well.
"Better Stories", written by Monty Criswell, Michael White and Lee Thomas Miller. This song has one of the most interesting opening lines of basically every other song I've heard lately: "If you never hit a cow at 3 A.M/ In a borrowed Oldsmobile". Yeah. I'm leaving it there, but I can say that Craig definitely had my interest piqued from the get-go with that. It's one of those lines that you listen to and automatically go "what?" Which I did. This song is full of lines like that and I get such a kick out of it. This song is pretty much summed up in the following lyrics "When we're old and rocking on the porch/ Reliving all our glory/ You might have a few less scars/ But I'll have better stories/ You might have more brain cells left/ But I'll have better stories". Definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. It makes me laugh and once again, Craig's delivery is perfect. This is one that I'd love to see done live. Fun song.
"I Didn't Drink", written by Craig Morgan, Kyle Jacobs and Phil O'Donnell. As much as I love Craig's up-tempo fun songs, I especially love his emotional ballads. I kind of adore that this song comes right after "Better Stories" because it's such a drastic change, in both feel and sentiment. We go from up-tempo and funny to heart-breaking and raw. It's this pairing that really show off how great of an artist he is, it's these kinds of songs that he shines at with the emotional ones probably being where he shines the most in general. I've really stressed the importance of a strong delivery in this review and that's especially important in a song like this. If you are not in the moment, if you're not in the narrator's shoes and singing from your heart than a song like this can easily come across as sappy and insincere. I don't believe Craig could come across as sappy or insincere if he was tried. You really get a sense that he is feeling what he's singing about, the pain in his voice is real and something that can't be faked.
Fantastic delivery here for a beautifully sad song about a guy who is asking his bartender what he should drink. Why's he gotta ask? Because up until now after he's lost the woman he loved, presumably more than anything else in the world, he didn't drink. And now he does. It's a powerful lyric. "Give me a double shot on the rocks/ Of the strongest help me out you got/ I really don't know, so pour me what you think/ 'Cause until tonight I didn't drink". And then "She was my life, my love, my everything/ She was my heart, my soul, my reason to breathe/ Damn that cancer that came and took her away from me/ Left me in misery". The thing about Craig is as much as he can have a song get to you on a CD, it's always so much more intense live. So keep that in mind listening to this. It's powerful here and it'd be more so if he ever put it in his show. Easily the standout track on this album for me.
"Corn Star", written by Craig Morgan, Shane Minor and Jeffrey Steele. And once again, we come to an extreme shift in mood. I find the layout of this CD very interesting. When you listen to the songs on their own, you can't imagine them working in the order they do, but dang if they do. I can't explain it. It just works. Maybe because after the sadness of the last track, they wanted to give the listener a pick me up and that they did. It's funny because I really don't know what to say about this song. There's a twist to it that made me laugh, but I don't want to spoil it. You gotta listen to it. This is another classic Craig Morgan song to me, stylistically it's very much in the style of "Bonfire". Fun song.
"Summer Moon", written by Craig Morgan and Chris Wallin. This is a sweet song and a nice one to close out the album with. In a way, we kind of go back to the earlier part of the album with this one. I really loved the music in this and thought it was nicely written. Another one that helps showcase how good of a singer he is. Solid song.
Yup, so that's it!
Favorite tracks:
"I Didn't Drink"
"Better Stories"
"Love Loves a Long Night"
"This Ole Boy"
But really, there's aren't any songs on this album that I don't like. I think it's a very strong album and definitely worth the money. So go check it out if you haven't already. If you have, or if you decide to get it, let me know what your favorite tracks are.
As always, thank you for reading.
I think Craig is one of the more underrated vocalists in country right now. He has a unique tone to his voice and more range than you might expect at first listen. I've gotten to see him at the Opry a handful of times and am always struck by how good of a singer he is. So if you like listening to good singers sing, that's one reason to buy this album.
Maybe the voice isn't as important as the songs themselves. That's fine; in fact, as I've said before, in country music, it all goes back to the song. To the lyrics. That's where the heart of country music lies right there. Maybe you want an album full of songs so good that you don't want to skip over them when they come on. This is one of those, in my opinion, so that's another reason to get this album.
For me, one of the most important things about an album is how the songs go together and if it flows. Do the songs fit together? Does one song flow nicely into the next. How does the mood change throughout if it does? Is there a variety of both moods and speeds? That's a big one for me too. I don't want an album full of songs that sound the same. I want variety. I want the party songs and the love songs, the songs about life and the songs about loss. A great album will include all of those. And this one does. Which is another reason to get this album.
In short, I think this is an album worthy of anyone's country music collection. Those are my thoughts in a nutshell. Now I'm going to take a little look at each song individually after the cut.
"This Ole Boy", written by Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins. I really like this song; it has a fun groove to it that's a very nice way to kick off the album. This song comes with the bonus of an amusing video featuring Angie Harmon. This song is fun to listen to and I love the way it chugs along. It just feels good.
"More Trucks Than Cars", written by Craig Morgan, Phil O'Donnell and Craig Wiseman. This kind of song is sort of a staple in country music; it's about the simplicity and beauty of the small town life. It's a well used concept and it's one that will never go away because there's always going to be people celebrating this way of life and for good reason. The lyrics are not groundbreaking for this type of song, but it manages to be familiar without seeming overly familiar and I think a lot of that has to do with Craig's delivery. He sings with such sincerity and warmth which makes up for any cliches or whatnot; this kind of sincerity just can't be faked and these songs are best when they're coming from someone who really believes in the words and the lifestyle it's praising. And I'd say Craig Morgan does.
"The Whole World Needs a Kitchen", written by Craig Morgan, Shane Minor and Phil O'Donnell. We're kind of staying with the same theme in a sense, but at the same time not really. Rather than celebrating small town life, it's nostalgia over the way things used to be and how we need to get back to that. I have to say that I think this is a very interesting way to approach this idea. This is another concept that's well used, but I can honestly say I've never seen, or heard I guess, anyone come at it from this way before. This was beautifully written and is probably one of my favorite tracks. Some lyrics for ya, "Food for the soul and a taste of mama's wisdom/ The whole world needs a kitchen/ Hugs and kisses and a thanking the Lord'/ They don't make it like that anymore/ The whole world needs a kitchen". This song also features another great delivery by Craig, but in thinking about it, that can apply to every song on here.
"Country Boys Like Me", written by Monty Criswell and Tim Mensy. The thing I like a lot about This Ole Boy is that it manages to feel familiar and yet brand new all the way throughout. There's a lot of common themes found, but there's a freshness about them I appreciate. Some lyrics in this one, "I guess the Lord must love a dirt road/ Faded barns and shaded creeks/ And I've come to think that He/ Loves country boys like me". Nicely written song.
"Show Me Your Tattoo", written by Ben Daniel and Skip Black, two writers that I'd never heard of before I found the track listing. I love seeing new writers getting cuts on albums; helps keeps the genre fresh. As you might imagine, you're in for a bit of a mood change in this one. To say the least. It's a song about a guy trying to guess what kind of tattoo this girl got. Artists have to be careful when they do songs like this because delivery is crucial. I think in order for a lyric like this to work, the person singing it needs to have a like-ability and charm about them or it comes across as kind of obnoxious. The delivery has to be obviously tongue-in-cheek or it won't work. Luckily for Craig Morgan, he's very likeable and he tends to give a great delivery. So he pulls it off and makes it come across in a way that I find amusing.
"Love Loves a Long Night", written by Craig Morgan, Phillips Lammonds and Phil O'Donnell. The first thing that surprised me about this song is how well it fits after the last one. I wouldn't expect it too, but it does. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any outright love songs that Craig's released as singles, but if he wanted to, this would be a good one to put out. He gives a great vocal on this, in fact, out of all the songs I've talked about so far, I'd say this one showcases his voice the best by far. This is one of the songs that really makes me wonder how he's not more popular and why he doesn't get nominated for awards. The song's worth getting for the vocal alone, though it is a good song. I really like the playing on this one. Something that applies to all the songs on the CD actually.
"Being Alive and Livin'", written by Craig Morgan and Chris Wallin. Off the bat, I want to say that it's nice to hear an uptempo song with this idea. It seems like songs like this tend to be either slow or mid-tempo, so I like that this has a little kick to it. And actually, I think the kick to it really helps to sell the lyric. I can't think of a more perfect person to sing this song and was not surprised in the least to see that he was a writer on it. This is very much a Craig Morgan song. Some lyrics, "I wanna ski the deepest Colorado snow/ Feel the heat of a live volcano/ Hangin' off the edge is my kind of chillin'/ I wanna run with the bulls through the streets of Spain/ Dance with my baby in the thunderin' rain/ Do everything I can with the days I'm given/ There's a difference between being alive and livin'". Well, Craig, I appreciate and respect the message of the song, but I have absolutely no interest in running with the bulls in Spain, but that's just me. Nice to see a fun song with this sentiment. And I love the hints of steel in here as well.
"Fish Weren't Bitin", written by Jimmy Yeary and Marty Dodson. Right. So this is a song about a couple who goes fishing, but the fish aren't biting so they find other ways to occupy their time. It's actually a sweet song, I think. This might be strange, but I find his delivery kind of endearing in a way. I can't explain it. You might need to listen to it and see if you see what I mean. I really like the line "She still claims I stole her heart 'cause the fish weren't bitin'". I don't know, I just like that line. There's a amusing little twist in here that I won't spoil, but got a chuckle out of. Great use of the steel here as well.
"Better Stories", written by Monty Criswell, Michael White and Lee Thomas Miller. This song has one of the most interesting opening lines of basically every other song I've heard lately: "If you never hit a cow at 3 A.M/ In a borrowed Oldsmobile". Yeah. I'm leaving it there, but I can say that Craig definitely had my interest piqued from the get-go with that. It's one of those lines that you listen to and automatically go "what?" Which I did. This song is full of lines like that and I get such a kick out of it. This song is pretty much summed up in the following lyrics "When we're old and rocking on the porch/ Reliving all our glory/ You might have a few less scars/ But I'll have better stories/ You might have more brain cells left/ But I'll have better stories". Definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. It makes me laugh and once again, Craig's delivery is perfect. This is one that I'd love to see done live. Fun song.
"I Didn't Drink", written by Craig Morgan, Kyle Jacobs and Phil O'Donnell. As much as I love Craig's up-tempo fun songs, I especially love his emotional ballads. I kind of adore that this song comes right after "Better Stories" because it's such a drastic change, in both feel and sentiment. We go from up-tempo and funny to heart-breaking and raw. It's this pairing that really show off how great of an artist he is, it's these kinds of songs that he shines at with the emotional ones probably being where he shines the most in general. I've really stressed the importance of a strong delivery in this review and that's especially important in a song like this. If you are not in the moment, if you're not in the narrator's shoes and singing from your heart than a song like this can easily come across as sappy and insincere. I don't believe Craig could come across as sappy or insincere if he was tried. You really get a sense that he is feeling what he's singing about, the pain in his voice is real and something that can't be faked.
Fantastic delivery here for a beautifully sad song about a guy who is asking his bartender what he should drink. Why's he gotta ask? Because up until now after he's lost the woman he loved, presumably more than anything else in the world, he didn't drink. And now he does. It's a powerful lyric. "Give me a double shot on the rocks/ Of the strongest help me out you got/ I really don't know, so pour me what you think/ 'Cause until tonight I didn't drink". And then "She was my life, my love, my everything/ She was my heart, my soul, my reason to breathe/ Damn that cancer that came and took her away from me/ Left me in misery". The thing about Craig is as much as he can have a song get to you on a CD, it's always so much more intense live. So keep that in mind listening to this. It's powerful here and it'd be more so if he ever put it in his show. Easily the standout track on this album for me.
"Corn Star", written by Craig Morgan, Shane Minor and Jeffrey Steele. And once again, we come to an extreme shift in mood. I find the layout of this CD very interesting. When you listen to the songs on their own, you can't imagine them working in the order they do, but dang if they do. I can't explain it. It just works. Maybe because after the sadness of the last track, they wanted to give the listener a pick me up and that they did. It's funny because I really don't know what to say about this song. There's a twist to it that made me laugh, but I don't want to spoil it. You gotta listen to it. This is another classic Craig Morgan song to me, stylistically it's very much in the style of "Bonfire". Fun song.
"Summer Moon", written by Craig Morgan and Chris Wallin. This is a sweet song and a nice one to close out the album with. In a way, we kind of go back to the earlier part of the album with this one. I really loved the music in this and thought it was nicely written. Another one that helps showcase how good of a singer he is. Solid song.
Yup, so that's it!
Favorite tracks:
"I Didn't Drink"
"Better Stories"
"Love Loves a Long Night"
"This Ole Boy"
But really, there's aren't any songs on this album that I don't like. I think it's a very strong album and definitely worth the money. So go check it out if you haven't already. If you have, or if you decide to get it, let me know what your favorite tracks are.
As always, thank you for reading.
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