Personnel includes: Randy Travis (vocals, guitar); Larry Byrom (acoustic & electric guitars); Mark Casstevens, Bobby Thompson (acoustic guitar); Fred Newell, Steve Gibson, Keith Stegall (electric guitar); Doyle Grisham (steel guitar); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Mark O'Connor (mandolin, fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica, percussion); Shane Keister (keyboards); David Hungate (bass); Larrie Londin (drums); Paul Overstreet (background vocals).
Baillie & The Boys: Kathy Baillie, Mark Bonagura, Alan LeBouef (background vocals).
His first and best album features astonishing Lefty Frizzell-style pipes, excellent material, and sympathetic production. Easily the most impressive country debut of the '80s, it includes "1982," "On the Other Hand," "Diggin' Up Bones," and "No Place Like Home." ~ Mark A. Humphrey
Travis's first major label album (after an independently released live set) almost single-handedly yanked commercial country out of its '80s URBAN COWBOY crossover phase and back to the music's rural roots. Even better, it introduced a singer who mixed George Jones' clench-jawed intensity with hints of his idols Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard. Beautifully produced by Klye Lehning, it's an all but perfect mixture of cheating songs ("Reasons I Cheat") and weepers (like "1982" and "The Other Hand" - guess what's on it?) and up-tempo neo-honky-tonkers ("There'll Always Be a Honky Tonk Somewhere"). A great debut. minimize