Boomtown (CD - 1995)

Personnel: Toby Keith (vocals); Don Potter (acoustic guitar); Reggie Young, Danny Parks (electric guitar); Sonny Garrish (steel guitar, dobro); Tim Gonzalez (harmonica); Clayton Ivey (keyboards); Gary Lunn (bass); Owen Hale, Milton Sledge (drums); Ron "Snake" Reynolds (percussion); Russell Terrell, Dennis Wilson, Michael Black, Tom Flora (background vocals).

The Easy Money Band: Michael Crossno (guitar); Johnny Helms (steel guitar); Chris Troup (keyboards); Carl Goff, Jr. (bass); Keith Mellington (drums).

Recorded at Scruggs Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Toby Keith (vocals); Michael Crossno (guitar); Don Potter (acoustic guitar); Donald Parks, Reggie Young , Danny Parks (electric guitar); Sonny Garrish (steel guitar, dobro); Johnny Helms (steel guitar); Tim Gonzalez, Timotheo Gonzalez (harmonica); Clayton Ivey, Chris Troup (keyboards); Owen Hale, Milton Sledge, Keith Mellington (drums); Ron Reynolds (percussion); Dennis Wilson , Dennis Wilson Quintet, Tom Flora, Russell Terrell, Michael Black (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Ron Reynolds.

Liner Note Author: Toby Keith.

Recording information: Alpine Studio, Nashville, TN; SCruggs Sound Studio, Nashville, TN; Scrugg's Sound Studio, Nashville, TN.

Photographer: Dean Dixon.

With a disclaimer stating that he only had a year to write the songs for his sophomore album (while he had a "lifetime" to write those for his first), Toby Keith introduces us to his second effort, BOOMTOWN. Not to worry; he pulls off a succesful follow-up to his hit-heavy debut. His songwriting has matured, and his vocals still stand out as one of the predominant male voices of contemporary country.

Keith straddles the wall between traditional and pop, and he maintains a steady balance. Opening with his #1 song "Who's That Man," Keith immediately packs a traditional country wallop. His songs tell stories about everyday life and working class people, and the serious issues they face like divorce, adultery, teenage-angst, aging, love, and life in an oil boomtown. But Keith does occasionaly detour the heady issues and lightens the mood with songs like "You Ain't Much Fun" ("...[since] I've sobered up") and his rocking tribute to female truck drivers "Big Ol' Truck." Being a former oil man, himself, Keith's BOOMTOWN saga gives the roughneck tale a stamp of authenticity. Toby Keith need not worry about running out of ideas. If he can create BOOMTOWN in a year, he has a bright future. minimize