It's What I Do (CD - 1996)

Personnel: Billy Dean (vocals); Biff Watson, Larry Byrom (acoustic guitar); Brent Rowan (electric & acoustic guitars); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); Bruce Bouton (lap steel guitar); Joe Spivey (mandolin, fiddle); Jonathan Yudkin (fiddle); Steve Nathan (keyboards); Carl Marsh (synthesizer); Glenn Worf (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums, percussion); Terry McMillan (shaker, tambourine, cowbell, harmonica); Curtis Young, Curtis Wright, Thom Flora, Tina Clark-Vallejo, Nicol Smith, Linda Davis (background vocals).

Recorded at Javelina Studio, Dark Horse and Sound Stage Studio, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Billy Dean (vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Brent Rowan (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Larry Byrom, Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); Bruce Bouton (lap steel guitar); Joe Spivey (mandolin, fiddle); Jonathan Yudkin (fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica, cowbells, shaker, tambourine); Steve Nathan (keyboards); Carl Marsh (synthesizer, string synthesizer); Glenn Worf (bass guitar); Eddie Bayers (drums, percussion); Thomas Flora, Curtis Wright, Curtis Young, Tina Clark-Vallejo, Linda Davis, Nicol Sponberg (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Brian Tankersley.

Liner Note Author: Billy Dean.

Recording information: Dark Horse, Nashville, TN; Javelina Studio, Nashville, TN; Sound Stage Studio, Nashville, TN.

Photographer: Mark Tucker .

Arrangers: Tom Shapiro; Carl Marsh.

Billy Dean mixes thoughtful ballads with brisk rockers. But after a couple of memorable early hits, he has settled for songs that carry no distinctive passion or energy. It's What I Do follows an extensive lay-off from the road, but the introspective period has done little to improve his work. Mistaking tender sincerity for genuine emotion is an error many acoustic-based artists make. Unfortunately, the more Dean attempts to add tension or drama to his work, the tamer his performances become. With this album, it's hard to delineate exactly what it is that Dean does well. ~ Michael McCall minimize