Montgomery Gentry: Eddie Montgomery, Troy Gentry (vocals).
Additional personnel: Charlie Daniels (vocals); Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Brent Rowan, Chris Leuzinger (electric guitar); Dan Dugmore (steel guitar, electric dobro); Glen Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Steve Nathan (piano, organ, synthesizer); Gary Lunn (fretted & fretless basses); Paul Leim (drums, percussion); Anthony Martin, Joe Scaife, Jim Cotton, Steve Marcantonio, Steve Fox (background vocals).
Principally recorded at Ocean Way Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee.
Montgomery Gentry won the 2000 CMA Award for Vocal Duo Of The Year.
Personnel: Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Brent Rowan (electric guitar); Dan Dugmore (steel guitar); Glen Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Steve Nathan (piano, organ, synthesizer); Gary Lunn (fretless bass); Paul Liem (drums, percussion); Steve Fox, Jim Cotton , Joe Scaife, Anthony Martin (background vocals).
Recording information: Dark Horse Recording; Ocean Way, "The Neve Room", Nashville, TN; The Sound Kitchen, Nashville, TN.
With all of the comparisons to Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, the Outlaws, and so forth, this solid, hardcore rockin' honky tonk duo and their amazing band is an entity unto themselves. Eddie Montgomery (brother of John Michael) and Troy Gentry are equal parts country music that comes from Merle Haggard, George Jones, Wynn Stewart, Dwight Yoakam, and even Hank Williams. At the same time, they play a scorching brand of rock & roll that has everything to do with the aforementioned heroes of the 1970s and the Allmans too because the blues are at the root of everything they do. This is an auspicious debut album, one that not only shows promise, but delivers the goods in the form of great songs written by a host of Nash Vegas' and Texas' finest -- if unknown new breed -- and absolutely tremendous performances. Check the hard rocking opener, "Hillbilly Shoes," with its flatpicking guitar intro supplanted by overdriven fiddles and screaming dual lead guitars. And "Trying to Survive" with its guitar, pedal steel, and piano fills is reminiscent of the feel, not sound, of Tucker's "Can't You See." It's easy to embrace Tim McGraw and a host of others who use rock & roll as way of framing their country music, but Montgomery Gentry don't use rock; they are a rock band who make country music, real country music. Check the gorgeous chorus on "Lonely and Gone" that is commenced with a heavy metal guitar intro only to become a gorgeous mid-tempo ballad. Other tracks, like "Self-Made Man," are pure modern honky tonk. Vocally, the harmonies between this pair are a perfect balance of beer and fine whiskey. Montgomery's rough hewn baritone and Gentry's almost unreal range and trademark phrasing make something highly original in the face of so much cookie-cutter Nash Vegas big-hatted crap. The funky blues on "Daddy Won't Sell the Farm" with those fiddles and pedal steels wrapping around a greasy keyboard line lead into a rebel Southern son's admiration for a man and a way of life that is quickly disappearing. The drums propel the tune forward, and the guitars fill what little space there is with rollin' and tumblin' blues. The Bakerfield honky tonk of "I've Loved a Lot More Than I've Hurt" is as traditional as it gets, and Jones or Yoakam could have cut it. The title track is a great morality tale, and "Trouble Is" is a Gentry showcase with his singing tenor in the hillbilly groove that is equal parts blues, tonkin' stride, and arena rock. Montgomery Gentry should be nothing less than amazing in a few years if they keep this up, because this is solid, ass-kickin' country-rock. This is one of the best pop records of the year. Period. ~ Thom Jurek
Male duos--from the Louvin Brothers to the Bellamy Brothers to Brooks & Dunn--have always been popular in country music. With their excellent debut album, Montgomery Gentry have carved out their own place in that diverse duo category. On TATTOOS & SCARS, Eddie Montgomery (John Michael Montgomery's brother) and Troy Gentry have come up with a winning formula of well-written, melodic songs mixed with some Southern rock attitude. The duo share lead vocal duties, and their gruff style works well on rowdy songs like "Hillbilly Shoes."
Montgomery Gentry are tough-yet-sensitive guys who can admit to their romantic shortcomings ("Self-Made Man"), mourn a lost lover ("Trouble Is"), deliver a cautionary tale (the title track) and suffer the pain of busted relationships ("If A Broken Heart Could Kill"). The duo's vocal delivery and the muscular arrangements keep songs like "Lonely & Gone" and "Daddy Won't Sell the Farm" from becoming maudlin or mushy. The CD ends with an old-fashioned Southern rock rave-up, "All Night Long," complete with a guest appearance by Charlie Daniels. Like its title, TATOOS & SCARS makes an indelible impression. minimize