Southern Rain (CD - 2000)

Personnel: Billy Ray Cyrus (vocals); Pat Buchanan, Gordon Kennedy, Dann Huff, Terry Shelton (acoustic & electric guitars); Don Van Tress (acoustic guitar); Michael Joe Sagraves (electric guitar, harmonica); Keith Hinton, Matt Basford (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Joe Caverlee (fiddle); Barton Stevens, Tim Akers, Steve Nathan (keyboards); Steve French (drums).

Producers: Billy Ray Cyrus, Terry Shelton, Dann Huff, Blake Chancey.

Engineers: Mike Janas, Jeff Balding, Tony Castle.

Recorded at Castle, Franklin, Tennessee, Sound Kitchen, Emerald Entertainment Sound & Stage Studios, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Billy Ray Cyrus (vocals, background vocals); Steve French (vocals, drums, background vocals); Gene Miller (vocals, background vocals); Danni Leigh, John Anderson, Waylon Jennings, Yankee Grey (vocals); Dann Huff, Gordon Kennedy, Pat Buchanan, Terry Shelton (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Don Von Tress (acoustic guitar); Keith Hinton (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Joe Caverlee (fiddle); Michael J. Sagraves (harmonica); Barton Stevens, Tim Akers, Steve Nathan (keyboards); Corky Holbrook, Mike Brignardello (bass guitar); Chris McHugh (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); Lisa Cochran, Vicki Hampton, Joe Chemay (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Jeff Balding.

Liner Note Author: Billy Ray Cyrus.

Recording information: Emerald Entertainment; Sound Stage Studios, Nashville, TN.

Photographer: Jim Shea.

Hooking up with Dixie Chicks producer Blake Chancey and with producer Dann Huff, Billy Ray Cyrus made a label debut that showed off his country-rock abilities well. The single, "You Won't Be Lonely Now," which was rising in the country Top 40 and the pop charts at the time of the album's release, properly displayed the artist's sense of determination against adversity, cloaked in the terms of a love song. Similarly, the title song (co-written by Cyrus), which followed on the album, spoke of perseverance despite lean times. The rest of the record was more varied, including heartfelt ballads ("I Will," "Everywhere I Wanna Be") and up-tempo novelties ("Burn Down the Trailer Park," "Hey Elvis"), but the point had been made. Chancey and Huff helped Cyrus pick material that suited his country-rock style. "Southern Rain," for example, sounded like Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" as it might sound played by Lynyrd Skynyrd, while "Love You Back" recalled Little Feat's "Willin'." The result was a sturdy collection of average country songs effectively performed by a minor country talent. All of which was fine, unless you were hoping for an album that measured up to Cyrus' early sales figures, which, of course, Monument was. ~ William Ruhlmann

Billy Ray Cyrus' 1999 hit "Busy Man" just about made people forgive him for "Achy Breaky Heart." SOUTHERN RAIN is yet another step in his continuing quest for respectability. Having excised most of the over-the-top snarl from his voice, Cyrus is singing better than ever; his emotion-packed vocals on the beautiful, midtempo love song "You Won't Be Lonely Now" are particularly outstanding.

Cyrus also shines on most of the CD's ballads. He's steamy and passionate on "I Will," anguished and desperate on "Love You Back," and hopelessly devoted on "Everywhere I Wanna Be." Another standout is the funky "We the People," a blue collar anthem reminiscent of Alabama's "40 Hour Week" that features guest vocals from Waylon Jennings, Montgomery Gentry, John Anderson, Yankee Grey and Danni Leigh. (Ironically, George W. Bush chose "We the People" as the official theme song for his presidential campaign, even though Cyrus is a Democrat). For comic relief, Cyrus throws in the humorous, rowdy "Burn Down the Trailer Park," and the goofy rocker, "Hey Elvis," a bonus track co-written by Bryan Adams. The sound of SOUTHERN RAIN just might be enough to drown out the strains of "Achy Breaky Heart" permanently. minimize