I Miss My Friend (CD - 2002)

Personnel includes: Darryl Worley (vocals); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, mandolin); Biff Watson, Larry Beaird (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); Rob Ickes (dobro); Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); Jelly Roll Johnson (harmonica); Steve Nathan (piano, organ); Eddie Bauer (drums); Eric Darken, Brian David Willis (percussion); The Ordinaires (background vocals).

Personnel: Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, mandolin); Biff Watson, Larry Beaird (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); Rob Ickes (dobro); Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); Nashville String Machine (strings); Jelly Roll Johnson (harmonica); Steve Nathan (piano, organ); Eddie Bayers (drums); Eric Darken, Brian David Willis (percussion); Curtis Wright, Wynn Varble, Brice Long, Melodie Crittenden, Randy Hardison (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Justin Niebank.

Liner Note Author: Wayne R. Halper.

Recording information: Castle Studios; Oceanway Studios; Thelma's East.

Photographer: Mark Tucker .

This Merle Haggard/Randy Travis sound-alike oozes natural talent. Worley is a standout in a sea of country-pop wannabes. Words like "good ol' boy," "honky tonk," and "down home" can be used to describe this straight-shooting album. The buoyant "Tennessee River Run," the first cut, sets the tone, letting listeners know that for the next 41 minutes they would be in for a hootin' and hollerin' ride. And they are, with songs like "Callin' Caroline" and "Spread a Little Love Around." Notables include the bluesy "Family Tree" and the jazz-infused "Opportunity of a Lifetime." Worley's skill as a songwriter is not to be overlooked, either. I Miss My Friend is a gratifying listen. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia

Country hunk Darryl Worley's sophomore album is a tour de force of country hooks, steel guitars, and old-timey fiddles--and incidentally some pretty fine songwriting, as evidenced by songs such as "I Wouldn't Mind the Shackles" and the title track, both of which deal with the traditional country dilemmas of love and loss, and how to get a hit record out of them. There's a refreshing lack of gloss in I MISS MY FRIEND, recalling Dwight Yoakam's early releases, with some hot picking courtesy of Nashville's finest, a great road song in "Calling Caroline," and some folksy, homespun philosophy with "Family Tree" and "Back Where I Belong." Worley's a traditionalist in the best sense--Hank Williams would recognize the subject matter of "The Least That You Can Do"--and his songwriting is honest, catchy, and sentimental in the grand Nashville tradition. With more than a hint of iron in its soul, I MISS MY FRIEND is a refreshing antidote to the big-budget bluster of some recent country releases. minimize