Drinkin' Songs & Other Logic (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Clint Black (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, percussion, background vocals); Clint Black (various instruments); Hayden Nicholas (guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar); Martin Young (acoustic guitar); Steve Wariner (electric guitar); Dane Bryant (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, background vocals); Jake Willemain (bass guitar); Kimberly Roads, Phillip Sweet, Steve Real, Jimi Westbrook (background vocals); Jeff Peterson (steel guitar, dobro); Dick Gay (drums).

Audio Mixer: Ricky Cobble.

Recording information: Black's Lab, Nashville, TN.

Photographers: Robert Knight ; Firooz Zahedi.

Partway through Drinkin' Songs & Other Logic, his second album for Equity Records, Clint Black sings about how "there's just too much rock in this country," which is kind of a funny sentiment for a singer who delivered a slick crossover effort called Spend My Time last time around. On this fine straight-ahead effort, Black never addresses that contradiction but rather quietly ignores Spend My Time and returns to the hardcore country that made his reputation. The title alone explains what the album is all about -- it's all about pure country, usually hardcore honky tonk ranging from fiddle-fueled dance tunes to barroom ballads. Occasionally, Black steps away of the sound, as on the anthemic "Code of the West," which may not sonically fit with the rest of the record, but its swaggering recasting of the war of terror as a cowboy battle does fit in with the sentiment of the album. Judged on sound alone, it's a minor misstep -- as is the wah-wah guitar on the riff for "Undercover Cowboy," which is just a bit silly -- but the rest of the album is quite good. There's nothing surprising, but Black has written a strong set of songs and they're brought to life but his crack supporting band, who keep things lean, muscular, and very enjoyable. This may fall short of Killin' Time, but it surely returns Black to the musical ground where he's at his best, and it's his most satisfying album in a long time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

After the crossover effort of 2004's SPEND MY TIME, first-wave new traditionalist Clint Black returns to his roots on 2005's DRINKIN' SONGS & OTHER LOGIC. As the title suggests, this is a barroom-themed album, with a heavy dose of honky tonk that will undoubtedly make purists happy, and will make everyone else want to pop open a cold one. From the barroom boogie of the opening title track to the steel guitar-sweetened "Heartaches" to cry-in-your-beer ballads like "Go It Alone," DRINKIN' SONGS is Black's most solid effort in a long while.

At times Black missteps both musically and thematically. "Too Much Rock," for example, with its plodding tempo and its unnecessary and somewhat silly protest message against rock music, feels out of keeping with the album's feel. But those moments are the exception here, and when Black sticks to classic pick-and-twang, as he does admirably on songs like the album's closer, "Longnecks and Rednecks," DRINKIN' SONGS & OTHER LOGIC is well-made and convincing enough to satisfy the country purist in all of us. minimize