| Back To The Well - Kenny Rogers | |
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Reviewed by Matt Bjorke
Kenny Rogers is one of the icons of modern country music. During his tenure from the late 1970's to late 1980's he recorded many hits that bridged the gap between the country and pop/rock music genres. As the 80's ended, so did many of Kenny's hits. He didn't achieve another big hit until late 1999 when he released the No. 1 hit "Buy Me A Rose" on his own Dreamcatcher Records label. Following that success, Kenny released a follow up album called There She Goes Again in 2001. When the CD wasn't as big of a success, Kenny decided to take time to record his third studio album under his own label. In between he reissued his Gambler CD along with his first ever live album, A&E Live By Request.
Back To The Well is Kenny's 61st album. Mixing a few duets and uptempo tracks, Kenny also provides his trademark ballads. The title track begins with some great bluegrass styled pickin' (courtesy of banjoist Ilya Toshinsky, mandolin and fiddle by Stuart Duncan and the dulcet tones of dobroist Rob Ickes). The lyrics tell a story of a man who loves to go back to where he grew up and fell in love.
"727 East Magnolia Avenue," written by one of my favorite writers, Steven Dale Jones (with Bobby Tomberlin), this beautiful ballad tells a wistful story about the home where a man and a wife shared a loving home before everything had changed. It's a nice and different way to tell a story that's been told many times before.
Having recorded one of the biggest duets of all time with "Islands In The Stream," Kenny and Dolly Parton join together again 20 years later for the playful "Undercover,” which was written by Dolly. "Undercover" is a story of a couple who knows the problems of any facet of their relationship can be fixed undercover. Hopefully this song gets a chance to be released to radio.
"I'm Missing You" is a song some people may have heard before. Kenny released it around the time of the Iraq war to show his support for the troops. It's a song that tells the story of a soldier who goes off to battle and knows that he'll be changed when he returns home and while he's gone, he'll miss her just the same as if he was away for just a short time.
Previously recorded by Collin Raye, "Harder Cards" was also a single released from this album. A story song that finds a policeman who visits a homicide situation that turns out to be done by a battered wife, the story changes as the song goes along and should be heard to hear the full effect of the message. Kenny does a fine job with a song I've grown fond of from Collin's Tracks CD.
"Handprints On The Wall" is the new single from the album and it is gaining momentum at radio. This is a special song that tells a story of a supportive parent as their children grow up; "So don't be afraid to take that step, I’ll catch you when you fall, I don't mind if you leave behind a few handprints on the wall."
"Owe Them More Than That" is a duet with Tim McGraw. Featuring plenty of steel guitars and fiddles, this song is a tribute to the traditional trailblazers, Lefty Frizzell, Hank Sr., Marty Robbins and Waylon. "They broke the ground that we go down today, like a train whistle passin', their voices are startin' to fade, there are some that sing their praises, others that tip their hats but it seems like we owe them more than that" the song's chorus says. Tim and Kenny sound good together and if the Dolly duet isn't released, perhaps this duet will. Radio would probably love it.
Kenny Rogers is a talented vocalist who picks and sings very good songs. On Back To The Well he surrounds himself with his best batch of songs since his superstar days. Those who are longtime fans will thoroughly enjoy this album
Song List:
Album cover used with permission of DreamCatcher Records.
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