Man With a Memory - Joe Nichols

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Reviewed by Matt Bjorke

In 1996 Joe Nichols emerged on the scene with a moderately successful video, "Six Of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other," that played on CMT. While he did release a self titled album via Intersound Records, it wasn't a commercial hit nor was he the emphasis of the label that was primarily a Christian and Rock label. Not long after, the label folded and left Joe Nichols without his record contract.

Fast forward to mid-2001 and Joe was signed to Giant Records. When Giant folded into Warner Brothers many of their artists were left in limbo. Feeling that he wasn't gonna be a priority of Warner Brothers, who already had a hot new vocalist in Blake Shelton, Joe and Giant parted ways.

Shortly thereafter, Joe got word that Tony Brown, then the President of MCA Nashville, and Tim DuBois, the former Arista Nashville President, were joining their immense talent to start their own label called Universal South. Joe and his producer, Brent Rowan, soon were in a meeting with Tony and Tim with the fruits being the successful signing of a recording contract.

Now with a label that really cared, as Joe is the label's first major act, the album, Man With A Memory, was created. Featuring 12 tracks that range beautiful ballads such as Joe's proper debut "The Impossible" and the title track to the uptempo sounds of "Cool To Be A Fool," and "Everything's A Thing."

By now virtually everyone knows Joe Nichols' first single "The Impossible." As the inaugural single for both Joe and Universal South, the song is a winner. Sure its theme is similar to songs like Tommy Shane Steiner's "What If She's An Angel" and Mark Chesnutt's "She Was" but since last fall there's been a demand for more songs like these, which makes this track a winner.

"Everything's A Thing" is a song that some might remember appearing on Craig Morgan's 2000 debut release. Co-written by Joe, this song is a fun song that tells you that even "doing nothing" is "a thing" therefore there's no such thing as "nothing." This song has the sound to make it a smash hit on the radio.

"Cool To Be A Fool" as a sound that harkens back to George Strait of the late 1980s to early 1990's. With it's traditional barroom shuffle sounds, the song instantly showcases that Joe Nichols will be a force on the country scene and like George Strait he can sing both the traditional styled stuff he loves and the more contemporary songs that radio currently. This is one of three songs Joe co-wrote for the album.

"Can't Hold A Halo To You" is a traditional barroom weeper. Sounding as if it came off the latest George Jones or Daryle Singletary album, this track again showcases Joe Nichols' ability with a lyric. This track is simply one of the best tracks on any album to be released in 2002. "You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet" is a song that is a staple of Daryle Singletary's live shows. It also has appeared on his Now and Again CD. This track is the "musical twin" to "Halo." It is another stone country tear-in-your-beer weeper.

Perhaps the best track on the song is the tongue-in-cheek "Life Don't Have To Mean Nothin' At All." Written by Tom T. Hall, the song is cute and features Vince Gill on background vocals. If this were a perfect world, this song would be a single.

So, after six years of struggling, Joe Nichols finally has a "proper" debut release which is a delight from start to finish. One of 2002's finer releases in any genre by any artist.

Song List:

1. The Impossible
2. Joe's Place
3. Brokenheartsville
4. She Only Smokes When She Drinks
5. Everything's A Thing
6. That Would Be Her
7. Cool To Be A Fool
8. Can't Hold A Halo To You
9. You Can't Break The Fall
10. You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet
11. Life Don't Have To Mean Nothin' At All
12. Man With A Memory