Vince Gill - The Key

“The Key” was Vince Gill’s return to the kind of country that made him famous in the first place. Sure he’d always had pop overtones, but the man knew is way around a traditional country song. “The Key” wasn’t Vince’s biggest commercial success but it certainly is one of his most pleasing efforts.

By the time Vince got around to recording “The Key” he’d been recording mostly pop influenced modern country. And who could argue with the results. He’d won many awards and scored many a number one hit. As any good artist would do, Vince took a break from his standard fare and recorded a love letter to classic country music. And I’ll be darned if he didn’t record the best record of his career.

“Don’t Come Cryin’ To Me” opens the album and immediately sets the pace for what lies ahead. The Grammy winning “If You Ever Had Forever In Mind” was the only notable hit on the record and it’s one heck of a string-laced waltz. “Kindly Keep It Country” talks about the way a traditional country song can impact a listener, especially the sad ones, in ways that most other genres cannot. “My Kind Of Woman/My Kind Of Man” was a nice moderate hit for Vince and longtime friend Patty Loveless. “Let Her In” is a song written about Amy Grant (Vince’s wife) and how she made him feel after he’d been hurt via a divorce (regardless of whom initiates a divorce, they always hurt). “The Key To Life” is an emotional song about Vince’s late dad and the love of music which was passed on to Vince.

While not the most commercial record of Vince’s career, it is probably his most personal. “The Key” features great songs done the right way and the CD stands out as a hallmark in Vince’s decades old career.