Troubadour

Troubadour

by George Strait
Troubadour

Troubadour

by George Strait

Compact Disc

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Overview

George Strait's greatest attribute is his consistency. It's not just how he rarely delivers a bad album but how his music remains rooted in pure Texas honky tonk, a fact that makes his reliably excellent music all the more remarkable. Sometimes Strait steps beyond reliable and delivers something close to transcendent, and 2006's nothing-but-the-basics It Just Comes Natural was one of those times. Playing exclusively to his strengths, the album was lean and strong, yet another hit under his belt, and more than earning its honors as the CMA's Album of the Year. It would be tempting for most artists to turn out another album just like the last but Strait isn't like most artists, as his 2008 follow-up, Troubadour, gracefully illustrates. Troubadour finds Strait turning introspective, getting softer and mellower, perhaps even slightly melancholy, yet it's a comforting melancholy, as the album never wallows in sadness -- there are plenty of Texas 2-steps, breezy mid-tempo tunes, and love songs to temper the blue moments here. Nevertheless, Strait is the troubadour of the title, a musician who bears the scars of the road and is a richer singer for it. This is especially evident on Troubadour, as it has a warm, burnished sound suited for his gently weathered voice, and its 12 songs are by and large exceptionally crafted and deceptively simple; they're songs that benefit greatly from Strait's casual virtuosity. As always, he has his pick of the best songsmiths -- Dean Dillon, Robert Earl Keen, Al Anderson, Buddy Cannon, Monty Holmes, and Scotty Emerick are among the writers bearing credits here -- and he has an unerring ability to pick songs that suit his strengths and weave together to form a cohesive whole (the only minor misstep being a too-anthemic tribute to Johnny Cash, "House of Cash"). Here, the mood is subdued, with even the lighter numbers not quite breaking a sweat, but that's the charm of Troubadour: in its relaxed, intimate way it recalls Merle Haggard's quieter, story-heavy albums of the early '70s, only with Strait's signature, unhurried attitude, a trait that only grows more attractive over the years. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 04/01/2008
Label: Mca Nashville
UPC: 0602517628540

Tracks

  1. Troubadour
  2. It Was Me
  3. Brothers of the Highway
  4. River of Love
  5. House of Cash
  6. I Saw God Today
  7. Give Me More Time
  8. When You're in Love
  9. Make Her Fall in Love with Me Song
  10. West Texas Town
  11. House with No Doors
  12. If Heartaches Were Horses

Album Credits

Performance Credits

George Strait   Primary Artist
Dean Dillon   Primary Artist
Patty Loveless   Primary Artist
Thom Flora   Vocals (Background)
Shawn Camp   Vocals (Background)
Paul Franklin   Pedal Steel
Billy Burnette   Vocals (Background)
Mac McAnally   Guitar (Acoustic)
Steve Nathan   Piano,Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond)
Dennis Morgan   Vocals (Background)
Wes Hightower   Vocals (Background)
Vince Gill   Vocals (Background)
Steve Gibson   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Gut String Guitar
Matt Rollings   Piano,Wurlitzer,Organ (Hammond)
Brent Mason   Guitar (Electric)
Glenn Worf   Bass
Marty Slayton   Vocals (Background)
Stuart Duncan   Fiddle,Mandolin
Eddie Bayers   Drums

Technical Credits

Tony Brown   Producer,A&R
Craig Allen   Design,Photography
Donald Lesko   Photography
Jim Cooley   Assistant
Willis R. Nance   Composer
Monty Criswell   Composer
Kate Coppola   Composer
Erin McAnally   Production Coordination
Kate and Kacey Coppola   Composer
Kacey Coppola   Composer
Nicole Witt   Composer
Will Nance   Composer
Brian Wright   A&R
Kerry Phillips   Composer
Shawn Camp   Composer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Kerry Kurt Phillips   Composer
Billy Burnette   Composer
Kim Williams   Composer
Chuck Ainlay   Mixing,Engineer
Carson Chamberlain   Composer
Wade Kirby   Composer
Dennis Morgan   Composer
Dean Dillon   Composer
Robert Earl Keen   Composer
Scotty Emerick   Composer
Randy Hardison   Composer
Buddy Cannon   Composer
Monty Holmes   Composer
Al Anderson   Composer
Jamey Johnson   Composer
Buddy Brock   Composer
Doug Johnson   Composer
Leslie Satcher   Composer
George Strait   Producer
Rodney Clawson   Composer
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