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A Wolfe in the Fold - "Bad Tonight" Does it Right |
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Track List Say Ya Do |
(Eighth Note
Records) In the world of Texas music one thing stands out head and
shoulders above the country mainstream, and that is songwriting ability.
So many songs are cranked out on the assembly line, one right after
another, dealing with the unrealistic view of worldly perfection; but in
Texas they're still writing songs about the real world, and writing songs
is what Johnny Wolfe does best. He does it with beauty, flare, and
hard-edged Texas grit.
Johnny Wolfe is a native Texan, born in Alice and raised in Alvin. His Texas upbringing included exposure to the Bakersfield sounds of Buck and Merle by his country-music loving parents. When he got older, he strapped on a Telecaster, teamed up with drummer Red McKinney, and formed the Sundowners. Together they toured the southwest, playing country-rock in the Outlaw tradition, stealing rock fans from dance clubs and giving folks country music the way it's meant to be played. During these journeyman days, Johnny was honing his skills as a songwriter; when the Sundowners eventually disintegrated, Johnny took his stockpile of songs, got together with friend singer/songwriter Davin James, and put together this album of fine, tight, honky-tonkin' Bakersfield-flavored Texas country. This Texas boy knows how to craft a song. The melodies are rich and strong, from honky-tonk swing to lyrical waltzes and shuffles, it's easy to see why as lead man of the Sundowners he was so popular as a live act. His rough vocals sound a little harsh, well-worn by the barroom circuit, but when he croons lyrics like "I'm just a poor boy/Ain't got nothin' to show/If ya want my lovin'/baby just tell me so" ("Say Ya Do") and "In the amber glow of the check engine light/I'm drivin' to you, I'm drivin' tonight/Oh no what's the smell in the air/I'm burnin' some oil/But I'm goin' somewhere" (the tremendous "Check Engine Light"), Johnny's rough voice speaks to the heart and the pure country soul. He swings it right from the top, with an old-timey piano riff provided by Billy Earheart opening on the honky-tonk shuffle, "Say Ya Do." He keeps the pace well with the sparkling barroom weeper, "No Angels Down Below," with wonderful whining steel guitar ably played by Ricky Davis (Dale Watson's steel player, who appears on several tracks) and Jason Crisp's crying fiddle. There isn't a track on this disc that lays down or falls flat. He shines on hard, gritty, bluesy numbers like "Ball and Chain" ("Like a ball and chain/I'm workin' from nine to five/I'm alive I guess I can't complain/Ball and chain/Too many hands in my pocket/Where my money goes I can't explain") or the searing title track, "Bad Tonight" (featuring Jesse Dayton on guitar), as well as sweet, light-hearted tunes such as "Forget About You" (to the strains of fine fiddlin' from Jason Crisp) and . His delivery is sure, if rough-edged, and his lyrics are simply too good to miss. Check out Johnny at www.johnnywolfe.com -- it's worth the trip.
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Kathy
Coleman Take Country Back
April 2002